Someone a while back expressed interest in the non-homogenized aspect of the usually green growing things comprising what many term a “yard.”
Well, never let it be said that a crotchety old Coot let the viewing audience down!!!
Looky:
Front yard next to the gravel driveway, the only gravel driveway in the area. All others walk around with their noses in the air, looking down upon shanties with a mere gravel driveway. Oh well, beats mud.
There's cloverish stuff in there. I like clover. If the whole yard was clover I wouldn't have to mow!!! The bees like the clover. It makes them happy
. I like happy bees. Happy bees may not be friendly bees but at least they are not unhappy mean bees
. There's a few dandelions in the mix along with a couple different types of grass. Let the congregation grow a few inches and you would be able to detect several more different varieties of green growing things as their appendages defy gravity and reach out to their sustenance source, Mr. Sun. Those apendages are of many different types and styles. Quite a crowd in there!!!
Above is the requisite close-up.
Looking down the driveway:
Shanties can't be too picky about the driveway they possess.
The street at the end is the old Lincoln Highway. Used to be paved with bricks years ago. Asphalt now. Only local traffic. A 10-minute walk away is the portion that still has the original bricks. Fence to the left is on the property line. Where it makes a right angle to the left, it's following that line. To the right is the abused lawn, torn asunder, replaced with grass when the yahoo moved the house in. UPDATE!!!!! This very day, ex-neighbor (he rents the house now) showed up at the shanty, wanting to know why I, again, told the lawn care guys to NOT spray their weed killer or fertilizer ON MY LAWN. Anal-retentive lawn lover said he had to do what I won't do, that he has to do it to get the most for the house when he decides to sell it. Bwa hah hah hah hah hah. Ran him off. He said he had talked to the owner who gave permission. Guess he forgot the owner was my uncle who, for some bizarre reason, actually likes coots. Called Unc. "Nope, he never talked to me to get permission," Unc said. Bad mistake on lawn boy's part. Unc called the laen boy and threatened to have legal papers served. We talked about my, perhaps, planting a couple rows of tomatoes next spring down the stretch west of my driveway. Close to lawn boy's rental house. Will wait and see.
Hey, you can see the train in the background. Tracks next to the creek that will possibly float the shanty (with Coot inside?) away some day. Glub. Across the street is a field where soccer moms take their vile spawn to play soccer and football.
Ponder this. Over the years, when crowds gathered for games, at times, people would park in my driveway and on my lawn. Neighboring houses with concrete driveways NEVER had parked cars in them, nor on their lawn. Something in people's psyche makes them think it's okay to do what they want to a shanty and its environs. Angered Coot confronted what was always upper-class corporate-droid-type folks with their expensive cars and SUVs and, those socer mom vans. Easy to scare those people. Guess the word got around to shun the shanty and the crazed resident within since that problem is in the past. Hee hee.
Oh, the center strip of grass in the driveway. It is SO lovely in spring when a couple hundred dandelions waft their fuzzy seed heads in the breeze. Lawn boy cringes when he sees the seeds. I like dandelions. May be a needed food source some day. Like light bulbs, friction and gravity, dandelions are our friends.
Let's look the other way!!!
Lawn boy's house to the left. Property line right at the edge of the concrete slab the A/C unit is sitting upon. Gives leverage to Unc and I; lawn boy is in violation of a couple ordinances regarding distance from house to property line, etc.
Bow thine heads. So sad. Sniff. Below is an emasculated lawn. Nary a friendly dandelion. No weeds. A case of monoculture, one species. Bland, plain, boring, just like lawn boy's persona. Below is a close-up of the shanty's lawn on the west side of the driveway, close to lawn boy's house. Believe I will spread store-bought wildflower seeds all over it next spring; between the tomato plants.
Let's look north, garage out of sight to the right. There's Mr. Shed. It's a good shed. Made in USA. A Tuff-Shed. Rabbits live under it. Have to cull the herd every third year or so. Air-powered pellet gun and Old Coot a deadly combo. Head shot at 50-feet and rabbit down. Great fertilizer. There's a couple dozen buried here and there from 12 or so years of culling. Used to put crosses upon the graves but the neighbors to the east and south got scared. Wimps. Shun the crosses now to keep things simple and quiet. Funny. Lawn boy never said a word about those crosses. Don't worry, no lack of rabbits. They breed like uhhhh rabbits.
Hill mentioned in prior post visible here.
School district property/buildings visible as well as two tomato plants that grew on their own, mingled in with weeds. Lawn boy looks at them and shakes his head. Tree next to shed is a plum tree. Kids passing by like to eat them. Barely visible is the high-tech fence with a USA flag attached. Three posts driven into the ground with rope running between. Easy, cheap. Just like the Coot. Will straighten that bent post in a year or two. Or three.
Another requisite close-up: tomato!!!
Leaning tower of post mo' visible. Dig the professional rope work. Many veggies grown in the very rich soil over the years, including many types of
, jalapeno and others. No habaneros.
Let's peek northeast.
School district headquarters. They'll have a front-row seat if the shanty ever floats away.
There's the shanty garage and what may be the world's smartest tree.
Kept pruning and cutting off its branches for several years so they wouldn't rub on the van and then the truck. Tree finally quit growing new branches AND, the pruned, not cut-off branches, quit growing. Guess we reached an agreement. Haven't had to lop off or prune a branch for two years and still no sign of growth in those areas. Now, that's a smart tree.
Looking northwest:
Tree on right belongs to shanty. Note how happy it appears. Green, bushy, healthy. Appears lawn boy's concerns don't cross over to trees. He ignores the sick fellow in the middle. Ought to report him for tree abuse. The cad.
Front of shanty with the air conditioner perched precariously. Believe it's a 6,000 btu unit. Keeps entire shanty cool or at least tolerable on the hottest most humid days. You know it's a luxurious shanty when there's an A/C unit humming away. A different view of the world's smartest tree. The rocks next to the shanty are not there due to rocks being tossed at Coot. Owner put them there. I hate rocks. Spiders and centipedes love it.
Towering trees on the shanty's east property line.
Door to the right not used but opens. One of the potential renters of lawn boy's house, a female with the male she controlled tagging along, saw the POW/MIA flag while looking at lawn boy's house. Lawn boy informed me the vapid female expressed disgust in words and facial gestures regarding the POW/MIA flag and informed her male they were not interested in renting. Wish I could have been present to see/hear the female. An opportune time to explore the nostrils, looking for debris, scratch the belly a couple times, belch, then shout "Howdy y'all."
Stump at ground level is one of two trees removed last year. Tall trees but very old and posed a danger. Heck, one falling branch did $3,000 damage to the truck. Sniff. Gone are the trees that kept the shanty shaded nearly all day.
Let's look south with the driveway to our right.
Property line fence and back of the garage belonging to the neighbor to the southeast. Time to break out the weed eater. Hey!!! Been in California for 6 weeks this summer and it's been rainy and HOT and HUMID. Besides, it bugs lawn boy. No hurry.
Looking south, to the right of the previous pic.
Toro!!!! Looks like it's ready to attack the wood pile.
Pivoting to the left, the east side of shanty's lot.
Property line just to the right of the trees. Neighbor complained to uncle about small falling branches. Unc said he'd cut them down, that he would enjoy that hot sun beating down upon his house. Neighbor never mentioned branches again. Embankment-type thing to left shows where hill dug into to create building lot, a little over 100 years ago.
Back of shanty from atop the hill.
Added-on pantry on the left. Great for storage. Sealed off in winter. Inside outhouse to right. Along with the bedroom in front of it, that whole right section of the shanty was added on in the past. Original shanty was itty bitty. Window covered with cardboard has bubble wrap added on the inside when winter arrives.
Another view of shanty's butt.
This is how a shanty "lawn" should appear.
We're back at the world's smartest tree looking downwards. Due to the rain all is green. The many different lifeforms mingled together are more visible in the spring when colors are more varied or during periods of little rain when shades of brown appear. Things have to get really dry before Mr. Clover turns brown. Tough stuff, that clover. It may rule the world some day. Or the shanty's yard.
Well, let's conclude this photo essay with a last look at the part of the yard awaiting improvement.
Oh the possibilities. Already mentioned the possibility of tomato plants. Heck, I could plant 50 and sell them to passers-by (did it before, made a couple hundred bucks one summer. Left table at end of driveway with tomatoes and a can atop with a sign stating to pay what you think they are worth. At the end of every day there was always money inside.
Maybe I should spell my name in the lawn using plant killer. Wouldn't that drive lawn boy bonkers. Coot will provide pics on whatever improvements are made to that boring bland monstrosity, that monument to suburbia and narrow-minded thinking... the typical..... yawn..... lawn.
Okay, Coot’s been
long enough. This episode concludes the lifestyles of the Shanty Dwellers series. Please purchase from our sponsors. Suggestions on how to improve the western portion of shanty’s lot welcomed.
Well, never let it be said that a crotchety old Coot let the viewing audience down!!!
Looky:
Front yard next to the gravel driveway, the only gravel driveway in the area. All others walk around with their noses in the air, looking down upon shanties with a mere gravel driveway. Oh well, beats mud.
There's cloverish stuff in there. I like clover. If the whole yard was clover I wouldn't have to mow!!! The bees like the clover. It makes them happy
Above is the requisite close-up.
Looking down the driveway:
Shanties can't be too picky about the driveway they possess.
The street at the end is the old Lincoln Highway. Used to be paved with bricks years ago. Asphalt now. Only local traffic. A 10-minute walk away is the portion that still has the original bricks. Fence to the left is on the property line. Where it makes a right angle to the left, it's following that line. To the right is the abused lawn, torn asunder, replaced with grass when the yahoo moved the house in. UPDATE!!!!! This very day, ex-neighbor (he rents the house now) showed up at the shanty, wanting to know why I, again, told the lawn care guys to NOT spray their weed killer or fertilizer ON MY LAWN. Anal-retentive lawn lover said he had to do what I won't do, that he has to do it to get the most for the house when he decides to sell it. Bwa hah hah hah hah hah. Ran him off. He said he had talked to the owner who gave permission. Guess he forgot the owner was my uncle who, for some bizarre reason, actually likes coots. Called Unc. "Nope, he never talked to me to get permission," Unc said. Bad mistake on lawn boy's part. Unc called the laen boy and threatened to have legal papers served. We talked about my, perhaps, planting a couple rows of tomatoes next spring down the stretch west of my driveway. Close to lawn boy's rental house. Will wait and see.
Hey, you can see the train in the background. Tracks next to the creek that will possibly float the shanty (with Coot inside?) away some day. Glub. Across the street is a field where soccer moms take their vile spawn to play soccer and football.
Ponder this. Over the years, when crowds gathered for games, at times, people would park in my driveway and on my lawn. Neighboring houses with concrete driveways NEVER had parked cars in them, nor on their lawn. Something in people's psyche makes them think it's okay to do what they want to a shanty and its environs. Angered Coot confronted what was always upper-class corporate-droid-type folks with their expensive cars and SUVs and, those socer mom vans. Easy to scare those people. Guess the word got around to shun the shanty and the crazed resident within since that problem is in the past. Hee hee.
Oh, the center strip of grass in the driveway. It is SO lovely in spring when a couple hundred dandelions waft their fuzzy seed heads in the breeze. Lawn boy cringes when he sees the seeds. I like dandelions. May be a needed food source some day. Like light bulbs, friction and gravity, dandelions are our friends.
Let's look the other way!!!
Lawn boy's house to the left. Property line right at the edge of the concrete slab the A/C unit is sitting upon. Gives leverage to Unc and I; lawn boy is in violation of a couple ordinances regarding distance from house to property line, etc.
Bow thine heads. So sad. Sniff. Below is an emasculated lawn. Nary a friendly dandelion. No weeds. A case of monoculture, one species. Bland, plain, boring, just like lawn boy's persona. Below is a close-up of the shanty's lawn on the west side of the driveway, close to lawn boy's house. Believe I will spread store-bought wildflower seeds all over it next spring; between the tomato plants.
Let's look north, garage out of sight to the right. There's Mr. Shed. It's a good shed. Made in USA. A Tuff-Shed. Rabbits live under it. Have to cull the herd every third year or so. Air-powered pellet gun and Old Coot a deadly combo. Head shot at 50-feet and rabbit down. Great fertilizer. There's a couple dozen buried here and there from 12 or so years of culling. Used to put crosses upon the graves but the neighbors to the east and south got scared. Wimps. Shun the crosses now to keep things simple and quiet. Funny. Lawn boy never said a word about those crosses. Don't worry, no lack of rabbits. They breed like uhhhh rabbits.
Hill mentioned in prior post visible here.
Another requisite close-up: tomato!!!
Leaning tower of post mo' visible. Dig the professional rope work. Many veggies grown in the very rich soil over the years, including many types of
Let's peek northeast.
School district headquarters. They'll have a front-row seat if the shanty ever floats away.
There's the shanty garage and what may be the world's smartest tree.
Kept pruning and cutting off its branches for several years so they wouldn't rub on the van and then the truck. Tree finally quit growing new branches AND, the pruned, not cut-off branches, quit growing. Guess we reached an agreement. Haven't had to lop off or prune a branch for two years and still no sign of growth in those areas. Now, that's a smart tree.
Looking northwest:
Tree on right belongs to shanty. Note how happy it appears. Green, bushy, healthy. Appears lawn boy's concerns don't cross over to trees. He ignores the sick fellow in the middle. Ought to report him for tree abuse. The cad.
Front of shanty with the air conditioner perched precariously. Believe it's a 6,000 btu unit. Keeps entire shanty cool or at least tolerable on the hottest most humid days. You know it's a luxurious shanty when there's an A/C unit humming away. A different view of the world's smartest tree. The rocks next to the shanty are not there due to rocks being tossed at Coot. Owner put them there. I hate rocks. Spiders and centipedes love it.
Towering trees on the shanty's east property line.
Door to the right not used but opens. One of the potential renters of lawn boy's house, a female with the male she controlled tagging along, saw the POW/MIA flag while looking at lawn boy's house. Lawn boy informed me the vapid female expressed disgust in words and facial gestures regarding the POW/MIA flag and informed her male they were not interested in renting. Wish I could have been present to see/hear the female. An opportune time to explore the nostrils, looking for debris, scratch the belly a couple times, belch, then shout "Howdy y'all."
Stump at ground level is one of two trees removed last year. Tall trees but very old and posed a danger. Heck, one falling branch did $3,000 damage to the truck. Sniff. Gone are the trees that kept the shanty shaded nearly all day.
Let's look south with the driveway to our right.
Property line fence and back of the garage belonging to the neighbor to the southeast. Time to break out the weed eater. Hey!!! Been in California for 6 weeks this summer and it's been rainy and HOT and HUMID. Besides, it bugs lawn boy. No hurry.
Looking south, to the right of the previous pic.
Toro!!!! Looks like it's ready to attack the wood pile.
Pivoting to the left, the east side of shanty's lot.
Property line just to the right of the trees. Neighbor complained to uncle about small falling branches. Unc said he'd cut them down, that he would enjoy that hot sun beating down upon his house. Neighbor never mentioned branches again. Embankment-type thing to left shows where hill dug into to create building lot, a little over 100 years ago.
Back of shanty from atop the hill.
Added-on pantry on the left. Great for storage. Sealed off in winter. Inside outhouse to right. Along with the bedroom in front of it, that whole right section of the shanty was added on in the past. Original shanty was itty bitty. Window covered with cardboard has bubble wrap added on the inside when winter arrives.
Another view of shanty's butt.
This is how a shanty "lawn" should appear.
We're back at the world's smartest tree looking downwards. Due to the rain all is green. The many different lifeforms mingled together are more visible in the spring when colors are more varied or during periods of little rain when shades of brown appear. Things have to get really dry before Mr. Clover turns brown. Tough stuff, that clover. It may rule the world some day. Or the shanty's yard.
Well, let's conclude this photo essay with a last look at the part of the yard awaiting improvement.
Oh the possibilities. Already mentioned the possibility of tomato plants. Heck, I could plant 50 and sell them to passers-by (did it before, made a couple hundred bucks one summer. Left table at end of driveway with tomatoes and a can atop with a sign stating to pay what you think they are worth. At the end of every day there was always money inside.
Maybe I should spell my name in the lawn using plant killer. Wouldn't that drive lawn boy bonkers. Coot will provide pics on whatever improvements are made to that boring bland monstrosity, that monument to suburbia and narrow-minded thinking... the typical..... yawn..... lawn.
Okay, Coot’s been
