The Hatfields and the McCoys

So the biggest downside (and my biggest fear) of moving into town almost two years ago has been dealing with neighbors.  On one side are my "good" neighbors; an elderly couple who are nice, social, but not buttinsky into my business!!  The other side is a couple with two kids plus one.  (the one is a son from the Dad's former marriage so he is not there every day).  The couple have never talked to me EVER in almost two years.  Maybe a wave or two but that's it.  Keeping in mind that I am in the yard, walking Jones, etc and nothing.

Well, the oldest boy is the one who bugged me to death after I first moved in ringing the doorbell and running away.  I think I got that stopped.

But I still hate how they treat my yard as if it is their own.  Cutting thru the back yard to the street (including the Dad), playing ball in their front yard with a run-over into mine, etc.  O have always found their stuff in my yard (baseball mitts, action figures, etc) but I usually just toss in their yard.  But after finding this stuck up in my tree....after having watched them use it like a basketball and the tree like a hoop....
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I decided to start collecting items. In the month I collected two big balls (one of which was lodged in a tree 20 feet up in the air and I had to use an extension pole to get it down. And then this collection of plastic animals left in my front yard by the little girl and her friend!!!  No, I am not kidding.

Also a total of seven wiffle balls found all over the place...just in the month of May.

I waited and waited for the kids to say something, they never did.  I finally asked the little girls if she wanted her toy animals back and she said "I'm too busy right now."  So I put all of it by their fence (which they use as a pitching net) and about ten minutes later left for one of the boy's ballgames.  When they came back (I was working at making a garden patch) they saw them and eventually the little girl came over to thank me.
However less than 24 hours later, I have found a wiffle ball in my yard and the parents have still not bothered to ask me what's going on.  The kids played wiffle ball sometimes using a big plastic ball...last night even with my sprinkler going off the entire time.

Tonight, after watching them (while I was in the hot tub) use my tree as third base, then later found torn off leaves and little branches (twigs but still...) I told them "NO MORE!"  "THE TREE IS NO LONGER THIRD BASE SINCE THEY COULDN'T STOP TEARING LEAVES OFF!"  I was calm but was waving my hand full of stuff at them. The brother and sister said okay, then went into their garage and closed the door.  The older boy's friend (who lives two doors down)...ran off down the street.  Oh, and I should note I had gotten out of the hot tub, dressed, and was taking Jones for a walk..I'd hate for you all to think I confronted them in a bathing suit!!!  hahahaha

We'll see what happens.  It helps that my good neighbors told me those kids have always felt they could do what they want.  No boundaries established by their parents.   I can hardly wait for their teen age years!!!!