Town Meeting Day happened recently, so I heard lots of chatter from folks in the town I reside in, work in, and the others that surround both of those places. I will admit—a bit sheepishly—that I was not well-informed on what was up for vote in my town, but I made a vow to prioritize being educated on it for next year. However, I heard from a friend of mine who lives in the town over that they were voting on some sort of zoning amendment regarding regulations around what could be left out and visible in landowners' yards.

I have to say, I was a bit surprised by this. In the land of Live Free or Die, I kind of just always figured you could keep whatever you wanted in your yard, within reason of course. I suppose the whole "within reason" part is why ordinances and amendments and this type of voting exist in the first place: to provide a guideline for such, rather than allow for it to be up to interpretation. Still, I am curious to know if that amendment passed or not. I see both sides of the argument, but it certainly made me stop and think about what kinds of specific ordinances exist in my town around this subject and others.

It's wise to review the specific regulations and ordinances when considering purchasing a home in a new town. This is especially important if you plan to build a new or expand an existing structure. Your agent can help guide you to the appropriate resources for more information.

Most of the snow melted over the past couple weeks, and all the lawn junk has been revealed: debris blown in from the road or plow, forgotten and now broken lawn furniture, a few storage totes I forgot I'd left outside before the snow fell. It's been too cold and crummy to clean it up, and there is more snow to come for the season to cover it back up for a bit. Still, I've been staring at it out my window since Town Meeting Day, wondering if I'm breaking local law with my lawn debris. I usually talk myself out of this by taking a drive and seeing everyone else's springtime lawn looking much the same. I have plans to get the yard back in shape once spring is truly in full swing, but for now, I'll hope the snow comes back and covers up my potential infractions.

Paige O. Roberts has a degree in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Henniker Review, Sidereal Magazine, Rejection Letters, and Cypress. She has been nominated for a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize. She lives in northern New Hampshire, where she owns and operates a pet boutique called Tailswag.