I tell you, I have had it with trying to help people. We are having an exceptionally hot summer with temperatures already in the high 90's. We have had little rain and the wind has blown constantly.

Directly across from my back yard lives a little old lady who is 90 years old. Her yard is nearly barren of grass. So, out of the goodness of my heart, I fertilized it, put weed killer on it and started watering it for her.

All she can do is bitch. She has a big crabapple tree that was dying from heat stress. Leaves were falling off it as though it were fall. I began to water it; consequently, it has stopped shedding leaves, now looking much better.

A lady who previously lived here set iris around it and several other trees. They won't bloom because the tree saps all the nutrients away from them.

At any rate, the wind has whipped all the irises to pieces, causing them to fall. But Dessie is convinced that hers are falling over because I am watering the tree. Today, I asked her, "Dessie, which do you want to save--the iris or the tree?

Then, she started complaining that her yard was always muddy. "If you want grass, we have to keep it wet," I replied.

Next, she said "Well, that water is running down in that low place and standing. I'm afraid it is going to start breeding mosquitos." NO WATER is standing anywhere! It is too hot and dry.

Finally, she complained because my hose leaks a little getting some mud on the sidewalk.

Her next comeback was, "I'm afraid it is washing away all the soil." I am using a sprinkler. No soil is washing away!

Finally, in exasperation, I said, "Dessie, you are just going to have to trust me. I know what I am doing. If you will just let me, you will have a beautiful lawn by the end of the summer."

What's a person to do? I try to do a good deed and this is what I get?

I can't win for losing.