This unruly tangle of green is what the wildflower garden looks like now. You can see pinkish foxglove, purple comfrey, blue alkanet, yellow buttercups, lots of blooming grasses, a couple of tall teasels and some great willowherb, among other things. It's always alive with bees and other bugs.
Yesterday morning I was determined to put my life in order. First I took care of everything around the house I could think of -- the cleaning, the laundry, the houseplants, the gardening. Then I sat down and planned out my Florida trip. I made hotel reservations for St. Petersburg with my stepsister, and plotted out the timing of my visit and wrote my brother and some friends I hope to see.
Then I went a step farther and booked a 3-day stay on the Isle of Wight for Dave, Olga and me at the end of June. We've realized that between my trip and one Dave has planned in late July and early August -- to a professional development conference and to see his family -- we're going to be apart for much of the summer. So this will be our little escape!
It feels so good to get all that done. Now I feel like I have everything under control, at least as much as possible in this time of relative uncertainty.
With my conscience lighter, and the blue sky beckoning us outside, Olga and I walked to the cemetery in the afternoon. On the way we passed a guy sitting on a bench on West End Green positively belting out songs, a capella. I thought it was pretty funny but I was surprised when we came back at least an hour later, on our way home, and he was STILL THERE! So Olga and I rested on the grass a few moments while I made a video, to share with you this guy's enthusiastic rendition of "Smoke on the Water." I'm not sure he's doing his vocal cords any favors, but he seems to be having fun.
You know how I mentioned the neighborhood party we heard on Friday night? Well, that turned out to be just a mild preview of what was to come. We heard music intermittently throughout the day yesterday, starting with singing in the morning, and last night there was a cranking celebration complete with a DJ and booming sound system. I am not exaggerating when I say it was the loudest event we've experienced in the seven years we've lived in this flat. We could barely hear our television. I may be a cranky old man, but at 10:15 p.m. I called the cops. Fortunately the music ceased at about 11 p.m.; whether the police ever turned up I'm not sure.
Incidentally, calling the cops was not easy. We tried to call a non-emergency number and no one ever picked up; finally I called 999 (the British equivalent of 911) and even there I was on hold for several minutes before I spoke to anyone. I hated to use an emergency line but I knew of no other way to reach a human.
I imagine someone is getting married and they were itching to hold an event post-lockdown, and maybe commercial wedding venues are still unavailable. (The size of gatherings is still limited, I believe, and I would be very surprised if this party fell within the limits.) If it were me and my house, I might have opted for a quieter event sans the amplified dance music. But that's just me.
You called the cops? You've got to be joking.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, where I come from (the motherland), out of courtesy you tell your neighbours in advance if there is going to be a party (and possibly even invite them too).
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Why does that seem like a joke? What do people do in the motherland if there's a cranking party at a stranger's house and you want to go to sleep, and you'd rather spare yourself a face-to-face confrontation?
DeleteEar plugs?
DeleteU
I've called the police over party noise in the distant past. A lovely neighbour had died and her granddaughter moved into her house briefly and there was a massive party one night. I called her father at midnight and again at 3am. It stopped after the second call. The granddaughter knocked on our door the next day and apologised and removed a couple of empties from our gate post.
ReplyDeleteI was alarmed by the title of the YT video, Olga Smoke. I thought she may have been on fire!
Oh boy, by midnight I definitely would have called the cops! I'd say you were quite generous.
DeleteIt must have been a Saturday night and of course kiddies want to party and I am not that mean. I think we have state noise laws but I can't remember what they are now. Wouldn't Mrs Kravitz have been disturbed too?
DeleteI might be wrong but I believe that legally you can pretty much make as much noise as you want to up to 11pm. Incidentally, "Disgusted" of Tunbridge Wells might remark "999 is for emergencies only and neighbours blasting out loud music is not an emergency".
ReplyDeleteYou are not wrong, YP, as to legality. Good job Steve doesn't live where I do. "Restaurant Street" as I call it. Friday and Saturday nights are a riot. With noise to match. Till one or two in the morning. Great in the summer what with windows open. It's life.
DeleteAnd when neighbours make too much noise, say at three in the morning, I knock at their door, ring the doorbell whatever, asking them to tone it down a bit. Police? What?
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Is that the law? I didn't know. I think in the states you can report disruptive noise at any time, though obviously the authorities probably treat the complaint more seriously if it's out of hours.
DeleteWhat would you do, YP, if you wanted to report a situation that wasn't an emergency but needed relatively quick attention (i.e. couldn't wait until tomorrow), and no one answered the non-emergency number? Seriously. We debated the propriety of calling 999 and I saw no other option.
In my own defense, I bet they get calls about far more ridiculous things. The policeman I spoke to didn't seem to think I was in the wrong.
It depends on whether there is a noise ordinance, Steve. Here in town it is 10. The last place we lived had no ordinance at all.
DeleteI’m still surprised Mrs. Kravitz wasn’t out there banging on the door. I would have called the cops, too. Hope that’s done with. Was the guy in the park playing a kazoo?!? I was half-expecting Olga to start playing air guitar while droning the opening bars. And now I can’t get “a fire in the sky” out of my head. I think I’ll have to listen to the entire song. Funky Claude was running in and out pulling kids on the ground... I’d love an escape to the Isle of Wight!
ReplyDeleteI think Mrs. K was away. Her house was dark. Or maybe she was at the party! It's a shame Olga never learned to howl along to music.
DeleteSinging your heart out on a park bench is one way of dealing with stress, maybe we should all give it a go, lol
ReplyDeleteI just love the wild flowers in your garden and I bet the bees do too.
Isle of wight sounds like a good idea, it's lovely over there.
You sound like me. I can't rest unless I have everything in control in my head and in the house, I wish I wasn't like it and really envy people who can live in chaos and be happy.
Briony
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He definitely seemed like he was having a great time! He was fun to watch and listen to. I think people who live in chaos often suffer for it in ways that they may not perceive.
DeleteLooks like music is determined to find you.
ReplyDeleteLOL -- apparently! I don't mind it in the afternoon in the park, but at night in my living room, with a thumping baseline, it's a different story.
DeleteLOL, I remember when a thumping baseline meant the guy upstairs and the woman next door to him were having a busy night in...Thankfully both moved and the current neighbors are quiet. As for deep throat in the park, I see a throat specialist in his future...At least your dog is mellow...
ReplyDeleteYeah, that guy is going to have some serious vocal nodes for sure, if he doesn't already.
DeleteIsn't it funny how everyone just passed by Singing Man as if he wasn't there? That's how we humans deal with people who don't follow the normal rules. I suppose there's a little bit of wariness there. If someone is capable of sitting on a park bench and singing at the top of his lungs, what else might he do?
ReplyDeleteWho knows?
I would have been upset too if someone was partying loud enough to make my floors shake. And what's the deal with the police and telephone numbers? A few weeks ago one of my daughters' friends went missing and we were trying to find a number to call the police to report it. We were a bit frantic. The only number we could find was one which no one answered. We felt the same way about calling 911- this was not quite an emergency. Or was it? Everything turned out but it was an eye-opening experience.
I think that's exactly true -- the default position for any human, and certainly any city dweller, toward someone behaving strangely is to ignore them. It's interesting to consider that if I ever have a true emergency, it's likely to take several minutes to get through to anyone.
DeleteThose late night music parties are the worst. Both my brother and sister have had to deal with that thumping sound long into the night. I think it's smart to call the police. It surprises me to read that no one picked up the phone and that you had to call 999, and still wait a long time. That's crazy.
ReplyDeleteI figure it doesn't hurt for there to be an official record of the disturbance, even if nothing immediately comes of it.
DeleteIt takes about 20 minutes for the non emergency number to be picked up here.
ReplyDeleteIt is based in Glasgow 45 miles away, so I reckon they must be busy!
I didn't let it ring that long so maybe it's similar here!
DeleteWe've neighbors across the street who month after month have held large parties 3-4 nights a week with attendees (mostly 16-20 yr olds) who drink, take drugs, yell, relieve themselves on the lawn, provide constant traffic and door slamming in what is usually a very quiet neighborhood from late night until 3-4am. Let's just say the adults (won't even call them parents) in the house are useless. Then there is the neighbor behind us who prefers to run his loud, droning front-end loader (construction equipment) all hours of the night, that is, when he isn't trying to cut down 50' trees in the dark or have bonfires. Sigh. This in an area where most people go to bed early due to long commutes. Calling the police does no good as they rarely respond. Or even when they did, the people evidently have police scanner apps on their mobiles so they know when police are coming and merely turn off all their lights and stay quiet until the police leave--then start up again. Finally have had some relief in recent weeks because the folks across the street are renters who have not paid rent since last spring--not because they didn't have the money--they bought new cars during this time--but because they took advantage of the eviction moratorium which is now ending. Think they have been served papers so maybe gone soon. The neighbor behind us just put his house on the market. Just have to hope whoever replaces them are not the same kind of PIAs.
ReplyDeleteOK, you've got it MUCH worse than I do. I have no right to complain!
DeleteLoose ends! Sometimes you just have to sit down and tie down all the loose ends. I hope everything works out.
ReplyDeleteMe too! It feels good to have a plan, at any rate.
DeleteI know that feeling of needing to put life in order, get on top of all the unruly threads, I've been feeling it myself lately, but unlike you, have not tackled it head on. Other than making long overdue medical appointments, that is. Loved seeing Olga in the video. She has such a winning personality. I think, now that I am a grandparent of a doggo, I am even more smitten with her.
ReplyDeleteWell, medical appointments count for a lot! I have plenty of things still on my list. Hopefully by the end of summer...
DeleteI love the wildflowers!
ReplyDeleteIt's good that you have your travel plans in order. I always feel better when I have arrangements settled. The Isle of Wight sounds like a great idea. I'll be looking forward to some photos.
Yeah, I've wanted to go there for a while and this seems like a good time. Hopefully it won't be too packed with people!
Deleteback when I lived in the city one neighbor would play music really loud and late. the next door neighbor would complain to no avail. they finally moved.
ReplyDeletelove the wildspace. people don't realize we need those bugs. I bought some mosquito fogger for the yard but haven't used it because it doesn't just kill mosquitoes but everything. well, I don't want to kill everything, just mosquitoes so I guess I'll wait til their life cycle is over. it's too hot to go outside right now anyway.
Bravo for not using the fogger! There's bound to be a lot of collateral damage there.
DeleteGood morning Steve, Dave and Ms. Olga. I did a lot of house cleaning on Friday. I even got the strength to shampoo my carpet and washed all the clothes. I am thinking about doing hard wood in the bedrooms instead of carpet. I have ceramic tiles on the rest of the house. That guy singing in the park is probably trying to relieve stress. Sometimes i feel like running a block. I slept in the afternoon and decided to go outside for a breath of fresh air and sit by my front entrance because the sun set in the rear of my house. I wasn't out there a good 3 minutes before Mr. Kravitz (across the street) was coming out of his front door looking my way. I took my soft drink and went back inside cursing. (lol) I don't trust him at all because he will not work and if he do get a job it will be for only a few weeks and he use to hang around with the thugs that the government paid their rent and they went around breaking into homes in the neighborhood. He told me they were planning on breaking into mine. I told him they should be glad they didn't because if they show up on my camera, the morgue would be picking them up. Just wondering why he want to visit me all the time when my son is not here. He is messing up. I have a shot gun and a pistol. If Ms. Kravitz had been home she probably would have saved you a phone call to 999. (laughing)
ReplyDeleteWhat a bummer that you got chased inside by Mr. Kravitz! I think wood floors sound much better than carpet -- easier to keep clean for one thing. I've never understood the popularity of carpeting, but some houses have to have it because the floors beneath are basically unfinished.
DeleteI have industrial strength ear protectors, also have a variety of ear plugs. Parties do not last indefinitely, nor do fireworks, It is easy to just take care of the problem with small devices. Now, Getoffamylawn you whippersnapper!
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly what I feel like -- Mr. Wilson in "Dennis the Menace."
DeleteGlad you have sorted your life out! Noisy parties are a pain! You are right, it was herb Robert. I looked both plants up and they are pretty similar so I think I have always called it that. Thanks for the plant info!
ReplyDeleteI like herb Robert a lot though it does spread like crazy. I think it's a kind of cranesbill.
DeleteMy next door neighbor held a large gathering yesterday afternoon and evening, that was really noisy. I have yet to know why the music has to be so loud that it bounces all over the neighborhood. I was tempted to call the police, but I held off. The next party, well that will be different. I will make that call. It's not fun when the noise comes through walls and overtakes the TV. Olga looks great in the video. The music did not impress me, but she did. You have a wonderful day, hugs, Edna B.
ReplyDeleteMaybe this is all about people cutting loose after emerging from lockdown. Things might calm down after a few weeks or months of catching up on celebrations!
DeleteSounds like you have plans to look forward to as well as a sense of accomplishment about what you got done. I have some neighbors in the back who can get noisy on summer weekend nights. I generally ignore them, but with my grandson here, I certainly don't want him awakened at midnight!
ReplyDeleteIt helps me a lot to have something on the horizon!
DeleteI like how the guy is doing both the vocals AND the guitar :D
ReplyDeleteI think our noise by-law kicks in at 10 p.m. And I don't blame you for calling the emergency number if the regular number was unmonitored and unanswered. There's a reason for noise ordinances in urban areas. Nobody's got the right to infringe on other people's rights to a decent night's sleep.
I thought 10 p.m. was a reasonable hour to expect everything to stop -- particularly since Dave and I often go to bed at 9:30! (OK, on Saturday we stay up later.)
DeleteWith all of your plans and trips, your summer will fly by! Hope you have a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Summer always goes fast, but this one seems like it might feel especially speedy. Fortunately, after mid-July, I have no plans until school starts again a month later.
DeleteI was afraid I'd see Olga with a cigarette.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie