Shorts

Here is a random assortment of non-sequitor thoughts.

-From the Bloomingdale list: From a 1st Street NW resident: "A word to the wise: We planted a pretty little young Japanese maple in front of our house last summer. This morning I walked outside to discover a gaping hole where the tree had once been and no tree. I can only assume that someone has stolen it in the hopes of selling it on the black decorative tree market.

-Related, a neighbor on First St NE recently had all of the plants on his front porch stolen. Is there a market for this stuff, or are there green thumbed theives around.

-Fireworks: they are being mentioned everywhere. They are noisy, and are difficult to distinguish from gunfire unless you are close. What I am wondering is- Is using firecrackers a good way to mask gunshots by "evil doers".

-Saw a kid no older than 14 drinking beer out of a 22 oz can last week.... Do the markets sell to them, or does a buyer do it. In a related note, a good, yound kid on my block was drinking his soda out of a paper bag. I was going to say something to him, but he was gone before I could scold him about it.

-MPD was staking out the community center softball field last night. It was good to see.

-Houses for sale. there are four houses for sale on my block. I wonder if they will be sold to gentrifiers, or will continue down the path of disrepair.