Side deals

The house next door has been a minor eyesore ever since we moved here. It is a rental and the two previous tenants just did not care about the property. Flower beds were overgrown, the yard mowed sporadically, snow was never removed. The last inhabitant left bags of trash and garbage piled on her back patio, old carpet in the driveway, and a garage full of junk when she left just before the sheriff tossed her out.

The house was sold at auction last December. The new owner has been working on cleaning up the property, inside and out. Alas, he is going to offer the house for rent, but at least the property will be in much better shape. Today a couple of guys are working on repairing the overgrown landscaping. They are digging out the weeds and stray mulberry bushes that have sprung up in the years of neglect. They are bringing in new topsoil for the flower beds. Gutters have been put back up.

I saw an opportunity. You might remember I cut down a dead ash tree a couple of years ago. Only two large pieces of the trunk remain. I went next door and asked what they guys would charge to haul away my big chunks of wood along with the neighbor's stuff. He charged me $20 and it was worth every penny. Now I'm sure the guys doing the shovel and wheelbarrow work are probably on the clock for someone else. I'm equally certain they will split my Jackson between them. What do I care? Two big old pieces of tree trunk are gone from my backyard.