Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2004
- Messages
- 36,452
I have a large back yard with decks, a party tent, my workshops, and a work tent with sides on it. The house and lots go from the end of the street in front to the end of the cul-de-sac in the back. It is a long double lot that no one sees unless they come there, since I am past the other houses. Stuff sits outside and there has never been a problem. Thursday evening I went out to the shop to do some work and noticed my outside stool was sitting in front of the shop door. That was odd, because I lock the door when leaving, and the stool would have been in the way (as well as I would have never put the stool there). I worried that some homeless kid might have spent the night out in the work tent to get out of the rain, or something. I didn't like that thought, but didn't let it bother me too much. I had a party last weekend and the big beer cooler on the deck ( converted stainless steel sandwich prep table) was still filled with iced beer. I checked it and everything was OK. I went on in and gave it no more thought.
This morning I was outside and looked back at the decks and thought "What's different??" I realized the large Tommy Bahama cooler with the sodas and water bottles was gone. I had set it down on the deck edge, off its rolling base, to drain the water so I could pack away the sodas. It would have taken two good size guys to carry it.
I started looking around, and realized that the mosquito trap out by the shop was gone, too. Then I saw that the extension cord and its roll-up reel were gone ( it went to the trap). I went back into the shop tent where the stool had been moved and after looking all around, realized the Echo-Pro back pack blower I blow everything off with was gone. It had been sitting on the stool after I blew everything off for last weekends party. More exploration and looking for what didn't look the same showed that four blue Quad-fold canvas chairs were gone ( the red ones were still there). It had to be some teens or young adults stealing the stuff for their backyard hideaway. They must have driven a truck up the back and loaded things either during the day or at night. I think the blower was an afterthought as they went past it when unplugging the cord to the trap. Many much more expensive things were untouched, no bins were opened to see what was in them, no tools were taken, and there was no attempt to enter any of the buildings, the forge, or the house. There was several thousand dollars in yard tools, chainsaws, weedeaters, etc. sitting in the unlocked tractor shed only ten feet from where they took the mosquito trap.
I won't let some a$$holes ruin my day. Maybe the police will catch them and I'll get my stuff back, but not likely.
I will add some more security lights and will go ahead and put a fence and locked gate on the back entrance from the cul-de-sac. I may put a set of security camera out back, too.
This morning I was outside and looked back at the decks and thought "What's different??" I realized the large Tommy Bahama cooler with the sodas and water bottles was gone. I had set it down on the deck edge, off its rolling base, to drain the water so I could pack away the sodas. It would have taken two good size guys to carry it.
I started looking around, and realized that the mosquito trap out by the shop was gone, too. Then I saw that the extension cord and its roll-up reel were gone ( it went to the trap). I went back into the shop tent where the stool had been moved and after looking all around, realized the Echo-Pro back pack blower I blow everything off with was gone. It had been sitting on the stool after I blew everything off for last weekends party. More exploration and looking for what didn't look the same showed that four blue Quad-fold canvas chairs were gone ( the red ones were still there). It had to be some teens or young adults stealing the stuff for their backyard hideaway. They must have driven a truck up the back and loaded things either during the day or at night. I think the blower was an afterthought as they went past it when unplugging the cord to the trap. Many much more expensive things were untouched, no bins were opened to see what was in them, no tools were taken, and there was no attempt to enter any of the buildings, the forge, or the house. There was several thousand dollars in yard tools, chainsaws, weedeaters, etc. sitting in the unlocked tractor shed only ten feet from where they took the mosquito trap.
I won't let some a$$holes ruin my day. Maybe the police will catch them and I'll get my stuff back, but not likely.
I will add some more security lights and will go ahead and put a fence and locked gate on the back entrance from the cul-de-sac. I may put a set of security camera out back, too.
