Well I'm going to struggle with my three good things today because my attached neighbour was burgled today. I heard (and Monty barked) a few odd bangs at around 3pm and I looked outside to see if something else had fallen over in the wind (various bits of garden furniture having already gone). I also went upstairs and checked that all the windows were closed as I thought a door was banging but I can't believe that I missed 'hosepipe on a reel' being put straight through the patio window next door. The police say he was targeted because 'They go for the vulnerable and elderly' - nice. It seems they watched his daughter taking him out and then broke in. It makes me really angry - nothing stolen except his peace of mind.
Three good things:
1. Policemen
2. Nice Skype call with Rachel (which allows me to give the police an accurate time!)
3. A trip to my friend Jenna's for a crisis meeting on hockey competition plans (sorted before I got there - she's efficient :0)) and an opportunity to photograph her fantastic hellebore collection. They mostly point down which means I was tucking the camera underneath and hoping - probably should have been further away really!
This is quite different for you Judith but I like it = very nice. Shame about your neighbour. Do you have Neighbourhood Watch in your area? We take note of all strange vehicles in our village and send them to the Safer Neighbourhood Team and they do investigate because I have spotted some lads hanging round in cars up the lane and I think they may be drug dealing. We are trying to get CCTV in the village and i'm trying to access some funding for it
Lovely hellebore shot. All I can say is well done for managing to come up for three good things, because when things like that happen it is very difficult to focus on the good things. Poor man, he must be so unsettled by it all
hmm sounds similar to what happened to me a couple of years ago - except they took my laptop... and Poppy was traumatised. Horrible people. Its a good job there are nice things in the world which almost certainly includes these lovely hellebores.
@rosiekind No we don't have it any more - loads of people work at home in our area though - for all the good we do. There is no parking on the road (except police apparently!) - he must have been on foot and unfortunately you'd be at it all day reporting undesirables walking past as there are hostels for drug addicts and some quite rough social housing nearby (amongst very respectable social housing!). We do seem to have sorted out the prostitution issues though as the very nice housing estate nearby with lots of elderly residents and a primary school refused to give in despite the police saying that the girls couldn't be moved on 'because they will be at greater risk'!
I love that you are mindful of the positives during such a negative experience. I am so sorry for you neighbor, some people really are just too cruel. A very lovely photo, tho :-)
Simply lovely, a super shot of this very pretty hellebore. I really love these plants, they are quietly stunning. So sorry to hear about your poor neighbour, horrid thing to happen.
Oh, how terrible for your neighbor (and you). My mother has an alarm system and I'm glad for that. It even went off because she was shouting while watching a ball game! (I see that as a good thing)
Your hellebore shot is beautiful, the farther one is perfectly sharp so I would have thought the focus difference was your intention :) @jankoos has (and encounters) a lot of the newer hybrids which all seem to face up!
Gorgeous shot but oh, what a horrible thing to happen. It makes me so angry that anybody feels they have the right to violate people in this way! I hope your neighbour recovers really quickly xx
Such beautiful flowers. I must plant these this year. As a victim of many many burglaries, I know how violating they are. To focus on the elderly and vulnerable is pathetic I understand your anger.
Beautiful flowers, so sorry about the break in. Even though it wasn't your place, it's still unnerving, isn't it? I hate when houses in my neighborhood are burgled, it makes me more jumpy when I hear things.
That was a bit too close for home, even worse for your neighbor! Hope they're OK. Pretty flower shot. Quite an unusual flower, or maybe I just don't know many!!!
Lovely muted tones Judith. Sorry to hear about your neighbour. These things can have terrible knock on effects. A colleague of mine in Criminal Investigations was subject of a burglary recently. They smashed his window and took his car keys. He is a big burley bloke but even so, he was telling me that he is unable to sleep at night because he is worried they might come back. If it affected him like this it must be a lot more worrying for a vulnerable older person. I hope your neighbour is ok.
Haha - had exactly the same subject for a shot today. Great minds must think alike. Love Hellebores and this seems to be a good year for them. I put my camera on the ground pointed upwards and hoped that the focus was right. Awful news about your neighbour. A similar thing happened a few years ago to our 80+ neighbour from 2 houses away. The police caught the $£*@bag when he tried to do it again a few weeks later.
Oh, I love the detail you captured on the one on the right especially. What a bummer re your neighbor. I notice that as Jim turned 70 and I 69, the number of phone calls trying to sell us something that no one in their right mind would want has increased...another way of taking advantage of old people
Beautiful composition and color. Terrible about your neighbor. I hate the mindset of people who prey on the vulnerable. Thank goodness he wasn't at home and hurt by the invaders but even so he must be traumatized by the experience.
How traumatic for your neighbour and you....i think one of the worst things is knowing that someone is sizing up the house and watching your every move, horrible. Vivian's stepdaughter was burgled last month, she popped out they were in and out in 10 minutes and took as much jewellery as they could carry.....scum. Love the hellebores! after all that!
Nice pic but your poor neighbour. A (heavily pregnant) friend of ours was mugged a month or so back whilst out with her two year old. The police said something similar to her - they actively go for people with kids because they're distracted/more vulnerable. Nice.
@ruthmouch It's a sort of metal and plastic frame that you wind a hosepipe up on for storage - they had picked it up and smashed it right through his patio door.
They are very pretty indeed. Burgling the elderly and weak makes me sick. When I was about a year old my mother nearly had her handbag ripped of her shoulders by a burglar on a bike while she was pushing me in the pram and my brother sitting on top (they used to have boards for that purpose). My brother nearly fell out of the pram and my mother nearly had a heart attack. Who would do something like that???
Oh poor man, what a very frightening & unsettling thing to happen! You're right these devils just seem to know the old & vulnerable never caring they might never feel safe in their own four walls again. i do hope he gets his confidence back & I'm sure you are a very caring neighbour too.
Lovely Hellebore, pretty colour & stripes.
Sad story with your neighbour. Beautiful flowers. I have a white hellebore that is blooming for the first time (had it last year) and I even didn't take a picture of the flowers!
Gorgeous flower capture. Sorry about your neighbor but good that no one was home, no one injured, no vandalism. But sad that he will likely not feel safe for some time.
March 15th, 2013
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
The worst is every noise you'll hear now 'might be a burgler'. Drove me mad. Poor man.
And I'm so sorry for your neighbor. What is wrong with people?
Your hellebore shot is beautiful, the farther one is perfectly sharp so I would have thought the focus difference was your intention :) @jankoos has (and encounters) a lot of the newer hybrids which all seem to face up!
Lovely Hellebore, pretty colour & stripes.