The Boondocks blog, No. 43 for the week starting October 22, 2007.
Tuesday
Wednesday
The Wildfires and Evacuating Ranches
Should You Winterize Your Lawn?
Thursday
Banning Packers Ownership of Cattle
Energy looks at high energy prices and our future.
Enviroman looks at man and the environment.
Hayseeds looks at politics and life in our nation.
Individual looks at myself and how I'm changing
Outblog is all about my outdoor experiences.
Transit looks at the changing ways we get around.
Truck gives you stories and trips in my Ford Ranger.
Vote to Support ATV Trails. On the Southern Albany County Ledger website, there is a poll on what to do about ATVs in Southern Albany County.
Here is the current results as of 6 PM:
How Do You Feel About ATVs in Our Community?
8% 2 Votes They're fine, as our kids need more to do.
15% 4 Votes The community needs to provide more public trails.
12% 3 Votes Many drivers are kids and violate road laws and private property.
35% 9 Votes Parents need to do a better job of monitoring their kids with ATVs.
15% 4 Votes The town and village leaders need to do more to address the problem.
15% 4 Votes I don't really care one way or another.
Total Votes: 26
While this won't change state policy, it's still a fun thing to do and get your voice heard. P'Link
The Wildfires and Evacuating Ranches. There is a fascinating story about diffuculties of moving large animals and finding places to hold them while the fires burn across ranches and farms in southern California.
It's interesting to here about these fires that have burned nearly 400 square miles in southern California. That's a lot of land and has effected a great many people, not just the super-wealthy multi-millionaires who will write off the fire as a tax-deduction. P'Link
Should You Winterize Your Lawn? This over at misc.rural is quite hilarious.
> To winterize or not to winterize lawn
> "Winterize your lawn", the big sign outside the garden store commanded. I've> fed it, watered it, mowed it, raked it and watched a lot of it die away. Now> I'm supposed to winterize it? I hope it's too late. Grass lawns have to be> the stupidest thing we've come up with outside of a thong swimsuits! We> constantly battle dandelions, Queen's lace, thistle, violets, chicory and> clover that thrive naturally, so we can grow grass that must be nursed> through an annual four-step chemical dependency.
> Imagine the conversation The Creator might have with St. Francis about this:
> "Frank you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on> down there in the Midwest? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle> and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance garden plan.> Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with> abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracted butterflies,> honeybees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors> by now. But all I see are these green rectangles."
> " It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites.
> They started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great extent to kill> them and replace them with grass".
> " Grass? But its so boring. Its not colorful. It doesn't attract> butterflies, birds and bees, Only grubs and sod worms. Its' temperamental> with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that green grass> growing there?
> " Apparently so, Lord, They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green.> They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poising any other plant that> crops up in the lawn".
> " The spring rains and cool weather probably make grass grow really fast.> That must make the Suburbanites happy".
> " Not exactly, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes> twice a week".
> " They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?"
> " Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags."
> " They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?"
> " No, sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away".
> " Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And> when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?"
> " Yes, sir."
> " These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the> rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot> of work."
> " You aren't going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so> fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can> continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it."
> " What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer> stroke of genius,
> if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty> an d shade in the summer . In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a> natural blanket
> to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they> rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of> life."
> " You better sit down, Lord. The suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As> soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and have them> hauled away."
> " No! What do they do to protect the shrub and the tree roots in the winter> and keep the soil moist and loose?"
> " After throwing away your leaves, they go out and buy something they call> mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in the place of leaves."
> " and where do they get this mulch?"
> " They cut down trees and grind them up."
> "Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. Saint Catherine, you're> in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?"
> " Dumb and Dumber, Lord. It's a real stupid movie about.
> " Never mind I think I just heard the whole story."
Great. P'Link
Banning Packers Ownership of Cattle. DailyYonder has a neat rundown of this issue in the farm bill on their blog.
Interesting. P'Link
Copyright ©1999-2008 Andy Arthur.
All mistakes are intentional or otherwise.
Mind where you step in a cow pasture or legal mindfield.