Alas, I have the same problem, Helen, here in Saudi Aurora, just east of Denver. In fact, I was arrested and fined once because of my compost heap. For some reason, peppermint grows like a weed here, in fact it is so classified by our zoning people. Thee darned stuff got into my compost pile, and the neighbors complaied. As Keiva and the other attorneys here will tell you, the doctrine of non compost mintis is not to be messed with.
Not a word of truth in the foregoing, of course, but I can never resist the opportunity to let off a good one, so to speak.
This though, is true. Some years ago the wind broke the gate on my back-yard fence, allowing my two chow dogs to escape. Because of their mains, they were called Signon the Dotty Lion and Tearon the Dotty Lion. Anyway, I was cited for having dogs running loose, a citation that required a court appearance.
The judge asked me how I plead, and I said, "Laches."
He looked at me blankly. "Laches?"
"Yes, your honor, the laches of de fense were broken."
There was a long silence, punctuated by a snicker or two from the attorneys in the courtroom. Finally, the judge smiled and said, "Mr. Remington, anyone who can make a great pun like that is free to leave my courtroom NOW. Case dismissed. And come have a cup of coffee with me when you can so I can tell you a couple of my own."
He later told me that he was very close to citing me for contempt of court, but his conscience wouldn't let him. We're still friends.
Whatever happened to Father Steve, by the way?
