Vines, and Two-legged Pests, are Invading My Chacala Garden

I haven't been in a very gardening mood lately. I love Chacala's year-around gardening climate, but sometimes it gets sort of old. And now that I have a "high-speed" internet connection at my place, I would rather read gardening blogs. Or take care of rental reservations for some of my neighbors, or swim, or visit somebody. Anything but gardening.

I guess that's downside of being able to garden year-around. I seem to kind of lose interest off and on. But yesterday I found my tennis shoes, which were packed away in a suitcase I store in my neighbor's bodega.And with my feet more protected than when I am just wearing sandals, I waded out into the knee-deep vines that are taking over the north end of the garden area. For now at least, I can see individual plants, rather than a sea of green vine leaves.The are two kinds of vines I have noticed so far. A morning glory type vine. And then a very aggressive vine with a thick runner that roots every foot or so. I think it can group 4 feet or more in a day. But the nice strong tendrils make it easy to pull up 15 or 20 feet at a time.

Before cleaning the vines in this section,
you couldn't see the boulders, let alone the plants.

I went back down this morning, all dressed up in tennis shoes, to do battle with the vines again.
I had been pulling vines for a few minutes, quickly clearing a large area, when I noticed a distinctive order. The smell of human excrement, and urine.

That's when I discovered my landlady's husband (E) had rented the downstairs room sometime during the night. My new neighbors are of gang of four young baby hoodlums. My first clue to their existence, besides the smell, was a small car parked half-way into the water ditch. Surrounded by empty beer cans.

These healthy young spoiled brats had used up the 55 gallon drum of water for flushing the toilet in maybe four hours. And were using the garden relieve themselves.

I decided to skip my gardening chores until after at least two heavy heavy rainstorms have passed over Chacala. I refilled the 55 gallon drum and came back upstairs to lose myself on the internet, and let my frustration with my landlady's husband fade away.Whatever. On the upside, one of the Crinium's is blooming again. I think it bloomed about six months ago. Amazing plant, wonderful blossom. And the jasmine vine I am training on a "trellis' over the walkway is blooming. I am guessing the slight cooling off is encouraging blossoms, but who knows?