Birds Beware!

Walls have been around the El Presidio Gardens for 30 years.  Today they continue to protect our small community from the dangers of the Miramonte neighborhood.  However over time, this community has seen theft, drug trafficking, and other unsavory incidents.  While the illegal wall hopping has slowed down; the activities still occur with trash and beer bottles outside of our gates as evidence that people were there.   You have to be shot or dead before the police come to help even though I've filed several reports on the issue.  We've cleared up the Eastern Gardens area so that light sensors are not blocked. Our resident's security is important to our community and it's frustrating that nothing can get done to prevent the invasion of meth and other suspicious activity onto our property.  I've reported a city light out on our neighbor's side, but it still hasn't been fixed.   

Pigeon Spikes are rather cheap.

In other news, there has been talk about putting up pigeon wire along that same part of the wall to keep the birds from sitting on it.  It's not surprising that birds or people would cross this part of our wall as there is a grove of mesquite trees on the other side that encourage all forms of wildlife to congregate.  We are concerned about the high concentration of pigeons that hang out in that area as it is a health concern to our residents and their vehicles.  While this Presidio Wall is large, there are only smaller and remote sections that seem to be having these issues.  I'll be looking into pigeon wire as a solution for this problem.  I love birds but I also understand the resident's concerns about their vehicles and health.  The pigeon wire seems inexpensive and easy to install.

Model Kumari Fulbright...a pic taken of her in Tucson for kidnapping and torturing her ex-boyfriend.  She had been going to law school.  Meth is a devastating drug in our communities worldwide. Meth before and after. It makes you do crazy stuff!

I suppose this issue will also resolve the other issue of meth addicts jumping our property lines. One day, I was outside pruning with another homeowner and a huge argument broke out on the other side of the Wall.  The "F" bomb was dropped many times and during these times you wonder....
A.  Will there be a gun?
B.  Will there be a fist fight?
C. When are the police coming?
D.  Will they notice us on the other side?
E.  Are we in danger?

I feel sorry for the residents on that side of the property. Surrounded by two low housing income projects is not ideal.  My plants/cacti soldiers can't grow fast enough to enclose the property!! No one should have to deal with those issues.  The police are busy around town monitoring, arresting, and keeping our town safe.  It's just frustrating that no one cares about PREVENTION.  Today we deal with reactions and consequences....but what if we could prevent? 

This is my summer project before I leave for Panama. This is yet but another facet of gardening we all need to think about when designing our spaces. So Birds Beware!!

                                                 Creative solutions for impossible situations.

THE WALL

Like something out of a novel from George R. R. Martin, my life, I have decided, is like that of Jon Snow.  I'm not a bastard child, but I am fighting "the Others"....a race of beings that cannot be killed except by fire.  Our property, from my point of view, is like Castle Winterfell, and the only thing separating it from the evil "Others" is the WALL.  In the FIRE AND ICE book series, the WALL is made up of pure thick ice.  It is the watchtower manned by people that keep a look out for giants, wildlings, and the frostfangs. 

While my unit is not on "that side" of the property near "the WALL", I am still in charge of cleaning up around that area.  The other day I was out blowing acorns and other things off the grounds, when my PortoRican, RESPECT!, neighbor called out to me and asked me to keep the meth zombies(aka "the Others") off his property.  I started laughing and asked him what was going on and he began to tell me of dark stories on how homeless people were sleeping in his grove of the Mesquite Forest on the other side of the wall.  Irving, RESPECT!, invited me over and like the evil meth zombie druggies, I hopped the WALL.....and scratched myself up pretty good.  Irving showed me the land opposite of the Presidio Garden and let me tell you all...it was not pretty.

The North Side and the end corner

Male prostitutes were using the area 2 nights ago, homeless people, drunks, druggies, and apparently, Oscar the Grouch because there was trash all over the place.  We had a nice talk about how to prevent the evil from entering our worlds....both of us agreed that shards of glass would be wonderful to put on top of the wall if it weren't illegal....but we brainstormed and dreamt of all the evil ways we could make the bad people's lives even worse.  I wouldn't be so negative, but they have stolen things from our property, even with the gates locked, by hopping our fences.  I am still employing my cacti army, but it is not finished yet and there are gaps in the defense.  It was terrible to see what Irving had to put up with.....especially after seeing all the trash on the other side of the wall. He is worried about his wife and home as he is in the middle of scum city.  You can read my blog on THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY and you'll have a better idea of the situation that surrounds the Presidio Gardens.

Do you want this on your property? 

This is a terrible picture to post and especially on a sacred garden blog.....but this is what surrounds one side of the Presidio gardens......these people stick out like a sour thumb as they walk around looking for things to steal.  Notice how they look and eventually act like zombies due to meth.  For those of you who have never seen this,perhaps,now,  you will recognize it around your cities or neighborhoods.  I hate drugs but I especially hate meth because it affects EVERYONE!  Crime rates shoot sky high.  Be aware. It's a very sad situation.

I have decided that I will take bouganvillea branches and line that portion of the wall with many of those branches.....if the thorns don't work, then we will go with tar.  There is a city light that has had a burnt out light bulb for 7 years in that dark area.  Beginning tomorrow, I will call in the Tucson police to have that light inspected because it is dangerous....and it is increasing.  I don't like the situation, but I am glad the WALL is there because the other side of it is not so pretty.  Sometimes I wish fantasy wasn't so real.