MONEY PIT (part 5)

ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID WHEN WE MOVED INTO THIS HOUSE WAS TO BUY SOME FENCING, MAKE A GATE AND STOP THE ENDLESS STREAM OF SHORTCUTTING HIGHSCHOOLERS FROM USING OUR BACKYARD. I HAD TO ALSO BUILD UP THE FENCE AT THE BACK OF THE YARD TO AT LEAST MAKE IT HARDER FOR ANYONE TO SQUEEZE THROUGH OR CLIMB OVER. 
THERE IS ANOTHER STORY ABOUT WHERE WE STORED OUR GARBAGE CANS. I BACKED INTO THE DRIVEWAY IN THE DARK, ONE EVENING, OPENED MY CAR DOOR TO SEE A BUNCH OF BOYS SITTING ON OUR GARBAGE CANS AND SQUASHING THEM FLAT. THAT WASN'T THE PROBLEM THOUGH, THESE YOUNG MEN WERE SMOKING AND RIGHT BEHIND THE CANS WAS WHERE THE FUEL FOR OUR FURNACE ENTERED THE HOUSE. I SAID 'YOU'RE IN THE WRONG PLACE'! THEY SLOWLY GOT UP AND STARTED TO MOSEY ON DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. I HAD TO SAY IT... 'DON'T HURRY NONE'! IT'S THEN I NOTICED THE RED BANDANNA HANDKERCHIEFS HANGING OUT OF THEIR BACK POCKETS. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT THEY MUST HAVE BEEN "BLOODS". THEY DIDN'T BOTHER ME, SO I PRESUME THEY WERE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND DIDN'T WANT TO SHIT WHERE THEY ATE. GUESS I WAS EITHER JUST STUPID OR LUCKY.

ON ONE OF MY OFF DAYS I WAS WORKING IN THE BACKYARD WHEN TWO YOUNG LADIES TRIED TO OPEN THE LATCHED GATE AND COULDN'T. I SAID 'I CAN'T LET YOU IN', AND AS SOON AS THEY STARTED WITH THE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, A COP CAR CAME DOWN THE STREET IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE. THE GIRLS HAD DUCKED DOWN BEHIND MY CAR AND WEREN'T SPOTTED. THINKING THEY WERE SAFE, THEY LEFT THE DRIVEWAY AND ONCE THEY HIT THE STREET I SAW THAT THE COP CAR HAD CIRCLED BACK AROUND THE BLOCK. I'M NOT SURE IF THEY WERE JUST TRUANT OR HAD GOTTEN IN SOME OTHER KIND OF TROUBLE.  
AN HOUR OR SO LATER, TWO FEMALE OFFICERS CAME TO MY GATE AND ASKED IF I WAS OKAY, WHICH OF COURSE I WAS. THEY WEREN'T ASKING ABOUT THE TWO GIRLS THOUGH. IT SEEMS I HAD BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH AL, TOLD HIM TO HOLD ON, THAT SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO OPEN THE GATE, AND PUT THE PHONE DOWN ON A BENCH. I HAD TOTALLY FORGOTTEN AND WENT BACK TO MY GARDENING OR ROCK PLACING. AL HAD CALLED THE POLICE WHEN I DIDN'T COME BACK TO THE PHONE. I THANKED THEM FOR COMING AND CALLED AL RIGHT AWAY. 
YOU KNOW, I GUESS I DO HAVE A STORY TO GO WITH EVERY PHOTO I DIG UP OF THIS HOUSE ON TREADWELL AVENUE. tmp