Welcoming Gift in Reverse
That massive thorny Mesquite tree on the corner of 13th
and Cherry always disturbed me when I’d walk by with my pups.
Its ugliness took up the whole sidewalk. Twice I reported
the property to Code Enforcement over the last three years but nothing
happened. Then the vacant duplex was put on the market. That was the first sign
that something good may be on the horizon.
A few months later a “Sold” sign appeared on the bottom of
the larger listing sign. Then new front doors with shiny numbers replaced the
old doors. Those old doors were cut up and placed in the dumpster. Another good
sign.
As I drove by the duplex on my rounds this past Sunday, I
noticed a pickup truck parked in the driveway. When I backed up, I saw the real
estate security lock opened indicating a principle was on sight. Chris was
there to do repairs and he was the new owner, too. I welcomed him to the
neighborhood and told him about the free cleanup services and how safe our Miles
neighborhood is. He told me he loves Tucson and has two kids at the U of A and
two in high school.
Chris is also a developer/contractor and lives near the
Arizona Inn so he will be around. As a welcoming gift, I offered to cut down that
Mesquite tree and he approved. That was the best sign.
On my walk with my pups Monday morning I planned to study
the Mesquite to determine the best approach to dismantle that thorny mess. A
large truck was parked near the curb so we had to walk around to approach the
tree.
It was gone.
Some kind of thorn eating machine grabbed that thing,
held it up and the branches were cut by somebody. The ground on both sides of
the sidewalk was pretty torn up, too.
I thought, "What a great way to introduce yourself to a new
neighborhood." Chris took the initiative and gave us a welcoming gift. Can’t
wait to see what he does next to enhance that corner. In the meantime, if you
see a metallic blue pickup in the driveway, stop by and introduce yourself to
Chris. Show him we care about folks, especially when they care about our
sidewalks.
This
week’s donation was 278.6 lbs. of pet food and a $10.00 check. In addition,
there were 2 Pooch Pads, 122 gal. Zip bags, 110 qt. Zip bags, 1 treat chew, 1
cat collar, 6 pill bottles and 2 rolls of plastic bags.
See
you Sunday,
Peter
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