I close my blinds when I start a DIY session. I'm sure the neighbors would find it a suspicious sight indeed if they saw me pulling out the syringes and measuring mysterious liquids all while wearing "exam" gloves. I don't need them thinking I got some sort of drug lab going. Something like 95% of my neighbors are Mormon. One of two things would happen if they saw my little chemistry setup:
1. They would call the police to arrest me.
2. They would call the missionaries to save my soul.
Actually, both have already happened.
I was out on my porch on a nice fall day making some RYO cigs. I guess the neighbors had never seen loose tobacco before, because as I was finishing up a cop parks in front of the house and says, "We've gotten some reports of suspicious drug activity. Have you seen anything?"
"No officer. I have not."
"Well, what are you doing?" he said pointing to my tobacco.
"Just making some cigs."
"Do you mind if I take a look?"
"No." Actually, I did mind. Not because I was doing anything wrong, but just the principle of having a cop (no matter how pure his intentions) poking around with my stuff. If I had said I minded, he would have likely been suspicious and I didn't want to open up that can of worms...
I handed him my bag of tobacco. He opened it, took a look and a sniff (really???), handed it back and said, "I can't tell you what to do, but may I suggest you do that inside from now on? Have a nice day!"
We had lived in the area for about six months... I was talking to one of my neighbors about nothing in particular and he asked why he and his wife hadn't seen us in church. I made the mistake of telling him that we weren't members and I have been getting monthly visits from the missionaries since (going on 4 years now). They are always pleasant, but I'm not interested and have said as much.
I'm rambling...
Tobacco is easy to explain. Liquid "chemicals" not so much...