Amateur landscapers is what we are. I’ve always taken pride in a nice looking property. I don’t go overboard, I just like to keep my mixture of grass and weeds cut regularly. My better half brings the beauty, but again, understated. We will never be near a Home and Garden magazine cover and we don’t strive for it.
I’m the maintenance part and my better half is the decorator. Well she does the maintenance on the gardens to be fair. As usual she does a wonderful job. I’m slow to change existing stuff. I liked the old bushes in front of our patio. She finally got me to remove those and has a wonderful garden in front of that area in front of the sidewalk.
So change is good as she always shows me it is. I’ve had a few good ideas along the way but she always has been the better decorator. But we rarely work on the yard together. Kind of weird in a way. But we both take a bit of pride in the property.
The point I want to make though about landscaping which is really just property maintenance is to the degree everyone does it so differently. I guess that is why some people like community management groups. I’ve never seen the need to live in that type of community but I’m learning some of the reasons people want them. Right now the tree below doesn’t bother me, except snakes like that long grass that has grown up under all that lumber.
Neighbors tree.
Photo by Mike Hartley
Our new neighbor has had a tree down in their yard for several months now. A large pine tree that had very large branches. It sat that way for a few months in the spring. I believe in early July they cut a few branches to make it less visible from the road but left it all there. Obviously you can’t mow there so the grass is very tall not having been cut this year.
In fairness to them I believe they have been doing and intensive remodel on the inside for many months now so the yard might not be their priority. No problem, doesn’t bother me because it’s not on my property. I’m not trying to sell my house. But the guy across the street just sold his and there is another neighbor there who has neglected his residence for a few decades now. I’m sure that lowered the value of the home.
No I’m not moving so I don’t really care much if they take care of it or not. My bet was over a year anyway. Now you might ask, rightly so that I should offer some help. Well we have a communication problem because the one time I’ve met them in the first year of their ownership I learned they don’t speak English and I’m not fluent in what Asian dialect they may speak. And that still might not stop me from offering to help if I saw them trying to take care of it.
I mean I try to be nice to everyone. I’ve mowed several lawns in this neighborhood with some on vacation or their mower broke for a bit or just as a good jester. I’ve helped neighbors clean up after storms.
And don’t get me wrong, I don’t hold anyone to any kind of schedule. I’ve had some big branches down for a while waiting for winter weather to change/melt. I have a tree down in the woods behind my home. But that is in the woods so it’s really not hurting anyone’s look.
But its strange how long some people will go before cutting their yard. I think the thing I enjoy and laugh at the most is that when it does get cut it looks like a graveyard of grass headstones.
Well all I know is I got mine cut today before the next 3 days of rain comes in. Still have about 3 months of cutting to go so there is still much effort to put forth.
The only thought I have when I see this is a cherry ice cream soda. This is my go to ice cream place at the ocean. I believe they have a device that automatically turns my car into their lot.
Great ice cream.
Photo by Mike Hartley
Random Thoughts of the Day
Football is back. Now if 45 can just keep his yap shut and let them play a game. He can go ahead at the end of the year and pick the winner of the Super Bowl if he wants but that’s all I want to hear from him on that sport.
My John Deere still runs like one. For the first 10 years I thought I might have overpaid for a tractor. Now at 20 years I think I got a fairly good bargain. Just think another 10 years down the road you can watch me mow the yard laughing my head off because I’ll be driving it like it was a steal.
It’s good to spend one on one time with your children, as well as family time.
If I could only stop eating like I did when I exercised.
I was every impressed and moved by the Jim Kelly acceptance speech at the ESPY’s Yes that was a very old random thought that I found on a draft I started a while back.
I thought I was going to make it an entire post without complaining about pain. Well, I’ve failed again. Tomorrow will be better.
