He looks like the Illustrated Man.
Tats all over, bald head, kick-boxer strong body.
His rides reflect his style...
a pick up truck with a "murder" paint job,
a blood red Crystler 300,
and a big mean Harley that rumbles like a dangerous cat.

There were predictions of doom for the neighborhood.
There was excitement.
There was something new and unknown in a place where things generally stay the same.
What the heck was this going to be like?

The day they bought it, they moved in, just as it was.
Immediately the lawn got a buzzz cut and the shrubs neat trims.
Within a week the house was painted light olive green with charcole trim.
By the third week, the spotty long neglected lawn was pealed up and taken away.
Rich sod was laid in a bean shape outlined by wood chips
and interesting lawn ornaments.

Meanwhile, at least once a week a big black barbecue was rolled into the drive
and things slow cooked there parfumed our air.
They began to wave... we waved back.

That's when the lawn jockies began showing up across the street
(not the kind pictured above)
in a battered old pick up from the 60s, with a big trailer filled with monster machines.
A crew of four jumped out, and did both front and back yards in 20 minutes tops.
I developed a fascination of this weekly process and deep non-malicious envy!

We guessed that this was the Illustrated Man's business.
I had a desire to ask if he knew what would kill my endless weeds.
Chicken that I am, I did not follow through.

A few days ago, after returning from taking Roxy for a ride,
the Illustrated Man asked if he could meet her.
No suspicious growls or rumbles...all wiggles... her new best friend.
The subject of his assumed landscaping work came up.

You know what they say about assumtions!
It's his cousin's business, not his.
But he promised to ask what his cousin would suggest to stop my weed wars.
We visited a few minutes more, then he vanished back into the best kept home on the street.

True to his word, yesterday the Illustrated Man returned with awesome news.
His cousin has offered to kill our weeds for us... for good
The cost? A mere $25... just for supplies, labor is free.
An offer too good to be true!
Then as our mysterious neighbor turned to go... he asked for "a favor".

Ut-oh, I thought, here's the catch to the great deal.
"Whenever I barbecue, we have so much left over that I end up throwing food away...
next time I fire her up... will you come over and help us eat it?"
Yeah, I think we can do that.

In the meantime, I will laugh at my weeds instead of spending endless hours attempting to remove them by hand.

Clearly, that is not working out for me.

Three utility trailers of weeds have gone to the yard recycle center!

Still they keep a comin'!

I'll focus today on mowing the rear yard

and working in my new flower bed...

with a little help...

I'll get this right yet.

=;D