over windows； weeds sticking out all over the place；
and a barnyard's worth of animals running wild。 I'm talking dogs； cats； chickens； even snakes。
I swear to God； her brothers have a boa constrictor in
their room。 They dragged me in there when I was about ten and made me watch it eat a rat。
A live； beady…eyed rat。 They held that rodent up by its
tail and gulp； the boa swallowed it whole。 That snake gave me nightmares for a month。
Anyway； normally I wouldn't care about someone's yard； but the Bakers' mess bugged my
dad big…time； and he channeled his frustration into our
yard。 He said it was our neighborly duty to show them what a yard's supposed to look like。
So while Mike and Matt are busy plumping up their boa；
I'm having to mow and edge our yard； then sweep the walkways and gutter； which is going a
little overboard； if you ask me。
And you'd think Juli's dad—who's a big； strong； bricklaying dude — would fix the place up；
but no。 According to my mom； he spends all his free
time painting。 His landscapes don't seem like anything special to me； but judging by his price
tags； he thinks quite a lot of them。 We see them every
year at the Mayfield County Fair； and my parents always say the same thing： “The world
would have more beauty in it if he'd fix up the yard instead。”
Mom and Juli's mom do talk some。 I think my mom feels sorry for Mrs。 Baker — she says
she married a dreamer； and because of that； one of the
two of them will always be unhappy。
Whatever。 Maybe Juli's aesthetic sensibilities have been permanently screwed up by her
father and none of this is her fault； but Juli has always
thought that that sycamo