Weather, day lilies, and the police

Where is the sunny warm weather? I’m starving for decent temps and some nice warm rays I can bath my aching joints in! Not to mention, I have chickens I need to get in a chicken coop. Of course, I need to get the coop finished first, which means I need some decent weather! Wait, I’m dizzy. It feels like I’m running around on a hamster wheel.

I got a nice email for my friend (hi Wendy) to say she had left me some day lilies on my back porch. (Thanks!) I’m hoping I can get them into the ground this evening when I get home, and I’m really hoping I don’t to do it in a down pour! They should look lovely very soon when they bloom.

My cat is also panting to go outside. She has managed to get out a couple of times under the covered patio in back, but that is about as far as she is willing to venture in the rain. Of course if the rain is too hard, that just freaks her out and she has to run back in and hides under the bed. That’s my fearless kitty!

I am currently in a tug of war with my local police department over my volunteer status. After being approved for volunteer training, I have been suddenly denied with no explanation. To say the least I’m shocked and have asked for an explanation, and been told pretty much, -- tough noogies we don’t have to tell you anything. Since I have been background checked for employment and volunteer work in the past with police and schools, I’m quite taken aback by this development, and stunned by the hard line I’m coming up against. I was a crime prevention specialist for Portland for over 6 years for pity sake! I had a key that allowed me access to every building they occupied. I trained officers in various subjects involving community policing, and routinely sat in on mission and daily briefings. Now Vancouver has a problem accepting me, after I’d been approved?!!

My fear is that this has all arisen as the result of my recent resignation from the board of my neighborhood association, which I have not wanted to make a big deal over. One of the board members is a member of this program, and I think that person has, in some way thrown a wrench in this business. It is just a bit too coincidental that my sudden denial came just after my resignation. I can not let this matter go since there is a very good chance that I will need a background check from the police department in the future related to volunteer work or even future employment, and I can’t have an incident showing where I was denied. This means I may have to drag some issues out of the neighborhood closet I really didn’t want to have to drag out. I’m really hoping someone comes to their senses before this has to get really ugly, that would not do certain neighborhood board members, or the police department, any good.

More over, I really believe in the value and effectiveness of community policing. I have often wished that Vancouver had a program like this one. I have been very eager to recommend this program to people up to this point, but now I don’t think I can in good conscience do that anymore, and that really sucks! I will now have to warn people off, for fear they could end up in a similar situation. I hate this! I could just spit!!