Last night as the kids were getting showers after a fun trip to the lake, Jacob came in and informed me that there was a sheriff's car in our driveway and that one guy had been arrested. I calmly replied "Oh good." Rather than being frightened, I was relieved. I was so thankful that the police had arrived to take care of the situation.
Nearly two years ago, my dh found this beautiful wooded piece of property in what appears to be a very rural area, but is actually only about 2 miles from a major interstate only about 30 miles from downtown Atlanta. We decided to build our dream home here, and we have turned it into a hobby farm containing chickens, guineas and ducks, along with three dogs and one cat. It's a perfect spot to raise and homeschool our four boys.
One one side our nearest neighbor on one side has a horse farm and her immediate neighbor is also raising guineas and chickens, along with what appears to be a nice vegetable garden. Past that there are some more nice homes on large lots. Across the street is a subdivision with modest homes and access to the lake. Our nearest neighbor is the home which used to house the family that owned much of the property around here. It contains an apple orchard, blueberry bushes, pear trees and two rows of muscadine vines.
Unfortunately, we are bordered on two sides by mobile homes in which some of the trouble has occurred. Immediately behind us is a house which has had several occupants since we've lived here, all of whom seem to be drug manufacturers. There is a shed in the back which apparently is perfect for this use. To the left of them is a vacant lot, and then to the left is another place where drug dealers/manufacturers have taken up residence.
Obviously we have been in constant contact with the local sheriff's department, who has assured us that they are as concerned as we are. Several folks have been arrested since we've lived here, but the problem just seems to be returning over and over again. Someone else moves in and they're doing the same thing.
Our sheriff, who was re-elected last November, has repeatedly assured my dh that he would be willing to take this problem seriously. The sheriff told Lee to call 911 anytime he believed something was going on back there, and deputies would be sent immediately. That's what happened Sunday night.
As we arrived home from a fun trip to the lake (pictures later), Lee smelled what he thought was meth being manufacturered. He called 911 on my cell phone and the deputy arrived in about 5 minutes. Thank God he arrived so quickly because he was able to catch someone actually ON our property.
It was a man carrying a bag, and when he saw Lee and the deputy he ran. When he realized there was no escape he dropped his bag. The deputy handcuffed the man, put him in the back of his car and examined the bag. Sure enough there was enough meth to get him on a charge of intent to distribute. The man was also on probation, so he'll likely be put away for a long time.
If you know the man that I married, you know that he's no fraidy cat. A while after this event was over he walked back into the woods to get a look at what was going on at our neighbor's house. Sure enough, something was going on. Our dogs were barking and the guys there were throwing rocks at our fence.
Lee called the police again. When they arrived this time however, the guys were inside and refused to come out.
After the police left Lee stayed in the woods and managed to get a glimse of three men and a woman doing some kind of drugs inside the house. It appeared to be a man and his sons.
The sheriff has assured Lee that now he can get the drug task force involved. They may be able to use our property to watch the neighbors in an attempt to catch them breaking laws. We are hopeful but not overly optimistic. Our next door neighbor has had crimes comitted against them several times but have not received justice each time. This is a very large county, and we are not in the most important area. In fact, we are just barely inside this county next to an area which is barely inside the next county.
We'll see. I'll keep you updated.
An interesting part of this event is the fact that I was asleep when Lee arrived home. I called him first and learned that he was watching the neighbor and then I drifted off to sleep. He wasn't able to sleep of course because of the adrenaline, but somehow I was. I wasn't worried at all. I think I trusted God to take care of us, and I was relieved that someone was actually arrested.
I mean, it could only have been God's hand that allowed the sheriff to be there at just the time when the man was in the woods. We have two large German Shepherds and he hadn't scared the man off. Lee didn't discover the man alone, and he didn't have the opportunity to shoot the man, which he has assured me he would do in a similar situation. I had no control and God is looking out for us. That was the important thing.
