You see the familiar wooden sign hammered into the yard near the walkway to the small one story brick home. “NO TRESPASS” it read. Short and sweet. Your arm jerks backwards slightly. You turn to see your little dog sitting on the sidewalk happily scratching her armpit. When she is finished, she happily trots passed you, resuming the walk.

As you approach the house, you scan the front yard for the older lady that lives there. You don’t see her white sunhat. In the spring, she tends to her flower garden diligently, keeping the beds watered and weed free. You’ve tried speaking to her numerous times but she has never responded.

“Hi! It’s a lovely evening, isn’t it?” you asked. She looked up at you blankly and then went back to her garden. Your little dog barked, tail wagging. The woman didn’t even acknowledge your dog.

It was only a few months ago that you noticed the chicken wire surrounding the walkway to her front door. It looked as though it was something she might have done herself. The wooden stakes hammered loosely and unevenly into the ground. Chicken wire tied to each stake with red string of some sort. A week later the sign appeared.

“NO TRESPASS”

Eventually, you stopped saying hi to her if she was in the yard. You would smile, though, never receiving one in return.

Today, there is a new sign. “For Sale”

Mom and I were talking about the cabin and I was joking around about being anti-social. I can be as I am pretty introverted. So I was making jokes about blocking both of my driveways with a gate. On each gate would be a sign saying “Use Other Gate” and an arrow pointing to the opposite gate.

Mom told me about a lady that lives near her that has chicken coop wire around her walkway and a sign. She sent me a picture of the sign which is shown as the featured image for the post. If you happen to know this sign and the person that owns said sign, please know that I embellished this story to send to my mom to make her smile.

I wonder what the actual story is behind the chicken wire and sign. Was she being harassed? Does she hate people? Was she having too many visitors? Did the Jehovah’s Witnesses have her address? Does she have house chickens? Is the sign reverse psychology? Was the chicken coop wire cheaper than a picket fence? Was it art?

Is the lady okay? Is she lonely? Does she have someone to look in on her?