Yesterday, I spent a lot of time building up the perfect compost pile. I took everything off, stirred up the compost at the bottom, "stole" some for my garden, and layered it back into the bin. Yard waste, layer of dirt, yard waste, layer of compost, yard waste, you get the idea.
It took hours but I was glad I did it. I also made sure it was nice and moist to keep out little visitors. I ALSO, on top of that, planted mints all around the bin. I accidentally stepped on one, twice. I was so glad it was mint. A less vigorous plant would have died. I put up some fencing so that won't happen again. Today, they seem quite happy with their new home.
Speaking of home, I had some excitement. You may recall the problem I had with the kids next door running wild in my yard during a party. The older boy was making odd comments about us trying to "trick" him. Today, the little boy who kept coming over, was trying to pull a board off the fence and watch us. He did this several times. Every time I "caught" him, he'd run off; so he knows it's "wrong".
Unfortunately, I don't speak Spanish and they haven't taught him English. I won't go down that path. I guess my school taxes will pay for that education.
I got a large board from the "dog" pile, compiled last year when I was trying to keep out the "Barkappotamous". I had some pretty clever arrangements.
Anyway, I put it over the broken board, and the little boy came back, "tried" to look in through the hole, then moved down and "tried' to look through a gap in the fence. I said the usual, "Stop that" stuff, that's when I figured out he didn't understand. I said, loudly "Do I have to tell your parents about this?" and nothing, the older kids and his mother were in the yard. I went over and rang their doorbell. Nothing.
So, I wrote a note and put it on their door, for the father. They are more traditional in "Mother stays home and does child care, the father goes to work and does discipline". The problem is that they have a very small yard. The two older kids play with each other, and their cousin. They are at least 5 years older than the little boy. He has a little sister, still in diapers, who was being pushed in a swing and generally fussed over (until the next baby, in a few months).
I get it. The little boy feels lonely. He is ignored. I think, in the birth order stuff (if you believe it) he is an "only child" due to the large age gap. However, that doesn't mean you can turn my yard into your playground. In the note I left for the father, I mentioned today's activity, and then added that no children were allowed in my yard from now on. I said it was "an insurance" issue - and it is. But it's mainly the fact that the kids aren't respectful of my property. They slam the gate. They look in my windows. They scream and yell. They run around in my garden. They make bizzare comments like 'They built the gate like that to trick you (into thinking we have a dog)"???
So, I told him, if someone loses a ball, ONE adult can come and get it. Not written: I am done with these huge packs of screaming brats using my yard as a playground.
It seems to me, if you want a lot of children, you should automatically get a larger yard. You don't get a small yard, turn part of it into a back porch, turn another part into a shed, and give the kids a small "run". Not if, like many mothers, their mother is going to send a large group of highly energetic kids outside to play. Sad but true, our subdivision HAS a playground, and more than one neatly mowed vacant lot.
Even the father is done with "kicking the soccer ball into the fence" - they broke several boards off his fence. I noticed they didn't do that today, and one child yelled at another who did so. The other game, "Throw the soccer ball on the roof" didn't work very well either.
Ron and I were out there, obviously, and it was apparent they did know we were there. The loud slamming noises were absent, and the shouting was reduced.
So, I said, your kid is doing this, and has also been in my yard, unsupervised, on more than one occasion. For insurance reasons, no children are allowed in my yard. Thank you. I said it a lot nicer than that, did a couple of versions, tore up the bad ones, and only left the note that met Ron's approval.
I'm sure he'll come over to discuss it, and I'll tell him, if he doesn't know already, a large pit bull is living on his back fence, and is always sniffing at that fence. If his kid pulls a board off of THAT fence, he could have some big trouble. If a pit bull dog got into the yard with 2 toddlers, a baby, and 3 older children... that could be a disaster.
I'm sure he'll take care of it; Ron and I will start locking the gate. I've invested a lot of time and energy into my garden and I don't need the drama. The kids want our yard, but it's not their playground, and I won't feel sorry. A local housing company had a campaign "Kids need a yard" and I agree. He already has the kids doubled up in the bedrooms.
That is one thing I didn't really expect. It appears to me, that, as a homeowner, neighbors, and their kids in particular, have a very hard time understanding property lines and boundaries. In apartment living, your apartment/your balcony. I only once had a problem with that.
We lived in the third floor. Each unit had a washer-dryer hookup and no laundry room. I had never heard of such a thing. It was a dreaful area, too. They did have some nearby laundromats. Ron bought me a washer and dryer. I had a pretty nice container garden. It lacked some sun but it got a few hours a day, enough to grow salad greens and such. I would water my plants every night, and the water would drip down.
The guy below me, on the second floor, we'll call him Tommy. Tommy came and banged on our door one night. Bad neighborhood, Ron had me hide while he got it. Tommy told Ron I had to stop watering my plants. Why? Because the water was dripping down on his clothes.
What? Tommy clarified: he was washing his clothes in the tub and hanging them on the railing (against the lease!), but the water was getting on the clothes. Ron told him about the laundromat, and told the manager (hanging clothes on the railing was a lease violation). They sent him a letter: Don't do that. Tommy persisted, so did I (I was working all-days and could only water when he had his clothes out). He came up the stairs while we were at work and tore the leaves off my elephant ears, sitting outside the front door.
I was pretty angry about it. I got out my fish emulsion, which smells like rotting fish. I make a rich solution and deeply watered every plant. The water dripped down onto the clothes.
He HAD to take them to the laundromat after that, and continued to do so until we moved. That was the only time, in 12 years of apartment living, that I ever had a problem with someone crossing a boundary. It's funny, the only time Ron and I didn't live on an upper floor was right before his accident. We loved living on the third floor and the walk up the stairs curtailed a lot of manic buying sprees.
However, since we bought the house, it has been an endless stream of everyone in our yard. Meter men. Strange animals. Many, many, children. We finally solve the problem on one side, only to have it on the other!
I never expected that, or the constant barking problems. I guess a lot of people think a dog and a house go together like peanut butter and jelly, but I had some time to think: yesterday, while working in the yard, I noticed that "Barky" isn't barking much. I believe he only barks "for cause". Many, nearby, dogs are far worse in their barking habits. As barking goes, he's not bad. However, we never had a single bark in any apartments.
In Houston, though, I see ads for "pet friendly apartments" that encourage huge dogs, vicious breeds, etc. It seems that all apartments that accept a cat, also take dogs. If they had a cats only apartment, guaranteed quiet, and I could bring my garden (grin), I would move.
I will sound awful as I say this: Oh, for a dog and child free subdivision. It's an oxymoron. I know. Besides, it might be a lot of adults who would party. [shrug] Compromises, everywhere.
Anyway, yesterday, worked in the yard most of the day. Had a good time, got a lot done. Spread some soil amendments and brought the plants in from a cold snap. I had them everywhere in the bedroom last night. Pretty funny. Had some good talks with Ron. I like spending time with him.
Today, Ron gave me the day off. I slept in as late as I dared (too late = migraine), got up, watched a little TV, took the plants out and checked the garden. I did my God Time, and watched more TV. Ron woke up and we went to Burger King. We had pretty good trips, on the last one, I said "the Nth house" and she drove right past it.
A little alarming: she couldn't count? I prefer to think she was distracted, or overly reliant on the little GPS arrow. I hope so. Sometimes I get alarmed when I think about the fact: I am trusting my safety to this person.
Came home, and Ron wanted to sit in the garden. It was pretty cold but I did.. and we had the drama with the little kid. I still had a good time talking to Ron.
I think, as a general rule, Ron and I should be in our yard when the kids are in theirs. They are obviously poorly supervised, and we won't get "home invaders" if they know we'll catch them.
However, we are now on the record as saying "No children in the yard, ever". So, that should end. If it doesn't stop I can call a spanish-speaking officer to go explain the concept of "trespassing".
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