Well, I couldn't resist. I went out there this morning and started in on all of it. 2 of the grass plants that were overgrown - I cut well back and down. I need to "groom" them to make them look a little better, but it isn't the mess that it was. I also started in on the area where the cats have basically killed off 2/3rd's of my ground covering plants. Pretty much a pain, to be honest. The dead plants and the live portions are all on the same - system I guess you call it - separating them wasn't any easy task.
I got about 2/3rd's of that done and then called it quits. Ran out of energy is mainly the reason why. The 350 pound man wasn't out there but the meth head was. I kept to myself, minding my own business and enjoying the cool weather. If he were to start in on me again, I figured, I would call the police. This time, daddy would be home when they would go down there pounding on his door and daddy wouldn't be too happy about that, at all.
I should have taken my camera out there as backup, but I totally forgot about it. I am going back out in a while to trim back a large, 8 foot tall bush that has overgrown onto the pathway that leads to the other gate. I don't really want to cut it back that much, but, it's in the way and I have no choice. I also cut off a large branch off of one of the naturally growing desert trees. It became obvious that as that tree continues to grow - along with that errant branch - that branch would get heavier and heavier. A good wind storm would eventually rip it off of there and probably take out the entire tree with it. I like that tree and would rather not see it come collapsing down.
I have a LOT to do out there, is what this morning's activities reinforced. No biggies, though, just do an hour here, a couple there and eventually it will all be done.
I caught a black cat last night. No idea whose it is, but in this neighborhood, 80% chance it's a feral cat. I decided not to do anything with it. Just leave it in there for the day and then release it. City ordinances say I can hold it for 24 hours in a cage. I figure maybe if I keep it in there for a while, it will come to dislike my property greatly. It has already been let out. I figured it was in there a good 12 hours, long enough.
So, interlude. I went back out front to cut back the shrubs. 350 pound man shows up in his car, parks in front of "his" property across the street, but doesn't get out of the car. He has limo tint windows, I can't see through them so I can't tell what he is doing. There isn't any reason for him to be parked there since his house is 2 houses down on the other side of the street. I was curious if his mother might be in there. I looked at the car and then - I completely ignored it and went about my business.
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Long interval. Trailer tenants must have gotten their food stamps. They made a huge meal including T-Bone steak; potato salad; Texas Toast; and beans. Yes, they brought me in a huge dish loaded with the stuff, very good.
I was out front again. I sat down in my chair and took the front yard in - after doing some more trim work. After I get the clean job done, I am going to change the appearance of the front yard. First, I think I am going to get rid of the grass plants that Mary put in. I didn't like them when she put them in, I don't really like them now. I also decided to create a completely different effect and will do so by using some of the 5 tons of landscaping rock I had delivered 2 or 3 weeks ago and have done nothing with yet. I have cut the ground covering plants back drastically. Mostly because they were dead, but I also cut them back far enough to reveal a small, rock border that Mary had created. Mary did good work out there regardless of her drug habit. So, I will not only finish uncovering that rock border, I am going to extend it. I also need to bring out some more dirt and finish shoring up the small pond. After seeing the fish thrive this summer in that thing - that water got pretty warm - I decided it can become a permanent part of the visual out there.
When I am done - which will take some time to say the least - it will have a much cleaner, sharper look to it out there. Some plants needs to go, others just need to be trimmed down quite a lot. It isn't just something to do, it is something that needs to be done.
The side of the house doesn't need as much change, it just needs the plastic put down and the rock hauled over there and dumped on top of it. The plants are mostly doing well and once that is done, again, a sharp, nice look to it.
I've missed 2 Sundays in a row now. I don't go to church sick. Perhaps I should and get prayed over, but I dislike the idea of giving everyone else my sickness so I don't do it. Last Sunday I felt so miserably bad that there was no way I was going to to church or much of anywhere else for that matter. Well, they sent me a post card.
My dad just wrote. He has moved back to Sierra Vista. In my view of it, they should have never left. His wife owns the house, outright. It sits on a golf course. It has beautiful views. They can hire people to come in an do whatever they need done around the house for FAR cheaper than paying to live at an assisted living center. I have been filling his head up with that idea for quite a while now. They already have a great lawn maintenance family - it is literally an entire family from little kids to the parents - that comes and does everything that needs to be done outside. If they needed help inside, there are PLENTY of licensed, bonded and insured companies that do whatever housecleaning that need be done. They pretty much eat out a lot anyway, so cooking isn't really a big issue.
He is obviously upset, however, that he couldn't find a place to fit me in. I had offered to come down for a visit to his Tucson place numerous times - it's I-10 all the way there and most of it is 75mph speed limit. Now he's asking if Caleb and I can come for Thanksgiving. I seriously doubt Caleb will be able to do that. His work schedule is now up to almost 40 hours per week and it's pretty much the schedule that no-one on earth wants. I am sure that newbie cashiers are going to get the junk schedule until they get some seniority going. It wouldn't surprise me if they have him working on Thanksgiving Day. It wouldn't surprise me, either, if they have him working Christmas Day, if Albertson's is open Christmas Day (which I hope it is not, I would be happy if all of these stores would just shut down like they used to in the "old days" for the day and be happy that their employees get to go home and spend some time with family and friends). Whatever the case, he doesn't complain at all and pretty soon he is going to start getting substantially larger paychecks than he is used to getting.
Which should be interesting as well.
But I will hold my comment concerning that - for now.
G'day.
ben
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