I always wonder why. Why do machines work the way they do? Why do people do what they do? Or say what they do? Why does Nature have things happen certain ways.
My neighbor has a row of giant trees across the front of his property. I don't know what kind of trees they are - I've only ever heard them called "those damn trees." This is because these trees are always shedding something.
There is some kind of long, fuzzy deal that falls and blows around and clumps up in the street and my yard and my driveway. I think they are some kind of seed pods or something. And I can understand that. Nature requires a delivery system to perpetuate the species.
And I can understand when these trees shed their leaves in the fall. It is the life cycle of the trees, even if they do seem to flood the neighborhood for about a month.
But until recently, I have not been able to understand the worst plague inflicted upon us by these trees. In the budding stage, just before the leaves come out, there is a sticky shell that the leaves bud out of. And these sticky shells fall and blow everywhere. They stick to everything. Everyone in the neighborhood has to park their cars at least a block away because the sticky goo on these shells will not come off and will ruin the finish of the car. They stick to the road and sidewalks and get on the porch and deck. They are all through the grass and they stick to the bottom of our shoes. If you try to scrape or pick them off of your shoes they get on your skin and fingernails and only harsh scrubbing with lava soap or nail polish remover even touches it. If you forget to take your shoes off when you go in the house you ruin the carpeting or flooring.
This lasts for about two to three weeks every spring. These trees are about 15 years old and were planted by my neighbor as saplings. They are now 40 feet tall.
As I said, I have not been able to understand why these shells have to be so sticky. Why do they have to make our lives so miserable? I have not been able to understand the purpose of it. Until recently.
It turns out - my neighbor is a bastard.
2 comments:
Your neihgbor is a bastard?? you mean to tell me he could see in the future that you where going to move there and he would not like you?? maybe you should ask him about seeing in the future. Love the blogs man, I just finally got a chance to read 2 of them. talk to ya soon, Stan.
I think the term Bastard is derived from the neighbors lack of concern for removing the trees. I think the term Bastard is a little reserved for I once was a party to the same springtime ritual. The Bastard may actually be enjoying the pain he inflicts depending on area prevailing winds.
For information purposes, they are known as Hybrid Poplars, designed to provide quick shade thru 4-5 ft of growth per year. They are susceptible to a blight known as "Ground Clear" by Ortho.
See ya soon. Brian!
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