Sunday, December 21, 2008

Fire Hydrant


I never used to pay much attention to the fire hydrant in our yard.  It was just there.  This photo was taken 5/3/08.  The circle bed in the front in the pic had mostly orange, red, and yellow flowers.  This is the bed that was expanded to make the big one with the black fence the first week of June.


Here's a close up of the fire hydrant from 5/20.


Two days later, what happened to the lovely chippy red?   Also, what happened to my crocosmia plant near the curb?  It looked like someone dug it right out, but I was glad a little baby plant was left.  I was so irritated because I share plants all the time, but to think someone would just help themselves was upsetting to me.


I just had a fit!  Ugly, ugly, ugly, was what I kept saying, and Larry kept saying how much he liked the color.  We would see more hydrants pop up with that color here and there, and whoever noticed first would proclaim their glee or gloom over them.


In early July,  I'm not sure what date, because it didn't get recorded with these pics, a crew of 3 guys came around while I was outside, parked right in front of my flower bed, and proceeded to tromp on my flowers and drag the paint hose over them.  I was friendly, and all excited when I told them I didn't realize that was primer they had put on it!   I sat on the front porch to watch the event.  

When I saw a guy standing where the crocosmia had been, I then understood its fate, and that it wasn't growing in someone else's yard somewhere.  I went over and politely pointed out the baby plant, and asked him to stand on the stone path that was less than 6 inches from where he was standing.  I could tell he wasn't thrilled about my request, but he complied.  They also bent down my Johnson Blue geraniums by the curb, but didn't kill them.

We just tilled the area behind it, near the corner the first week of June, and it needs some more plants. Maybe I should get some reds in there.


Heidi didn't seem to have an opinion on the paint color.  Larry was disappointed the other color was only primer, and they painted over it.  I liked it better the way it was before, chippy and faded, but have gotten used to it. 


After the guys left, I called the city to say that I realize it's their property, and my flowers may have made it inconvenient for the painters, but they could have parked on the other side of the corner, or at least have been more careful to step on the obvious path that was right next to where the guy was stepping.  I told her the crocosmia story.  The woman agreed with me, and told me it was a private company, but she would let them know.  At first she was thinking I wanted compensation, and was going to get information from me to go forward with that, but I told her I just want them to be more respectful of living things, and not step on other peoples' flowers or drag their hoses on them.

And there you have it, the story of the painting of the fire hydrant, 2008!

21 comments:

  1. Your dog is so cute! No wonder SHE isn't interested in the fire hydrant. :-)
    Cameron

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  2. I agree with you, I liked the fire hydrant the way it was at first. They probably needed to keep it visible for emergencies:( You have a lovely assortment in your garden and in many ways that fire hydrant adds character to the area. Like Cameron, I guess if SHE were a HE there might be a bit more interest by your doggie!! Jan

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  3. Faded and full of character is my preference too, but I daresay it will soon fade again! What a dramatic tale all round.
    I promise to find a boring Scottish water hydrant to post soon!

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  4. Crumbs that is a siren red! I hate it when workmen don't take care - I had the same problem with an Acer a couple of months ago. If they don't take care with people's property, what care do they take with their job?

    I love your wintry header picture - it makes me want to come on in and snuggle by the fire.

    Thanks for stopping by on Blooms Day, it was great to have you come and visit :)

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  5. Hi Cameron, Jan, and Linda,
    I think there could be another meme in the works, "Show us your Fire Hydrants".

    Linda, if you do post any from your area soon, I would love to edit my post here to put a link to yours.

    Funny dog comments, ladies!

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  6. Hi Sue,
    Glad you dropped by. Yes indeed I just returned from US, Alabama to be exact, which explains my recent postings. Even at the Gulf coast, it was way too cold for me...brrr.

    Have a blessed Christmas !

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  7. I would have been a little ticked myself! You handled the situation gracefully! The red will soon be faded and chipped, just hang on a little while.

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  8. I actually like it all bright and shiny new. Just like a whimsical element. Where I live I would love a fire hydrant in my yard. Since we are kind of out in the country insurance is high not having a fire hydrant close by. I do hope the guys take better care and can't believe they didn't. Here they are pretty good about watching for the plants.

    I used to have an issue (or so I thought) with the meter reader trampling my rhododendrons out back when he read the electric meter. I even went so far as to leave a note to please be gentle with stepping. Then I discovered BJ was actually eating the shrubs. Boy did I feel silly. I quickly fenced the area and never complained to the meter reader again.

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  9. Oh boy, that must have drove you crazy. I understand it has to visible from the street but NOT from your house...maybe a shrub would be more durable than flowers.
    Just a thought. Best Wishes.

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  10. We don't have a fire hydrant. We live in the country. The water has to come on a fire truck (tanker) -- I'd have to go find one to photo and write about.

    Cameron

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  11. a perfect stoty for Ruby Tuesday; I like it Red. It's funny.
    I regret they step on your plants.

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  12. your dog looks like she likes the new colour to me. she seems to like sitting by the very red hydrant.
    one of my sons used to call them water pumpkins.

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  13. Hort Log,
    Thanks for stopping by my cold part of the world.

    Darla,
    Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, it will fade with time. Oh, and I moved the baby plant to my new bed. I hope it comes back in the spring, as it didn't grow much in the summer.

    Tina,
    I'm glad I have gotten used to the bright red. That is a humorous story about you blaming the meter reader for something your dog did.

    Patsi,
    I'm a flower person, and don't do well taking care of bushes or trees. I think I'm going to accept the hydrant as a garden ornament. :o)

    Cameron,
    I'll wait right here, if you want to go find a hydrant to photograph. :o)

    Catherine,
    I have seen Ruby Tuesday posts, but didn't take the time to see who started them. Yes, I do laugh about it now, even though I was not pleased when I thought the primer color was what they were changing it to, and not so happy about my plants getting stepped on. I was able to find a new crocosmia, which I forgot to mention, and it did quite well, away from the curb.

    Marmee,
    Do you think Heidi prefers the new color? I know she loves being out front and watching everything that goes on. She is only allowed there when we are with her, as she would not stay in the yard.

    Merry Christmas!

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  14. I like the shiny new red too! It will fade soon enough. Any shade is better than the dungeon gray primer.

    As far as workers trampling your plants: Sister, I feel your pain. I've had so many plants tromped on and even driven over, but they usually bounce back without a problem.

    Have a Merry Christmas!

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  15. There is a nice contrast between your Lab and the fire hydrant. It certainly screams "fire hydrant" now doesn't it? But, soon, it will probably become a bit faded and quieter. I think it was funny that she thought you wanted money. I guess that's what most people ask for when they call. I loved your sentiment about being respectful of living things.~~Dee

    I'm not the Diva. It's my daughter, but openid won't let me put my name. It's Dee from RDR.

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  16. What a startling red fire hydrant! I can see that you would be disgruntled over the city guys tromping your plants ... no respect for living things!!

    Thanks for visiting my blog(s). You must have come to me via Blossom. She lives only an hour north of where I live but I have never met her, at least not yet.

    I am 54 and have only been married 4.5 years. We married when my husband retired at 55 from being a weather forecaster. I got to retire too. Yippee. I did payroll and benefits for a 150 bed extended care hospital.

    We are trying to chip away at the grass too as I want to grow as many vegetables for our own use as our northern climate will allow. Our back yard is left for God to tend ... totally wild. We border on a green belt so it all melds together.

    That's about it in a nutshell!

    TTFN ...

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  17. Oh, we moved north after retirement ... we both used to live in the Vancouver area.

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  18. Sad that people don't think much about plants. It take a few minutes to paint a hydrant, but months to get the plants to recover--If they survive at all! Glad you did your part to raise their consciousness!

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  19. I liked the way it was at first the best.
    First I was just checking the photos, and as they were going I was horrified by the "grey look". Then I calmed down seeing the "red one".
    And people definitely should mind where they step.

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  20. Well, we had a good Christmas. Our grandson will be a year old a week from today, and he is such a social guy! It was fun watching him enjoy himself so.

    I can't remember if I visited everyone's blogs who left comments here.

    Dee, I remember finding a site on gluten free cooking, but couldn't tell if it was you or your daughter who can't eat gluten? That red looked kind of nice in the snow. I don't remember if I got any pics, though.

    Cicero, Thanks for telling about yourself. I think it's cool that you're married to a weather forecaster, even if he is retired. It's even cooler that you are retired. I love my job, but there are days in the spring and fall when I just want to be in the garden.

    Lost, Most people don't think of plants as being living things. Also, they seem to overlook the beauty of a flower bed. Just today, I took several pieces of trash out of one of the flower beds I tend at church.

    Namnet, I was horrified by the grey look, too. I like the way it was at first better, but it looks better to me shiny red than that grey.

    Thanks for all the sympathy for my plant that got tramped out of its spot.

    Happy New Year!
    Sue

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  21. So the fire hydrant "Tale" has begun on this blog... Interesting ;)

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