Homestead mailing list

[Bunjov AT aol.com]

Hi, Bob -
 
Haven't peeked outside yet, but when I went to bed (several times) last  
night, the Mean Green Machine had maybe 5-6 inches of snow on it.
 
I know that the 'romance' of snow is probably long-lost on all our  listmates 
to whom it is business as usual, but I still marvel at it. 
 
One of my first thoughts, living where I do, is that the storm will be of  
benefit to the level of the groundwater, which has been 'steady droppin' 
every  
year. When I started coming out here, the water table was at 12' - now it's 
at 
 almost 300' 
 
Our alfalfa farmers (few and getting to be fewer) and our dairies (even  
fewer than that) are gettiing the blame, but it's actually the developers 
down  
the hill in Victorville and points west who are drinking up every drop.
 
The MWA, coupla years ago, went to a great deal of trouble (and public  
hoopla) putting in a pipeline that ends here in Newberry Springs, complete 
with  
two huge 'detention basins' which - a short time after the civic celebration 
of  
their completion - remain dry as a bone to this day. I drive by the 
installation  almost every day, and all I see is two big empty ponds 
surrounded by 
maybe a  mile of very expensive fencing that encloses - nothing. 
 
And I'm sure that the taxpayers of SB County are also paying for the 24/7  
maintenance of the little shack that houses the electrical and plumbing for 
the  
facility.
 
We are so scattered out here. Fewer than 4,000 people in 117 square miles.  
That may be an awful lot to those of us like James and Jeannie (and I agree) 
-  
but this is not the norm. 
 
The County gets mega$$$ from the developers who are building in V'ville and  
Apple Valley, and we placidly pay our property taxes every year and still get 
 
blamed for over-usage, and there are regular Watermaster meetings and  
adjudications that threaten to ramp down our usage and also threaten to force 
us  to 
install water meters on our wells -
 
They do 'fly-overs' to see who's growing what. I consider that to be the  
ultimate Big Brother tactic, and it makes me want to whip out my Che Guevarra 
 
T-shirt, no matter what shape it's in (or what shape I'm in heh heh).
I don't believe it.
 
Well, now, I started out sending a message about the beauty of the snow,  and 
have ended up in a regular rant.
Sorry 'bout that.
 
I guess I'm just waking up (again).
Sandy
 
 
 
In a message dated 12/18/2008 5:21:59 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
bobford79 AT yahoo.com writes:

It's  been drizzley here for two days, Vegas is getting snow, how 'bout  you?

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