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Seattle, Washington

This REALLY pisses me off, for the second time I have had vandals. The first time someone stabbed my pumpkin 6 times, now someone thumped Bertha so hard it made a crater and caused her to crack from the top, down to the stem end. I had the neighbors help me move them to the back yard so they are out of sight. Unfortunatly in the move, Bertha's crack expanded so its deep, all the way to the cavity. Argggggg! !@#$$%%$#$#@@#^*&(&^&^%!!!!!!! At this point I don't care how much they weigh. ( Let me just say it took 6 people to move them. They felt pretty darn heavy.) All I care is that the surviving one is safe from vandalism. Now I will have the task of removing the seeds from Bertha and let her legacy live on next year.

10/6/2003 1:21:41 AM

[email protected]

That's a shame.

A friend & fellow grower has a security business (retired Police) & has had similar trouble. He was able to control this problem with creative placement of simple motion detectors with flood lights. About $25 from Home Depot or Walmart.

Might be worth a try.

Steve

10/6/2003 7:44:29 AM

Puyallup, WA

My heart goes out to you. It has to be a disturbed person who gets a "thrill" out of want-less destruction. They have no idea how hard you have worked to get your pumpkin to it's present size.

10/6/2003 10:53:23 AM

Monrovia,CA

I'm So sorry to hear about this happening again. Is there a way you can put a small temporary fence around the patch...like chicken wire and wood stakes? I did this around my ornamental corn and it kept three rambunctious collies out really well. Steve's idea of motion detector lights might be a good way to scare the little @#!!@@#'s off.

10/6/2003 11:05:16 AM

In addition to the motion sensor lights, you can also get an alarm, like those used across driveways, that requires no wiring, but will alert you inside the house when someone crosses a certain area.

Check out the links below:

http://www.1stopselfdefensesecuritystore.com/voicealert.htm

http://www.dakotaalert.com/driveway_accessories.html

http://www.allselfdefense.net/voicealert.htm

http://www.homesecuritystore.com/driveway_alarm.html?engine=adwords&keyword=wireless+driveway+alarm

Best of luck to you for the remaining pumpkin and for protection from vandals next season!

Michele

10/6/2003 2:58:20 PM

[email protected]

I like Michele's idea for noise. The motion detector we have trained on our patch takes 2 flood lamps. One bulb is removed since 1 bulb is enough. In the empty socket I have one of those screw-in plug adapters. Combined with the Boom-Box in my garage (left on with the volume blaring & set to a local metal station) is all it really takes in most cases.

Perhaps better than the readio though would be an audible fire alarm with blinking strobe. I have one & the appropriate transformer, but haven't the need to use it. Yet.

A few years ago a Raccoon was attacking our Koi pond which is no where near the garage mounted floods. I mounted another motion assembly to the back of a wooden deck chair & set it up right next to the pond. Light didn't seem to bother the Raccoon. But an old oscilating fan with a clothespin just touching the fan blade scared the bugger off for good.

Just be creative. Large angry dogs work well too.

Steve

10/6/2003 5:54:59 PM

Seattle, Washington

Thanks folks for the condolences, You can be sure that next season I will take action to protect them. As for the fence idea, I thought about that too, but one of my neighbors pointed out that a parking strip is city property, and the city of Seattle probably wouldn't appreciate a fence despite the good intentions.
Chele, I went to the security store web sight. That stuff is pretty cool!
My neighbors are the most wonderful people in the world! 6 of my neigbors came out to help me move the pumpkins. So actually it took 8 of us to move them. Im going to save some of the meat of the pumpkin by steaming it and freezing it, Im also going to make a pumpkin pie with it and give each a piece to my neighbor to say thank you for there totally awsome help! Its so nice to know you can still depend on your neigbors in a pinch. Heres a BIG thank you to: Bill, Eddie, Mike and Naho and there friend who stopped to help when she was driving by, Paula, and last but by no means least, my husband Tom.

10/7/2003 12:21:05 AM

Seattle, Washington

Opps, sorry Michele H, I appologize, I meant you when I was talking about the links to the security web sights.

10/7/2003 12:24:09 AM

Sequim, WA

I'd like to suggest a motion sensor light hooked up to an electric fence, and a couple strands of wire or tape with some plastic insulated posts. It shouldn't run you too much, and while the ground is wet, you can have the motion sensor set up so that it comes on when someone is at the fence. It will definately have some of those city boys wondering what the hell hit them. The transformers, posts, tape or wire can be picked up at any feed store and won't cost too much. Just plug it in to one of those screw in adaptors for light sockets. It might be fun to set up a camcorder on the patch as well. I've always like a sign too stating that Trespassers will be persecuted.

10/7/2003 12:26:54 AM

Arizona

That Sucks Jaba:(

I know we were talking about it in the chat room before.

Do you think this is the same Kid doing all of this?

Jeff

10/7/2003 12:33:04 AM

White Plains, NY

My sensor lights are back wired to my bedroom. As mentioned above you can use one socket to plug in an extension cord that goes to your bedroom. To back wire requires some electrical ability.

My intent is to know who is doing the criminal mischief and alerts me to animals doing damage. A deer hit in the rear with a pellet gun saves a lot of crop damage. I also know if anyone approaches the pool.

When the sensor light is activated so is the radio in my bedroom. This wakes me up and I can see who is involved. You can also use a motion activated lights and camera attached to your vcr recorder.

10/7/2003 9:36:31 AM

[email protected]

All the describes tactics would help. But if you cathc the dumb kid red handed on Halloween, you might be tempted to hurt him. Before we get that far, read this quote I found from a teenagers online diary. I'll include a link to the full page. While reading this I felt like I was 15 all over again & could actually smell the hormones oozing out of this kid as I squezzed his head in a vice in my colorful minds eye. LOL
_______CLIP______________________________________

Halloween came about. I dressed up in fishnet, sh*t like that. I basically went as Jay Gordon(the lead singer of Orgy). Something to that extent. I had a choker with a metal dog chain, and i allowed people to straddle my back and many pictures where taken. I got some candy, but my main purpose was smashing pumpkins. I say I got about 20 in a few hours, plus one squmpkin(squash + pumpkin). I coined that word at the time, if it wasnt real already. I went over to my dad's, although he has a head cold, and he stays by himself. I worry for him. He's so good to me, so relaxed with me, understanding. I really enjoy his company, even though he can get on my nerves sometimes, and I his, but we get along real well. That reminds me that my mom said, "Trey, what would you say if I got back together with your father?" I concluded that it would be a bad thing, and that they both would be unhappy. I guess it's a damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of situation. I hope that my dad gets well; he means a lot to me.
_____END CLIP____________________________________________

Poor kid. We wonder what's wrong. It's the parents in most cases.

http://www.ujournal.org/users/aperfectcircle/2002/11/03/

10/7/2003 10:07:40 AM

Oz

hooey,,,self disipline is just that.
i ran with a bad crowd when i was young and i had "home"
problems.
when my "friends" started to get stupid i left for other things.
im the only one of them who hasnt done time.

i also lived in a "mob" town...
where you learned that fools get treated like fools.
arrested fools fell down alot before booking.
and the "good ole amichi boys" got extras.
lots of extras!

not once did i destroy what was not mine.
i hear all this cra- about acting out and yada yada,,,

i was whipped once,,,and only once,,,,,
the sting i dont really remember.
the path you choose may be a one way.

i feel now like i felt then,,,got anger???tough!
suck it up and respect others untill they disrespect you!

give them pumpkin smashers a time out!
lol and they will steal your time!

steve,,i respect your compassion.
i was a volunteer youth counslor,,,
one kid had major loss,,but he had lots of brothers and sisters,,,
he chose to be a drug mule for some bikers,,and a enforcer,,at 16years old!
now he he is up for parole in ten years....

i do belive in forgivness.......for those who turn from thier path....
having a crappy home life isnt a real excuse for being a vandal,,,,there is no excuse!

10/7/2003 4:53:03 PM