The house in which we’re living sits on a hill that’s one of the highest points in the county. Although it’s well outside of the city limits, the main road that runs directly through town lies at the end of our 1/3 mile long driveway. Back in the early 1800’s, this home had a command view of the entire valley and on towards the river. But today, everywhere you look from this hill, you can see nothing but suburban sprawl. I am not complaining about the sprawl, because I continue to feel blessed to be able to be living here. And as soon as the leaves fill the trees, it will seem more secluded. But I will complain about things that happen because of our close proximity to all of this sprawl.
This photo was taken Monday, standing down by the fox dens, which are about 25 yards from the edge of the tree line. I’ll tell you about the x later.
When we first moved here last October, we noticed that people were continually cutting through the property, I guess because it’s a quick route through to the main road. We posted signs on the trees and confronted trespassers, but still would see people walking through. Sometimes they leave us gifts of trash strewn about from whatever fast food restaurant they’ve come from. But really, that’s only happened twice.
Then on Thanksgiving as we were getting ready to sit down to dinner, we noticed over a dozen kids were playing football in the old horse paddock. This was just too much. They were teenagers from the development to the northwest of us. I went outside and yelled at them and they scattered. The next time this happened, I called the police and then went out and took pictures of them with the long lens. I never saw kids run so fast. And I’ve got pretty good mug shots of the little devils.
I haven’t seen them since, but that doesn’t mean they won’t come back. In fact, when the prior caretakers lived here, there was a bit of a skirmish over which gang of hooligans would rule over the old barn and claim it as their club house. The police were called but not until some boards were ripped out of the face of the barn and the contents from inside strewn about.
Yesterday, my husband called me at work to ask me if I’d moved his chair from the fir tree where he sits. He said it wasn’t there anymore. He likes sitting in his chair by the tree (I’ve put an x there), and has fashioned almost a little nook cut out of the branches. The thick needles stop the wind and the cold and he has a perfect sunning spot in which to rest. I assured him I hadn’t moved it.
And today when I came home, he still seemed pretty agitated about what had happened to his chair. He told me he’d looked all around the woods because those rotten kids may have moved it on him. I couldn’t believe someone would come almost up to our door to steal a chair, and was beginning to think maybe he’d moved it to another spot and couldn’t remember having done so.
Because he was upset, I thought I’d take a walk today and see if I could spot the chair, not that I ever thought I would. But sure enough, in the big field to the south of our house, where there lies yet another development, complete with apartment buildings, there sat our chair, along with some others, around a makeshift campfire pit at the edge of a big pile of brush. Those bold brazen articles (can you tell I went to Catholic school?) came right up into our front yard and took my husband’s camp chair.
And to think that someone would walk through the property and come this close to the house to steal something . . . well, frankly it bothers me. I mean, they’re only kids, but they’ve got to understand that it’s wrong.
I brought the chair back, but my husband’s concerned that they’ll just come back for it again. And he’s concerned that if they’re bold enough to come this close, would they come into our garage and take our things? Would they take things from the yard?
I almost want to go out and talk to them and tell them that my husband has cancer and is sick and he just wants some peace and quiet. But I don’t want to appear as if we are weak in any sense. And that is all I have to say about that for now.
I don’t know. What do you think, George?
The Giveaway (post below) is going on until Wednesday, 6:30 PM. Get in on it while you can!
Until then, my friends . . .
