Posted on 06/26/2008 5:01:13 PM PDT by Krankor
Ok, I live on a nice urban street. I've got some nice evergreen bushes in front of my house that I personally planted over 15 years ago. They're now about 4 feet high and look pretty good. They abut right up against the public sidewalk. The problem- my very nice next door neighbors have two kids who are starting to play catch on the front sidewalk. One kid is in front of his house, the other in front of mine. No big deal except they're not very good and the ball often goes in the bushes- which means two not too concerned kids trampling through them. If this goes on long enough, they're eventually going to kill them. Problem two- I have three mulberry trees in my yard which dump a good number of mulberries in my neighbor's yard. I trim the tree or have a professional do it every year, but they are always going to get a bunch of these mulberries in their yard (and, with two little boys, probably inside the house, as well). They have never complained about the mulberries. The parents are nice people- not exactly drinking buddies, but I cut their grass and they shovel my snow. Anyway, this catch thing is driving me nuts. I'm thinking of casually mentioning to the mom or dad, that my bushes are starting to look bad and I'm going to have to use a sprinkler to water them everyday- which means putting one those sprinklers that goes back and forth on my lawn. This means the sprinkler would water the lawn then cross over the sidewalk and water the bushes. Anyone walking by could just wait a couple of seconds until the water passed and then walk by. Of course, it would not be very conducive to a couple of kids playing catch. By the same token, I would only do it once they started playing catch (I'd probably give them ten minutes before I started). The thing that kills me- the parents know I take care of my lawn and bushes yet, they seem somewhat oblivious to the fact their kids are destroying them. Any ideas. Smart aleck responses will get a smack in the snout!
You could always play catch with them. Help them with their aim. It keeps them off the street and away from the bad crowd.
The mean nasty neighbor has bad things done to his home by kids when they become teens.
I didn’t mean I was going to go out there and grab their ball and throw it down the alley. I meant I was going to be friendly and offer to play catch with them, -but be a real klutz-miss catching the ball and throwing it back way over their heads. That way the would avoid me.
Let the kids play catch. Brother, don’t let the small things bother you and the big things pass you by.
Remind yourself how much worse it might be, and be thankful for otherwise considerate neighbors, and that the kids will grow up to be taxed to pay your Social Security.
Are you some kind of hippie?
Just a couple of thoughts...
1. Anybody who shoveled my walk for me could prolly commit a capital crime before I would bitch.
2. Go out an offer the kids a bottle of Gatorade each - be a buddy, and gently over a period of time discourage them if they go into your bushes freqently. Offer them a dollar if they go a week without damaging your tree.
3. Wait them out. Sort of like the lyrics to that song somebody posted, it will be only a short while before you see them out there talking to girls - then working on a driver’s license - then off to college.
Then you’ll say to yourself: “Damn! It’s quiet around here!!
Y’know, I coulda set a a new bush for $30 bucks.
Rose bushes.
I don’t want any “good relationships” with neighbors. I want them to stay off my property and I’ll stay off theirs. Believe me, everyone around here knows my attitude.
Why not? I have carefully tended that reputation over many years. I have no problems with neighbors; they wouldn't dare.
Let the kids play catch. Brother, don’t let the small things bother you and the big things pass you by.
True dat...
See what I mean, Krankor? It's really not going to be pleasant to find yourself disliked by a formerly gracious neighbor.
Go out and play catch with the kids. Tell them to GO DEEP! Then throw the ball so it lands on the neighbor’s roof and rolls into the gutter.
DUDE RELAX...Let me put it this way to you....we had a neighbor like you when we were growing up. We as children(and I still feel this way) felt that playing catch or playing ball was THE most important thing to us at the time. Nothing else really mattered and we just didn’t care frankly!
Now if your bushes are that important to you tell the kids to get lost. There is nothing better to me than a couple nice young men trying to enjoy themselves and learning that they have a neighbor that is sympathetic to thier learning the game of baseball. Eventually they will start catching the ball and your troubles will have passed. I had the most pristeen front yard until my kid started playing baseball and the best thing I can tell you is as he and his buddies got older my bare spots in my front yard disappeared because so did the kids because they were too good to play in the front yard.
I now need to go to the local fields to watch them excel. Some on travel teams because they played when and where they could :) and got very good!
It’s a couple friggin shrubs .
Sounds to me like it all evens out. The kids will grow up pretty soon, and the mulberries will still be there.
Face it, Krankor. Your posting shows that you’re a dem more than a rep. go post on their boards.
LOL! That’ll do it! (nice doggie....)
Next time plant bushes with thorns.
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