MY KINGDOM FOR A FENCE (rant on)

Okay, what is it about "Private Property" that people just don't get?

My property, unfortunately, has been a neighborhood cut-through for eons. The last owner was probably too old to do anything about it after a while and likely the kids just ran amok. When I first moved in they cut through my back yard--on foot, on their bikes--to get back and forth to school. Yeah, like they owned the fricking place.

So then mean new lady (that's me, folks!) moves in, plants bushes across the back yard and asks the neighborhood kids, very nicely, to please walk around the garage--and to please not ride bikes through. For the most part, the kids in my 'hood have been accomodating. I've only had to speak to a couple of them, and things have been okay.

So I wanted my property back for the summer. My Private Property. After all, the weather is lovely, the sun is out, and folks sure as hell don't need to be cutting through my yard to get anywhere. I roped off my "path" and put a simple Closed for Summer sign on there.

And this evening the rope was down, the sign was torn to shreds and flung all over the place. Nice, huh?

I'm trying hard not to get REALLY ANGRY about all this. I'm trying to be reasonable. I honestly don't think the kids directly around me would be so disrespectful; I believe the culprits are kids from outside my little 'hood who come in to visit.

I can't afford a fence right now--a decent one would cost a pile that I just don't have. I don't want to turn into nasty crabby neighbor lady and have everyone hate me. On the other hand, I'm no doormat either and those little f***ers are pissing me off. I've thought of all sorts of Dr. Evil-type plans, but I'll never go through with them because I never get away with anything.

So here I am, ranting online because that's all I can do. Oh--and if any of youall wins the lottery or anything this week and wouldn't mind floating me a portion towards the StarvingWriteNow Fence Fund, I'd be ever so grateful. I'll even inscribe your name on a board!

Okay, rant off.