I'm not doing anything with anybody else tonight, so I thought I'd write about Carlsbad some more, since I am irked yet again with this town.
The City of Carlsbad has launched a volley at my horticultural dishabille. I got cited for weeds this week, via a notice dated the 28th of this month.
This is the code I have violated:
Growth or Accumulation Lots
It shall be unlawful for any owner having charge or control of any lot within the city to permit or maintain on any such lot, including the area located between the property line and the middle of the alley adjacent to the property, and the area located between the property line and the curb, and the area located ten feet outside the property line where there is no curb, any growth of weeds to a greater height than 12 inches, or any accumulation of weeds.
This is what will happen if I don't obey:
The Required Corrective action stipulated above must be initiated immediately and be completely mitigated no later than the Compliance Date. The failure to comply.
..(etc) meaning they can file a claim of lien against the property sufficient for them to hire people to come and inflict upon my poor yard and its vegetative inhabitants; whatever they deem appropriate.
Or they can fine me $500 or send me to jail for 90 days, depending. I have until January 13th to "comply."
What have I done, to merit such stern measures? Well, I have a few smallish mulch piles (which I have drip hoses over, to compost them). I still hadn't cleared all the morning glory vines off the fences. I have now.
I did cut the easement down to easily under twelve inches, a few months ago. I haven't finished clearing all the Bermuda runners off the concrete walks.
I have about a fifth of an acre of land to deal with here, not counting the houses, and counting the easement, which I don't own, of course, and have no rights over, just obligations. There is a lot of easement.
What else are my fails? Well, some light work needed along the chain link fence. I almost finished that today.
And the cow's tongue Opuntia prickly pear had gotten a bit out of hand; I have that planted outside several of the windows of this house in which I am typing, because they are vulnerable windows, and I am a 53 year old woman living alone. I've started in hacking that down and cutting out the Bermuda grass. The cow's tongue will grow back, it's very well established. I'm trying to prune it up so I can get at the grass. I should have gotten to that sooner, true. But I got a quarter of that task done in a few hours. We're not talking acres here.
Let's see, what else? Well, not much. I pretty much have - and had - the rest of the yard under control; some weeds here and there in the middle. Not too bad, not really at all.
So what exactly have I done here that merits threatening me with three months in jail?
Yeah Carlsbad; you want to threaten to fine my ass for your having to pay for people to...what, come around and haul off my little mulch piles? Pick the dead morning glory vines off of my fence? Whatever.
I have every intention of doing this work, because it's what I wanted to do anyway.
But three months in jail?
Fuck you, Carlsbad, New Mexico.