In your yard

[dizzycooks]

What do people in your neighborhood keep out in their yards?  What kind of stuff is left out versus put in the garage/storage?

Brought to you by my FIL insisting we have a canoe and if we haven't room for it in our garage we should just put it out in the back yard.  We live in a nice middle class, suburban neighborhood and people don't just leave random stuff out in their yard.  I don't want it in my yard.  We don't have time to use it.  We have three small children.  He will not stop asking!  I am sick of hearing about it.  They live in the sticks and leaving junk out in the yard to store is perfectly normal.  It looks like crap.  I don't want the damn canoe!!!  DH feels bad telling them no, but he has been repeatedly and they will not listen.

[jag01]

 Tell your DH if he takes the canoe, he's going to be up shit creek with out a paddle.

[Deleted]

Nov 2, 2015 22:18:35 GMT -5 jag01 said:

I actually find this funny. Tell your DH if he takes the canoe, he's going to be up shit creek with out a paddle.

well...to be fair...it may come with paddles....

[lala]

I mean, if you don't want it, just say no.

I wouldn't just want it laying in the middle of the backyard or where we hang out and definitely not in the front at all. But I would be okay with it hanging on the garage or behind the garage in our little "nook" area. Our garage is detached and set back from the house, though.

[quesyrah]

I should take some pictures because I live in a very interesting area. I live basically in the middle of a cluster of small private colleges. I call my community "rich hippie." Very earthy, crunchy granola but it's a pretty affluent area.

There are quite a few houses with.....unique yard art.

[Deleted]

Oh, fil. No to the canoe in the backyard lol.

We have a large shed in our backyard where we keep ds' car, water table, all the pool toys, balls, etc. So basically, the only stuff out back is outdoor furniture, ds' little tikes picnic table, plants and a hose. No to clutter!

ETA we live in nice suburbs so worst case is toys or something out back.

[cna]

That is the most random thing to fixate on. Like why is he so dead set on you guys getting a canoe?

[dizzycooks]

Nov 2, 2015 22:28:22 GMT -5 cna said:

That is the most random thing to fixate on. Like why is he so dead set on you guys getting a canoe?

Because he's 84 and not all there. We are trying to get them to move out of their house but he won't move anywhere without a basement. He wants us to have all his old shit. Think....50 yo tools, grains for the apocalypse, a 4 wheeler...

[momin2013]

I think this is more a FIL butting out issue, but to answer your question: we have trees and a sandbox in our backyard. We live in a typical middle class neighbourhood, and the only other things you see in yards are sheds, yard chairs and the occasional sand/water table. It would look a bit weird to see a canoe sitting in someone's yard, but honestly, if the yard was generally neat otherwwise, I wouldn't think too much of it.

[lexus]

It sounds like he doesn't want it to "go to waste". I wouldn't take it if I had no intention to use it. Maybe dh can go over and help him take stuff to a thrift store or host a garage sale so that his stuff will get used?

[Kcthepouchh8r]

We have a pair of kayaks that are too long for the shed. They are partly visible; we have them between the side of the fence/side of shed and they stick out a few feet. I don't think it's an eyesore; it's not like they're plopped in the middle of the yard or anything. They're in a corner of a 1/4 acre Of land mostly obstructed from view by a shed. I would definitely take a canoe and store it that way. We are the outdoorsy type and would use it though; I wouldn't take it otherwise.

[NandaB]

We are your FIL, lol (except for the apocalypse grain) we have a tiny house and a tiny shed. Besides the tornado of kid shit currently on the lawn we have near our shed: Random wood, a stack of tires, the windshield to my Hs jeep, and a ladder. It drives me crazy, but at least we have no neighbors to annoy?

[YeahSure]

My 52 year old husband is still embarrassed that his dad left a boat outside the house during his teen years.

[mamaalysson]

A canoe would stand out in our neighborhood, but we have pretty small yards. A canoe hanging off the side of a shed or detached garage would be NBD. For us, patio furniture, a patio rug, and assorted pots stay out year round. It's more cluttered in the summer with the BBQ, big toys, a water table, and random other kid detritus left out. This time of year, we will pull the BBQ, kid toys, and patio cushions into the garage/playroom.

(That's the backyard. Our front yard is all terraced garden.)