Editor:
Don't think omelette, or over-easy or even huevos revueltos con jamon. Think small groups of teens and 20-somethings cruising the streets of Gibsons late at night decorating random homes with Grade A extra large in the shell. White seems more popular than brown: no sense paying extra for shell colour unless they're soft-boiled (which these definitely aren't). Apparently, testing one's throwing skills this way is more gratifying than tossing balls at Brothers Park.
The recipe for dealing with these beauties - about two hours' gentle scrubbing. Scrubbing too hard removes the house paint; so much patience is required. And that's if you're lucky enough to get to it before the sun has time to bake it on really well. Skylights and window trim are a little more tricky. But with the practice of about four years' worth of this nonsense, I'm getting pretty good at it.
These vandals are not young children who might be forgiven for not knowing better. They are old enough to drive cars. They are old enough to realize both the stupidity of their actions and the angst they cause to the homeowners lucky enough to receive their artistic touch. And they are certainly old enough to wash and re-paint the homes they damage. Unfortunately, catching them is proving the most difficult part of the recipe.
Is this random? Am I a target? Are there other Gibsons homeowners affected? These are all questions the RCMP asked when I called to report the latest incident.
I confess I do not know the answers. If you are a victim of this senseless nonsense, please call the RCMP and advise them. Maybe a pattern will develop, or the vandals will be warned off. Until then, I'll be pulling a few night shifts on guard duty.
André Sobolewski
Gibsons
