Well the property with a dumpy cabin next to mine has finally sold and was to close on monday. Two single guys both with small kids. We've been doing a lot of visiting back and forth and the kids are so sweet! The forest was filled with laughing children. I was so looking forward to having people I really liked!

Bad bad news!!!! In todays paper headline news there was a drug bust (185 pot plants) and you guessed it MY NEW FRIENDS!!!! They had a rental that was a major indoor setup. Both arrested and both children in childs custody.

My God how can I be so blind!!! I had no idea. The only other guy I was getting close with was a terrible drunk who committed suicide by walking off into the snow during a storm.

This is so funny cause I must be a terrible judge of character....Kirk......

-- Anonymous, April 27, 2002

Answers

How could you possibly be a terrible judge of character, Kirk?? After all...we're your "online friends" and I know we're all a great bunch of people...right :-)??!!! Sometimes neighbors are over-rated!!

-- Anonymous, April 27, 2002

Hey Kirk......remind yourself that really nice people can make some pretty bad choices. I am sure these guys were like so many and never gave it a thought that it could happen to them. Just a nice way to make some money. Too bad about the kids though........I sure wish children didn't have to suffer for our bad choices. Mine sure did.

-- Anonymous, April 27, 2002

Nothing wrong with you Kirk, except that you're a nice, friendly guy!! People just seem to have this really unfortunate habit of pulling dumb stunts with their lives; I've done one or two in my time as well. There are a lot of my patients that I find likeable - most people have at least SOME redeeming qualities, after all; but I don't particularly want them living next door! Hugs to you, Buddy..

-- Anonymous, April 27, 2002

Ah Kirk! sorry to hear about this.Those little kids were probably so happy too, and hard to tell what is going to happen to them now! DArn!

Reminds me of the time when I was in my twentys and I had this real nice friend, then one day her husband and her got carted off to jail for growing a whole bunch of pot plants. I had been to their house a dozen times and had never seen any! I guess they were in to it big time , had plants all over their property and ended up going to prison for years! I have a hard time understanding this, when rapests and murderers get right out of jail.

Myself I think things are a bit unfair. But then no body ever asked me! Hey you know Kirk, You never know what good you do somebody, by a touch of kindness. And drunks and dopeheads are no less worthy of kindness then the grandest, purest, biggest somebody. And from what I have seen in life, when it comes right down to it, some of them are even better (in my book) people then the respected ones.

-- Anonymous, April 27, 2002

I think people who gravitate deep in the woods tend to have a lot of problems. We have the basic survivalists, hermits, dope growers, and dirt poor outcasts of all kinds. I seem to be able to get along with most everyone but I really liked those kids. Course your all right that I shouldn't judge. Heck yours truly was charged with assault when I was 18!! But then I didn't have 2 kids either.....Kirk

-- Anonymous, April 28, 2002

Kirk, the fact that they grew pot does not make them "bad" people, in my opinion, any more than making their own beer or wine.

I don't smoke "the herb", but I sure know a lot of folks who do. I would rather smoke it than drink, but it gives me a bad cough, and slows me up on my mountain bike, so I don't.

I CAN tell you that I know a whole lot of really fine people who do smoke it, and some of them grow it. NOt many, anymore, though. It used to be if you got caught growing it, you could get a $300 fine. Lots of folks figured it was worth the risk. Now, thought, you can not only go to jail, you can also lose your whole property under the "RICO" law. Only a fool grows it now, or someone who has nothing to lose.

My point, to make a long story longer, is that you didn't necessarily misjudge their character.

Hope you get some good new neighbors, and hope these guys get their life back together without doing time, or losing their kids.

-- Anonymous, May 01, 2002

I agree with all of the above, Kirk . . . people who have some problems don't go wear a jacket or sign with "Hi, I grow weed . . . need some?" on it, so you couldn't have known. And as Trendle mentioned, it really shouldn't. I mean, if they were civil and the kids were fun to be around, why should it? They were friendly to you, doesn't that make them okay? It is their fault they made a decision to grow it, they are adults, and they knew the penalties.

Sorry for the kids, though; I hope foster care will do a good job and find these kids a good family to raise them.

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2002