Sunday, August 25, 2002

Good Day Sir......May I cut down your tree?"
Direct marketing has filtered it's way down to the lowest echelons of the economy. One of my four trees in the front yard is showing signs of the drought, or possibly just old tree age, and has lost most of it's leaves. It's not a "good" tree, although all trees are my friends but I'm going to wait until next Spring to see if it might come back with more moisture from the winter snows. But I am prepared for the worst.

But what surprises me is the aggressiveness of our local "tree surgeons". In the last two [2] weeks I have had three [3] tree trimmers knock on my door and offer to cut it down and haul it off. "Good Day Sir, Just passing by and noticed your tree is a blight on the neighborhood and a personal reflection on your self worth.....want me to cut it down and haul it off?" These visits have all occured around five o'clock which is my nap time, but these look like hard working citizens so I have been pleasant enough.

But what is really starting to worry me is..."Where will this lead?". If a tire on my car is low or perhaps a little bald, will the Discount Tire guy knock on my door? "Good Day Sir, I'm Jim Bob from Discount Tires and I was just passing by and noticed that your tire is a little bald and will probably kill you...may I put a new one on for you?" Or my yard light burns out..."Good Evening Sir, I know it's 11 o'clock but I'm with Basin Electric and was just passing by when I noticed that your light is out....very dangerous sir, I have a supply of bulbs in my truck, may I up your wattage to the 200 watt model?" But I suppose that this is better than email Spam...at least I can look at these people in the eye and tell them to get lost.

Mosquitoes
This is purely a rhetorical question. but.......where in the damn hell do all the mosquitoes in West Texas come from? This is a semi-desert climate where so far this year we've gotten about five [5] inches of moisture. We have no streams, rivers, marshes or swamps. Yet when I step out on the patio for so much as 3-4 minutes I have 5-6 bites on my ankles. And this is serious business now what with that Wet Smile Virus going around. I think, perhaps, it's my slovenly neighbors who can't keep up their yard. They probably have five gallon Crisco cans strewn about their back yard with water in them.
I just might sue them......and I would too if he weren't the Assistant District Attorney!