Friday, August 28, 2015

Friday, August 28, 2015

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2007. We took Mattie to San Diego that summer. Behind us is the famous Coronado Bridge. In the afternoon, Mattie enjoyed watching the boats on the water and the cars traveling over the Bridge. There was always something to capture Mattie's attention in San Diego.


Quote of the day: If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them, and half as much money. ~ Abigail Van Buren



It was another scorching day in Los Angeles! Try 103 degrees to be exact. It feels as it you are walking in an oven! With this incredible heat and water restrictions, it is really amazing to see the transformation in the vegetation all around us. The foothills, lawns, and trees look very brown. To give you some feeling for the severity of the problem, I wanted to share with you some visuals and facts........... in the LA reservoir, 96 million shade balls were dumped into the water to help conserve water and people are beginning to create grassless yards. Check it out!

Los Angeles Water and Power is the first to use shade balls on a large scale. The idea came from now-retired LA Department of Water and Power biologist Brian White, who was inspired by the “bird balls” used to deter birds in ponds along runways. Shade balls are made of black polyethylene and are filled with water so they don’t blow away. The coating on the shade balls resists ultraviolet light and degradation. The shade balls are one way Los Angeles has cut its water use by 15 percent in the past two years, in addition to restrictions on irrigation and other measures.

The plastic balls, which can save water and protect water quality, are an attempt to cope with California’s severe drought. Los Angeles has turned its main reservoir into a giant ball pit. City officials hope millions of “shade balls” released into the Los Angeles Reservoir will save water in the midst of the worst drought in California history.

The city says the balls will shade and cool the water, reducing evaporation from the reservoir and making it less susceptible to algae, bacterial growth, and chemical reactions that can produce harmful substances. It is said that the shade balls reduce evaporation by 85 to 90 percent, which equates to saving nearly 300 million gallons a year (enough to provide drinking water for 8,100 people).

Grassless Lawns catching on during California drought:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELAutJpNj9w