To Fence or Not to Fence, that is the Question

If you have been to both the Midwest and California, one of the most striking differences in yards are the presence or lack of fences in each place.

The Midwest and other parts of the country seem to like the open fenced yard feel more. Even many of the fenced yards are more likely to have a low profile, maybe picket fencing or some kind of chain link or other.

The West tends to be more closed in, which sounds sort of funny when you think about it. The supposedly free spirited Californians are the more closed in ones with their tall fences, and the Midwesterners who are often thought of as conservative, have the open backyard, open neighborhood policy. It seems it should be the other way around

If you take a trip around much of California suburbia, what you will see are six foot high or even taller fences. The reasoning behind this for most people is privacy for one thing. It is more difficult to peer into someone else's yards when the standard wooden redwood fences are six feet tall.

Many yards are smaller in California and the way they are now sandwiching houses in a few feet apart, even homes that cost millions, privacy becomes even more of an issue. Those pricey postage stamp sized lots need to be protected.

As a whole, Californians tend to be more withdrawn as neighbors. Sure there are wonderful neighbors and neighborhoods, people waving, chatting and so forth, but they still seem to be more inclined to close themselves off more. When you are behind your fence, it is mostly understood that is private, even if you can hear each other. Then everyone plays the pretend there is no one there game, so your presence in your own yard is not an intrusion on them.

Of course there are the peekers. They are the ones that just can't resist peeking through cracks, open knot holes, or out of upstairs windows looking into a neighbors yard. Sometimes it can't be helped, if that is the only place to look when you are at your window.

There are the kids who make games out of spying on the neighbors in their yards. There is even a special spy toy which can look over a high fence without climbing up it.

What teenager hasn't at least once peeked over at some cute guy or girl and watched them sunbathing? Well supposedly the back yard fence creates complete privacy, but honestly how many red blooded heterosexual males could resist at least quickly peeking at a topless sunbather behind the fence? I have heard more than one story from grown men talking about spying on Mrs. So and So or that cute girl from geometry class or the neighbors older sister home from college for a break. They will still speak of it with great reverence years after it happened, the hallowed memory of the teen hormone set.

Fences have to be repaired and/ or replaced every now and then, so that is an added homeowners expense to contend with. A good wind storm can bowl over an older wooden fence like a row of upright matchsticks.

There are always the battles with neighbors over splitting the costs, the design and so forth. The best design being the good neighbor fence which makes both sides look the same, so that there isn't a front or a back, on either neighbors side. Fences can get quite political at times, just like any other protected border.

Then there is the Midwest. I must admit, every time I am out there and come back to California I feel trapped in my penned in yard. It is nice being able to see so far and to feel like your yard is bigger than it really is, because there is no barrier dividing you and a neighbor.

The advantage to an open yard is a much more friendly environment, where neighbors can freely intermingle, chat, visit each other and the disadvantage is the same thing. You can't sneak out in your backyard easily there. Everyone sees your comings and goings all the time, so privacy is an issue.

Children and pets are harder to restrain. I was not comfortable letting my daughter run around in an unfenced yard, both because of possible intruders and because any child seeing all that open space, will want to roam. It is only natural.

In California my dog has free access to the backyard and since I know she would make a beeline for any open terrain, I don't have to chase her down constantly or keep her chained in a yard to keep her there. I like allowing her to have that freedom. I hate seeing dogs chained up and all alone in a yard.

If they are smart, children in the Midwest quickly learn the boundaries. Fence or no fence, there are certain times and certain neighbors that you know not to intrude in their space. Open yard or not, not everyone wants people tromping on their property all the time.

If a Frisbee, badminton birdie or ball go into a neighbors yard though, it is not such a major production to get it back again. In fenced yards you have to go bother the neighbor by knocking on the door and if they aren't home, you are out of luck unless you dare climb over the fence to get it, a practice which is pretty much frowned upon. Trespassing into fenced property is a no no everywhere, unless you have permission, and then it isn't trespassing at all.

You may simply have no choice as to whether or not you want one. If you have three neighbors and they all want fences up, even if you refuse to chip in to the costs since you don't want one, you still get stuck with it. You just get outnumbered.

There is always the option of fencing in a smaller area within a bigger yard. That would give you some privacy, but not cut you off from the neighbors completely.

I had no option in any of the places I have lived out here in California, so it has been fences, but I've lived out in the Midwest too and all that open space was a lot of fun as a child. I must admit, I'm basically a private person, but it is nice to know you have neighbors sometimes.

I'm mixed as to whether or not to fence, if I really had a choice. So for those of you who do have a choice,...is it fence or no fence?