I don't get it.
I was working on my book, Joseph was next door painting, and I suddenly realized I heard voices close by. I thought maybe he'd come home and was talking to a neighbor out front, but when he didn't come in, I went to look.
First, I saw a little girl looking up into our mulberry tree right by the front porch. Then I moved where I could see what she was looking at...um. There were jean-clad legs up the tree, and shoes I didn't recognize. I thought maybe one of the neighbor's kittens had gotten up the tree, so I went to look.
No, daddy had just climbed MY tree, right by MY front porch, an easy step to MY roof and attic window, to throw mulberries down to her.
Um. Normally people ASK if they want to pick some of our fruit?? You don't just climb someone's tree, right by their house, and help yourself??
SHEESH.
I asked him to get down, because I didn't want him falling out of the tree. And yeah, I didn't want him IN the tree, in the first place.
"Oh, I know what I'm doing...I'm getting her some mulberries."
"Nonetheless, I'd like for you to come down. The tree is brittle and it breaks easily. There are plenty of mulberries on the ground and walk, you're welcome to them."
"No, it's OK, I used to cut trees for a living...sort of," says he. "Besides there are bugs on those."
"NONETHELESS, I would like for you to come down NOW, please, and there are bugs on the ones in the tree, TOO."
"She's afraid daddy's going to fall," he tells his little girl in this condescending way.
Hm. Maybe I'm afraid I'm going to lose my temper entirely! GOOD GRIEF.
So he nearly loses his balance, about falls out of the tree, and knocks down our new little fence by the brand new flower bed. Grrrrrr...
I really should have said 'normally people ask before trespassing," so his little girl didn't get the idea that this was OK behavior!
I just don't get it. We've always been happy to share the mulberries and apples and such...but people, you need to ASK, not just assume. And CLIMB THE TREE.
people are frustrating and infuriating. the old "what's yours is mine, and what's mine is mine" rule seems to be raising its ugly head, again, in society.
maybe an electric fence?
I don't think an electric fence is quite code, though...darn it...
There are empty lots across from us but he lets the dog crap in our yard, where our dog can smell it and go nuts and for us to clean up or it could be stepped in or ran over w/ the mower and then spread all around. A lot of WT's friends park at the curb and walk up so I knew it'd be stepped in. We clean up after Lucy in our own yard and when we walk her we always take a bag.
But then I watched the neighbor up the hill behind me shove a refrigerator down the slope, like that was getting rid of it. I said "Excuse me? Please don't dump right here in the neighborhood." He cursed me roundly, and the thing is still there. Makes me mad every time I see it.
(Anonymous)
annie