I know that the title sounds like something that Spring is made of but let me tell you...Spring has NOT decided to make itself known yet. Besides the 5 inches of snow we had the other day, we have had HUGE winds here that knocked the power out for a complete day. I kind of blame that on PG&E for not trimming the trees enough during the months that it is NOT storming. Or, better yet, put the damn power under-ground. Oh yeah...that would mean that people would be out of work after the initial under-ground work had been completed. Corporate America! PG&E's big idea about saving money is CFL's! Big deal!
Anyway, here is my lady bug and my grasshopper. I bet if you had some of these show up in your yard you wouldn't shew them away, would you??? These are the best kind of bugs to have ever. And I should know...I used to work as a bug trapper for the Agriculture Department. And besides, I am the Grandmother of these cute bugs. What could be better??
Anyway, here is my lady bug and my grasshopper. I bet if you had some of these show up in your yard you wouldn't shew them away, would you??? These are the best kind of bugs to have ever. And I should know...I used to work as a bug trapper for the Agriculture Department. And besides, I am the Grandmother of these cute bugs. What could be better??
smiles. nice play ground equipment...i'll try to send some spring your way...
ReplyDeleteHi Teri,
ReplyDeleteThandsks for your good words, but NO, I won't be presenting at SFF and G Show. I'll be speaking in Lexington, Kentucky at the Arboretum...you're sure welcome to visit me there, but it is a bit of a drive!
The Flower & Garden Show preview was fun. They have a great line up of speakers and workshops too.
All joys to you,
Sharon
Please! PG&E isn't the big bad guy everyone thinks it is. My husband worked there for almost 30 yrs. and his father before him. The folks here,and especially up country, are usually glad to see the trucks coming to help after a big storm. This has been a very hard winter and they are working themselves into overtime trying to keep up.
ReplyDeleteThe tree that hits a power line in a storm is usually the one that somebody refused to have cut down because it was "so beautiful". There is always another side to the story.
Those are all very cute "bugs" in your garden.
Connie--(Farmlady)--Let me clarify this and say that I have lots of family that works for PG&E also, and yes, they do work in the wind and rain and long hours when there is a storm. This I do not dispute. What I am disputing is the fact that we live IN A FOREST where electrical lines would do much better all winter long if they were buried. I hear that it is not "cost-effective" but yet how much do they spend in overtime each year when things like this happen? And...this is not atypical Connie. This happens each and every year that I have lived here. Fortunately, we have a generator that gets us by when we don't have water from our well, etc. I would beg to differ with you about the "beautiful" tree that somebody refused to cut down too. PG&E has right-of-ways along their transmission lines and can cut anything they want within that right-of-way. I just think, in this day and age when earthquakes are hitting nuclear plants and threatening our lives and our food, that there has to be a better way to provide electricity to the masses. And, did you know that PG&E will not give you money back if you generate more power than you use on your transmission lines if you decide to put solar on your property? At least they wouldn't when we applied a few years ago. It might have changed by now. I realize that you are defensive because it was your family livelihood. I get that. And, I get that you receive a discount on your monthly bill that I don't. Granted, you worked for it I guess. It was part of "the package" but let's not forget the reason the "folks up country are usually glad to see the trucks coming". THEY WANT THEIR POWER TURNED BACK ON and rely solely on those trucks to do so. Of course they are happy to see them coming in the middle of the night. I just think that perhaps we need to think outside of the box with transmission lines that run through forests filled with trees. My husband worked for a company years ago that was contracted by PG&E to trim the trees. And then for the county trimming trees for over 30 years. Talk about a crew that worked no matter what the weather was or what time of day it was.
ReplyDeletePoint well taken. Thanks for helping me come down off my PG&E pedestal a bit. We "company people" tend to stick together and sometimes we become blinded by our loyalties... but it's because we have been attacked repeatedly over the years. PG&E has become the "poster child" for all that is wrong with California. I'm allowed to take offense to that. There are far worse "bad guys" around here.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that underground utilities are the answer.... but I don't think that the cost would countermeasure the seasonal overtime. Until then, you are smart to have a generator. It's the best defense.
And yes, my husband worked in a lot of spider filled crawl spaces and re-lit a lot of dangerous furnaces for that small benefit... the discount. We never seem to live it down.
Well damn that PG&E...those lines should be underground! What the heck! But then that would be way too easy. Who designs these things anyway? We're back to snow too. Your bugs are the cutest!
ReplyDeletei wish i could grow back in time and use one of those too :)
ReplyDeletethank you for the post.
Farmlady--I totally understand why you got defensive but like you said "there are always two sides to a story". This is just my side. Having a husband who worked in the trenches year after year, long, cold, snowy, rainy winters of cutting trees out of county roads, almost being killed by errant drivers who ignored or "did not see" the flags and cones, I understand what these dedicated employees do for a living and do not think that what they receive as benefits is not just. I only wish that B could have reaped the benefits of a dangerous job too. I think that the guys at the top reap the benefits of what the guys on the ground put themselves through. That is what I was talking about when I referred to Corporate America. The guys at the top always seem to make out. Just look at our tax system. I'm happy that we are still on speaking terms :) I would hate to lose a blogger friend just because of some trees. Tell your husband that I am thankful for all his years of hard work.
ReplyDeleteTeri, I would never stop reading your blog over this little discussion. I appreciate the chance to say something besides "Sweet post!" and have you respond with intelligence and restraint.
ReplyDeleteI agree that "corporate America" seems to always come out on top.... taxes and otherwise. But we, the worker bees, are the foundation of this country and I would like to see the high mucky, muckies get along without us.
Thanks for being patient with me.