On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:42:41 -0500, Robibnikoff wrote:

"Mark K. Bilbo" <gmail@com.mkbilbo> wrote in message
news:tsqdnW_iiKYRcsDanZ2dnUVZ_hOdnZ2d@giganews.com...

On Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:27:42 -0500, Robibnikoff wrote:

"skyeyes" <skyeyes@dakotacom.net> wrote in message
news:4fb58288-cae8-4c44-a4ad-

d7cf6993493a@s8g2000prg.googlegroups.com...

On Dec 10, 11:01 am, "Robibnikoff" <witchy...@broomstick.com> wrote:

<Snippage>

Me too <sigh> I really hate having "a dying corpse" in my living
room. Not
to mention that I'm the only one that decorates and waters the damn
thing -
as well as clean up all the needles later.

Yeah, that was me too, until I purposefully stopped doing it. The ex
insisted on having a "real" tree, and I put my foot down and said,
"Then you're going to water it, vacuum up the needles, and dispose of
it when the holiday is over."

Well, he didn't. So we sat with an extreme fire hazard in our house
for several weeks, until he learned that he *could not* out-stubborn
me. It's all in the follow-through, believe me.

LOL - See, my husband definitely can out-stubborn me. Rats! :)

Set it on fire and see if that works!

Lemme think about that.................................NO.

<snicker>

Aw, come on!

I'm actually think about sneaking out this afternoon and just getting an
artificial tree.

There you go. Then ya can say, "Too late sucka!" <G>

On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 13:02:15 -0500, Robibnikoff wrote:

"Mark K. Bilbo" <gmail@com.mkbilbo> wrote in message

I don't mind kids playing in my other lot but as I took out the trash
today, I noticed some small trees down. Perfectly healthy, green trees.
I looked closer and somebody's been chopping down small trees.

What an *****!

No, they're kids. Very young. Too young to running around with anything
capable of hacking even a small tree. And considering where it was going
on, I doubt the parents knew.

I've talked to both parents before and said the same thing. I don't mind
the kids playing in that lot but it's probably not a good idea. Before I
bought it, it was being used as a dump of all things and I had a *****
load of trash (including two couches!) hauled out of it. But there's
still bits and pieces of rusty metal, broken glass, glass bottles. Short
of leveling the lot (and I ain't gonna), there's not much I can do about
that over the near term.

I'll put up with a lot of things out of kids. But *this*? No. I intend to
point out to the parents that clutter is one thing (there's toys over
there, meh), even some trash (kids, you know, popcicle wrappers and
stuff), but damage that doesn't stop right now will involve the Sheriff's
office.

They've actually been getting after their kids about being over there at
all. As I said, there's still bits of junk that could cause injury and
the mom is worried about snakes. And I do see their kids in their newly
cleared (they had a lotta work straightening out that lot let me tell
you) backyard more often than not these days.

But my lot runs right in front of their place and it's wooded. Lots of
little nooks and crannies from old trees and growth and I can see how
kids that young would find it hard to resist. In fact, the spot they've
been attracted to is shielded and rather "canopied" (perfect for being
outside in the summer sun).

In fact, the part they play in most times is pretty safe and clear. And I
don't mind. The potentially dangerous junk is mostly deeper in (the hicks
doing the dumping were "hiding" what they were doing as it is illegal as
all hell and this is Texas, people shoot at you for traipsing around in
the dark on their property... it's also legal to do so... <evil grin>).

Anyway.

They're just kids. Barely school age. And kids do stupid things sometimes.

I just intend for the parents to put the brakes on.

There is going to be a come-to-Jeebus meeting sometime this week with
certain parents...

Sounds like a plan.

I actually ran into the father yesterday morning before I found the tree.
I did (mildly this time) comment on the kids leaving candy wrappers and
such over there. He said he's going to march them over to clean up.

He should. It's right in front of *their* house. I don't have to look at
it all day, they do.

Keeping that lot decent is to their benefit too. The side that faces them
is quite pretty. Lots of Mimosas and little pines. And to be fair, they
are the first people in the lot behind me that have busted ***** this much
to clean that place up and make it decent. So I'm not ready to just go
off on them at this point. They're better neighbors than the last two
times. They're actually putting a hell of a lot of work into the place.

I still want their lot though. And they are renters. I want both lots
behind me. Both owned and rented out by the same person. If I get in a
position to make a serious offer, I'm afraid they're going to have to
move. That lot is slated to be my new backyard. <g>

(There's a second renter next to them who, if I ended up owning the land,
could stay until he dies far as I'm concerned. He's this kind that goes
to work, pays his rent like clockwork, and is so quiet, you hardly know
he's there. My only gripe is he's slow to cut his lawn and lets it run
riot. Still, there are worst things.)