A Month Ago ... then, Today ... and, One Year Ago

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

This house had been abandoned for a long while 

before I unexpectedly came along

to clean it up, and turn it into a home again.

One month ago, April 21st, was the City of Alton's 

Clean-Up Day.

I was really excited about this day.

This was the special day the city would come by, and 

pick up dang-near everything you need to get rid of.

Including brush, cardboard boxes, and tree limbs.

I know, because I called and asked.

They WANT their city to look clean, and nice.

I worked real hard to get ready for that big day

... I WANT my house, and lot, to look clean and nice, too.

So I piled a lot of brush and limbs, and all my cardboard boxes, 

into a neat pile for the clean-up crew.

Well, as neat as can be expected for a girl 

... who also has a little girl helper ...

to do those kinds of things.

I ... we .. were so proud of my ... our ... achievement.

Most of those boxes had two or three smaller boxes stuffed into them. 

Anyway 

... back to a month ago ...

they never picked it up.

I was sad.

They told me it was too dangerous 

for them to stop on the blind side of a hill

... which I fully understand ...

 but, they also told me,

if I would move the piles to my driveway

... where they pick up my weekly trash bags ...

they would be glad to pick up from there, instead.

It never occurred to me that I was supposed to 

block my entire driveway with that huge mess.

But, even if it did occur to me to block my driveway with that huge mess,

my driveway still sits on the same blind side of that same hill.

I was frustrated AND sad.

I honestly would have rather heard

that they just didn't want to mess with all that stuff.

I wouldn't blame them 

... really ...

I didn't want to mess with all that stuff either.

Who would!?

Still, I entertained the possibility of "calling their bluff" 

by moving it all to my driveway just as they had asked.

But, like a good girl, I shrugged it off.

No big deal.

And I did, eventually, decide to take matters into my own hands.

 

All the boxes went into the drainage ditch.

I started dragging limbs to the 

burning drainage ditch, too.

 

But, I gave up on them after a short while.

I ought to have plenty of wood 

for my steak burning sessions 

for a little while.

I think.

I will have to resume that part of the looming chore

at a later date ... at least all of those dadgum boxes are gone.

 

They were a constant reminder of the original packing 

... and the original move ...

and they put unnecessary strains on my heart. 

Anyway, it was neat to be able to set fire within city limits 

... that is a no-no in Texas ... 

... of course, Texas almost burned to the ground last month, too ...

but I digress.

I didn't need permission, or a permit, or anything.

You might have noticed a man 

in a few of the snapshots ... that is a friendly neighbor 

who likes to walk up to the place 

every chance he gets

to check out the "goings-on" of my insane garden.

Today he showed up to make sure I didn't burn my house down,

and to look over my insane garden again.

He can't believe it.

He'd already been up here earlier.

Twice.

So, anyway, this is Ted. 

He thinks I am, literally, crazy.

However, if you could hear him yell at his dogs 

when he lets them out to go potty 

.... nevermind ...

goodness, I crack myself out.

He is, literally, a nice feller.

Here is a pretty shot of a calabacita seedling 

... with smoke billowing in the background.

And here is another snapshot 

... same subject matter, but you can see 

the charred drainage ditch.

 

Anyway, so, that covered one month ago and today.

But what happened a year ago?

One year ago, today, I was on a wonderful trip with my father.

Here is that blog post.

I found some of the rocks we gathered from that adventure,

and wanted to share.

And here is tonight's hazy/smoky sunset ... taken almost too late.