Good Neighbors

[beenthere]

.......does anyone know what the old dinner bell was used for just wondering

dinner ?   

[Tom]

Our dinner bell wasn't the farm bell.  The dinner bell was a hand shook thing with a handle.  It sat on the cabinet in the dining room.  It was used to call children.  You could hear it for 1/4-1/2 of a mile and you better come running. Each family's bell had a different sound.  An excuse of "I didn't hear it" might as well have been an admittance that you were further from home than you were supposed to be.  A switching usually ensued.

 I have a Cast Iron Farm Bell.  It is a #4 and was used, other than for looks, to call me from the swamp.  It has never tolled and I hope that I never hear it do so.  A #4 is about 16 inches across and sits in a cradle mounted to a pole.  A rope is used to move the bell against the clapper.  Mine has a throaty baritone ring.

[Karl_N.]

I've been doing some odd jobs for my neighbor who became a widow two years ago or so. She always insisted that she pay me though I always felt funny about taking any money for the little that I did, it always just felt good to help out. Anyway, my old plow truck kicked the bucket just before winter and suddenly I'm out of luck. My driveway is 1/4 mile long and it tends to snow up here in the winter. I don't have the money to pay anyone to do it and certainly no money to get another plow truck. To make a long story short, my neighbor noticed that I hadn't plowed yet and offered me her husband's old plow truck in trade for doing some work for her every now and then. I am still so touched by the generosity and the understanding and my driveway is still open. A good neighbor is worth twice their weight in gold.

[Polly]

you are right swamp donkey  also before country people had telephones it was rung to call your good neighbors in case of fire or any emergency that might arise also mom used it to call us in for dinner but we were not,  allowed to ring it for the fun of it if we did serious results would happen

[Frickman]

A neighbor gets a magazine called "CountrySide" or something along those lines. It's similar to "Mother Earth News." It's a general back-to-the-land guide for city folks escaping urban areas and moving out to the sticks. Anyway, there are usually little articles or stories about how different rural folks are and the culture shock many city folks endure when they first move to the country.

The last isue had a humorous story about folks who moved out to a small property but never got acquainted with the locals. They kept to themselves like they did in the city. All their visitors had out of state liscense plates on their cars, and they never patronized the local businesses. People started speculating and soon the story going around was they were drug dealers. They said it took a long time to clear up that mess.

[ErikC]

  I haven't moved but a few times in my life, and in the same small town on top of that. Whenever I got settled in though, I met all the neighbors by either driving to their house or if I saw the same person on the road several times I'd stop and talk to them. (By neighbor I mean about a mile or so in every direction) They know who you are, you know who they are and strangers can be easily identified this way. Even In a small town it's amazing how many people don't know who each other is until you're introduced. Every time it has been a good experience, even the less friendly are glad to know who you are and all that if you live nearby. It seems like everyone should live that way, but most don't.

[WH_Conley]

Just got our electric back on from high winds. Was passing the home of the guy that owns the little country store below my house, large pine tree blew hitting his house. I stopped at the store and told him then came on home. The boy that helps me was still here, I told him to come on and grabbed a saw and went back. The tree just tore up some gutter and drip edge. We figured we would cut it away from the house, at least where you could walk. In a few minutes the owner showed up with the same idea in mind. Few more minutes a couple of more guys show up, then more. I can remember twelve people, not counting the owner and his parents being there. The tree didn't last long til it was out of the yard. Ground too soft to do more. If somebody is in distress, like the tree, when word hits the store John or his wife tell people when they come in, this example is the rule, not the exception.