You never expect landscaping your own yard to turn into a misunderstanding.

So, what would you do if you were out in the heat finishing your backyard landscaping and a neighbor walking by asked if you were getting paid for the work?

Would you just keep shoveling? Or would you laugh it off and correct her?

In the following story, one homeowner finds himself in this very awkward situation and opts for the latter.

Here’s what happened.

Guilty of landscaping my yard.

I had recently moved into a new house, and the backyard was bare dirt.

After having curbing laid and sod/sprinklers laid, I had about 8 tons of gravel delivered to fill in the area between the grass and the brick fence.

It’s a common style in AZ.

It all started when he met one of his new neighbors.

It was a hot day. I started early in the morning, and by noon, I was down to my last couple of wheelbarrows of gravel. I was plugging away in my flip-flops, gym shorts, and old T-shirts.

An older lady is strolling by, so I stop to say hi. I hadn’t met any neighbors and thought I would try.

She makes small talk about how hot it is, and I counter by saying something along the lines of, “Well, I’m almost done, and the yard is looking good. It’s worth the heat.”

He found it funny, but she was clearly embarrassed.

Then she asks (verbatim), “Are you doing this for free or are they paying you?”

I was speechless.

I paused a moment to think of what she was asking me. Then I responded by telling her I live there. I could see her embarrassment, and she just wished me a good day and started walking again.

It’s clear it’s because I’m a darker-skinned Mexican and she’s an older white lady, but still.

Yikes! Bet she won’t say anything like that again.

Let’s check out what the folks over at Reddit think about this whole situation.

This person has a different way of looking at it.

According to this person, their friend had something similar happen.

For this reader, work is work.

Here’s someone whose neighbor did this very thing.

What a rude question.

Next time, she should just stick to small talk.

If you liked that post, check this one about a guy who got revenge on his condo by making his own Christmas light rules.