studio in the woods

This is a very small part of the lovely village of Bayside on Penobscot Bay. My family rents several cottages during the same week and we have kids, bikes and meals from one end to the other. It's the sort of place where you can still let the kids go and just BE KIDS. Our cottage is the white one behind the far left porch. This is the first time in this cottage and it will definitely be the last. We have a very grumpy neighbor. He and his wife either don't like kids, are very territorial or maybe just don't like us. We're quiet and respectful, but everything is just so close together, it's hard to not be seen or heard using even regular voices. His porch is right above ours so it feels like he's right there. I think he exudes hostility just so we won't sit out on ours. He's the exception to all the other friendly, smiling, welcoming people we chat with on our walks. Bruce says not to give him the power to ruin our time here, and of course he's right, but why do people need to be nasty when it takes so little effort to be nice? It might also help my mood if the sun would just stay out and warm things up for more than one day....I left my down jacket home. And it's nearly August.