Daily Gripe

Hello, my name is Stu. Today my gripe is with watering restrictions. I know we have to conserve our resources and I do. I have rain barrels at all my downspouts to water my flowers, herbs and to add water to my ponds. When I have to drain my ponds (I use the old water on plants) I use the rain barrel water to replenish the pond water. I also recycle my dish and bath water whenever possible.

When it comes to watering the lawn - I don't or can't. I have my dedicated one day a week to water the lawn. The time schedule to water one's lawn is not conducive to those that work. I choose not to water my lawn because I cannot afford the excessively high bill. Therefore my lawn is brown and dead. When it rains it washes away my remaining soil due to no grass or huge sand deserts in my lawn. I have patches in my front lawn that resemble the Sahara Desert.

If I could water my lawn (at a reasonable price) it might have a positive impact on the environment. Right now I am surrounded by a sandpit that is slowly rolling down the gutters in my street. I am stuck in a lose/lose situation. If we had a national recycling water system perhaps I would have a little grass in my front yard. An alternative would be to pave over my front Sahara Desert or put those awful stones down instead of pricey sod. I have seen some home owners spray paint their white stones green for faux lawn. I could replace my worn out grassless front yard with Brady Bunch turf, although someone tried to do that and they were sued by the city.

My deed restrictions state that I am required to have grass (a specific type of grass) in my front yard. A front yard filled with flower and plant material is prohibited. We could use some updating on these deed restrictions. This code was written when water was not scare or costly. Something needs to change. Right now I will accept the state of my disappointing front yard but I will not be happy with it.

Green with envy,

Mr. Pid

Daily Gripe

Hello, my name is Stu. Today my gripe is once again with neighbors. I walk the dog after dark - it's cooler at that time and if I forget my plastic bag no one will see me not collect the droppings. Only occasionally do I not -pick up after Fido. I sure hate it when I find it in my yard or step on it along the walkway.

So back to the gripe. When watering your lawn please water the LAWN. Do not water the driveway, the sidewalk or the road. You can rotate the sprinkler heads and when they break they can be replaced. I despise all of you with the lush green lawn but whatever! I like my brown lawn and I can't afford to second mortgage the house to pay the water bill. I will live with brown lawn. And if I did water it would not be the street.

It's dark when I walk the dog (working all day leaves only the night for dog walking) I like to stay on the sidewalk. The drivers in this residential area all have dyslexia. the speed limit sign says 35 but they see it as 53. Walking in the roads here is not safe.

Your sprinkler system that comes on just before or just as I walk in front of your house is always an obstacle course. It spurts water on the sidewalk, the driveway and halfway across the street. I have to change my pattern and walk on the other side - that means I have to cross the road. Cars speeding - darkness = bad situation.

Sometimes your nasty sprinkler comes on without notice as I pass your domain. Instant shower for me and the dog. The dog rather likes it - I DON'T. And then we have the slippery issue, if I try to run through the waterfall I could slip and break a hip. I would drop the leash and off Fido would go to terrorize someone or become lost (maybe not a bad idea). I'm sure he would be found by the pound and returned to me with a hefty penalty fee.

My advice - stop watering your lawn and save our planet or water your lawn and not the cement landscapes that do not need it. If we all had brown lawns there would be no green grass envy.

Daily Gripe

Mr. Pid has gone fishing. I will gripe next year.