Yappy Dogs

Marcia commented "But I suppose your neighbors are at work and just don't even think about the dog all day".  Actually, I think the dog was obtained just for the children.  Here is what I have observed...

The woman living there is a single parent.  There are 3 elementary-aged children.  I have noticed a guy (I presume an ex) seems to visit every other week and do some yard chores and takes the kids away for a weekend.  The woman and ex seem to get along well enough, but his car is never in the driveway for more than a few hours.

The children seem quite happy.  In the Summer, there is a trampoline and a small aboveground pool.  I hear them yelling in play, they run all over the backyard and they love their new dog.  That is all wonderful!

But I am guessing the Woman does not like the dog all that much and may be annoyed with its endless barking as much as I am.  It seems to me that, as soon as the children leave for school, the dog is sent outside and only brought in at dark.

It's one of those "the kids wanted a dog" things...  So it does what dogs do.  It runs around a lot.  It protects its people from threats.  It accepts the schedule set by its people, etc.

I don't blame the dog in any way, but I sure have known quieter ones!  

Various Stuff

My side-neighbor lit up Christmas lights last night.  My own house lights  are still up from Christmases ago.  Turned off of course.  The main floor hangs 2' forward from the basement and they hang on cup hooks.  I just never bothered to take them down.  You can't really see them from the street when unlit.

And they are nothing fancy, just a string of small blue lights on a timer.  I have a shrub and a tree I planted 2 years ago and put a cage around each to protect them from the deer.  I may add regular old-fashioned lights around them this year.  Blue.  I like blue.  The neighbors all do red/green lights, so the blue stands out a bit.  I am a bit non-standard sometimes.

I'll light them up December 1st.  I'm not crazy for these 6 week ahead of time decorations.  Too far ahead of time, and decorations seem to lose the connection to the holiday.  And I'll attach the nice sturdy white plastic wreath to the grille of the car then too.  

And I have a door-hanging Nutcracker to remember this year.  I have a top-of-the door hook.  And it doesn't blow around.  The front door is metal and I have a bunch of powerful magnets.

Laid down long strips of packing paper around the front yard island (with the Saucer Magnolia and the 3' boulder).  The paper will smother the grass.  I'm adding 2-3" of soil on that.  That will hold it in place.  Then I'll plant most of the 2 colors of 300 daffodils I received recently through that.

My bulb-planting drill auger will go right through the paper without tearing it up.

Then, with 3" of soil on top, all I have to do is rake soil back over all of them.

The rest of the daffs will go in the back yard to break up the large single-color daffs patches planting years ago.  I thought it was a good idea at the time to plant 4 different types in dedicated squares, but it is kind of boring.  So these new daffs will get planted among them for better and broader coverage and color.  

The hyacinths and crocuses will go in cages to protect them from the voles.  The hyacinths among the daffs around the birdfeeder.

The crocuses with be in cages too, but in the back lawn.  They bloom before I need to start mowing the grass.  I like seeing them in the lawn.

I have 2 forms I use to make the cages.  One is the wire mesh cutting pattern.  I first made small paper samples.  Then, when I got that right, I made a full-size cardboard version to cut the mesh with tin snips.  And then glued some scrap wood together so that I could fold the mesh around the wood block.

It sounds easier than it is, but it sure is easier than fashioning each one freeform!  And it is worth it.  hyacinths and crocuses can live more than a decade if the voles can't get at the bulbs.  In fact I have a few of each (unprotected) that are 25 years old.  

But "a few" is not "enough.  So it was time to replenish them.  

I have completely given up on tulips.  They are lovely but most of them don't live long.  I may try them again next Fall.  I have the thought of pulling up the 6' edging (that is sitting only 3" deep) and re-setting it down to ground level.  

Voles use mole tunnels to get around.  And moles don't usually dig tunnels 6" deep.  So if there is edging 6" deep, the moles won't tunnel there and the voles can't use the tunnels to get at hyacinth and crocus bulbs.  So no mole tunnels, no vole finding bulbs, and long-lived hyacinths and crocuses!

Motorcycle Man hasn't been driving up and down the street often lately.  Maybe he got older or bored.  Maybe he is old enough to drive further away.  I cheer for whatever the reason is!

But no problem goes away than a new one crops up.  The side-neighbors got a yappy dog months ago.  It's not that I mind dogs all that much.  The neighbors on the other side of me have 2 large ones and they bark too.  But they are only outside briefly, so the barking doesn't last too long.

The yappy dog is in their backyard almost all day long.  And barks all day long.  And when I am outside, it runs along the fence barking at me.  It probably weighs about 20 lbs, but it is convinced it has to protect the family from me.  So it never stops barking!  

It makes being in my own yard annoying.  I am a relatively quiet person.  I try not to disturb my neighbors.  As far as I know, it is a rental house.  I keep hoping they will move away and take the dog with them.

That's enough for now.

I Have Fowl Neighbors

Well, they keep fowls.  Turkey, Duck, Chicken, Guinea Fowl.  They make some noise, but I can't hear them inside the house, so it doesn't bother me.

They presented me with a gift of eggs.  I had to accept them, of course, but I was unfamiliar with "home-produced" eggs.   Questions like are the shells sterile, what are the tastes like, is there danger of salmonella, etc.  I'm not a forager or even much of an adventurous eater.  

The 3 large ones on the right are turkey, the 2 in the center of the tray are guinea hen, and the rest are chicken.  The 1 duck egg was eaten previously (I misplaced my camera for a few days).

I cook the things I know well enough and stir-fries, stews, and pot pies are routine.  I can make my own pizza.

But some things worry me or seem too unusual.  I have a can of curry sauce I've never opened.  My Dad used to collect wild mushrooms and I refused to eat anything made with them.  "Try this; you'll like it" doesn't get anywhere with me.

So I was nervous about the eggs.  But I tried a duck egg yesterday.  Fried it like a chicken egg.  The white firmed up quicker than a chicken egg.  The taste was slightly stronger, but OK.  

Funny thing was that the duck egg was harder to crack open.  Not because it was stronger, but because it was slightly more flexible.  Maybe I was being more careful than usual because I wasn't sure how clean the shell was.  Commercial chicken eggs get sani-washed; I suspect the neighbor's eggs aren't so much.

But I ate the egg and felt fine after a day, so all was OK.  It still seems a bit weird though.

Time to try a turkey egg in a few days (I don't eat eggs a lot).  That's a big egg, though!  And I'm not sure what to do with the guinea fowl eggs.  Too small to fry easily so I might add a chicken one.

They are really good neighbors to give me these eggs to try.  But I think I will beg off the next offer.  I'm too used to regular commercial chicken eggs, LOL!

OK, eating a duck egg, a turkey egg, and a guinea egg weren't exactly on my "bucket list", but maybe I can be allowed to add that to the list after the fact.  Which is not how bucket lists are supposed to work, but sometimes there is a surprise item you never thought about.

Thankful Thursday

Yeah, that was actually yesterday.  But it was a bit late when I wrote this, so I'm posting it today.  I am thankful for some of my neighbors.  This is more of a starter-home and bedroom neighborhood for commuters and about half of them are renters who come and go every couple years, so it isn't real tight, but there seem to be several small individual groups of neighbors who are mutually helpful.  It seems to be completely by proximity.

I am the longest current resident on the street (1986 to present).  Not that it means I'm most-connected (I'm not) but it does mean I've seen everyone else move in and leave eventually.  Some obvious helpful friendships have developed and ended as people moved on.  But I've seen new ones form, too.

And I am part of 4 at my end of the street.  It changes slightly as people come and go, but I have been lucky to generally have good ones.  The Couple across the street are the center of the group right now.  The Wife works in "conflict resolution" online from home.  The Husband is an all-around mechanically/constructive "good guy".

She is always there with a hug, some words of peace, and a friendly outlook.  The Husband will help anyone do anything.  Just some examples...

1.  If a neighbor is going on vacation, they park one of their cars in the driveway to make it look like someone is at home.  Mow the lawn, and pick up the mail and newspapers.

2.  They are taking care of the Husband's grandchildren.  And have the neighbor's children over for playtime with them (lots of driveway chalk-drawing and outdoor games).

3.  The Wife helped me immensely when I fell off the extension ladder in Jan 2021.  Did some grocery-shopping, cleaned the cat litter boxes when I couldn't get down the stairs, and drove me to the doctor appointments until I could drive again.  Did some house-cleaning too (I couldn't stop her).

4.  The Husband helped me get my lawn mower running again (it was too long with old gas).  

5.  Invited me to their Friday Night Poker Party.  I'm not great at social events, and they played versions of poker I not only didn't know of, but couldn't even understand when they were explained.  I posted about that once, but mostly, there  were "shifting wild cards" weird down-card layouts and I just couldn't figure it out.

Games were called Bow-tie, 2&22, etc.  I'm old-fashioned.  I know 5 card draw, 7-stud, Hi/Low (aka Chicago, I think) and that's about it.  

Their whole basement is a rec room.  Aside from the poker table, they had a pool table, a dart board, a video arcade game (sadly broken at the time), and a massive snack table.

But, one of their friends had brought his 15-year old son.  He was bored to death!  So, since I was utterly confounded at the poker table. I started hitting some pool balls around.  He was interested by that.  Not that he knew how to play, but was curious.  And some attention and distraction was probably appreciated.

I tried to show him how to use a pool cue.  He had certainly never used one before.  But I had an advantage.  My paternal grandfather had a table in the basement, and I was fascinated by the realization that it was "mostly) geometry angles, so I played a lot there.  I'm not saying I'm good at it, but I understand various ways to hold a cue and how to aim at a round object.

So I showed him how to shoot.  He was wretched at it, but willing to learn.  He got better.  Not by a whole lot, but at least he didn't rip up the felt, LOL!  The first time he sank a ball, he was thrilled.  And so was I!

The Wife noticed, and left the Poker game to challenge me (friendly) to "solid or stripes" (with the teen as my cheering section).  I know Rotation, Eight-Ball, and Nine-Ball, but never heard of that one.  But it was utterly simple.  You choose one and the 1st person to pocket all "yours" wins.  

"WE" won.  The Wife and I by entertaining the teen, me because I sank all my solids while she had several left, and the teen because I gave him the last shot.  It was one of those positions he couldn't miss.    The last solid was an inch away from the pocket, the cue ball was directly next to it.  I helped him position the cue and said "just tap it".  He did and it went in.  YEAH!

The teen and I played darts after that.  Neither one of us were any good at it and we didn't know the actual rules.  So after a bit, I just took one of his darts, placed it in the bullseye and declared he won.  He liked that.  

6.  I was a Boy Scout "helpful, courteous and kind" etc.  So I help people and neighbors.  My original neighbor was an elderly lady.  When it snowed, I got up early and shoveled her driveway (as quietly as possible).  But she caught me at it one day and brought me a quart of her best soup later that day.  

BTW, 2 strange stories about her.  One time one of my cats (Tinkerbelle) went missing.  When the neighbor returned after vacation for a week, she opened her toolshed and Tinkerbelle came running out of it.  I was on my deck on the time, so I saw it happen.  It wasn't the neighbor at fault, and she realized what had happened and came over to apologize.  I was just happy to see Tinkerbelle again.

She moved away a few years later.  And we met in a store several years after that.  We talked for a while.

7.  A former policewoman lives on the corner lot.  Sometimes, when she sees several of us outside, she comes by and gives us advice on the latest scams, porch-piracy, and local crimes we should be aware of.  And the rest of us appreciate that.

8.  The newest side-neighbor is trying to be friendly, but there are language issues involved.  My decades-old high school Spanish classes are not up to the task and neither is their English.  But the Husband and I can get by with a little work.  

It is their first house.  I have helped him about lawn maintenance, trees, and shrubs.  He had a tree that was over-hanging my roof removed while I had a tree-removal company removing a dead tree and some unrecoverable shrubs on my property.  And I had the tree company grind down his tree roots that were making mowing my yard like "driving over railroad ties".

We aren't "the best of friends" but at peace.  And I make it a point to talk to both of them when possible.   If they stay for a while, things will improve.

9.  Not all neighbors are perfect.  There is a guy down the street who just loves to ride his motorcycle back and forth along the street early in the morning.  I don't love motorcycle noise.  And before him, there was a side-neighbor who used to drive his cycle to work.  He has the right to that.  But before 6 am, he would run it in his driveway 30 minutes while he washed and tuned it.

I went over one morning and asked if he "had to keep it running all the time".  He was surprised I didn't like the sound of  motorcycle!  Well, for me, 6 am is "the middle of the night".  He stopped for a week (just doing it in the garage) but his wife stopped him from that so he had to do it outside again.  Fortunately, they moved.  

10.  So I like my neighbors.  And we generally help each other.  

Sorry to go on for so long...

 

Fire Across The Street

 I was at the computer a few hours ago and heard a dog seeming to be barking in fear.  So I looked out the window.  The toolshed of the neighbors (whom I don't know well) across the street was burning.

I ran for the phone and called 911.  They knew about it.  Said firetrucks were on the way.  Good.  

I pulled my garden hose out hoping it might reach the fire, but I heard the trucks arriving, so I pulled back so as not to bother them.

The toolshed was on fire.  And the shed was next to the house.  The fire spread to the house.  The neighbors have 2 cars.  Both were driven onto the street.  One was badly burned on the back end and there was some concern about the gasoline catching fire.  They were driven/pushed next to a field.

The terrified dog seems to be loose.  It bit one person.  I hope it returns, and more calmly.

Pictures...  Not all of them very good, but I processed all of them slightly.  Perhaps some might be useful to the authorities about the fire.  But I show them all here without regard for duplication.  They are all in time-order though.

There were a dozen fire trucks with lights flashing.

Some of the hoses didn't fill properly at first.  The nearest hydrant is 2 yards away.  Maybe it was blocked from lack of maintenance.  Or they were depending on the watertank trucks.  I don't know.

I saw a firefighter frustrated at not getting water from a tanker truck into a different hose.  He kept trying some levers with no success.

A hose did finally fill.  Maybe 15-30 minutes after first try.  Glad it filled eventually.

There were a LOT of trucks!

The fire-fighters did their usual good job.  I admire those people.  

They got up on the roof and chopped a hole in it.  I assume to let smoke out...

They say no one was in the home at the time.  But they said 1 adult and 2 children lived there.  They are probably wrong about that.  There were 2 cars, I've seen 2 adult women there (driving both cars), and I've seen no children there ever.  

Regarding possible causes for the fire...

I advised one of the firefighters (who seemed to be observing and recording into a phone) of the possible residents and pets.  I advised her that I've never seen the residents lighting a charcoal fire or  using gasoline equipment.  

I also advised her that the residence had been visited by some sort of house and lawn service so there had been gas-powered equipment there that afternoon.  It may not be important, but it might be.

3 hours after it started, the trucks are all gone.  I haven't seen the residents back.  When I do, I will offer help.  What a horrible event for those people!

An Outstanding Day

This all happened yesterday, but it seemed too late to post...  

It didn't start as an outstanding day.  I had a tree removal service scheduled to arrive 8:30-9am.  Their office called at 9am  to say they had to finish a big job from yesterday and would arrive 11am-Noon.  Well, they knew that yesterday, and they could have let me know.  I would have liked to have slept later.

And they didn't show up then, either.  But just as I was about to call (expecting a cancellation), I saw a car pull into the driveway.  OK.  I figured that was the boss arriving before the crew.  Except a lady got out carrying 2 large shopping bags.  That seemed odd.

She asked "tree service"?  I could smell food.  After a few questions, I figured out that she was delivering food for the tree service crew yet to arrive.  Well, it was lunchtime and it had been paid for.  We both laughed when we realized the confusion.  I put the bags inside the door and she left.  

The tree service boss and crew arrived 5 minutes later and were glad I had the food waiting.  The ate fast outside.  They weren't on my clock so I didn't mind so long as they were here to do the work.  Everything went better and better as the afternoon progressed.  

First, they tackled the 2 dead trees.  The small one was gone before I could even take a picture.  Chainsaw, 2 minutes, and no more tree.  A 3' chainsaw goes through a 4" dead tree like a hot knife through butter!  Then they attacked the big dead tree and a 6" one next to the fence.

The crew has a dedicated "climber".  He does all the limb-work.  It was a marvel to watch!  He limbs the tree from the bottom up, leaving 3" stumps to serve as ladder stairs.  Then he goes back down cutting about 12' of the top as he goes. 

There are many jobs I just would never try.  That is one of them!  Those guys are crazy.  This is not my first time having a tree removed, and most of them have been larger.  One previous guy hung by his knees over a branch (unroped) while waiting for the rest of the crew to remove the limbs on the ground.  

Here's a pic of the crew removing cut limbs.   

Eventually, the trunk was ready to be cut off and ground level.  Boss does the big chainsaw work, always.

That's when things went from good to great!  

The male neighbor pulled into his driveway, jumped out of his car, and approached me.  I was worried he suspected I was going to have the roots (in my yard) of the tree in his yard grinded out, and was upset about it.  I had a copy of the County regulations in my back pocket (quoting a State court decision that said my rights to remove offending tree roots (even from a neighbors tree) were essentially unrestricted.

We got off to an awkward start when they moved in a couple years ago.  The lady there nearly burned down  my fence trying to burn tree-debris (I saw the smoke and stopped her) and the guy was weed-whacking 10' inside my yard).  Not that I have asked, but it seems they are "separated but cooperative".  So I was prepared for a complaint.

Nothing of the sort!  He waved and I approached.  Turns out that he had been wanting to get rid of that tree between our houses for a while and wondered what a tree service company might charge.  I made a quick pitch to him about 1) the "unfortunate unsuitabilty" of a maple tree (planted by a previous resident) next to a house.  2) That I had already done cost comparisons.  3) They were doing a great and professional job.

So I waved the crew boss over to talk business.  It went perfectly!   They agreed on a price on the spot and since the crew was already there, they could do it RIGHT THEN (after my job was completed of course).

 But as I say, my job had to be completed first.  And there are pics...  But involve the neighbor's tree.  They completed the work in my yard wonderfully.  By the time they were done, they had cleaned my yard so carefully that you could hardly find woodchips.  The previous tree service also did outstanding work, so now I have 2 I wouldn't hesitate to call.

So, on to the last pics...

The crew removing the neighbor's tree...

And it took some work!  They had to rope every large limb to avoid hitting either house and some of my shrubbery.  They knew how to rope and cut every single limb of the multi-trunked maple so that it swung carefully to the ground touching nothing!

There were times when a limb started falling I cringed watching it swing around at the start.  But every single time, it landed in the rather small "safe" area.  Yes, I know they do that  every day, but I still was amazed they never got it wrong.  Even experts can miscalculate.

This picture shows the branch-grinder machine and half the truck the ground chippings go into.  If you look carefully, you can see the chips shooting out into the truck.  The machine actually pulls the limbs into the grinder and shooting into the truck through the curved chute.  It is amazing how much of a couple of large trees fit in there when chipped.

And here is where things get mixed a bit.  I took a pic of the overgrown junk wild shrubs a few weeks ago (as "before" pics).  

Removing them was part of the tree work.  The brown spot in the foreground (2nd pic above)is what is left of one now.  And in the picture of the untouched neighbor's tree (way above) you wouldn't have been able to see the garage door.  I am thrilled about that too.

And finally, the last of the neighbor's tree was cut down.  The original tree way a single-trunked tree and was cut down.  It returned with a vengeance, growing 5 trunks 30' tall in just 15-20 years!

Boss went at the remaining trunks with the wicked 3' chainsaw.  Took at least 20 minutes.  

And even then, they had this huge chunk of enjoined trunks to cut apart, but they finally ended up with this...  You can see the big roots extending from it.

Aside from just knowing how to cut down trees professionally, those guys are incredible strong.  The tree trunk pieces are too big for the grinder machine.  So they carry them to a separate trailer to be delivered to (I assume) "some god-awful huge grinder elsewhere".  There are things I do not know.  

The job is not actually done yet.  The stumps and roots still have to be grinded out.  I have underground cables here and I know where they are through previous experience.  But legally (and for insurance) you have to have "Miss Utility" come out and paint lines on the lawn over them.  

It is the contractor's responsibility, but they didn't realize utilities might be involved in the 2 stumps near the street.  I'm glad I asked them about that.   The tree service guys will return for the stumps and root grinding after the utility lines are painted.  The neighbor is (apparently) not sure if he wants to pay for having his own stumps ground down.

I'm not telling him or the tree service yet, but if the neighbor chooses not to pay for that stump grinding, I will offer to.  That tree was cut down once before (and came back) and I want to make sure it doesn't a 2nd time.  

And there is added benefit to getting the neighbor's tree cut down (as we both seem to have wanted to happen).  I've mentioned some early awkward events regarding them.  This tree-cutting was somewhat of a shared event and gives us a successful common experience.  That is something to build on.

Dead Trees, Part 2

So it is yesterday evening  and I'm looking at this 12' tree across my driveway.  I can't get the car out directly.  The tree still has intact 3" roots in the ground.  But if I can cut it it 3 places it is probably small enough parts to at least drag off the driveway.  I tried the electric chain saw.  It was like using a butter knife.  

I forgot to take a picture...

So I went back inside see if I had a new blade.  I did, but I just didn't feel up to all the replacement adjustment and I didn't really have to drive anywhere the next day.  So I decided to tackle that in the morning.

I considered using the car to haul it off the driveway.  It would have meant backing out and then pushing between the tree and a shrub on a soggy lawn, but I can repair lawn damage, so I was getting my strongest rope and putting the trailer hitch on the Forester.  

As I was collecting that stuff, I noticed my basement cell phone was blinking.  That means a VM.  Good neighbors Deb and John asked if I was OK.  Which, since I wasn't under the tree, meant "did I need some help".  Yes I did!

So I called.  Basically, to say I could probably get the tree cut apart when I replaced the chain saw blade, but if they could help me swivel the tree off the driveway "I sure would appreciate it".

I should explain that I'm not very good at asking for help.  I'm helpful when asked, but I've lived alone so long, I expect to solve problems on my own.  That's not a good thing, but it is a habit of many years just doing everything myself having little other choice.  Contractors when necessary and I hate it.  But I'm not 30 anymore.  Or 50.  Age is catching up with me.  

Deb and John are very interesting people.  Deb works in conflict management online and is strongly dedicated to helping others.  When we talk as neighbors, she will not leave without a hug.  John seems to be an original "Jack Of All Trades".  He knows enough about "everything" and he has "stuff.  And he matches up with Deb perfectly.  He seems to like being the "ultimate helpful guy".  He has stuff that amazes me.

How did I get so lucky to have them for neighbors?

So, I called them asking for just enough help to drag the tree off the driveway.  Well, that wasn't enough for them!  They looked at the fallen tree, decided the roots had to be cut but he had a good chain saw to cut the trunk off near the ground.  I wasn't sure how much good that was going to do.  But he went back to the house and returned with a chain saw and his ATV.

I knew he had one, but I didn't realize how RUGGED those things were up close.  He cut the trunk from the stump and said he would haul the tree into the woods next to the house.  The tree was heavy, but he said it wouldn't be a problem.  He was right.

After he chain-sawed the trunk loose he brought out a 1" thick rope.  I need one that strong...  Maybe even a chain.  In fact, I want a couple of heavy-duty pulleys, but that is a diffent subject.

I'm not inept.  I was a Boy Scout for 6 years and camped out for 6 weeks once.  I know knots, can cook over an open fire, and I build a dining table in camp out of saplings cuttings once, lashed with vines.

His rope had a loop at one end and was melted (for unfraying) at the other (I do the same).  I asked John if he wanted the loop the ATV end or round the trunk.  And whether he wanted a timberline knot on the trunk.  He said the loop around the trunk was fine.  He tied a perfect double clove knot to his ATV.

I did mention that the sharp edge of that was cutting the rope  and that the round trailer hitch would be easier on it.  He changed it.

And AWAY went the tree!   I don't know how you can drag a 10" wide tree through heavy woods, but HE did, LOL!  And then he went and helped a different neighbor with a smaller one.  

Saved me at least 4 hours of work.  I HAVE to make a banana cake for them...  And they are starting their first garden (in deer territory) and want to protect it.  I know THAT stuff.  So maybe I can repay their help in that way.

Random Things

A few unusual things:

1.  I got a recall email notice from Chewy.com a week or so ago.  Turns out a bag of dry food I bought was a "possible recall" but gave a "lot #" to check on the back of the bag.  There was no lot # of the back or anywhere else I could find.  I called the manufacturer to ask where the lot # was supposed to be.  Their system was overwhelmed, so I left a message.  Along with the name/email/phone, I asked if some marketing idiot had arranged for the lot # to be printed on the top part of the bag that you have to rip off to open it.

A couple days later, I called Chewy to see if they knew where the lot # was printed.  They didn't.  You might think they had been asked about that previously and gotten the information, but apparently not.  On the other hand, I had a wonderful conversation with the Chewy representative about our respective cats.  She didn't know about cat-blogging and asked for the address, which she looked at on the spot!  She read the header (so I know she looked), and said it was a wonderful idea.  How a Chewy representative didn't know about cat-blogging seems odd.  But she said they were sending a new whole bag, so that was nice.

The manufacturer called back 2 days later.  She said the lot # can appear anywhere on the back of the bag but it is randomly placed and COULD be at the rip-off top in rare instances.  She assured me that it is intended to be seen.  I have my doubts that a modern processing plant would print the lot # randomly.  She did say that if the seller did not replace the product (that is the usual arrangement, I gather), they would.

It's  not like they would compare addresses, so I could get a 2nd free bag of food if I wanted.  But I'm honest.  On the other paw, I could give it to the animal shelter.  I may think about that.

2.  My parents had a Purple Martin (bird) multi-nest-site in the 70s.  They usually got nesting Martins.  When I moved here, I set up one myself (they are on poles in a cluster).  Martins like to be in groups.  Martins arrive from S America in March/April depending on weather.  Yearlings arrive first and are called "scouts, as they find artificial nesting sites first and the older birds find THEM and set up nests.  Here is a successful colony...

I got scouts several times but no mating pairs for a few years.  Starlings tend to take over the nesting sites (on the right in the picture).  Then a new design came out that discouraged starling.  I bought a new pole nesting system.  The entrance is crescent-shaped and starlings are well, "too fat".

I got scouts then too but no mating pairs.  I saw some successful colonies in the neighborhood, but none liked mine.  They like open fields and I had too many trees and even shrubs bother them.  I gave up, but the pole and nesting "gourds" remained in place because I had better things to do than dissemble it and sell or toss it.

So 3 days ago, my Good Neighbors asked if I would sell it.  Deb had this idea of sticking it in the backyard for their "swamp birds".  Well, I didn't want the thing, so I told them to just take it.  I mean they have been so helpful, it it wasn't of any value to me.  Deb wants to paint all the gourds different colors and hope they attract nesting birds.  

They refused "free" so I said $20.  Yesterday John said he would come over today and get it.  Hurray, junk out of the yard!  

3.  They both arrived and Deb showed me pictures of their new cat (to prevent me from trying to help John pull it up I suspect - she is convinced I am still too fragile).

I have a picture of the cat on my new iPhone XR but I haven't learned how to upload pictures from there yet (I bought a book to read about the XR and will study it soon).  But it is a nice little female black cats with a white bib, from a shelter.  I think she named it Olivia but now she pronounces it " O Love Ya".  

She has had cats before, but became excited for a new one after taking care of mine when I could walk or get to the litter boxes in the basement.  Not that The Mews came out often when a stranger was around, but I DID manage to hold Marley and Ayla at hallway length so she could see them.

Not that I would fall off a ladder deliberately, but if that resulted in another shelter cat being adopted, that was good "accidental" result.

4.  They invited me to join in their 25 cent weekly poker game.  Given their kindness, I assume it was for a fun activity.  But I'm not a gambler.  And I probably have no "poker face".  Besides, I can never even remember whether a straight beats a flush.  I probably have "tells" all over me.  That's death in poker.

I played "penny-poker" in college and usually ended with more pennies than I started with, but my winnings were from "high-low"; a game seldom played now.  That's where the best and worst hands split the pot.  I had NO problem assembling the worst hand!

So I told them I was happy to play Hearts, Spades, Cinch, or Gin Rummy (maybe even Bridge) 25 cents per hand.  They declined.  I play for pleasure of winning.  I am BAD when money is involved.

5.  I decided to try myself at some mild gardening outside today.  Parts of my garden and flowerbeds are over-run by invasive flowering vines a neighbor planted a decade ago.  Their's were on open ground so they mowed them to death when they realized they were a problem.  But they are in my flowerbeds and thriving.  MUCH harder to remove.

I attacked them in a raised bed today to test what my arms could still do.  It went well!  Hours later, I feel no soreness.  That is VERY encouraging.  Shovel and garden fork work went well.  I was able to dig out all the invasive vines (so far as I can tell).  There were some sapling in the bed I cut down last year but the stumps were still there.  I got most out.  

Enough to dig the soil loose and set up a 6" concrete remesh supported by a couple metal poles at an angle.  The point is that the metal mesh is facing the afternoon sun and the Romano pole beans will hang down for easy picking.

6.  John (The Good Neighbor) is experienced in gasoline engines and I am not.  I can fix a few things by logic, trial, and error, but he actual knows what he is doing.  I have a brush mower that I used once and could never start again.  I forget to drain off old gas in Winter and that causes problems.  Well, to be honest, I expected to use each one another time that year but didn't.  Gas gets "old" and accumulates some water as it sits.

After he collected the Purple Martin House assembly, he looked at the 2 machines I couldn't get running.  He showed me where all the parts were and what I needed to do for each.  I have a general understanding of gas engines, but it is more theory than practical.  John knows practical.

He showed me the detachable tube that drains the old gas.  He showed me where access is and where to spritz starter fluid into the carburator.  

So I have a good idea know about what to do.  John assured me he would be happy to help when I got starter fluid, but this is a case of "Mark Try First".  LOL!  But I won't hesitate to ask for help if I fail. 

7.  John has side-gigs repairing stuff.  He does it on the driveway, so I see sometimes.  Everything from refinishing old furniture to gas-powered equipment.  So I offerred him the old riding mower.  It smokes. He said that's not worth fixing (bad rings and I barely know what that is), but then he said he had an engine that might fit.  So he is welcome to it.  Otherwise, it goes to the landfill where some company takes working parts.

8.  I have my 2nd Moderna Covid shot scheduled for Wensday.  That will be a relief.  Based on past history of vaccines, I will not have reactions.  I'll still wear a mask and maintain social distancing though.  I could be an asymptomatic carrier.  I wouldn't know without a test for previous infection and I think the vaccine shots mess up the test.

That's enough "weird" for today...

The Good Neighbors

My great neighbor Deb called saying she was going to get a kitten and asked for advice.  So I returned the walker as an excuse to ask her about it.  It's not complicated; any DSH is kind of fine with her.  I guided her to Craigs List (where I was once guided to Marley) and she and John are considering shelter kittens.  

We talked for almost 2 hours and that is pretty rare for me.  They are both great people.

Sometimes, you get lucky about neighbors...

New Neighbors

My new neighbors appear to be new to home-owning.  I've mowed my lawn 3 times.  Theirs is 12-18" high!  I was looking for an opportunity to ask them if they wanted me to use my riding mower on their yard (without seeming like a pest) while they shopped for a mower of their own.  I mean, for all I know, they are saving up to buy a mower.  When I bought this first house, I was down to "dollars and dimes".

So I was surprised to see the front lawn was mowed while I was out grocery-shopping 2 days ago.  They even mowed the few square feet in the corner of my lawn I can't get to with the riding mower and often just use a string trimmer on (My own regular push mower won't start and the battery string trimmer needed recharging).

Today they took a whack at the back yard and I was amazed.  They would push the mower forward 5 feet, then pull it back, then push it in a different direction, and pull it back again.  I'm not sure what their idea was, but really tall grass is hard to mow.

They stay inside almost all the time.  First, that makes it hard to figure out what the family structure is.  For the first several months, it appeared to be a husband and wife and a child about 5.  But the husband was almost never there.  I figured out that the husband is there when the car is in the driveway (the garage must be full) and may not actually live there. 

And a new surprise.  A 16 or so female showed up along with the usual crowd of high-schoolers walking down the street from the bus stop further up the neighborhood.  I haven't seen her before.  And she was the one who started mowing the back yard in the weird pattern. 

This has become a diverse neighborhood over the 32 years I've lived here.  And I rather like that.  There are sometimes very interesting smells coming from outdoor cooking.  And I see interesting decorations around holidays.  All that makes MY differences stand out less.

These neighbors are hispanic, I think.  At least, I assume so from when I noticed from the mother taking the child inside when the hispanic guys started cursing at some tree limbs they were fighting with (I guessed by the tone of voice).  I took Spanish in high school, and trust me, they did NOT teach us curse words.  But you can generally make a good guess in almost any language, LOL!

I'm outside a lot, so I tend to be aware of my neighbors...

So the teenager was mowing the lawn in a strange way, and all of a sudden, I heard her cry out and saw through the fence she was lying on the ground holding a leg.  The child yelled "Mama, Mama".  I was just reaching for the 4' stepladder sitting next to the shed to get up over the fence to see if she was injured when the older woman (30?) of the house ran out.  But she didn't seem distressed.  So I guess the mower hit a rock and it hit the teenager's leg.  She was up and mowing again in a couple minutes.

Have you ever just wished you could knock on a neighbor's door and say "Can I help you learn how to do yard-things"?  But knowing you didn't speak the same language?

I guess I have to just watch and wait.  *SIGH*

My Crazy New Neighbor

The foreclosed hose next door has had contractors there for 3 or 4 months now.  I appreciated the clearing of some trees.  The original contractors wouldn't tell me who the owner is.  OK, I don't blame them.  They might get in trouble. 

But this week, they painted the bricks on the front of the house.  Its a color I'm not sure how to describe.  "Dried Blood" seems closest.

Then they planted some evergreens in the front.  2' away from the foundation and 3' apart.  After they left, I saw the labels were still on the plants.  Arborvitae Smarang or something like that.  It will grow 15' tall and 5' wide.  LOL!

I really can't wait to meet this person.  Either they are a totally whacko, or they may be the most "interesting" neighbor ever. 

And I say that cautiously because the lady next door on the other side has metallic frizzy purple hair and wears only black.

There has been pounding going on there for 2 months.  I haven't been able to think of any renovation requiring 2 months of hammering.  The truck in the driveway always says "Cabinets".  Maybe they are digging down and building a really fancy "end of world" shelter complete with rec room, LOL!.

The tree-cutting was interesting.  First, the workers cut all the branches of the overgrown apple tree below 10'.  And then a couple scrub trees (that weren't shading my yard). 

Then a week later they cut it down entirely.  I tried to ask them for them if I could have the wood (apple wood, smoker grill, good flavor) but none of them spoke English.

Somewhere in there, the owner must have been around, but I couldn't just stand there shouting "hello" all day.  When whoever it is moves in, I'll probably recognize he/she/them.  Oh for all I know it will be the cabinet truck guy doing work for himself..

No problem, just I'd like to talk to the owner before they get all settled and decide they love that tree I want cut.

The Neighbor

I have to laugh.  I have not yet met the new neighbor.  But he/she has a lot of contractors doing a LOT of outside and inside work.  Which is good I suppose; means they care about the property

But I had to laugh because the contractors first trimmed up the trees 12" high.  OK, a little more light in my yard.

But then they came back and cut down every single tree in the yard (trimmed before or not) EXCEPT the only ones that shaded my yard.  It is to cry...

BUT, a little positive manipulation...  I talked to the Boss worker.  Told him he might score some points about this one tree.  A mulberry tree.  The berries fall on the ground.  You step on them and you stain the bottoms of your shoes.  Then you do inside and it stains the carpet.

That's true.  It is why I cut down mine years ago and where their's came from.  He said he would tell the owner.

If that doesn't work, I will point out to the new owner that the berries attract mice and rats.  Not that we HAVE rats around here, but the new owner won't know that. 

I am only slightly embarrassed about telling a fib.  OK, a lie.  But I sure would like that tree to be gone.

I wonder if I could bribe the workers...  Somewhere between $20 and $50?  $100?  They get paid by the hour for their work anyway...  And the more hours the better, right?

The House Next Door

We can't figure out if the house next door to me was purchased as a rental or a primary residence yet.  In one way, there seems to be a lot more contractor work going on than if it was "just a rental", but then we don't know how much work was needed inside after 30 years of several owners.

There have been cabinet contractors, wood flooring contractors, and gutter replacement contractors there. A rather strange and ugly wood railing around the front porch (apparently installed by the bank) was removed and replaced with a vinyl one. 

So, a few things a rental would see and some it wouldn't.  I hope it is someone moving in themselves. 

I hope whover moves in is quiet and has no dogs or teenage children.  That means noise and I have gotten used to the quiet.

I hope they garden.  That way, they might understand why there are a couple of junk trees I would like to see removed (and I'm willing to pay all or most).

I'm not sure of the timing.  If it is someone planning to move in or rent by the end of the month, there isn't much time left.  Any time without a neighbor is good. 

Oh sure, it might be someone I am thrilled to meet, but the odds on that are pretty low. 

I think it is the possibility of a neighbor who is really annoying that worries me.  The previous resident was great.  You could hardly tell he existed.

I learned that the house had been sold for way less than I expected.  Now I really wish I had bid on it.  Any renovations could have been combined with some I plan here at a better price and would have gotten me going with my own.

I'm one of those people who can do what is required for business (like a rental) but will procrastinate for myself, LOL!

The House Next Door

Well, the house next door has been for sale for several months.  I have considered buying it as a rental property.  I don't really want a rental property, but there were reasons for this one.

1.  It is next door.
2.  I would like some control over who my neighbor is.
3.  I want to remove the trees shading my garden.
4.  I don't want a neighbor with dogs.
5.  I want to reclaim my property line.

Background:

The houses behind and on the other side are well separated from me.  This house is really close.  The trees shade my garden 1/3 of the day.  My cats like to wander in that yard, and if the new residents have dogs, that could be dangerous.  There are trees and invasive shrubs and vines I would like to get rid of.

When I built my fence 25 years ago, I set it inside my property line by a foot on the advice of my Dad (he said I needed to do that to assure I had a legal right to get on the other side to repair my fence).  It was bad advice; I essentially gave up that part of my yard through Common Law.  The neighbor at the time immediately built a small side fence that connected to mine, shutting me out.

The junk trees shade my yard, the row of forsythia I originally planted in naive ignorance as a property-divider invade my flowerbeds, and a maple tree planted in the side yard has sent surface roots ruining the lawn and making mowing like driving over railroad ties.  The roots are reaching my foundation.  I lose 3 hours of desperately-needed morning sunlight in my gardens, and I want the gardens.

Last Month:

I hesitated to bid on the property.  I don't think of myself as a "landlord".  I could do without the trouble involved.  My investments are uncomplicated; I have CDs and Index Mutual Funds.  I'm financially secure.  The "For Sale" sign was still on the property.

But I looked up "Buying A Rental Property" online at  few sites.  There are rental management companies that handle everything.  And being next door would be convenient for maintenance and repairs.  It wouldn't be as difficult as I thought, and if there were problems with the renters, I would know easily enough.

It's not for profit.  It's for protection and control.  Zillow suggests the house as a rental would pay for itself in 5-10 years free and clear.

I submitted a back-up bid on the property, but revoked it a week later thinking I had WAY overbid at $185,000.

2 Weeks Ago:

I called the seller ( foreclosure company).  They say the house was auctioned off last week.  DAMN, DAMN, DAMN, DAMN, DAMN!

I waited a week too long after 6 months of dithering about it.  I submitted a backup bid $10,000 above the apparent selling price i(the "earnest money" down payment was 5%, so I could calculate the purchase price) in case the auction sale falls through.    That would be trivial in the long run.  Zillow estimates the house to be $30,000 underpriced in 5 years. and that's not counting the rental income.  I probably couldn't have actually lost money buying it last month if I had tried.

Dear Deceased Dad made me hesitate.  He had a couple rental apartments and complained about them all the time.  But he didn't buy them for the reasons I wanted this property.  I should have realized that sooner... 

I don't want to go into money here too much, but I could just write a check for the house.  I bought stocks at the bottom in 2008.

My dithering has probably cost me decent sunlight, control over who my neighbors are (and some there have been bad - late night parties and constantly barking dogs), the ability to eliminate invasive shrubs and trees, and a decent investment (though I don't need it).

I'm probably going to regret not acting sooner, but I have no one to blame but myself!

Last Week:

I hoped the current sale fell through.  It was certainly bought as a rental.  Maybe I can buy it from the new owner.  Who wouldn't like a quick profit if it is merely an investment to them?  Or maybe I could pay the new owner to let me have those trees cut down at my expense.  I could even agree to replace them with small ornamental trees.

There are still some possibilities...  But I'm sitting here kicking myself for not having acted sooner.

Now: 

The sale to another went through and it turns out it was just $3,000 less than my backup bid.  I thought the highest bid was $157,500.  If I had left it, they MIGHT have found a way to accept my bid.  But the For Sale sign is gone, and I saw someone walking around the property looking like they owned it. 

Dithering and second-guessing yourself is the worst business decisions you can make.  I may never have another chance at controlling this property. 

Yard Work 1

I finally learned the name of the invasive vine that has been creeping into my yard from the neighbor's yard.  It's Periwinkle.  I thought Periwinkle was a small plant like violets!  But a couple of posters on a garden site clued me in, and when I looked it up, there it was.  I can't believe a week of searching "invasive vines" didn't help me find that out myself. 

It is apparently hard to kill.  Deep resilient spreading roots, leaves that don't absorb water, tolerant of many soils and sunlight.  I even have some I put a trash barrel over last summer; the entire vine is white but won't die.  They are surviving by nutrient spread from uncovered vines.

I weed-whacked them last week.  That should weaken them for a while.  But it seems there are only a few ways to eliminate them.  Digging the roots out 2' down, covering them in black plastic for a couple years, and using herbicides.

Digging down that far needs heavy equipment and the space is too tight.  I can't cover them all with plastic as they are among plants I want to keep.  So that means herbicide.  And it means an oil-based herbicide.

I try to stay organic.  Not certified, but in general practice.  So in the open areas it has invaded, I will spray carefully.  I have a large cardboard box I have cut the bottom out of and made a small hole in the top.  I will spray Triclopyr into the hole, let the box sit sit 5 minutes and move it to the next spot (wearing latex gloves and a mask).

Then I will cover the area with black plastic (I have large rolls of the stuff).  For the individual plants in the flower beds, I will apply it with a 1" brush on leaves.  And since I'm going that far, I will use the box on the poison ivy and the english ivy ("in for a penny, in for a pound").

Yard Work

I've been busy outside in the unusually decent January weather.  We went 10 days here without it getting below freezing and THAT is a rare event.  The average low temp is 26F here now.

So I took advantage of the weather and got a trailer-load of compost from a local nursery.  I load the stuff into buckets in a yard cart and use the riding mower to haul it to the destination.  Buckets are easier to dump than shovelfuls...

And spread it out.  There are some weeds poking up, but most will be smothered.

This is where I planted annuals for several years, but this year it will be for heirloom tomatoes.  Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, and a few new ones.  The cages are ready to use.

I have been meaning to set up an island planting are in the front yard for 20 years.  I planted that saucer magnolia tree and the big rock there years ago with the island idea in mind.  I FINALLY got around to doing the island edging. 

 I was amazed at how well digging the slot for the edging went.  When I moved here 30 years ago, the soil was all clayish.  Planting crocuses 3" deep in the lawn was a struggle.  But I have been leaving the lawn clippings stay on the lawn all those years.  It really matters!  My edging spade went down 6"with almost no effort.  30 years, 6" of good soil!

The neighbor has a maple tree planted between our houses.  Maples are nice trees, but not next to houses.  They have surface roots and are famously foundation-breakers.   I mentioned that to the previous neighbor and they cut the tree down.  But maples are hard to kill and it came back with multiple trunks.  I should have poured Roundup on it when first cut down to kill it, but I assumed it would die on its own.

Bitter laughter...  It came back as a multiple-trunked tree.  I am going to use my "Saws-All" to cut the roots at the property line this Spring, pour in some Roundup hoping to kill the tree, and put cuttings of leftover edging against the roots hoping to keep then from regrowing to the existing roots in my yard.

But meanwhile, the tree dropped all its leaves.  I had 2 thoughts.  First, the heavy layer of leaves would kill all the grass on my side yard and the neighbors.  The neighbor abandoned the house in foreclosure, BTW...

Second, I would have to look at all the dead grass on the neighbor's lawn (I raked all the leaves from my lawn).  So, I raked up all his leaves too.  He doesn't care; he is gone.  And I could use them...

I filled up the edged area around the Saucer Magnolia after I set in the edging, and I will move the leaves I raked up from my yard to add to that. 

And then I will add 3" of compost from the nursery on top.  Compost on top of decomposing leaves; the worms will love it!

I'll plant some deer-resistant annuals there this Spring, but the main plan is to fill the bed with daffodils, ivy, and any perennials that deer don't like.

And anything that means less mowing is always good!

Moves

My sister (and hubby and daughter) are moving far away.  She's the 1st of us elder children to leave MD.  They are really going "small" in the new place.  Some people do that after retirement.  I wish them happiness.

My neighbor has moved away.  He said he was coming back to get a trailer he can't store at his new place, and to cut down 2 trees that shade my flowerbeds as they grow larger.  But I'm betting he abandons or sells the trailer and doesn't cut down the trees.  I know how it is when you leave a place.  You leave and forget about the old place.  I wouldn't blame him in the least for "moving on" with his life.

I don't think he actually owns the place now, and I sure can't just go over and cut down a couple trees myself.  Unless I buy the house...

I COULD.  I've accumulated a lot of stocks over the years and they are at a high right now.  Selling some to buy a rental property MIGHT be a good idea, but you never know.  I'd really only be buying the house to control who is my neighbor and get rid of trees shading my flowerbeds and garden.

Yeah, they mean THAT much to me.  Not that I would expect to LOSE money, but breaking even on rent and maintenance over the years and making sure I didn't have a crazy neighbor there sounds good.

I would have the tall junk trees cut down and plant flowering ones, like dogwoods and star magnolias (to match what I am doing in my own yard).   And since it is a smaller 1 story house, I might move there someday and sell my split-foyer (2 level) house when I can't handle the stairs anymore.  I like to plan ahead.

But it is all just thoughts for now.  For all I know, the bank has already auctioned it off or something.  The neighbor doesn't even know who owns the mortgage now.  After several hours trying to find out by phone and internet yesterday, I can't tell either.  Everyone I talk to says it may take weeks for the records to catch up with the foreclosure as these things get sold/traded around very fast.

I could find someone moving in next week, or it could sit abandoned for months while some investment group collects a 100 foreclosed houses to sell to a commercial group.  All *I* can do is wait to see a foreclosure notice on the front door or a For Sale sign in the front yard some morning.

Arghhh!

Fare Well Good Neighbor!

Well, it turns out my neighbor really IS moving!  I'm glad I was out trimming my lawn this afternoon, because it turns out he was making his last trip.  I saw him glance over at me and I waved.  He waved back.  I went over and asked if he was moving.  He said he was.   I told him I thought he might be, but there was no For Sale sign, so it might have been his daughter was leaving for college or a place of her own.

It turns out that after failing to refinance his mortgage twice recently, he was turning it back over to the bank and just walking away!  That is very sad...  He says he has rented a place across town.  Says he never really liked the place; his wife chose it.

Not to be gossipy (I can't; I never KNOW anything), but that was a real mess!  I only found out a year later.  And I didn't know that I didn't want to know until AFTER I was told about it by a neighbor woman.  But YOU will never know any of them, so I suppose it doesn't matter. 

About 8 years ago, my neighbor guy had an affair with the woman next door, her husband found out and filed for divorce, she shot herself, and and his wife left him.  Unusually, the daughter stayed with him.  Tragic all around.

Of COURSE he didn't "seem like the type".  Who ever does?  I knew so many guys who cheated (and wives who made passes at ME) that little of that surprises me.   But it is still sad... Whenever I hear about stuff like that, I'm glad I am happy living peacefully alone!!!

But I do not judge, not knowing the situations.  He has been a good quiet neighbor (at least since he got rid of his motorcycle years ago), no loud parties, no barking dogs, etc.  The next residents may be loud and annoying.  He said I had been a great neighbor (I merely helped out with a couple small projects, but I suppose I'm quiet myself and keep the house and yard looking decent).

I asked him why he couldn't just sell it himself and he explained that he owed WAY more than he could get.  Personally I think he is looking at things short-term, as housing prices are rising again, but I don't know his finances of course.  Divorces and child care can be brutally expensive.  I mentioned that I was thinking of a rental property and it couldn't be more convenient than next door.


But since he was just abandoning the house and the mortgage, the bank will be selling it free of the old mortgage, and cheaper.  I would have an appraiser go in and estimate renovation needs and current real value, of course.  And of course it might not make financial sense.  But I'll see.  I mean, since he's gone, it all starts fresh.  I wonder if the bank knows yet?

I did ask him about some troublesome trees along our property line.  Mostly a mulberry tree that started from seeds from one *I* had and cut down years ago.  The roots and sprouts and shade are causing me grief in my main flowerbed.  Then, just before I asked if I could come over and cut it (and 2 other saplings that will only grow larger) down he offerred to come back this weekend and cut it down himself and haul off the debris.  WOW!

It will certainly be interesting seeing what happens...

Neat Neighbor

This may all seem a bit weird.  I have a cross the street neighbor who managed to get permission to build a McMansion on the wetland across the street.  And he is the father of the Crazy Guy who lived next door to the property.  Yet he is friendly and we talk.

This guy is SLICK!  He not only got permission to build on a wetland (by bringing in 10 loads of soil), he bought the utterly unbuildable property next to his IN EXCHANGE for 6 acres of wetlands behind him.  I would NOT play poker with this guy!

On the other hand, he is utterly friendly and helpful to neighbors. 

The wetlands behind him have been draining for years.  It is now mostly woods and creeks.  So we were talking yesterday.  He has a personal herd of deer in his 6 acres and hunts regularly (with a crossbow!) and there are several good fishing spots there too. 

I tried not to drool while he described it all.  I very briefly mentioned that I was an experienced deer hunter in my younger days and still enjoyed fishing, but didn't outright ask.  But I would sure like an invitation.  We just compared some hunting and fishing experiences though. 

This guy is ultra-competent.  He does his own deer butchering and aging.  He grows corn for the deer (not where he hunts).  He can recognize most of them individually by sight.  He enlarged his concrete driveway by himself!  I saw him atop his 2.5 story house last week inspecting his shingles!  He goes to bed at sunset and gets up at dawn.  He snowblows other peoples' driveways just for something to do!

He doesn't seem to own a computer.  He mentioned being at a target range a mile away and thought he recognized some of his deer there, and thought the properties were adjacent.  When I asked if he had "googled" it, he "said" he didn't know what that was (but keep in mind this guy is slick).

He mentioned that turtles all came around when he was fishing in the back area because they had learned he injured the fish when he got the hooks out of the fishs' stomachs.  So I mentioned that I had learned a trick for that.  You go up through the open gills with a long nose plier, get ahold of the top of the hook and twist it so that it slides right back out.  No harm.  I'm a catch and release type.

That got his attention!  He likes to catch fish, not harm them.

And I mentioned that I had bought a really good hunting crossbow a few years ago but didn't know where to hunt.  But I didn't push it...

He says there are too many deer around here, and I agree.  I mentioned that there are too few places to hunt, and he agreed.  I told him I had driven to southern maryland and back 2 weeks ago looking a lots and saw 4 fresh-dead deer obviously killed by cars.  I have a concern about that.

Years ago, a friend and were driving home after a day of fishing and he hit a deer.  He stopped to look at the damage to his car; I went to look at the deer.  My friend questioned my priorities, but I wanted the deer out of the road because if an unsuspecting driver hit it, it could actually overturn the car.

An injured deer can be dangerous by kicking, so I kicked it a few times myself.  It was dead, so I dragged it off the road.  It wasn't a busy road, but I would have felt terrible if some other driver had been injured hitting it.

We got to my house and documented the car damage for insurance purposes.  But 3 days after, part of my left hand went numb.  I feared it was carpal tunnel syndrome (because I spend a lot of time at work typing).  After having a doctor basically electrocute me in small doses (enough to finally send me into shock), I learned the deer impact had caused a fracture in my 5th (6th?) vertabra of my neck, impacting the ulner nerve. 

To this day, the little and ring finger of my left hand aren't entirely "there", if you know what I mean. They move fine, but I can't feel them like the other fingers. 

So I do not love deer overpopulation...

 I stopped hunting deer when I was 22 and bowshot a doe.  Field-dressing her, milk gushed out.  I was fine with intestines and stomach, etc, but milk?  Dang.  It meant I had orphaned a fawn or two, too.

But I would like to hunt again.  I can't use a bow worth a damn (never could really) but I can use a crossbow.  And I would give the meat to charities that accept it for food for the homeless.

But I need a safe place to hunt.  There are CRAZY gun-hunters out there who fire at anything that moves (my dad was shot by one once).  And here is this neighbor with a personal herd of deer who says he has too many there...

And I want him to invite me to hunt with him...

I'm just not in his circle.  Yet.

We have some things in common.  Hunting, fishing, DIY home and yard stuff; general compency.  It could be interesting.  He's slick and I'm not.  I don't even cheat at solitare.  But I am also "slick-proof".  He might find that to be a relief.  Or a challenge.  LOL!

But I sure could use a real-life, face-time, neighbor friend...