The addition of the fence absolutely changes the entire structure of the yard. Replacing those stank old bushes with a clean fenceline has not only freshened up the view, but it's also given us an additional two or three feet of usable property space. The bushes had expanded and collapsed inward over the years and it really wasn't until they were replaced that we actually appreciated how much room they used.

The installation started at 7:30 this morning. The workers pulled up behind the house in a white pickup hauling a trailer stacked with fence building materials. It only took them a few minutes to get started, and by 8:00 am the corner posts were in, a guidewire was strung along the property lines, and all the postholes were roughed in.

That's when the auger came out. Two-man operated and gas powered, this was clearly a professional tool. With a three foot long drillbit chewing away at the soil, the pair of operators managed to clean thirty-two of the thirty-nine holes in less than fiften minutes. The remaining seven holes had to be hand-dug due to rocks or other structures lying too close to the fence line.

But all told, the poles were in and cemented by their 10:30 lunch break. When they returned, they began making quick work of attaching the sections to the poles when the cops were finally called.

Our neighbors, like most neighbors I'm sure, don't like change. All up and down the street behind us, people were strutting up and down the block, watching the progress all day long. Several times, an older woman pulled her car up behind the work truck and made an artful show of them blocking traffic, backing her car up and pulling forward several times before finally maneuvering past.

So just around noon, she finally called the cops to make them move their truck. We first heard of the conflict when we looked out our back window and noticed a policeman standing in the middle of our yard, chatting merrily with the leader of the three workers. They were standing beneath a tree in our yard, laughing and talking quite peacefully while the other two installers continued about their business.

Out in the street behind us, as soon as the cop emerged, the neighbors began screaming and flailing their arms about. It was clear they were upset about this recent bit of change in their neighborhood and, by golly, they were out to make an impact. The cop obviously told them to calm down and go home. The truck was finally moved an hour or so later when the fence guys finished everything up.

And as soon as they left, we opened the door and let the dogs scramble out to explore their new space. With the extra few feet donated by the removal of the bushes, I actually had enough room to play fetch with the dogs, tossing a stick down the length of the yard for Riley while Lacie ran laps of the perimeter at three-quarter speed.

Our neighbors still need to get used to the new look. But in a few days, they won't even notice the fence anymore. And in a few weeks, it will seem like it's always been here. The best part about it, of course, is that now that the fence is in, it really doesn't matter, since we can't see them anyway.

Good fences make good neighbors. And ours is pretty good.