# Ugh, we gotta get a backyard



## GeoTerraTestudo (Jul 27, 2012)

I just have to vent. I am getting impatient for a house and a backyard. Keeping tortoises here in our condo is getting frustrating!

We have fenced off our porch so that our tortoises can spend lots of time outside. Unfortunately, this summer has been so hot that, without a burrow, I did not think they would be safe out there in the afternoons. Also, with the A/C running out there most of the time, I can't really put them out mornings, either.

So, I took them out front - plenty of space, sunshine, and weeds for them to enjoy. However, many of my neighbors have dogs (and one cat) they let outside, too. Much as I love these animals, what I don't love is how the owners leave their dogs' droppings everywhere. These attract flies, and today one of my tortoises even stepped in some while I wasn't looking. Last week she ate some dried doggy doodoo, too. And when my neighbor's dog sees my tortoises, he barks. He's leashed and can't bite them, but his barking scares them. The cat likes to stalk them, too.

What's more, today my neighbor tapped hard on one of my tortoises to check how hard its shell was. Who taps on other people's pets?! I realize this wasn't painful, but I don't want my tortoise to be startled, either.

I can't _wait_ until we have our own backyard, where my tortoises can roam more freely, dig a burrow, and live without turds, threatening dogs and cats, and people who think it's okay to handle tortoises roughly. Ugh!


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## ascott (Jul 27, 2012)

Ugghhhh is right....I wish you a yard soooon....and next time neighbor wants to tap on your tort--politely ask them may you tap on their head to see how hard it is.....lol....


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## GeoTerraTestudo (Jul 27, 2012)

ascott said:


> Ugghhhh is right....I wish you a yard soooon....and next time neighbor wants to tap on your tort--politely ask them may you tap on their head to see how hard it is.....lol....



Good thought!


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## Blakem (Jul 27, 2012)

ascott said:


> Ugghhhh is right....I wish you a yard soooon....and next time neighbor wants to tap on your tort--politely ask them may you tap on their head to see how hard it is.....lol....



This idea made me laugh!


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## Edna (Jul 27, 2012)

You gotta get a yard, for so many reasons!!! Honestly, I don't know how people live without yards.


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## mctlong (Jul 27, 2012)

GeoTerraTestudo said:


> What's more, today my neighbor tapped hard on one of my tortoises to check how hard its shell was. Who taps on other people's pets?! I realize this wasn't painful, but I don't want my tortoise to be startled, either.



OMG! Who does this?! I like Angela's suggestion.


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## harris (Jul 27, 2012)

Edna said:


> You gotta get a yard, for so many reasons!!! Honestly, I don't know how people live without yards.



Agreed!!!


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## CLMoss (Jul 27, 2012)

Edna said:


> You gotta get a yard, for so many reasons!!! Honestly, I don't know how people live without yards.



You are right! I have always lived in a house with a yard. It is just a little piece of heaven. ~C


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## GeoTerraTestudo (Jul 27, 2012)

My wife and I are in grad school, so it's tough to afford a house right now. Soon, though...


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## wellington (Jul 27, 2012)

DITTO, except don't ask to pound on their head, just do it. They didn't ask you right. Ignorant people. Yes you do need a yard. Don't forget, the interest is the lowest it has been in years. Probably won't go much lower if at all. Plus, if you are first time home buyer, there is great programs for that. Also, lots of foreclosures available pretty darn cheap. Now might be your best time to go for it. While you are stuck at the condo. I would either call the condo association and complain about the dog poop, really what pigs. If they don't do anything, call the city your in. They may be able to do something. Good luck


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## CLMoss (Jul 27, 2012)

Yes, it is a great time to buy a house; however, you still need that 20% (I believe) to get a good rate. Here in Brooklyn, dog owners have to pick up poop, but not all dog owner do it.


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## Jacqui (Jul 27, 2012)

Edna said:


> You gotta get a yard, for so many reasons!!! Honestly, I don't know how people live without yards.



That goes for me too.  Back in the ice age when I looked at places to live, first thing was does it have a yard, not does it even have running water or plumbing.


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## Tom (Jul 27, 2012)

Hope it works out for you and yours soon GTT. I did the apartment thing back in school too. No fun.

Strangely though, none of my neighbors wanted to knock on my 7' water monitors head, or let their pets anywhere near him...


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## Edna (Jul 27, 2012)

wellington said:


> Also, lots of foreclosures available pretty darn cheap.



Correct me it I'm wrong, Geo, but is seems like the Denver area has not seen the wave of forclosures that some other areas have, and housing there is holding its value pretty well.


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## GeoTerraTestudo (Jul 27, 2012)

Jacqui said:


> That goes for me too.  Back in the ice age when I looked at places to live, first thing was does it have a yard, not does it even have running water or plumbing.



I can relate!



Tom said:


> Hope it works out for you and yours soon GTT. I did the apartment thing back in school too. No fun.
> 
> Strangely though, none of my neighbors wanted to knock on my 7' water monitors head, or let their pets anywhere near him...



I bet water monitors are too much for most neighborhood pests to handle. 




Edna said:


> Correct me it I'm wrong, Geo, but is seems like the Denver area has not seen the wave of forclosures that some other areas have, and housing there is holding its value pretty well.



Denver has fared well overall, but some parts have been hit by the recession, too. Actually, that's why we're living in a condo. I have a townhouse in another part of town, but when I wanted to sell it to move closer to the university, we found it had depreciated a lot, and we would've lost a lot of money if we had sold it. Turns out much of the neighborhood had been hit by foreclosures and short sales, which lowered the value of my unit. We actually had a very low-ball offer, but we could not sell at the price.

So, in the meantime, we are leasing out our townhouse to a tenant, and renting a condo in another part of town. Ugh again.


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## lynnedit (Jul 27, 2012)

Double ugh. Also, hard to think about buying a house until you are out of grad school and know where you will be living.

What is your guestimate of when you will be able to 'settle down'?


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## GeoTerraTestudo (Jul 27, 2012)

lynnedit said:


> Double ugh. Also, hard to think about buying a house until you are out of grad school and know where you will be living.
> 
> What is your guestimate of when you will be able to 'settle down'?



We would like to stay here in our hometown after grad school, but you are right. Even within a given area, it's tough to know where you'll end up, so that's another reason we are holding off of buying anything. Another is that we want to wait until we can afford a house we really like. We learned the hard way that, especially in this New Economy, it's not easy to sell a house.

We expect to be graduating in two years, which is not that long, but it's not that soon, either.


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## Kerryann (Jul 27, 2012)

There are good and bad things about having a yard. I love having a yard but hate having yard work to do 

I can't fence my yard and the new family behind me have some wild kids. The people next door who have kids are very good about instructing the kids to be nice with the animals but I have to watch the new family's kid so she isn't beating on my critters too


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## Edna (Jul 27, 2012)

Note to Geo: Check those covenants when you buy and make sure you can fence your yard!!


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## wellington (Jul 27, 2012)

If you can fence the yard. See if you can put up the razor type barbed wire on the top of it. That will keep the idiots away. LOL that's what I want to put up, but can't, ugh  I get drunks once in a while that like to look over my fence, even have had their garbage thrown over. Pretty soon, they might just be pulling back bloody fingers . If you don't own it, don't touch it, is my theory.


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## lynnedit (Jul 27, 2012)

GeoTerraTestudo said:


> We would like to stay here in our hometown after grad school, but you are right. Even within a given area, it's tough to know where you'll end up, so that's another reason we are holding off of buying anything. Another is that we want to wait until we can afford a house we really like. We learned the hard way that, especially in this New Economy, it's not easy to sell a house.
> 
> We expect to be graduating in two years, which is not that long, but it's not that soon, either.



Good thing torts are very long lived! Their condo life is probably a blink of an eye to them.


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## Terry Allan Hall (Aug 1, 2012)

ascott said:


> Ugghhhh is right....I wish you a yard soooon....and next time neighbor wants to tap on your tort--politely ask them may you tap on their head to see how hard it is.....lol....



Unless the tapper is a woman, child or elder, there WILL be a tap (for simply scientific curiosity as to how hard their skull is, you understand ) in response...either hand is adorned with 3 or 4 silver-and-turquoise rings, too. 



Kerryann said:


> There are good and bad things about having a yard. I love having a yard but hate having yard work to do
> 
> I can't fence my yard and the new family behind me have some wild kids. The people next door who have kids are very good about instructing the kids to be nice with the animals but I have to watch the new family's kid so she isn't beating on my critters too



Pellet gun, buttocks, educational! 



Tom said:


> Hope it works out for you and yours soon GTT. I did the apartment thing back in school too. No fun.
> 
> Strangely though, none of my neighbors wanted to knock on my 7' water monitors head, or let their pets anywhere near him...



You're a dude after my own (mildly misanthropic) heart, Tom!


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## GeoTerraTestudo (Aug 1, 2012)

Terry Allan Hall said:


> You're a dude after my own (mildly misanthropic) heart, Tom!



LOL ... I think I need a healthy dose of mild misanthropy, too.


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