Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The Long Distance Relationship

 




























Owning a home-away-from-home is a bit like a long distance relationship. You think about it all the time, wonder what's going on around and about, and you dream about seeing it again soon. It also comes with headaches and worries. My main fears are a leak (already happened), and a break and enter. Which is why we have a monitored alarm, high fence and locked gates, and security cameras. The Raz Man owns a computer business and sells a lot of hardware to people like Border Patrol and the Surveillance Industry. So it is only fitting that he likes to install such things in the Florida House. The camera's take a photo and sends us an email if something/someone enters our yard or the doors are opened. We can also log in remotely and move the cameras around both inside the house and out. This is 100% legal by the way on your own property. I've mentioned before that other than the requisite lawn guy and pool builders, the only other intruder is a large white cat who comes to dine on lizards in our yard.

Last night around 10:30 pm while us and most Americans were glued to the TV for election results we got that dreaded phone call. Our neighbor had received a call from another neighbor to say that a U-Haul was backed up to the alley behind our house and people were removing the contents of "the Canadians House". They had called the police and they were on the way. To say I was freaked out was an understatement. There had been no call from the alarm company to say there was an entry. We did  the only thing that anyone could do from 1000's of miles away. Confident that the police would arrive in a minute or two, we ran to the computer to log in to the cameras. There was no email about a "door open" event, and so we nervously turned on the interior camera. I was terrified of seeing all our stuff gone, a vacant and battered house, but most of all, I was terrified of seeing someone in the house. We scanned the main level cautiously and nothing seemed to be out of place or missing. The door was intact as was the alarm.  Hearts still pounding, we looked at the back yard camera which indeed showed a car behind our locked gate and a U haul in the lane way, although it clearly looked to be next door to us. We could see people with flashlights (assuming the police) and a while later the car and truck left. 

Although at the moment I was mortified and panicked, I am so grateful to both neighbors, who cared enough to call each other and the police. It most likely was a neighbor doing a late evening move, but it could have been a large scale break in. It took a while for my adrenaline to settle after that and be able to fall asleep. 

If you see something in your neighborhood that doesn't look right, call the police. It may be nothing, but better safe than sorry.



17 comments:

  1. Scary stuff!!! Is that the house Chania?
    I just love it - what a beautiful retreat!

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  2. First of all, your house is beautiful! That kitchen, wow! Secondly, how scary! I remember a few years ago a lady here in FL actually did catch some guys breaking into her house while she was at work, she checked on her house online and caught them in the act. Thank goodness for your vigilant neighbors!

    My dad and step-mom go through this and my dad's thought about installing a camera above his front door but he doesn't want to have to leave the internet on the whole time they're gone. Does yours work through your internet?

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  3. Hello Chania,
    You poor thing, that is really stressful - I would be the same. House robbery is really traumatic. Lucky you do have a good security system and good neighbours. The house is really beautiful.
    Ivan

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  4. I am so glad you did not have to sit at a computer screen and watch somebody pillaging your house. How traumatic.I am happy that did not happen. Wow. I don't think the stress of a 2nd home like that would be worth it to me......Yikes it sounds scary.

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  5. OMG you scared me! Could you hear my audible sigh of relief as I read further down...
    Not nice to do to me after yesterday's tension..lol
    though of course I finally slept like a baby..whew!

    so glad all is well..but my heart can't take these upsets :D I am getting so OLD!

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  6. Thank goodness for alert neighbors and video cameras! Glad everything is ok.

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  7. That must have been quite scary when you had the phone call. The cameras are a good idea - caring neighbours even better. So glad everything turned out OK

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  8. You are really fortunate to have such good neighbours to give you some piece of mind. When we moved to the Bruce Peninsula, someone had a hay day stealing our stuff from our house in the City while my hubby was up here for a weekend. It was very stressful, never mind the feeling of having your life feeling invaded with no respect whatsoever. I am certain our personal items gave someone a 5 minute "drug" high at some point with the money gotten.

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  9. Do you think that bamboo will grow here in Nova Scotia? lol It looks so impressive and 'tropical' to us! Love it!

    We have never hesitated to call the RCMP whenever we felt it necessary. They are always cooperative and quick to respond.

    Yes, I have heard about those risks of long-distance relationships....lots of work and anxiety if one is not on top of things.

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  10. The neighbors did good. Your house is charming. I can definitely see why you would worry about it be harmed, vandalized, or robbed. We have so much traffic on our little gravel road we think it deters thieves. I am often not at the yellow house three to four days a week and we have zero security systems.

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  11. yikes! i would have been a wreck too. i've only had one break-in in my life and i was home alone. in the shower! the scariest day of my life. i'm terrified of break-ins. i'm so glad your neighbors were on the ball and you have such a great security system! phew!

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  12. You are blessed with good neighbors !
    I am very happy for you that it was nothing. I hope that something like this never happens.

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  13. Oh my goodness that's scary! I'll go down and keep an eye on the place for you, how about February???

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  14. Chania, I was about to call you 007 regarding your surveillance gadgets, but then MY heart started pounding when you went on to talk about that phone call and the ensuing panic. Thank goodness it was a false alarm, that you have good neighbors and I had to chuckle at the description that someone was trying to haul out the contents of "the Canadians' house". All well that ends well. Absolutely, if you see something suspicious, say something. Hopefully it is nothing, but better to check it out! Ann

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  15. Wow, that would have your heart skip a beat or two! Several years ago we had a theft ring in our neighbourhood that were using the July 1st moving date as a cover for pulling up moving trucks and emptying people's homes. It caused us to get closer to our neighbours!

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  16. I am so glad no one broke in. Last night my husband received a call from a neighbor to let us know someone broke into his vehicle and took a gps system. My husband proceeded to call all the neighbors around us to let them know and found out two more vehicles were broken into on the same night. He then called the Sheriff's department to let them know. It definitely helps to have good neighbors.

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  17. Wow, I can imagine how heart-stopping that must have been for you. But you have good Florida neighbours for noticing something strange going on and doing something about it :-)

    Whenever we go away, we always let the neighbours on one side of us know we'll be away and ask them keep an eye on things. Which was a really good thing this past summer - we didn't have an attempted break-in, but our neighbour noticed a gas smell in our backyard. Turns out, the gas line to the BBQ had been damaged, probably by the dogs. If she hadn't mentioned the smell to us, who knows how long the gas would have kept leaking.

    Your Florida home is beautiful :-)

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I love to read each and every comment and are thrilled that you take the time to send one. Thank you so much. Chania