It's that time of year again. You know: summer. For my part of the world, that means little or no rain for months at a time, scorchingly hot temperatures (think 100 degrees or more) and people who care so much about keeping their lawns green that they'll pay monthly water bills in excess of $600.
Summertime also coincides with the time of year during which I love the crispy brown-ness of my yard. We try to keep our home's foundation moist, to reduce pesky soil-heaving and moving dirt that inevitably leads to cracks, doors that won't close and big hairy spiders popping by for a visit. But otherwise, the grass is on its own. It's just not a priority for me. The lawn is a worthwhile sacrifice when another liquid – gasoline - costs so much. I can skip watering the lawn all summer; not so for our vehicles' gas tanks.
We are staring down outdoor watering restrictions, and I laugh in the face of them. It won't change my lackidaisical nonirrigating lifestyle! I have looked your water shortage in the eye and chortled uncontrollably! I can only use soaker hoses? Sure! I'll even use them to wash my car (although it might take days)! Take that, dwindling lake levels! Touche, you dried-up aquifer, you. I pee in your crusty, waterless riverbed.
Another downside for my lawn-happy neighbors: that means they have to mow their overly green lawns more often. Their lack of regard shows as their gasoline-powered turfeaters belch thick white smoke into the air. Ha! They'll have to get into their insanely inefficient SUVs to go get more gasoline for their sacred lawn equipment. Look at that guy, shirtless, waving that leaf blower like a light saber! No regard whatsoever for planet Earth!
I bet he'll be bummed when the watering restrictions make his "funny weeds" hidden in his back yard go south. Where's your 24-hour sprinkler addiction, now, Frankengoober?
You've seen Al Gore's movie one too many times.
Hee, you're crackin' me up again! I'm with you on the lawn thing -- there's no way I'm going to spend insane amounts of money keeping my lawn looking "best in the neighborhood" . . . the thing that's currently driving me mad is that every city and town in the metroplex is under water restrictions except ONE: Highland Park/University Park. 'Cos, you know, they have to keep their lawns looking as good as the Jones's next door.
I've been much more vigilant lately about my foundation, too . . . wait, did you say BIG HAIRY SPIDERS??!! What??!!!! ACK! One more reason to use the soaker hoses, bleah!
My husband doesn't believe in watering either, cause then of course, you do have to mow. But, I would gladly do the mowing if I could just have a little grass. If he ever completes the sprinkler system installation that was started three years ago, I will gladly take over the mowing when I get some grass back. By the way, Oklahoma usually has a pretty hefty breeze going on and all that dirt for a lawn just gives us itty-bitty dust bowl tornadoes. I just want grass. The legal kind, ya know?
I agree with the watering/mowing thing. Then again, I'm not ususally overly concerned about the lawn and garden section of my house.
You would really make fun of da hubs. He gets out there and waters almost every day. He LOVES it. Sometimes he just sits and watches the entire time. I don't mind because it keeps him quiet. :-)
I don't undersand what spiders have to do with the price of eggs here. Are you saying if you keep your foundation moist you won't have spiders? Is it just the end of the day and I'm cross eyed and confused?
plastic lawn chair - http://www.nobadday.info/plastic-lawn-chair.html