I’m starting to feel overlooked and not very special. It seems there have been a rash of criminals in my neighborhood lately. The last time I was “warned,” I had left a congratulatory sign for my daughter’s high school graduation in the yard too long. That was three years ago and I think I had left the sign in the yard for almost a week.
My homeowners’ association and neighborhood police force seem to be back on the job and hot after those who are not obeying the rules. I honestly understand having rules and don’t get too bent out of shape when they point out the big things. However, sometimes it seems that it comes in spurts and can be a bit ridiculous.
The way I figure it, one person gets mad at another and reports them. Then the violator, in an attempt to either justify their infringement or to get back at who they think reported them, starts pointing fingers. Then the cloud grows wider and wider, moving from street to street and folks start trolling the neighborhood for infractions in able to ask, “What about this house?”
Not being reported lately, it kind of makes me feel overlooked. The folks across the street were nailed on the “bricks in the yard” infraction. I’m sure it has a more technical name, but I’ve never honestly looked at the rules. I just wait until my neighbors or I break the rules to figure out what they are.
As if the bricks weren’t enough, I think they nailed them on a “non-wood arbor.” Fences and other stuff have to be made of wood, rather than other things like wrought iron. I’m not sure how long the wrought iron arbor had been in their yard, but it has been many years. But this infection seems to just spread exponentially once it starts and takes time and sometimes brick removal as a remedy.
The bricks? They were building a walkway and just hadn’t finished it yet. Again, good sense is not required when writing you up. The wrought iron arbor? Gone.
On top of this, the neighborhood police/security folks are usually very kind and helpful. Sometimes the newer ones take a while to be trained on when and when not to use their weapons. For instance, my next door neighbor’s dogs got out the other day and were roaming the neighborhood. It’s what dogs do… They roam… They hunt… They’re animals.
About the only way these dogs could hurt you would be if they licked you to death. I talk to them from my back deck. My “Husky” is getting very good. I’m not sure what I’m saying, but when I talk to the Husky next door, she seems to respond to what I’m saying enthusiastically.
Well, the Husky and the Golden Retriever went on an incredible journey that found them in the water chasing a deer. Actually the retriever was barking instructions and the Husky was swimming in full chase after the deer. My neighbor was called and when he showed up, the neighborhood police had their sidearms drawn and seemed to be ready to put my Husky neighbor down. My neighbor, who is about as nice as they come, was very upset. Upset to the point that I’m pretty sure he used some “Army words” on these fellows taking aim at his dog. It seems that there were also geese, maybe some type of protected geese swimming in the water and the police force claimed to be protecting them. Dogs will be dogs…
My neighbor now has to appear in court and answer his citation for letting your dogs run wild. Maybe some sort of leash law, I’m not really sure what the exact law broken was. It could have been related to endangering the life of an endangered goose or something. I’ll make sure to ask the Husky the next time we talk. She seems to be the only one who knows what was going on.
In the meantime, I guess I will just feel unwanted – literally. If you see my picture on any posters at the post office, you will know the homeowners’ association virus has spread to me.
CMT Column from the week of April 24, 2017, All Rights Reserved and Stuff like that..
_______________________________
Cranks My Tractor
Share this story with friends - it helps me a lot.
"Like" the Cranks My Tractor Facebook Site, if you have not already.
Tell 27 people you love them today; something good will happen.
I'm BN Heard and I like semicolons, dogs and messing with the homeowners' association.
I'll be hosting the July "Better Said Than Done" Show at the Auld Shebeen in Fairfax, Virginia on July 29th. Doors open at 6 PM. Come and hear stories about bugs, bites, blood and anger...
Comments