I've written before about my neighborhood. There are times of great peace and happiness and then there are extreme moments of anger. I watch over the El Presidio gardens. I care for them. Yet there are people who would damage the plants or rip out birdseed feeders and spill them onto the ground. Can you believe that someone took our hummingbird feeder and smashed it onto the ground?
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| Cloudy with a good chance for arrest |
Needless to say, anytime we have new homeowners/renters move into this 16 unit condo, we have what I like to call "a transition" period. The homeowners learn how destructive their friends can be. And sometimes it's not the homeowners BUT street riffraff! We've had a combo of issues. The worst offenders are the ones who smoke and throw their cigarrette butts on the ground. And then there is the pot smoking! Lately, we've had a guy cut across our gated community and cut into the children's academy on the other side of the fence. I went over to the daycare and we both filed a report with the Miramonte police force. (Yes, our neighborhood has its own squad:) It's definitely a work in progress, but when I drive up to our place, I feel a great sense of pride as do many people. There is a beautiful canopy above our homes with birds flying around the property in the middle of our downtown desert retreat.
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| Looking out from El Presidio Gardens. The crimes have been happening around the front gates. Several cacti lost the battle as several pads were snapped in half from someone climbing the wall. |
So it angers me when careless and thoughtless people jump our fences and vandalize our property! After contacting the police and homeowners, most of the issues have disappeared. Several homeowners filed reports and the police are now involved. The information seems to have spread to the right people because we're not seeing as many issues even though a Jose Cuervo tequila bottle was recently smashed onto our parking lot. The glass punctured a homeowners tire. I am coming to an end with these gardens. In 2 or 3 years, I'll be finding a company to care for our grounds again. It doesn't mean I'll stop caring about the gardens but my work will be finished and I'll be free to let this chapter close. The unfortunate part will be that our landscape fee will shoot waaaaay up! I think it will be double the cost now. The HOA cares for the wellbeing and safety of the homeowners and their property. There have been issues in the past and if they are not dealt with, things get a lot worse. There has been prostitution near "The Wall", a police raid that spilled onto our courtyard, 2 units broken into(one 5 years ago and another 3 years ago) and a meth bust over the past years. And it all started with these "little" issues. Usually summer is the high time for all this stuff to happen as school is out and kids have lots of free time on their hands. With it all wrapping up, things should quiet down a bit. Why did I choose this place to live? It was a challenge for me to fix up the dying property with a potential to make it as a winter home down the road. Things are coming together and more homeowners are stepping up to the plate which has been exciting to witness. Coming up this month, I will talk through the process of renovating the gardens here at El Presidio and also share with you and the homeowners several of the plans for each of the areas around the property. I know people love the bird, travel, critter, and flower posts, and I won't stop posting those BUT I need to do a little focus back on what we're doing around here. I have been documenting these meetings, purchases, and prepping for the various changes that will be forthcoming. But my final message here to homeowners/renters who follow the happenings on the grounds here, keep an eye open for hoodlums; two whenever possible:) Then contact the police and their non emergency hotline...unless of course, it's an emergency. Then dial 911. More tomorrow....
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I guess the hoodlums are everywhere. Sorry, you are having trouble around your complex. It hurts when you work so hard to take care of the gardens and the hoodlums ruin them. And I hate when they throw their trash around, cigarettes and bottles. It is wonderful that you care so much about your neighborhood. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a very scary place to live. I hope there continues to be progress in the fight for a better community.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya. Loudly. I live in an association and the same problems are around here. This area used to be Mesa's finest but that was in the 70's. Now Mesa has moved so far east it connects now with Apache Junction and where I live here in NE Mesa, it's practically inner city Mesa now. Hookers all over. Drugs - gunshots - I hate it. I would love to move but my mortgage is about $300 a month and where am I going to go with that. I'll never understand those who destruct.
ReplyDeletei am glad the vandalism is not a worse crime. but, still, very frustrating and can escalate into more dangerous things, certainly!
ReplyDeleteI can't for the life of me understand how some people can be so mean. Vandalism is everywhere and it seems to be getting worse.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are great.
It is truly a shame when some people can't respect what others have worked hard to make beautiful. Sure glad your homeowners are helpful.
ReplyDeleteI praise your (and your fellow homeowners/renters) efforts to make an oasis and place of sanctuary in your part of town. I don't understand other people's need to destroy and disrespect. Hope things ease up soon.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the troubles Chris, but it sounds (and looks) like you all have formed a beautiful and strong community nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteIt's coming together. I'm constantly worrying about the details. BUT today I had yet two new visitors to my garden!!! The Western Mockingbird and....this is the kicker.....a Rufous Hummingbird!!! Guess where the camera was? The other room. I just sat and watched the little miracle. And I didn't even have to go to a canyon to find him:) That's was pretty special.
DeleteI am so sorry that these bad things are happening to such good people. But I am glad that you all are being proactive! Keep your head up knowing that you are doing the right thing and you will prevail!
ReplyDeletegood to hear that your group is working together. I hate to see young trees damaged before they are big enough to fight back. I wish! Would have thought the cactus would defend itself?
ReplyDeleteUsually the cactus does pretty well. It's a definite deterrant especially when it's thick and overgrown BUT these are still in the transplant stage and growing. Once they're larger, people will think twice:)
DeleteSo sorry to hear about all your problems Chris - I can't believe someone can be so mean as to smash a hummingbird feeder. It must be so upsetting at times and yet you are doing a wonderful wonderful job at your gardens. Keep up all the good work and I hope the vandalism will ease.
ReplyDeleteWhen I grew up everybody knew everybody so kids couldn't get away with stupid stuff. I've also found the more renters the less respect for property.
ReplyDeleteYou did a nice job of making that place beautiful. It a shame its not appreciated. Taylor Swift says it well "People throw rocks at things that shine".
The cloud picture depicts a fiery foul mood.
It's good to know that for every fool who destroys, there are more who choose to build. Think of the positive difference you are making on this planet, appreciated by all the plants and wildlife you are helping to thrive. Wishing you continued success!
ReplyDeleteChris, I am so sorry to hear you have had such troubles! I hope that things get better soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Chris,
ReplyDeleteA really interesting post, and such a great insight into how it's possible to change a community by sticking together and slowly making things happen from the bottom up. I can fully appreciate the problems you and your neighbours have faced, as, when we first moved onto our estate fifteen years ago, burnt out cars in the street were a regular occurence. Very interesting!
I remember something like this post maybe last year here! That was when we don't each other as friend yet, haha! At least in your part of the world the police are more efficient, and culprits can be apprehended at once.
ReplyDelete...and lastly, will you please divide those lengths of post to 2 or 3 paragraphs! please, as in pleaaaase!
It's such a pain when things like this happen Chris, it does sound to me as if your group are being extremely pro active in curtailing this bad behavior. I will be very interested in future reports on how things are developing.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad that there are people who want to destroy things. You mentioned using it as a winter home. Are you planning on moving? Because we haven't met yet so you can't do that!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh no Tracy. That's long term. We still have many years here of work to do:) Too much to do and so little time to get it all done:) So no worries, I'll still be around. I can't wait to meet you guys at some point:)
DeleteI'm becomming more and more discusted with humans as time goes panting on to the end. I walk a kilometer from my Trolley Stop to my work location in Slottskogen which is the largest Park in Göteborg.
ReplyDeleteEvery day I'd pass the same area where a tame freindly red pointy eard tree squirrel would feed out of the hand of passers by. Sometimes a crowd would be gathered and other times not. The day after I saw a very large crowd watching the squirrel eating something from two small kids hand watched the squirrel killed at the hands of a few #@/¤\s who were walking their dog and proceded to let the darn thing loose and it killed the squirrel. This incident was laughed at as a joke as one of them took the headless body across the road and dumped it under a tree.
All I can say is it was all I could do to contain myself. And these people here are the race and culture on planet Earth that self-promote themselves as everything right with Eco-Green. Then they procede to point the fingers everywhere else but home.
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I hear your frustration and echo it over here. I don't understand. So many people are indifferent like the dog owners who thought it was funny to kill the squirrel. The sad part? The squirrel who trusted the humans. I always warn people against feeding wildlife(especially the critter that can't escape or fly quickly away) and use your example of why they shouldn't do it. For those that think it's okay sometimes need to hear the sad results about the people who would shoot or kill for fun and enjoyment. Well that's one reason....the other being that they're wild and you don't know if they'll attack.....and if they do, they're still dead because the minute people are involved, the animal is always the first to go. Such a complicated world we live.
DeleteDo you remember the crane story I shared in July? Where one of the almost extinct Whooping Cranes that was released back into the wild was killed for sport by two youngsters? They took a picture of their kill because they thought they were cool. They were slapped with a one dollar fine on a 100,000 dollar rehabilitated bird. As you can imagine, environmental groups were outraged. It's people like these that will be our death. But they could give two %$^#s as long as they have food on their tables and can watch their TV. Why should they care? Uneducated idiots. Harsher measures need to be taken with individuals like these.