Originally Posted by JMintzer (Post 2435921)

"Everyone"? I'm sure you can find ONE reliable neighbor who will keep an eye on your home when you're away. I know we do. We drop off a bag of trash when we leave and they do the same when they leave.

They also have use of our extra refrigerator (in the garage) if they need it when we're away...

Originally Posted by JMintzer (Post 2435921)

"Everyone"? I'm sure you can find ONE reliable neighbor who will keep an eye on your home when you're away. I know we do. We drop off a bag of trash when we leave and they do the same when they leave.

They also have use of our extra refrigerator (in the garage) if they need it when we're away...

Originally Posted by Aces4 (Post 2436085)

You have to know the tone of your neighbors, some are the "town criers" with any information they collect shared with others. How many want it shared when their home is empty?

We know a few people who don't want to tell their neighbor this but because they are full time they get dumped on by snowbirds with requests to help them out in some fashion while they are back in their original neck of the woods.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2435141)

The crows won't pick the bags open if you wait til it's dark the night before, to put the bags out for the next morning's pickup. They usually do the scavenger thing in the early afternoon.

If you tie the bags tightly enough, the other critters in the area won't bother them either.

We have a trash can with wheels that we use to "store" our trash in. And then we wheel it to the curb, pull the bag out of the can, set it down on the curb, and wheel the empty can back under the carport up against the laundry shed, where it's completely out of sight to any neighbors passing by. That way we don't have to keep the smelly chicken or fish carcasses in the house for a few nights waiting for trash day if that's what we've cooked that week. The pizza box gets folded up and put in that can too, so it doesn't take up most of the room in our kitchen trash container.

Our trash guys will empty the can for us if we leave it out at the curb, but that's only because we don't abuse their generosity. They're not supposed to do that. They have warned others in the area that it wasn't allowed. I think we leave it out maybe once every few months, when we have a lot of grass clippings and yardwork waste that's too heavy for us to lift on our own.

We always use a can liner, so maybe they don't mind since they don't have to pick up the whole can, they just have to yank the filled liner out of it and swing it into the back of their truck.

Originally Posted by PugMom (Post 2436143)

dittos to all. is much neater this way & i use grey or black bags. for some reason the birds don't like that color

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2435141)

The crows won't pick the bags open if you wait til it's dark the night before, to put the bags out for the next morning's pickup. They usually do the scavenger thing in the early afternoon.

If you tie the bags tightly enough, the other critters in the area won't bother them either.

We have a trash can with wheels that we use to "store" our trash in. And then we wheel it to the curb, pull the bag out of the can, set it down on the curb, and wheel the empty can back under the carport up against the laundry shed, where it's completely out of sight to any neighbors passing by. That way we don't have to keep the smelly chicken or fish carcasses in the house for a few nights waiting for trash day if that's what we've cooked that week. The pizza box gets folded up and put in that can too, so it doesn't take up most of the room in our kitchen trash container.

Our trash guys will empty the can for us if we leave it out at the curb, but that's only because we don't abuse their generosity. They're not supposed to do that. They have warned others in the area that it wasn't allowed. I think we leave it out maybe once every few months, when we have a lot of grass clippings and yardwork waste that's too heavy for us to lift on our own.

We always use a can liner, so maybe they don't mind since they don't have to pick up the whole can, they just have to yank the filled liner out of it and swing it into the back of their truck.

Originally Posted by jimmyinvillages (Post 2435128)

In any normal city garbage seems to be picked up in a civilized manner. You put your trash in your bin during the week, you wheel it out on trash pickup day, and the truck picks it up.

It is very antiquated and unhygienic how we have it here in the Villages. Leaving trash on the ground gets a crazy amount of bugs/rodents, and makes a soupy mess when it rains. It's also terrible for the crew to have to handle leaky dirty cardboard and trash bags flying around in the rain overnight.

Find My District - The Villages Community Development Districts

I recommend people find their CDD reps here and email them a simple request to modernize the system as I have done as well.

Thank you

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2436105)

That's sad, it sounds like a not-so-neighborly neighborhood.

With our neighborhood we all voluntarily look out for each other. Most of us have the key to at least one other house, and emergency contact numbers, and a list of numbers for services they use. We tell each other when we'll be away, and if there's a really bad storm that blows palm fronts onto their yard we pick them up and bring them to the curb. We sometimes give each other rides to the Groome bus stop in the squares and pick them back up when they return.

We check in on each other when we get back from the hospital for a procedure and if we see an ambulance in front of someone's house, we're sure to check in on a spouse to see if they need anything while their loved one is in the hospital.

Although we always ask the neighbors if they would be able to watch our home while we're gone, we never have to. They do it anyway, because they're good neighbors.

Originally Posted by dadspet (Post 2436208)

We never had an issue with the garbage until raccoons discovered that the garbage is a very cheap grocery store, and now, often, they will tear into it and make a mess on the street that has to be cleaned up. Some neighbors resorted to garbage cans with a sign indicating the issue, and the garbage people have accommodated them and emptied them. Double bagging seems to help sometimes, the only thing that does seem to help is not getting Sam's Chicken > They love it and can smell it double bagged. Eating out at restaurants also helps, but it is a more expensive solution. Some neighbors have resorted to not putting out the garbage until very early in the morning, but I prefer the restaurant solution.

Originally Posted by Velvet (Post 2436234)

Is there a reason why this food stuff is not put in the garbage disposal? Mine will grind up the bones too. If you live in TV you have a garbage disposal.

Originally Posted by Velvet (Post 2436234)

Is there a reason why this food stuff is not put in the garbage disposal? Mine will grind up the bones too. If you live in TV you have a garbage disposal.

Originally Posted by Velvet (Post 2436234)

Is there a reason why this food stuff is not put in the garbage disposal? Mine will grind up the bones too. If you live in TV you have a garbage disposal.

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2436240)

I never put anything in the garbage disposal. I think it was invented by a plumber who wanted to create more business. Worst appliance ever made. Also, I rarely use the dishwasher either.

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 2436206)

There are large paper bags for clippings and yardwork waste. I suggest you get some and not break the rules.

Originally Posted by Aces4 (Post 2436221)

It's not sad at all, it's humanity. Anyone would do what you've mentioned.. Would you like to be asked by 6 or 7 snowbirds for different favors all of which they think are no imposition? Watch for deliveries that may arrive after they leave or phonebooks/flyers. Would you mind keeping an eye on the sprinkler system so I know if there are any issues? Here's the key to our mailbox, if you would be so kind to check it to be sure no important mail is left for them and if so send it on to them? If the lawn people don't show up would you please let us know. We heard the power is out, can you check to see if we have it and if the airconditioner is working. You get the picture and if one's home is surrounded by snowbirds and even if they are best friends, it gets old in a hurry. There are services these "friends" could employ.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2436256)

The rules require certain colored bags for once-weekly recycling, and require us to recycle.

However, there is no more recycling here, and so we have to put all our trash together. I suggest you not worry about which rules I am and am not breaking. I might have a clue about my own neighborhood's rules.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2435141)

…
Our trash guys will empty the can for us if we leave it out at the curb, but that's only because we don't abuse their generosity. They're not supposed to do that. They have warned others in the area that it wasn't allowed. I think we leave it out maybe once every few months, when we have a lot of grass clippings and yardwork waste that's too heavy for us to lift on our own.

We always use a can liner, so maybe they don't mind since they don't have to pick up the whole can, they just have to yank the filled liner out of it and swing it into the back of their truck.

Originally Posted by CarlR33 (Post 2436237)

Be careful about doing that. I used the same principle up north until I eventually plugged the sewage line with gunk. Why, because most will not flush the drain with lots of water on occasion or buy the line cleaner you buy in a store, etc.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2436257)

The snowbirds in our neighborhood don't impose like that. As I said - we're neighborly people here, we're not leeches.

Originally Posted by Aces4 (Post 2436221)

It's not sad at all, it's humanity. Anyone would do what you've mentioned.. Would you like to be asked by 6 or 7 snowbirds for different favors all of which they think are no imposition? Watch for deliveries that may arrive after they leave or phonebooks/flyers. Would you mind keeping an eye on the sprinkler system so I know if there are any issues? Here's the key to our mailbox, if you would be so kind to check it to be sure no important mail is left for them and if so send it on to them? If the lawn people don't show up would you please let us know. We heard the power is out, can you check to see if we have it and if the airconditioner is working. You get the picture and if one's home is surrounded by snowbirds and even if they are best friends, it gets old in a hurry. There are services these "friends" could employ.

Originally Posted by Velvet (Post 2436263)

My instruction booklet tells me to use chicken bones to clean the grinders teeth once in a while. Also I use lots of water with vegetable grinding. The first time I clogged up the disposal by putting down too many brussel sprouts at once without enough water. It got cleaned but I bought a much more powerful and easy to connect, garbage disposal unit. Hubby just installed it in minutes. I hesitate to put down pits though.

Originally Posted by Nana2Teddy (Post 2436303)

In this situation I can definitely see your point. With us every resident on our street is full time so I’m talking about vacations only, or occasional medical issues like a knee replacement where our next door neighbor couldn’t be alone for the first couple of weeks, so hubby spent some time visiting with him so his wife could have breaks to go to her water aerobics class. Simple occasional things like this.