Rain rain Rain rain + misc

 A few years ago our lake was down about 2 million feet.  You could walk from the normal shore out about 400 to 500 feet before you found the water's edge.  Cows from the other side of the lake would walk around and feast on your grass under the dry dock.  It was not the best of times for lake living.  As it turned out that time, we had a 14 inch rainfall in one day.  The rain fell here and up in our watershed.  The lake filled in one day.  That is a lot of water from the sky.

Fortunately, I have a nice lot with a long waterfront.  Many local lake owners have lots that are found up little inlets (creeks if you must).  When the lake goes down, those folks go dry in a short piece of time.  As it turned out, someone had built a Tank out from my shore - a Tank is nothing but a hole that collects water so the critters can drink.  When they built my dock, it went right over the top of the tank.  Thus, when my neighbors go dry, I still have a few feet of water.

Nooooo, I don't gloat.  It was pure luck because I certainly didn't know anything about this sort of thing when we arrived.  The tank showed up on a map that I saw of the lake.  

Still, when the water level goes way down, mine does too.   We sit and look at the sliver of shiny water far out to the east...and the cows.  It gives you a chance to work on the dock and clean stuff up that has accumulated under it.  I have found lots of stuff - nothing of real value.  Maybe if I had a metal detector, things would become more profitable...or maybe I could harvest a wandering cow.

Dry is not our problem this year.  The lake is up.  Sure, the local Navarro County officials voted in a ban on open fires.  That happened 2 weeks ago.  I have a small pile of branches and burnables (great word) waiting for a match.

Last night, let's say about 8:02, thunder shook us out of our complacency.  I quickly hustled the dogs out to the dog pit in hopes they would find relief - They really understand that our pit is for bladder relief.  Does that count as teaching them a trick?  Either way, we made it out and back inside before the deluge began,   Since last night we have had over six inches of rain.  Our rain gauge has markings up to 5 inches, then it has a 2 inch blue thing on top.   Water was coming over the top when I checked this morning at 8:30.  I'd guess that a number of 7 inches would be closer to accurate.

I emptied the rain gauge.  It has not quit raining all day.  It is not as hard as last night.  It is merely consistent.  The one advantage of living up the hill from the lake - we are not going to flood.  However, any day now, I expect my entire house to decide to ski down the hill into the lake.  Why not?  Houses can make these decisions.  Yes?  I do have the septic system fixed now.  What more can go wrong?

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While I am ranting - let's mention coupons.  Our local paper, The Corsicana Daily Sun News, is about as worthless of a newspaper as they come.  The front page has a spattering of news -  there is a sports section, of course - 8, count them 8, comic strips - obits and official notices - one full page of religious news - a dear abby type thing - and a page devoted to comments, letters, editorials.  Our local sheriff has figured out the system and is featured every edition.  Apparently his people are doing a very fine job.  No complaints there.

When we first moved here, the paper was 6 editions a week for a certain subscription price.  Let's say about 4 or 5 years ago, the paper cut itself down to 4 editions a week - I believe it remained the same price.  This past summer - same price - they justified going to 2 editions a week:  Tuesday and Saturday, which has the Sunday funnies and Parade magazine.   Off and on, you can find an editorial about the woes of newspapers.

My thought is - as I heard a smart Methodist preacher say once - we need to spend / act for growth.  We don't need to cut back because that will create more cutbacks.  Growth brings more growth.  Our paper is cutting back.  It will be only a short time before they become a weekly moaning about problems.  Then, one of these days, some young whipper snapper will arrive in town and begin his own paper with an eye towards delivering actual news and more service to the customer.  The Daily Sun will be sold.

Haven't you seen this before?  I have.  Just imagine what would happen if less time were spent on editorials and more time was spent building readership and advertisements.   I'm too old and uninterested to help them.  All they need is one young whipper snapper to move to town.   

The heading above was coupons.  Each Tuesday, the local rag produces a free paper full of advertisements and coupons.  Why anyone pays money to put an adv. in this free "advertiser" is beyond me.  Who reads it.  Ours goes immediately into the paper pile - we save papers for my daughter to use under her rabbits.  The freebee and the local Tues. paper (both come out on the same day - go figure), these papers carry the same advertisements.   The coupons are from KFC, Burger King, Jack in the Box, Schlotzkees -(how do you spell that word?) - and maybe a couple others.

The coupons are bargains.   Buy one, get one free - dinner for 2 - buy a burger and get a free fry - it goes on and on.  It reminds me of:  "Jack Spratt could eat no fat; his wife could eat no lean; so together they licked the platter clean."  I like beef.  My wife likes chicken or salads.   There is never a coupon for buying one burger and getting chicken free.  It is always, buy one chicken and get another chick fer free.  

That, then, is my complaint.  give me a coupon that is usable for me - that is a bargain - with an expiration date after I get hungry.  KFC does this - but, it seems to me their prices have sky-rocketed. Maybe I'm just getting cheap and fussy in my old age.  Nope.  I've always been cheap and fussy.

take care.

mtz