Wasn't the Spring

You'd suspect that tall yellow-green weeds in front of a boarded-up house indicates an extended period of neglect, and in most cases, you'd be right. So let's analyze those cases when you'd be right, ok? You call up the town commissioner's office to ask about the property, and they tell you "nothing's been reported." You call up other local authorities, and they tell you, "haven't had any problems." So you walk to the library and check the newspapers for natural disasters in the past year and all the papers say is "..." (See #1 below.) Alas, nothing about any natural disasters, including epidemics, I forgot to mention that you'd look into epidemics in addition.

So it's looking more and more likely that your original suspicion was correct. You double back to the house because this is a blog and there's no time to walk. And as you approach it, you notice that nothing about the house has changed, it's still boarded up and lots of weeds remain in the front yard. The sun is setting because of all you've done today and because there needs to be some kind of trigger for the surreal events that follow:

A small red ribbon blows [like a tantrum]. Then it lands near your foot. You bend over for the ribbon but it swings all the way to the left [of you] and so you pivot a little and go to grab it on the left. You know you're getting old when you bend over to pick up a magic ribbon and wonder, "what else can I do while I'm down here?" Oh yeah it's a magic ribbon, forgot to mention that, just figured you'd have another one of your well-educated suspicions. Who has AIDS? The magic ribbon is sticky on one side.

There you are - supporting a guardian angel and a devil's advocate on each shoulder standing in front of a boarded-up house that's almost certainly been subject to long-term neglect, having spent a good part of the day researching that very issue, and holding a magic red ribbon.

The angel says, "do the right thing," and the devil does a spinny motion with his fingers and the ribbon becomes translucent and tape-like. He expands it over your eyes and nostrils and ear canals and tongue and fingertips and says, "Do you think this cape goes with these boots?" And you say, "sure, you're the devil and things look appropriately hellish." The devil says, "Have you ever heard of salvation?" And you respond, "Ha, well of course I've heard of it but there's not much to say." The devil replies that you are completely incorrect about the cape, boots, and salvation. So you look at the house in front of you and it still looks boarded up. Then, the reality (See #2 Below) slithers into your mind: there might be malnourishment going on in the house, the government may be making some kind of statement, there could be a class action lawsuit against the proprietors, current or previous, of the residence - The devil has black hair.

There is no resolution because it's not spring yet.

#1 - Newspapers sure say a lot when you request historical information.
#2 - Remember that your senses have been cloaked in the devil's Scotch red tape!