A couple of the many methhead types who traffic next door were having one of their typical loud fights out on the driveway, while I was grilling.  (Of course I was grilling, it being hot as hell out!)  I try to ignore it.

Next thing I know, the woman is hurriedly backing her big SUV onto our lawn, and crashing it into our little dogwood tree, before speeding off.  It shook the whole tree and stripped a big piece of bark off the trunk.  Branches were all over the ground.  We were not amused.

Later the guy who rents (?) the house came over and apologized for their behavior, which was cool.  Still it’s kind of disturbing to have all kinds of shady characters coming and going, skulking about, day and night.  It makes us nervous.  All we ask is mutual respect of boundaries and privacy.  It’s one of the unpleasant things about living here in TN.  Hopefully the neighbor will get his act together and kick out some of the hordes, as he seems to be trying to do.

I feel sad about the tree.  The whole point of planting more trees is to screen out the neighbors, only to have them try to run them over!  It’s bad enough their dog poops all over our trees.  It’s discouraging.

Anyway, that’s my little rant about the so-called neighbors.  Back to happier plants and things.  Here we have: yesterday’s homemade (by my mixologist-in-training E) frozen honeydew melon daiquiri, Misu on her tower, a view through goldenrod from my meadow, fresh-picked erev flowers, and two sides of pokeweed, a picturesque weed.  (Makes a great screen!)