Glub! Glub! Gurggle! Remember... we're in a drought!
Ahhhh... the joys of an ordered life! While driving to Arkansas last week I had to laugh at the efforts of the loony left once again. (If nothing else they are always good for comic relief) Standing in water deep enough to close the side access road running beside Interstate 30 was the sign reminding us that we're in a drought. (And why are the letters "G" and "H" in that word anyway?) I also chuckle at the ones telling us to "save" water too. Not that conservation isn't important.... it is. (HEY! we are called conservatives aren't we?) But the fallacy of the statement is what gets me.
Okay..... picture this. You have a sealed five gallon bottle. In that bottle is some dirt, grass and some water. Sit it in the sun. What happens? Some of the water from the bottom evaporates and condenses on the sides of the bottle..... resulting in less water standing at the bottom. OH MY GOD! There's less water at the bottom.... we MUST do something to "save" it! Is there less water in the system? Nope! It's simply involved in the hydrological cycle that helps regulate the temperature of the planet..... only on a smaller less effective scale. (less effective due to the nature of the enclosure)
Ditto planet earth. There can be less water on the surface on the planet for a couple of valid reasons. Number one is evaporation. Sun heats the water, it evaporates and usually ends up forming clouds. Sooner or later we get that water back as rain. The other way the water seems to disappear is percolation. (the slow passage of a liquid through a filtering medium) It simply seeps into the ground and eventually joins the vast aquifers hundreds or even thousands of feet below. (remember well water?) Net loss? Zero. The ONLY way water is lost is through the breaking of molecular bonds which then convert it into the two gases hydrogen and oxygen. Conversely water is formed via chemical reactions such as combustion where water vapor is released. (note that moisture at the tail pipe of your car) Bottom line..... we live in a closed system people. The water that's here is here. It can't escape or go anywhere. You can't "save" it unless you put it in a bottle and stash it away somewhere. (And just think.... people who are too stupid to comprehend this simple reality are actually permitted to vote!....... God help us!)
On the old home front a few more ceramic tiles got stuck down last week. This remodeling project is starting to be like sitting back and watching the Himalayas grow taller. You suspect something is happening but it's really tough to tell exactly what anymore. The time scale is simply too great. Meanwhile 80% of the very nice grass we had out back and in the side yard went on extended vacation..... no word on when it might return. However..... several helpful varieties of native plants (weeds, I believe, is how they are generally classified) have been kind enough to volunteer to take its place. Also fire ants are helping provide ground cover and turn over some of the soil in their own little enrichment program. I held an Amdro banquet for them a few hours ago. My way of saying thanks.
Mother nature and the previous owners delightful construction skills have conspired to motivate us towards making more significant progress on the main house. The recent deluge of rain...... combined with a leaking roof and a fairly porous wall structure... are making the current living arrangement less attractive. Something about walking on water logged carpet that takes all the glamour out of living in a converted garage. Then there are the mysterious creatures in the attic space and all their early morning racket. Likely squirrels or birds..... or both. Little need for an alarm clock most mornings once they wake up. Tiny little scampering sounds as things unseen scurry about in the overhead. Get to bed about three a.m. and the wake up crew goes to work around 0530..... makes for a fairly short night...... and a less than rested and refreshed pair of people. We don't do early mornings well at our ages. The crack of noon is much more to our liking. Nothing worse than grumpy old people.
Speaking of grumpy..... I replaced the battery in our new electronic scales. In retrospect I probably should have just let it languish in a corner somewhere until I'd tripped over it enough to just toss it out and save my toes further damage. The old style spring scales, I think, is much more fair and accurate at giving me an estimate of the earths ability to keep me planted on its surface. It says the attractive force is roughly 208 pounds. This revitalized electronic upstart seems to think that number is closer to 225.8 pounds. Which would YOU believe? I'm sticking with tried and true spring technology. Besides.... let these little "computers" get a foothold in small rolls like guessing your weight..... and the next thing you know they've grown up and are sitting on your desk..... or trying to control your cars engine...... lurking inside refrigerator doors....... Oh.... wait.... Too late. Never mind.
Okay..... picture this. You have a sealed five gallon bottle. In that bottle is some dirt, grass and some water. Sit it in the sun. What happens? Some of the water from the bottom evaporates and condenses on the sides of the bottle..... resulting in less water standing at the bottom. OH MY GOD! There's less water at the bottom.... we MUST do something to "save" it! Is there less water in the system? Nope! It's simply involved in the hydrological cycle that helps regulate the temperature of the planet..... only on a smaller less effective scale. (less effective due to the nature of the enclosure)
Ditto planet earth. There can be less water on the surface on the planet for a couple of valid reasons. Number one is evaporation. Sun heats the water, it evaporates and usually ends up forming clouds. Sooner or later we get that water back as rain. The other way the water seems to disappear is percolation. (the slow passage of a liquid through a filtering medium) It simply seeps into the ground and eventually joins the vast aquifers hundreds or even thousands of feet below. (remember well water?) Net loss? Zero. The ONLY way water is lost is through the breaking of molecular bonds which then convert it into the two gases hydrogen and oxygen. Conversely water is formed via chemical reactions such as combustion where water vapor is released. (note that moisture at the tail pipe of your car) Bottom line..... we live in a closed system people. The water that's here is here. It can't escape or go anywhere. You can't "save" it unless you put it in a bottle and stash it away somewhere. (And just think.... people who are too stupid to comprehend this simple reality are actually permitted to vote!....... God help us!)
On the old home front a few more ceramic tiles got stuck down last week. This remodeling project is starting to be like sitting back and watching the Himalayas grow taller. You suspect something is happening but it's really tough to tell exactly what anymore. The time scale is simply too great. Meanwhile 80% of the very nice grass we had out back and in the side yard went on extended vacation..... no word on when it might return. However..... several helpful varieties of native plants (weeds, I believe, is how they are generally classified) have been kind enough to volunteer to take its place. Also fire ants are helping provide ground cover and turn over some of the soil in their own little enrichment program. I held an Amdro banquet for them a few hours ago. My way of saying thanks.
Mother nature and the previous owners delightful construction skills have conspired to motivate us towards making more significant progress on the main house. The recent deluge of rain...... combined with a leaking roof and a fairly porous wall structure... are making the current living arrangement less attractive. Something about walking on water logged carpet that takes all the glamour out of living in a converted garage. Then there are the mysterious creatures in the attic space and all their early morning racket. Likely squirrels or birds..... or both. Little need for an alarm clock most mornings once they wake up. Tiny little scampering sounds as things unseen scurry about in the overhead. Get to bed about three a.m. and the wake up crew goes to work around 0530..... makes for a fairly short night...... and a less than rested and refreshed pair of people. We don't do early mornings well at our ages. The crack of noon is much more to our liking. Nothing worse than grumpy old people.
Speaking of grumpy..... I replaced the battery in our new electronic scales. In retrospect I probably should have just let it languish in a corner somewhere until I'd tripped over it enough to just toss it out and save my toes further damage. The old style spring scales, I think, is much more fair and accurate at giving me an estimate of the earths ability to keep me planted on its surface. It says the attractive force is roughly 208 pounds. This revitalized electronic upstart seems to think that number is closer to 225.8 pounds. Which would YOU believe? I'm sticking with tried and true spring technology. Besides.... let these little "computers" get a foothold in small rolls like guessing your weight..... and the next thing you know they've grown up and are sitting on your desk..... or trying to control your cars engine...... lurking inside refrigerator doors....... Oh.... wait.... Too late. Never mind.
posted by Rev. Joe Ruyle | 12:09 PM
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