RON DID A GREAT JOB SIDING OUR HOUSE, HE HAD DONE THE FRONT FOR US A FEW YEARS BEFORE WE COULD AFFORD TO DO THE REST OF THE HOUSE, AND THEN HE DID A SUPER JOB MAKING OUR HOUSE LOOK REALLY GREAT. THE PINES WE BROUGHT FROM BINGHAMTON, AS THREE FOOT TREES. THE PINES GREW SO FAST I HAD TO CUT OFF THE TOPS. I STRIPPED THE BRANCHES EXCEPT FOR THE ENDS, AND AS THEY GREW I WOULD CUT OFF THE NEW GROWTH MAKING POM POMS AT THE ENDS OF EACH BRANCH. THERE WOULD BE A SECOND GROWTH EACH YEAR AND I WOULD CUT THAT OFF TOO. WE HAD THE CHAIN LINK FENCE PUT UP AND I PLANTED GROUND COVER JUNIPERS. I HAD ALSO CLAD THE PORCH WITH PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER. I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS RON OR "GUTTER BOY" THAT CLAD THE WOOD AT THE TOP. WHEN THAT WAS DONE, WE FINALLY STOPPED FINDING PILES OF SAWDUST IN THE MORNING. EVEN THOUGH WE HAD AN EXTERMINATOR AGAIN AND AGAIN, THOSE DAMNED CARPENTER BEES WOULD NOT LEAVE.
THROUGH THE EXTERMINATOR I LEARNED THAT CARPENTER BEES LIVE SINGULAR LIVES, COLLECT POLLEN ALL DAY AND BRING IT BACK TO THE PERFECTLY ROUND HOLES THEY WOULD DRILL IN ANY EXPOSED WOOD. THEY WOULD EVEN DRILL INTO THE PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER. AFTER THE SIDING, WE STILL HAD ONE OR TWO CARPENTER BEES. I FOUND OUT WHERE THEY WERE BORING AND I WAITED UNTIL IT WAS COOL OUTSIDE, SPRAYED THE HOLES AND CAULKED REALLY WELL. FINALLY, NO MORE BEES.
THE ONLY PROBLEM RON HAD WAS WHEN HE ONE DAY HAD TO KNOCK OFF EARLY BECAUSE OF THE TEENAGE KIDS WITH THEIR BACKYARD BORDERING OUR DRIVEWAY, THROWING 'POTTY' WATER AT HIM WHILE HE WAS ON A LADDER TRYING TO SIDE THE HOUSE. THE LITTLE BASTARDS WERE CURSING AT HIM IN SPANISH, NOT KNOWING RON UNDERSTOOD THE LANGUAGE. RON ANSWERED THEM BACK IN SPANISH, BUT, HAD TO LEAVE THAT DAY.
I DID FEEL BAD FOR THOSE KIDS, THEY HAD AN ABOVE GROUND POOL THAT COLLAPSED AND WITHOUT A FILTER WERE SPLASHING AROUND IN PUTRID WATER THAT WAS LEFT IN THE LINER FROM THE POOL. THE LINER HAD A COUPLE OF INFLATED RINGS AROUND THE EDGE ALLOWING IT TO HOLD THAT WATER THEY HAD BEEN SPLASHING AROUND IN FOR LITERALLY WEEKS. BUT, BUT... NO! NO! NO! THAT WAS ONLY ONE OF MANY MANY PROBLEMS WE HAD WITH THE UNSUPERVISED CHILDREN THAT WERE RAISING THEMSELVES.
THIS REAR DECK RON BUILT FOR US WORKED OUT BEAUTIFULLY. I STAINED IT WITH AN OPAQUE STAIN AND PUT LATTICE ON ALL SIDES (NOT SHOWN). THE SIDING IS MORE OF RON'S HANDIWORK. ALL AROUND THE HOUSE WHEREVER THERE WERE BASEMENT WINDOWS, I DUG DOWN, ADDED GRAVEL AND RIVETED WINDOW WELLS WITH RAIN GUARDS TO THE FOUNDATION. I HAD ALSO DUG DEEPLY ALL AROUND THE HOUSE, TARRED THE BRICK, ADDED GRAVEL AND FILLED IN, BUT, THAT'S ANOTHER STORY I'VE YET TO TELL.
THE HOUSE WHEN WE BOUGHT IT WITH THE ROTTING WINDOWS AND OLD WOODEN DOORS THAT HAD BEEN BROKEN IN WHEN THE POLICE HAD TO ENTER TO REMOVE TWO PIT BULLS. THE DOGS WERE GUARDING A DRUG DEN. THEN, THE PERSON WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE FROM PAINTED EVERYTHING INSIDE WHITE AND YEAH HAD THE NERVE TO GLUE ON A FEW OF THE DOOR HANDLES. INSIDE LOOKED SPARSE BUT MOSTLY CLEAN. LITTLE DID WE KNOW.
WHEN OUR SECOND INSURANCE COMPANY THREATENED TO CANCEL, STATING AS ONE OF THE REASONS BEING THE CONDITION OF THE REAR SIDING. THIS IS WHEN I PUT UP LATTICE AND GREW IVY UP THE HOUSE. I ALSO PUT UP THE WINDOW BOXES AND PLANTED THE QUICKLY GROWING SHADEMASTER LOCUST TREE. YOU CAN SEE THE "SLUM PALMS" GROWING NEXT DOOR, AT THE BANK OWNED WAREHOUSED PROBLEM OF A NEIGHBORHOOD DUMP.
I HAD PLANTED A SHADEMASTER LOCUST AT OUR FRONT CURB. THE LOCUST WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE CITY BECAUSE IT ROOTS STRAIGHT DOWN, DOES NOT HEAD FOR YOUR WATER OR SEWAGE LINES, HAS LEAVES THAT DISINTEGRATE AND DON'T CLOG GUTTERS. OF COURSE THE ONE AT THE CURB WAS INSIDIOUSLY DESTROYED BY THE KIDS PASSING BY ON THEIR WAY TO AND FROM THE NEARBY HIGH SCHOOL.
I PULLED UP TO OUR CURB ONE DAY TO SEE SOME YOUNG LADY PULLING ON A BRANCH AND STRIPPING IT BARE. I ROLLED DOWN MY WINDOW AND SAID "THANKS ALLOT, I JUST PLANTED THAT TREE". THE GIRL REPLIED "YOU WANT IT BACK"? ALL I COULD SAY WAS 'YEAH, I WANT IT BACK '! AFTER THAT ANOTHER BRANCH WOULD BE SNAPPED ONE AT A TIME DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY. tmp
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