Summer 2015 July 23 Thursday

82 degrees this morning, Walk 42:08 minutes

The breeze is back this morning, which is really nice.  As long as it doesn't  develop into aa full wind.  

The breeze is too high to read the newspaper, but is perfect for the computer since it is a cooling breeze and keeps the bugs from me.  

Thinking about our use of natural resources.  My sprinkler is running this morning, at least partly.

Cox cable, in all its’ wisdom, cut the sprinkler system in three places.  Complete arrogance and irresponsibility is only  a minor way of describing it.  

However, again, I have to wonder about using a scarce resource to merely make grass or flowers that don’t want to grow in the summer, grow. 

Every tree, and I mean every tree, was destroyed when building this subdivision and now we are wasting water to keep the grass green?  If the trees had been left, (at least where possible), it would have been much cooler and not near as much water would be wasted on grass and replanting scrawny  little trees that are  going to die anyway.

I read in the paper yesterday about “yard management” practices which utilize natural plants and landscaping to minimize the use of water and I’m gong to check into that.  

I am preparing a speech for Toastmasters describing the “commercial/developer/builder complex in this city and how the residents are ignored.  Some of the items I will emphasize are:

-Home Owner Associations paying for services that should be public services

-Lack of screening between commercial and residential areas (I have seen some real horrot stories here, almost criminal negligence  in allowing commercial buildings right next to existing residential with absolutely no screening)

-Lack of connectivity, bike paths and walking paths

-Lack of screening of commercial/industrial areas

-Lack of adequate recycling 

-Lack of enforcement of drainage and erosion control regulations 

-Balkanization of neighborhoods by these policies leading to unequal services and “instant slums” of new houses when the HOA’s go bankrupt or have so many expense that residents can’t pay the fees.

I can go over 1/2 mile (to the city to the east) and find all of these.  Of course, I would pay about 50% (literally) more for the very same house.  May have been worth it.

I don’t know if I will ever give the speech to the city but at least I can practice it and it will help me organize my thoughts on the matter.  

Busy day yesterday “in the field”.  One of those days when I was able to be very productive, almost everyone I needed to see was there and cooperative!  Probably was able to knock off about 14 task items.  

Planning on spending another day in the field and then spend tomorrow catching up on paperwork again. 

That’s it for now, Thursday, (where did the week do?), July 23, 2015.