Window World - Trash Truck

Our neighbor Wille with Lucy the pit-bull. He walks, 3 of them twice a day past our window..

 I rushed to the window when I heard the trash truck, the one with the big CLAW that picks up limbs and trees. the pile of limbs had been there since the Big Guy trimmed the tree. I went to watch the truck, because I love to see how he handles it. 

For the first time ever, the driver walked to the back of the truck with an IPAD just like mine and took two photos of the trash, put it back in the truck and I watched him control the claw. 

I am showing you all the photos I took because each one has a different vehicle, 

Warning, flashing gif below.

Because I could GIF and this is what flies past our window all day long.

Tree Tunnel on Nature Friday

Bring on the Oxygen! and Shade and Beauty

 This is a street near by our home. It is a mile walk to these homes, but Beau and I would not make the mile back.. 

Joining Rosy for nature Friday over at The LLB Life

Here you go Rosy, what could be better than a posy for Rosy on Nature Friday than a very tall and beautiful Tree? and sunshine for Sunny

Window on the World AGAIN

 

Our Window on the world

I spend a lot of time standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes, at the stove cooking/preparing. I also spend many minutes in the swivel chair and on the sofa in the living room, both positioned in front of the window. Our view of the world window is 114 inches in width.

The house directly across from us has been our 34 years of free entertainment. For 29 years the house was occupied by good friends, but when he died, she went in a retirement home it became a rental property.

The past 3 years it has been designated House of 7 cars. It is a huge part of our conversation and a never-ending story of mysteries and OMG moments.

They are known as The Big Guy and his wife, and are the parents of 2 adults, son and daughter and the spouse of each. 6 adults and one not yet walking baby girl. The son is Big Guy Son, and big Guy wife. The daughter is The Big Guys daughter. We do not know their names.

Their eating habits are a source of amusement. 

2 and 3 times a DAY, take out is delivered. We have decided, each of the three couples, decide what they want and when to eat it, and call for it. There is never enough delivered for more than 2 people. (we get tons of giggles each time a new takeout comes because they can never find the right door) yes, you are right we need to GET A LIFE.

 Their trash at the curb is always good for conversation on Mondays and Thursdays pick up days. (Among the most memorial of things at the curb, were a like new stroller, a beautiful hand carved rocking cradle, a new electric lawn mower, because they just could not figure out how, who and when to cut the grass and gave up and hired it done.  A like new pressure washer for the cars, they only had it for 6 months. The list is long, but don't fret, a neighbor down the street pulls up and loads the good stuff in his car and then adds it to his yard sales on weekends.  Thank the Lord we have no need for a cradle. 😁 and Bob refuses to use electric because the cords are a pain to drag back and forth. We did snag a gate from their pile once.

This week while making lunch, I watched as The Big Guy and his wife removed, a stroller, a car seat, and a lot of STUFF out of the car and its trunk, many trips later they had filled it with a set of red drums and a set blue drums. (we watched them move the two sets inside 3 years ago) and listened to them for 3 years.

 I got all excited and said to Bob, they are moving the drums OUT OF THE HOUSE...

Fast forward 4 hours later AND I said BOB come look what they are taking out of the trunk...

It was a bigger, better, gold sparkles Drum Set... I quickly pulled up a blue set, a red set and a gold set and figured out what they had done. The red/blue sets sell for 900 to 1000, the GOLD starts at $2000.00 we think it was the 2800. Without binoculars' (think Rear Window) I could not tell the brand, and I am 99% sure they traded UP. I hope they are not LOUDER! Bob doesn't care, he can't hear them.

Did I mention the Heavy Metal Rock band of 4 men in their mid 20's that live next door to the big guy? They have drums and guitars and screaming singers there... 

YEP! we need to GET A LIFE. 

joining Yam on Final Friday Feature

Florida Storms

 

In Florida we live by our Weather Apps. Our storms rarely come for more that 5 minutes to 1 hour. They are trackable, and that is the reason we don't use umbrellas.  They come in the LINE of storms, either fast moving or slow moving. the slower it goes the more rain. I can look at the line and tap a time and tell if I have time to walk Beau, or should wait until after it passes. 

the second ways is little floating cells, that can sprinkle or flood us, just on our house, or on the one across the street, or on my house nothing, and Jackie's house a few blocks away is inundated.

Th morning of Feb 5th, a storm line was marching and marching quickly, I chose to wait until it was passed and then we left for our walk. The photo above was at 7:30 AM and it appeared to be a mountain, but we knew it was the front moving away from us. clear where we stood and 20 miles away moving fast away from us.

Later in the day, mid afternoon, Bob looked out the window and said Look, another storm is building. It's out over Ellenton. that is 2 miles NE of our house.

From our front porch, Feb 3:05 pm

This was one of the PUFFY clouds about to float over, under or through us. I looked at the radar and it was going East away from us. It was stunning to stand and watch it, we were on the sunshine side, if we drove 10 miles and looked back at it, it would be dark.

This is one of the many reasons I love Florida, the weather can be watched and most of the time avoided.

NOTE: this doesn't include Hurricane Watching.

The Path We take

The fence behind our oak, belongs to our neighbor of 6 years. The same neighbor that cut the tree and part of our oak. 

 For all 34 years that we have lived here that grass has been cut by the owners of that house. 

UNTIL last month, Beau and I went for our morning walk through that grass, and I nearly tripped over a Verizon cable that was above ground running the Verizon box I the ground by the bottom of the sign.

It was not there the day before. After a week of stepping over it, I tried to call Verizon, could not find a number, but did find a note that said if you see a cable down, report it to the city of Bradenton.

I sent an email into never-never land, I say this because no one ever answered it, but 3 days later, the cable mysteriously disappeared. The cable ran from under the fence and into the box.

Bob's guess is stealing free cable. Any Hoo, I think when the city read the part about the cable being a hazard on their city easement, and it being their responsibility if anyone falls, due to the cable, they sent someone to remove it. 

Notice the high grass at the edge of the street and the path through it.

That is MY work.... 

Tired of trying to walk Beau through those 8 inches of grass, while bob was edging our yard, I CRANKED THE LAWN MOWER, ALL BY MYSELF AND MOWED A FOUR-FOOT-WIDE PATH.

I walked 4 times to make the path and I was/am so proud that I could

 A. start it on the 3rd pull. 

 B. push it back and forth four times.

Its been 3 weeks, I might have to do it again. Now the neighbor mows just his front yard, not the side. Or hires it done.

We all own the land to the street but have a city easement of 10 feet that allows them to use it when they want to, but the city doesn't cut the grass.

On a sad note, a few days ago, I found one of our precious Screech Owls dead in the tall grass. No marks on it, no idea what happened, but it broke my heart.

Neighbors Again

 

Neighbors again! No not the House of 7 cars, now 4 cars, the OTHER neighbors next door to that house.

I spent a whole week watching the neighbors across the street spray paint the house yellow, that was about 3 months ago. Last week, while watching the house of 7 cars, I noticed the house next door had the garage door painted Aqua.

Next one day they did the front, the next the side and rear and

4 days later  I watched them paint the trim.  (no shutters yet)

I love both of them. At first I thought Shocking but the more I see them, the more I love them.

Have you guessed yet why you are seeing these through flowers? I could not get a shot of the houses from the window, believe me I tried. I did not want to be seen lurking outside taking photos of houses.

As I rounded the corner into my yard from a walk, I thought isn't the bougainvillea beautiful, and next in my head popped the idea to APPEAR to be taking closeup photos of the flowers while sneaking Peeks at the two houses.

Photo above to show they sit next to each other

As good as I could get without being SEEN taking photos of their houses.

 We have noticed on our rides with Beau that there are Aqua, all shades and Yellow all shades, on all the streets we drive. It is the new color. Every house that has been painted in the past year, and there are many, is either shades of Beige, Yellow, Aqua, Blue or Rose...  Back in the 1960's pastel colors were popular in Florida. Now these bright bold colors are everywhere. I am loving it and want mine to be Aqua.  I counted 6 Aqua houses on my walking route. 

UPDATE on house of 7 cars that is now house of  4 cars. The Audi came back and stayed all day and all night and then disappeared again. What. Is. Going. On?

IF I DISAPEAR, I WOKE UP SUNDAY AM WITH VERTIGO. LAST TIME I HAD IT WAS JUNE OF 2018. I TAKE DRAMAMINE FOR IT.. SEE YOU

Update House of 7 cars

 

Hi, only got a little, you know

Today

Do you Remember the House of Seven CARS? Our entertainment continues.

Tuesday March 30

 I notice a White Van backed in across the street. I said to Bob, the carpet cleaners are back again, its only been a week, What is up with that?

His answer Are you sure?

Well, not really, let me check the other window.

Using the zoom lens on the camera to zoom out the bedroom window, I was shocked to 

read Budget Rental on the side.

I yell down the hall, It's a moving Van! Not a truck a VAN!

Guess what? and I move to the living room so I can talk with my eyes and hands.

They are taking Plastic Bags OUT of the side door and taking it inside, There are FOUR of them all carrying 4 to 5 plastic bags full of STUFF, like clothes and not groceries.

They made 2 trips, that is 36 bags they took in the house.

Is someone moving in? Will there be 8 cars? 

Wed March 31

5 AM, I peek out the window and say

Bob, the VAN stayed overnight, all 7 cars are there plus the van. We spent hours discussing why, what, who etc and decided someone else was moving in.

We discussed there appeared to be no new car and declared the van a mystery.

At Noon, I said the Van is Gone? Did you see it leave? 

No I did not.

We stopped watching again.

Suddenly while watching a movie I glance out the window and there is a HUGE U Haul MOVING Truck backed in the driveway

All Seven cars are also there

And the Kia Soul has both doors open and the back of it and The Girl that Drives the Soul is loading BAGS of STUFF in the Soul. Lots of BAGS!

The truck is still there when we go to bed.

Our pillow talk went like this.

Are they moving? 1st of month rent is due, will they all leave?

We wake up on

 

Thursday April 1st

The truck is still there, 

I got busy and stopped watching and have no idea what happened until at  4 pm on April fools day, the Soul pulls out with the girl that drives it driving, the Moving truck pulls out with the man that drives the silver Camaro driving it, The Camaro is missing in Action, the Audi is also MIA.

We discuss, did they take things out or put things in the truck, we don't KNOW!

Friday 4 am April 2nd

We wake up and I go peer out the window in the dark and report back to Bob.

There are only 4 cars across the street and one doesn't run.

The Audi, Cadillac, the dead in garage Firebird and the Blue car are in the driveway .

Saturday AM just read the above, it is Groundhog day.

Now we THINK the Big Guy ad The Big Girl, the Soul and Camaro have moved who knows where and we have no clue how many people are left in the house we watch.

When I know YOU will know.

Pandemic Entertainment FFF with Yam

Joining Final Friday Fiction with Wild Yam, for the Rules if you want to participate, go HERE

Pandemic Entertainment by MadSnapper

 Our living space includes one big room, living and kitchen, the entire middle of the house. If we are awake we are in that area.

The 108 inch Window frames the house accross the street.

About a year ago, we watched 4 adults move in. 3 months later 2 more adults moved in. 

The day they moved in we spent the entire day watching, it was better than TV. First they took a 70's firebird off the back of a trailer.

What a hoot! They tried and tried again and again to back the trailer up to the carport. finally left it sideways, the girl gets in the car while it is ON the trailer, the two guys push it down, while she guides. 

We were splitting our sides. then they pushed it backwards into the carport. We surmised it must not run because other than the day 6 weeks later when they pushed it out of one side and into the other side and covered with a tarp, it remains undriven.

The first move was not much to watch, the 2nd move in I spent the entire day telling bob what they had moved in or OUT. 

I actually counted out loud to Bob, each drum part they took off and in the house. And described it.

Peering out the bedroom window, I would shout, they just took and entire drum set inside. Now they are taking 2 more drums, Bob they just took 2 more, they don't match.

He answers where are they putting all this stuff. the house is only 1850 sq feet.

What about the noise all cooped up with a drumer???

We call the house, The Parking Lot.  Six Adults, Seven Cars.

we call the people Mom and Dad, Big Man, Big girl, Small man, small girl.

We have surmised they are family because the girls look just alike except for size. thus the Big and Small and both girls look just like Mom. By girls, I mean young, like mid 30's. Young compared to us

PLEASE, keep in mind while judging this post, we have been locked down

 by Pandemic we have Zero to talk about.

2 weeks ago, Big and Big came home in a convertible, a brand new Camaro. With the top down.. LONG discussion on which of the cars was missing and was traded. 

Imagine our shock when instead of 6 cars there were now 7.

I quickly checked the price of a new Carmaro! Wow

Listen to a FEW of our MANY comments...

the Camaro just came home, that makes 6 cars in the lot.

The Audi just left, there are only 4 cars across the street.

The big guy in the red car, just came home with take out. No wait, she has a bag to. How do they afford to eat nothing but takeout when the rent on the house is 1800.00 a month?

Well, they have 6 people paying rent together! How do they live shut inside with the windows all closed and only 2 people who sometimes go to work?

Have you ever seen them bring grocery bags in the in the house? 

How do 6 adults live together in a 3 bedroom house? they never go outside. I saw 2 dogs twice, so when do the dogs go out to pee? they are boxers, big dogs, I feel bad for them.

Maybe the dogs aren't there now, haven't seen them since the first week. 

No, they are there I hear them bark sometimes

Maybe they take them in the back yard out the back door. There is no fence, they must use the leash, the only times i saw them they were on leash.

Look, bob, they got a new lawn mower, its bright green, and makes no noise. I can't even hear it.

Does it have a power cord?

No, but no sound and they are cutting the weeds.

Then it is one of those rechargeable ones. I saw it on TV, it comes with 2 other things, a set, they are all rechargeable. Plug a thing in the wall and recharges all of it.

Well, that is what they got, because now the big girl is out with a bright green car wash power sprayer. I bet That's what came in the Amazon truck yesterday. Must be the set because its the same color...

The Fedex truck and Amazon trucks come almost every day. Where are they putting all this stuff with 6 people in the house?

Only two of them work, so who pays for all this?

Yeah, and what do they do all day, shut in that house. The only time a car leaves is to pick up dinner.

Bob, the carpet cleaning truck is back, this makes 4 times in a year.

Probably from the dogs messing in the house since they never go outside.

This house is what keeps our conversations going and is better entertainment than cable TV... 

All this from our living room window.....I wonder what a set of binoculars cost??????? 

And NO they don't spend their time talking about us because they never open their curtains.

Final Friday Fiction 😁😁😁and this is NOT Fiction.

The House That Burned

About 6 months ago, the house below, had a kitchen fire, it destroyed the roof and 1/2 the house. It has been sitting there for months causing much conversation is to what they would do, and why it sat there so long.

Last week we turned the corner and this is what we saw.

They took it down to three walls..

they are busy framing it today, Jan 17. 

I said to Bob, we need to replace the fire extinguisher that is in the kitchen cabinet. It might be 10 years old.

He said, we have a fire extinguisher ? Why?

OMG OMD OMC

I said Can You Say KITCHEN FIRE???????

they did a little framing and added a room that wasn't there.

on the 22 and on the 25 they started a new roof.

The old roof was flat, this one is not.

Seems they are building a new home. Here we have a law you can not tear a house down and rebuild on the lost without a HUGE hassle. If you leave three walls standing you can do whatever you want on the same foot print and even add.

We wait...

Wonder why the builders look at me like I am crazy when I walk by every day and stop and stare and sometimes SNAP

I should stop and tell them, after we saw the house burned, I bought a new fire extingquiser for the kitchen. When I brought it in the house, Bob said, why did you buy that?

Well Duh! can you say KITCHEN FIRE burned the neighbors house down??? they were old like we are . Forgetful! Do you remember we are forgetful? Do you remember the house fire?

The Miracle!

 

I am late today! I had Eta Storm Am and PM, two posts set to go for today and Sunday.

But then yesterday a miracle happened, make that 2 miracles and I pulled them to do this post.

Tuesday Nov, 10, The day before Eta, the TS/Hurricane/TS came to visit, on the 11th, our work of art, the dead grapefruit tree, fell over. the wind was just to much for it.

Good news was it was dead and needed to come down.

Bad news is, I knew Bob would be out there the next day with a CHAIN SAW.

I spent a lot of time catastrophizing over the chain saw, in fact the whole day it rained and blew, I thought about that chain saw.

Friday the 13th, we walked Beau, at at 7 am, Bob and the electric chain saw went out to cup up the tree.

Leaving me in the house, because I bent over in the kitchen and my trick back went out.

All I could do was hobble to the rocker with my laptop, that way I could hear and see the chainsaw wielding 84 year old, and call 911 if necessary.

Not only was I fretting over cut off legs and arms, but the chance of sawing through the electric cord and being electrocuted was in the front of my mind.

I planned on runnng with cell in hand talking to 911 and jerking the plug out of the wall as I ran, or grabbing a towel to use as a tourniquet, then i remembered they say that is not good now and I was trying to remember what to do.

any whoooo

A minor miracle occurred, after about 30 minutes, my back quit hurting.

I went out to drag what he cut off to the piles. Bend and stoop, owie! Bend and stoop, owie!

All photos were taken After the major miracle, when we were done with it all.....after the fact!

As he sawed and sawed, and I dragged and piled, I eyed the trunk of the tree, I was about 26 inches around and had a stump I knew we could not cut up or move.

the piles grew.

the logs got bigger and heavier, I could not lift them, so he sawed and moved the pieces.

My catastrophizer was at Warp Speed.

Suddenly a pickup truck pulled in the driver way and a handsome knight young man, got out and said I can get the rest of that for you. I said how much will you charge us?

He said with a big smile, NOTHING, I just stopped to help, as he pulled out his chain saw!

He said, I can finish that up for you in five minutes and cranked up his saw.

I got tears in my eyes and wandered out of the way of the flying sawdust, and  noticed the sign on the side of his truck. It said Freebird Solutions, we do anything.

listed was Chimney sweep, painting, tree removals, replacing windows and doors. and much more, in other words HANDY MAN.

He saw and threw giant logs on this pile 

and yanked that big stump up and out and flung it on the pile

NO, he did not cut off my foot, that is for perspective on size of trunk, all the grass you see was attached to said stump!

While watching this young kind miracle worker, I planned what  I would say when the noise stopped.

You see, hubby has the heart and mind of a 40 year old, but the body of an 84 year old who had a stroke. I have been after him for a year to let me call for an estimate on a few things needed to be done. he refused loudly. something about not paying anyone to do what he can do himself, except nothing is getting done.

All of that is why I call this a miracle.. I said to Jason, do you pressure wash? paint houses? get palm trees off a fence? 

YES! oh YES! he gave a few guesstimates to get my brain started and said where is the palm on the fence. 

We raced off to the back yard, before bob could stop me, and he said, Oh yes, I can do that for you, 150 to remove the palm, it is huge by the way, about 25 feet tall, the backyard neighbors tree.

The thing is, the fence was propped up since Irma took it down in 2017. waiting for two sections of fence that we have had leaning on the side of the house for 3 years, waiting to be put up.

He said I will go to their house and ask permission to go through their yard. I said how about if you took down the old fence, moved the tree and put up two sections of the fence.

I kid you not, I have had many sleepless nights fretting over that fence, the famous one where the Big Beautiful Beau did his Houdini escape through the hole.

I know this is long but I must tell the story. Jason will be doing that job soon. He said get the list of handy stuff ready and he will give me an estimate.

Bob said nothing. but he did wake up this morning and the first thing out of his mouth, Is I don't trust him, he is to nice, no one is that nice, I would not do that job for that money.

OMG!  I said, God sends us a miracle worker and you question it because he is TOO NICE?

then he said is he going to charge the neighbor for removing their tree off our fence?

YOU do NOT want to know the rest of the conversation..

this is the tree waiting for pickup. Usually they pick up things like this with a huge claw truck, on Tuesdays.

At 3 PM on Friday the 13th, the 3rd miracle happened.

I heard a lot of noise, it kept on making noise, I put my book down and there it was.

The Claw Truck, and within 15 minutes the tree was gone as though it were never there.

I took 12 avocados out and gave to the driver.

I do believe this was all meant to be.\

I went out, you do now want to know how bad I looked, we both looked like Old People Struggling, and God sent a man who cared enough to help, and the claw came right behind him.

Hopefully the fence will be the 4th miracle with may a house being painted in the near future.

PS!  we both were able to get out of bed this morning, but it was really hard. After we walked Beau, we were better. As I type while in rocker, he is out pumping out the nasty green stuff from the pool...

Neighbors blue truck

View from inside living room

Hello, my name is MADsnapper! There is a reason for the word MAD, as in she is quite mad, meaning strange/weird/crazy.

As in taking photos of the truck across the street, then sharing it. It gets worse.

I pumped fuel in my SUV, Note the cost is 35.00, return to car, set trip mile to zero. I noticed I had only been 162 miles since the last fill up. Driving home the MAD mind decides to do the math. I paid 35.00 to drive 162 miles. .(we fill our cars at half tank)

Each mile is 25 cents.

3 miles round trip to TOPS meeting : $1.50

Round trip to YMCA $1.50

Wal-mart $1.50

Vet Visit, Publix, Dollar General, Gas station are all on $30 cents for round trip

PERSPECTIVE adjustment.. Now I feel better over the $2.79 a gallon fuel.

See what I mean? I am never bored. Although Quite Mad

 Not sure if our new neighbor matched his work truck to the sky or to the trim on the house he rented....  The good news is our other neighbor next door was about to move and I was heart broken. Now she is not moving and I am happy....


Big Boy Cheerio Traning on Fourpawsetc today

Zoom from living room window. 

Walk A Mile A Day #1

Most of you go walkabout in the woods or past farms or down trails. My walkabout is in a neighborhood full of houses and trees and cars that match the owners chairs. While Jake was so sick, and then for a week after he died, we could not stand the house. We walked together at the park, and I have started walking a mile or more in the neighborhood surrounding our house. I have about 6 post I will share once in a while, this is the 1st.

POP over to see Big Boy's Newest Photo HERE