I love having a fenced back yard- keeps the kids and dog in the yard and also deters the deer from coming in (although they will occasionally jump in). Our fence looks nice- it's wood and has clematis and other plants that grow along it in the summer. Just don't put up chain link or plastic fencing....

The nice thing if you don't have fencing and your yard abuts public land in low-density areas is that it's basically like having a much bigger property. The public land isn't "yours," but it may as well be.

The woods have eyes.

And so do window peepers. A tall privacy fence, locked on the inside with no outside handles makes me feel safe when I'm alone. That and every outside flood light on.

In my younger married years I had a neighbor, a short greasy fat creepy looking man I thought liked to sky watch with binoculars from his perch on the second story of his house. Even during the day when he was up there I thought he was an avid bird watcher.

He wasn't. It was a cover for him looking into people's houses and watching whatever.