The temperature may be a bit cooler but the humidity is getting higher and have noticed the moods of some to be directly associated with our current weather. Dog days are what we used to call them. They were called dog days because it was a time when you just didn’t pester dogs that were suffering even more so by the heat for fear you may get snapped at or possibly bitten. I’m not sure if the general public even uses the term for fear others wouldn’t know what the meaning was behind it. I actually think me to have had a dog day today due to several non-real estate issues for which I was forced to address. Thinking back on several confrontations today, I would wager to say my tone was not the most pleasant and words a bit sharp. The funniest thing in saying this is that a client who was at the office today and speaking about how in our youth we ended up in a few fights over the years, and we both agreed we likely never picked a fight, but were surely the first to press forward with an aggressive defense. Not but an hour later I found myself on an aggressive defense of which I’d not seen myself in quite some time. Oh well, I guess it’s OK to be that way in so much we don’t allow others to freely throw us under a bus. There’s a young man in Mason City whom I hope has learned a lasting and valuable lesson today. I’ve come to the conclusion that many younger people believe that if they see someone with a little gray hair, they can talk their way into and out of anything because they’re supposed to be younger and more clever. Like I’ve said a time or two, “I haven’t just yesterday fallen off the turnip truck.”
I believe if I could create a mini-me, I would beg employment as Mason City’s arborist. Being high summer now, I’ve noticed more frequently tree limbs hanging too low on City right-of-ways, bushes and shrubs being planted or allowed to grow far over the end of the lot lines to where they are hazards for people pulling out onto our streets. I drove past a home today that had a definite “blind” area due to shrubs blocking anyone’s view in one direction while pulling out of a neighboring driveway. I wonder what the owners of that house must think. They are likely so into themselves that haven’t even given it a second thought. I’m still not fond of people planting anything more than an approved hardwood trees in the area between the streets and public sidewalks. For me it becomes hap-hazard in landscape design as well as taking away the unity and balance of tree lined streets. If someone wants to be “special” with their plantings, they really should keep it within the boundaries of their property and nothing more.
Several days ago a customer spoke about an uncle of hers that was so terribly trusting and generous that he’d allow himself to be pulled into the “gimmie” mailings begging for money from just about every purported charity and cause on the planet. Thousands of dollars were sent out over the years to where he became nearly broke until one of his family members stepped into the picture. I get exceptionally angry when I hear of these hoax causes and freely say, “They’re likely milking millions from the elderly while sunning themselves on a beach in South Florida and leisurely sipping cocktails.” I blame the internet as well as government agencies by allowing for the dissemination of property owners records. They even go to the point of seeing how long someone has owned a home in judging age and subsequent vulnerability. All I can say is, “Great shame on them for doing this to the overly-trusting elderly.” These manipulative donation seekers look at the elderly as nothing more than prey for them.
