I have been threatening everyone with this blog for a long time now, so here it is! Instead of muttering to myself about things that drive me nuts, I have decided to put them down on paper, or on a screen!! Not sure if anyone will read it, but I guess it's cathartic. Well, at least that's what I have been told!

My first musings are about the drought here in Southern California, which, for me at least, is a HUGE issue. It does not seem to be such a huge issue to most other Californians, including the Governor, the mayors or the media. The fact that we have only a years worth of water, and had barely any rain or snow this season, seems to have gone without much comment! In most cities, there is hardly any rationing and what little there is, is not enforced!! It's crazy! Los Angeles issues two, count them, two citations so far!!! It boggles the mind! Their latest statement - Don't run your sprinklers when it is raining!!! Are you kidding! We are at the point now when sprinklers should only be used once or twice a week, and even that is extravagant!

There are people who are trying. They have taken out their grass in their gardens and replaced the garden with drought resistant plant. Kudos to them, but most people seem to go on regardless and hope that the drought will magically go away!! Wake up! Everyone has to take steps to conserve water in every way they can. We cannot rely on the 'powers that be' to solve this problem.
At the same time, the 'powers that be' need to step it up. It is an unfortunate fact of life that most people only start trying if it is going to hit them in the pocket. So there needs to be consequences for not following the restrictions, however lame they may be, and the fines should be heavy after the third offense. And, there needs to be a whole lot tougher restrictions!

Having come from Southern Africa, I know all about droughts and how we got through them! I remember and extreme drought where we had to resort to having no showers only baths and the bath water could be no more than 4 inches deep. That water was saved in buckets and used to flush the toilet and water plants. The lawn outside was left to fend for itself. People who had pools covered their pools in black plastic to stop evaporation.

These measures may be harsh, but then only a year's worth of water left for a city the size of Los Angeles is pretty desperate!