Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

oldfarmer50 · June 2021

snakeweasel said:

stickguy said:
I’m really over the whole yard work business. Especially since I have a biggish yard, but not big enough for a rider. I hit a big milestone age next year, so if I haven’t gotten out of this house yet, might treat myself to hiring “a guy” to do the mowing. Though it will break my cold, Puritan heart paying for it!
My wife finally talked me into calling "a guy" to cut the lawn a few weeks ago. He did a real good job if you like your lawn having a mohawk. Now I am back doing it myself.

The summer between high school and college I mowed a few lawns for beer and gas money. I did the lawn for this nice old doctor neighbor. His punk son-in-law then asked me to do his too. Even then I knew enough about grass to not scalp it down to bare dirt but you couldn’t tell this jerk anything. He insinuated that I was trying to cheat him by not cutting it short enough so I did it again for free with the blades dragging the ground.

We immediately had a drought and his lawn turned to dust. He near flooded the block pouring water on it trying to force it to turn green. Because the grass was so short all that came up were weeds which I dutifully cut right to the dirt. The lawn ended up looking like a scene from ‘Grapes of Wrath’. The old doctor heard what he had done and paid me for the extra cutting. The next year I told the jerk that I was too busy.

Always be nice to the help.

henryn · June 2021

Some people think if you cut the grass really short, you won't have to cut as often. Big mistake.

And on the subject of Ego batteries and the battery charger -- if you leave the battery plugged into the charger, after a specified period of inactivity (30 days if I remember correctly) the charger will discharge the battery to 30% and leave it there. Seems that is the best way to maintain a battery for long term storage.

So for your first use in the spring, the day before you plan to use it, take the battery off the charger for a few seconds, and then plug it back in. The charger will then bring the battery back to full strength. If you forget to do this, you will definitely think your battery is going bad.

jmonroe1 · June 2021

carnaught said:
Well, on another subject….I am most definitely not a gambler. When/if I go to Vegas, rather than gamble, I go to shows and the wife and I like to people watch and eat well. That said, I just played the real estate lottery. Our present house was sold for a hefty profit and over asking price. Knowing that it is a buyer’s market I knew the main issue was buying another place and dealing with the other side of this with the inflated home prices plus the throngs of competition in purchasing. As of yesterday after seeing a couple dozen homes, being beaten to the punch or out-bid, it looks like we successfully landed our replacement. It is in a different part of our sprawling locale, about the same size, and an upgrade in that it is has a different and newer look, very upscale kitchen, etc. It is a 90% done deal depending on the inspection which will be happening tomorrow.

You may ask why we’ve put ourselves through the brutality of this and moving? We actually like the majority of the process - this includes the change itself, and in the present market the ability to pocket some real cash. Wish me luck that it can be pulled off…. To be continued for those who care.

I certainly wish you luck but you screwed up. If you could have waited for another 2 months you could have had a knock out flip house with an all new 23 foot by 14 foot kitchen with an 8 foot island and one of those humongous stainless steel hood thingies. No poster buddy discount but a pretty nice 2400 foot 2 story with 3 1/2 baths.

Let us know how it goes.

jmonroe

jmonroe1 · June 2021

stickguy said:
I won’t get a self propelled mower. I am the propulsion device.

You sound like the type that likes hand hammered shingles too.

jmonroe

ab348 · June 2021

Have a retaining wall built there and do away with trying to mow that side slope.

explorerx4 · June 2021

@ab348,
I didn't mean to give the impression that mowing the sloped part of the yard is a big deal.
The battery mower makes it much easier, as it is a lot lighter than a gas mower.

oldfarmer50 · June 2021

The young delivery guys just came with the new dryer. Easy-peasy as it’s on the ground floor near the garage. They barely got in the door when they noticed the Mustang. “5-oh! 5-oh!” One shouted. He pointed it out to his buddy and the two of them owwwed and ahhhhed for a few seconds. The partner wanted me to start it up so he could hear the exhaust.

I forgot what it was like to be a kid with car lust.

Oh yeah, they were driving an Enterprise box truck they rented from my office. I mentioned that they had a truck from my company and the partner said “you own the company?” LOL

explorerx4 · June 2021

@mjfloyd1,
This just popped up for me, not sure why.
On second thought, I did type in Q7 the other day.
https://www.lithiatoyotaredding.com/tcd/home?tcdvehicleid=30b436f70a0e0ae710b5953aacb890ee&utm_source=ddcads&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=dynamic&sd_channel=Display&sd_campaign_type=Display&sd_campaign=Dynamic+Ads+(Used+Inventory)+Remarketing&tcdcmpid=570688&tcdadid=28737&ddcrtb=1&sd_campaign=Dynamic%2BAds%2B%28Used%2BInventory%29%2BRemarketing&ddcref=display&impId=1623794393199_60c922d90002ae7a0aec974bf101be98_ACT_B_5482117_S_1001_EUIDS_oH9yn6iLto78t0G3n9gdACiG_EUIDE_EXCHG_1

stickguy · June 2021

just got the latest issue of CR today. They happened to give an update on testing lawn stuff, including trimmers. The EGO was top rated battery trimmer.

jmonroe1 · June 2021

oldfarmer50 said:
The young delivery guys just came with the new dryer. Easy-peasy as it’s on the ground floor near the garage. They barely got in the door when they noticed the Mustang. “5-oh! 5-oh!” One shouted. He pointed it out to his buddy and the two of them owwwed and ahhhhed for a few seconds. The partner wanted me to start it up so he could hear the exhaust.

I forgot what it was like to be a kid with car lust.

Oh yeah, they were driving an Enterprise box truck they rented from my office. I mentioned that they had a truck from my company and the partner said “you own the company?” LOL

You blew it. You’re supposed to say yes and then tip them accordingly to prove it.

jmonroe

Michaell · June 2021

Yards .... I've been fighting with mine all season.

Had an appointment to get the sprinklers activated in early May. The guys come out, fire everything up, make a few adjustments to the coverage, then tell me they hear "a leak" around the equipment on the side of the house. He doesn't see any water, so we decide to let it go.

Later that night, I get an automated email from my water company telling me that my water usage is, like, 3x normal. Get another one the next afternoon, at which point I shut off the water at the main down in the basement.

Call the sprinkler company, tell them the problem, and they tell me they are booked through mid-June. Swell. So, out come the old-fashioned sprinklers that attach to the hose. Fortunately, we had a fair amount of rain in May, so I didn't have to use it all that often. June comes along and the temp goes up and the rain disappears. Started using the hose pretty much every day, but still have a few brown spots both front and back.

The "guy" came back on Saturday and replaced the backflow valve, which had to be dug out. Turns out that when it was installed 5 years ago, an O-ring was crushed and caused it to fail prematurely.

Sprinklers are now working, and I've got them running every day, morning and evening, to get the grass to the correct color. Doesn't help that it's been upper 90's the last couple of days, and expected to last a couple more.

Also playing around with the height I have the mower set at - I can go from 1 (scalp) to 7 (hardly anything is taken off). Usually set it to 2 or 3, but now using 4 to keep the grass longer and allow the roots to re-establish.

Fingers crossed that it will come back nice and healthy.

explorerx4 · June 2021

@michaell,
No wonder the west in running out of water.

Michaell · June 2021

explorerx4 said:
@michaell,
No wonder the west in running out of water.

Yeah, my few extra gallons is causing the Colorado River to run dry.

Normally, I run them 3 times a week. By switching to a daily schedule, I cut back the watering time, so I suspect the overall usage isn't all that much more.

Yes, I'm worried about the drought here. Lots of water rights are going to be strained in the next couple of years, all over the Western US.

FWIW, I don't get my water from the Colorado or the snowmelt. My water district spent 15 years to get a reservoir set up for both my community and the one I used to live in - I've been paying surcharges for that long to fund the work.

henryn · June 2021

Michaell said:

explorerx4 said:
@michaell,
No wonder the west in running out of water.
Yeah, my few extra gallons is causing the Colorado River to run dry.

Normally, I run them 3 times a week. By switching to a daily schedule, I cut back the watering time, so I suspect the overall usage isn't all that much more.

Yes, I'm worried about the drought here. Lots of water rights are going to be strained in the next couple of years, all over the Western US.

FWIW, I don't get my water from the Colorado or the snowmelt. My water district spent 15 years to get a reservoir set up for both my community and the one I used to live in - I've been paying surcharges for that long to fund the work.

I don't claim to be an expert on lawns, but I do remember reading that you're supposed to water less often but more water, at least an inch. This is supposed to encourage longer roots, which is a good thing apparently.

driver100 · June 2021

They can get a man to the moon but they can't make a sprinkler system that actually works the way it should.

Every year we had a break and our water bill was so high we gave up....we pray for rain and if really stuck we use a sprinkler....not ideal but better than the dealing with the sprinkler system. The other thing is the high cost of maintenance....the costs are never ending.

qbrozen · June 2021

We had a tree root completely engulf one of the manifolds. That was a $1600 visit last month.

Michaell · June 2021

henryn said:

Michaell said:

explorerx4 said:
@michaell,
No wonder the west in running out of water.
Yeah, my few extra gallons is causing the Colorado River to run dry.

Normally, I run them 3 times a week. By switching to a daily schedule, I cut back the watering time, so I suspect the overall usage isn't all that much more.

Yes, I'm worried about the drought here. Lots of water rights are going to be strained in the next couple of years, all over the Western US.

FWIW, I don't get my water from the Colorado or the snowmelt. My water district spent 15 years to get a reservoir set up for both my community and the one I used to live in - I've been paying surcharges for that long to fund the work.
I don't claim to be an expert on lawns, but I do remember reading that you're supposed to water less often but more water, at least an inch. This is supposed to encourage longer roots, which is a good thing apparently.

The guy I used to use for my sprinkler systems in my old house, and the folks who tended my lawn disagreed about watering.

Since my lawn guy was responsible for this patch of grass, I tended to take his advice more.

mjfloyd1 · June 2021

@explorerx4 said:
@mjfloyd1,
This just popped up for me, not sure why.
On second thought, I did type in Q7 the other day.
https://www.lithiatoyotaredding.com/tcd/home?tcdvehicleid=30b436f70a0e0ae710b5953aacb890ee&utm_source=ddcads&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=dynamic&sd_channel=Display&sd_campaign_type=Display&sd_campaign=Dynamic+Ads+(Used+Inventory)+Remarketing&tcdcmpid=570688&tcdadid=28737&ddcrtb=1&sd_campaign=Dynamic%2BAds%2B%28Used%2BInventory%29%2BRemarketing&ddcref=display&impId=1623794393199_60c922d90002ae7a0aec974bf101be98_ACT_B_5482117_S_1001_EUIDS_oH9yn6iLto78t0G3n9gdACiG_EUIDE_EXCHG_1

Thanks. She doesn’t like the dark interior. Ours was light grey and 37k miles.

tjc78 · June 2021

Even before I had a sprinkler system I watered 30 mins a zone every other day. Seems to be working at the new house with the 5 zone system.

I think my lawn guy cuts a little short, but my wife likes it shorter so that’s that.

venture · June 2021

driver100 said:
They can get a man to the moon but they can't make a sprinkler system that actually works the way it should.

Every year we had a break and our water bill was so high we gave up....we pray for rain and if really stuck we use a sprinkler....not ideal but better than the dealing with the sprinkler system. The other thing is the high cost of maintenance....the costs are never ending.

A break every year? That seems excessive. Was it from water remaining in the system freezing in the winter?

Why would it make the water bill so high?

oldfarmer50 · June 2021

jmonroe1 said:

oldfarmer50 said:
The young delivery guys just came with the new dryer. Easy-peasy as it’s on the ground floor near the garage. They barely got in the door when they noticed the Mustang. “5-oh! 5-oh!” One shouted. He pointed it out to his buddy and the two of them owwwed and ahhhhed for a few seconds. The partner wanted me to start it up so he could hear the exhaust.

I forgot what it was like to be a kid with car lust.

Oh yeah, they were driving an Enterprise box truck they rented from my office. I mentioned that they had a truck from my company and the partner said “you own the company?” LOL
You blew it. You’re supposed to say yes and then tip them accordingly to prove it.

jmonroe

I always tip delivery and service people. My name isn’t Taylor so I tip modestly.

oldfarmer50 · June 2021

Michaell said:
Yards .... I've been fighting with mine all season.

Had an appointment to get the sprinklers activated in early May. The guys come out, fire everything up, make a few adjustments to the coverage, then tell me they hear "a leak" around the equipment on the side of the house. He doesn't see any water, so we decide to let it go.

Later that night, I get an automated email from my water company telling me that my water usage is, like, 3x normal. Get another one the next afternoon, at which point I shut off the water at the main down in the basement.

Call the sprinkler company, tell them the problem, and they tell me they are booked through mid-June. Swell. So, out come the old-fashioned sprinklers that attach to the hose. Fortunately, we had a fair amount of rain in May, so I didn't have to use it all that often. June comes along and the temp goes up and the rain disappears. Started using the hose pretty much every day, but still have a few brown spots both front and back.

The "guy" came back on Saturday and replaced the backflow valve, which had to be dug out. Turns out that when it was installed 5 years ago, an O-ring was crushed and caused it to fail prematurely.

Sprinklers are now working, and I've got them running every day, morning and evening, to get the grass to the correct color. Doesn't help that it's been upper 90's the last couple of days, and expected to last a couple more.

Also playing around with the height I have the mower set at - I can go from 1 (scalp) to 7 (hardly anything is taken off). Usually set it to 2 or 3, but now using 4 to keep the grass longer and allow the roots to re-establish.

Fingers crossed that it will come back nice and healthy.

Don’t they have grass varieties better suited to your climate. Around here people insist on growing grass that wants to go dormant in the heat of summer, cut it as short as a pool table and then spend a fortune on lawn services. I have to laugh when I see their sprinklers blasting away on rainy days.

oldfarmer50 · June 2021

Michaell said:

explorerx4 said:
@michaell,
No wonder the west in running out of water.
Yeah, my few extra gallons is causing the Colorado River to run dry.

Normally, I run them 3 times a week. By switching to a daily schedule, I cut back the watering time, so I suspect the overall usage isn't all that much more.

Yes, I'm worried about the drought here. Lots of water rights are going to be strained in the next couple of years, all over the Western US.

FWIW, I don't get my water from the Colorado or the snowmelt. My water district spent 15 years to get a reservoir set up for both my community and the one I used to live in - I've been paying surcharges for that long to fund the work.

You’ll get a healthier lawn if you water once a week to the point of run off. Then the grass roots chase the water deeper and are more drought resistant.

driver100 · June 2021

venture said:

driver100 said:
They can get a man to the moon but they can't make a sprinkler system that actually works the way it should.

Every year we had a break and our water bill was so high we gave up....we pray for rain and if really stuck we use a sprinkler....not ideal but better than the dealing with the sprinkler system. The other thing is the high cost of maintenance....the costs are never ending.
A break every year? That seems excessive. Was it from water remaining in the system freezing in the winter?

Why would it make the water bill so high?

I think it was weak....and water would keep leaking out. We pay a lot for water these days, they charge you for the quantity used, and now they charge you to send it back via the sewers. They kind of get you coming and going. The system was shut off and turned on again but it is weak...and finding the break isn't easy apparently.
The sprinkler system in Florida covers a huge area and it is constantly breaking down...they keep patching it up to keep it going.

dad23 · June 2021

Michaell said:
Yards .... I've been fighting with mine all season.

Had an appointment to get the sprinklers activated in early May. The guys come out, fire everything up, make a few adjustments to the coverage, then tell me they hear "a leak" around the equipment on the side of the house. He doesn't see any water, so we decide to let it go.

Later that night, I get an automated email from my water company telling me that my water usage is, like, 3x normal. Get another one the next afternoon, at which point I shut off the water at the main down in the basement.

Call the sprinkler company, tell them the problem, and they tell me they are booked through mid-June. Swell. So, out come the old-fashioned sprinklers that attach to the hose. Fortunately, we had a fair amount of rain in May, so I didn't have to use it all that often. June comes along and the temp goes up and the rain disappears. Started using the hose pretty much every day, but still have a few brown spots both front and back.

The "guy" came back on Saturday and replaced the backflow valve, which had to be dug out. Turns out that when it was installed 5 years ago, an O-ring was crushed and caused it to fail prematurely.

Sprinklers are now working, and I've got them running every day, morning and evening, to get the grass to the correct color. Doesn't help that it's been upper 90's the last couple of days, and expected to last a couple more.

Also playing around with the height I have the mower set at - I can go from 1 (scalp) to 7 (hardly anything is taken off). Usually set it to 2 or 3, but now using 4 to keep the grass longer and allow the roots to re-establish.

Fingers crossed that it will come back nice and healthy.

I like those emails/texts from the water company. I assume it's the same company - caught a leaky toilet here last year. I just have to remember to change our thresholds when we turn on/off the sprinklers for the change in water usage. The first night we ran them this year, we had a few texts!

bwia · June 2021

Michaell said:

explorerx4 said:
@michaell,
No wonder the west in running out of water.
Yeah, my few extra gallons is causing the Colorado River to run dry.

Normally, I run them 3 times a week. By switching to a daily schedule, I cut back the watering time, so I suspect the overall usage isn't all that much more.

Yes, I'm worried about the drought here. Lots of water rights are going to be strained in the next couple of years, all over the Western US.

FWIW, I don't get my water from the Colorado or the snowmelt. My water district spent 15 years to get a reservoir set up for both my community and the one I used to live in - I've been paying surcharges for that long to fund the work.

I was watching a video about a guy who said he was leaving Arizona because his future is doubtful there given the current and future state of the draught and desertification afflicting the Southwest. He said there are too many competing parties for the limited water resources---farmers for agriculture and cattle, builders for homes and golf courses and waterways for canals and ponds and for recreational use.

What he suggests, is instead on depending on a drying Colorado River and by extension Lake Mead, now at its lowest level, is to build a desalinated water plant on the Pacific Ocean in California and pipe the water into Arizona. That way, the Southwest will have plenty of water for residential, recreational and agriculture uses. Nice idea but can it work?

He believes Americans have become cheap, lazy and soft and do not embody the pioneer spirit of the early settlers of the copper state. Obviously, this proposal will not be cheap, but it is feasible given the sophisticated engineering technology available today.

What do think of his proposal, madness or pragmatic?

kyfdx · June 2021

Water heavily, twice weekly, rather than every day, for best results.

As a sprinkler system owner for 23 years, something breaks every year. You can count on it.

driver100 · June 2021

Here's a coincidence, Mrs D100s friend had a new water sprinkler system installed yesterday.
Today the cable service doesn't work for her TV or internet....they cut through that.
And they cut off the electricity line that goes to her storage shed....where the control panel is for her sprinkler system.

snakeweasel · June 2021

bwia said:

Michaell said:

explorerx4 said:
@michaell,
No wonder the west in running out of water.
Yeah, my few extra gallons is causing the Colorado River to run dry.

Normally, I run them 3 times a week. By switching to a daily schedule, I cut back the watering time, so I suspect the overall usage isn't all that much more.

Yes, I'm worried about the drought here. Lots of water rights are going to be strained in the next couple of years, all over the Western US.

FWIW, I don't get my water from the Colorado or the snowmelt. My water district spent 15 years to get a reservoir set up for both my community and the one I used to live in - I've been paying surcharges for that long to fund the work.
I was watching a video about a guy who said he was leaving Arizona because his future is doubtful there given the current and future state of the draught and desertification afflicting the Southwest. He said there are too many competing parties for the limited water resources---farmers for agriculture and cattle, builders for homes and golf courses and waterways for canals and ponds and for recreational use.

What he suggests, is instead on depending on a drying Colorado River and by extension Lake Mead, now at its lowest level, is to build a desalinated water plant on the Pacific Ocean in California and pipe the water into Arizona. That way, the Southwest will have plenty of water for residential, recreational and agriculture uses. Nice idea but can it work?

He believes Americans have become cheap, lazy and soft and do not embody the pioneer spirit of the early settlers of the copper state. Obviously, this proposal will not be cheap, but it is feasible given the sophisticated engineering technology available today.

What do think of his proposal, madness or pragmatic?

Desalination is an expensive operation as it is very energy intensive. So it's not really practical to desalinate water for an area as large as the entire southwest. Best is the use of desalination for California to relieve the water demands that California has on the Colorado river.

Michaell · June 2021

I remember when a desalination plant was going to be built just north of Santa Barbara - 30+ years ago.

Never happened.

Don't they use desalination in the Middle East?

driver100 · June 2021

Michaell said:
I remember when a desalination plant was going to be built just north of Santa Barbara - 30+ years ago.

Never happened.

Don't they use desalination in the Middle East?

They use it in Tampa....1 cent a gallon I believe!

bwia · June 2021

Could Planet X really exist? Discovering a ninth planet in our solar system almost two centuries after the last discovery may seem far fetched, but it’s actually way more likely than we might think.

With Pluto having been demoted to a dwarf planet in 2006, Neptune is the last planet to have been discovered in our solar system. Neptune was first observed with a telescope in 1846 and since then there’s been widespread discussion about whether or not there’s another planet beyond it. This hypothetical planet is what astronomers refer to as Planet X.

This recent (June 12, 2021) 11-minute video explores the possibility.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lizT3uonZHg

jmonroe1 · June 2021

driver100 said:
Here's a coincidence, Mrs D100s friend had a new water sprinkler system installed yesterday.
Today the cable service doesn't work for her TV or internet....they cut through that.
And they cut off the electricity line that goes to her storage shed....where the control panel is for her sprinkler system.

Since you live in Canada I’d have Mrs. drivers friend contact Holmes on Holmes. They’ll have the house and shed wiring redone and a complete dig up of the yard done in about 3 months.

jmonroe

jmonroe1 · June 2021

Michaell said:
I remember when a desalination plant was going to be built just north of Santa Barbara - 30+ years ago.

Never happened.

Don't they use desalination in the Middle East?

I think you’re right but cost is not a factor because they sell oil that funds it which the world pays for.

jmonroe

henryn · June 2021

I've never had a sprinkler system. And I have always done minimal watering, just enough during the worst dry spells to keep the grass from dying. But if I did have a sprinkler system, and it was as expensive as I'm hearing on here, then I think I would become a self-taught sprinkler repairman. It can't be that complicated or hard to do.

abacomike · June 2021

@henryn said:
I've never had a sprinkler system. And I have always done minimal watering, just enough during the worst dry spells to keep the grass from dying. But if I did have a sprinkler system, and it was as expensive as I'm hearing on here, then I think I would become a self-taught sprinkler repairman. It can't be that complicated or hard to do.

I had a sprinkler system - my wife! 🤪😜

She always wanted a green lawn and beautiful shrubbery around our houses - so she mowed the lawns and she managed the watering of the grass and the shrubs. She was a stay-at-home mom and had lots of time on her hands once the kids started school. So she took a keen interest in out lawn and trees and shrubs.

When she went back to work, I began to team up with her on weekends in keeping our lawn, shrubs and trees green and well-manicured. All our neighbors were always commenting on how beautiful our home looked from the street. We even won community awards for the most beautiful home property in our city.

When the kids were old enough, they shared in the responsibility of keeping our lawn and greenery in top-notch shape. Fertilizer was essential in keeping our 1/3 acre lot exquisite throughout the spring, summer and fall.

We eventually had a landscaping company install an underground sprinkling system with timers and moisture sensors so the grass and shrubs and trees were efficiently watered. It was costly - but that’s what my wife lived for - GREEN, GREEN. GREEN! 🤢🧑🏽‍🎤🐸🐢🐊🌲🍀🍃🍏✳️🟢🟩

venture · June 2021

henryn said:
I've never had a sprinkler system. And I have always done minimal watering, just enough during the worst dry spells to keep the grass from dying. But if I did have a sprinkler system, and it was as expensive as I'm hearing on here, then I think I would become a self-taught sprinkler repairman. It can't be that complicated or hard to do.

It's not complicated or hard to do. I fix the ones that go bad at the baseball field and I ain't no genius.

I suspect most companies that install these systems make them as complicated (expensive) as they can be.

No moisture detectors, no timers. Just three shut-offs. Third base foul line, first base foul line, and infield. I know when it needs water.

oldfarmer50 · June 2021

bwia said:

Michaell said:

explorerx4 said:
@michaell,
No wonder the west in running out of water.
Yeah, my few extra gallons is causing the Colorado River to run dry.

Normally, I run them 3 times a week. By switching to a daily schedule, I cut back the watering time, so I suspect the overall usage isn't all that much more.

Yes, I'm worried about the drought here. Lots of water rights are going to be strained in the next couple of years, all over the Western US.

FWIW, I don't get my water from the Colorado or the snowmelt. My water district spent 15 years to get a reservoir set up for both my community and the one I used to live in - I've been paying surcharges for that long to fund the work.
I was watching a video about a guy who said he was leaving Arizona because his future is doubtful there given the current and future state of the draught and desertification afflicting the Southwest. He said there are too many competing parties for the limited water resources---farmers for agriculture and cattle, builders for homes and golf courses and waterways for canals and ponds and for recreational use.

What he suggests, is instead on depending on a drying Colorado River and by extension Lake Mead, now at its lowest level, is to build a desalinated water plant on the Pacific Ocean in California and pipe the water into Arizona. That way, the Southwest will have plenty of water for residential, recreational and agriculture uses. Nice idea but can it work?

He believes Americans have become cheap, lazy and soft and do not embody the pioneer spirit of the early settlers of the copper state. Obviously, this proposal will not be cheap, but it is feasible given the sophisticated engineering technology available today.

What do think of his proposal, madness or pragmatic?

I have to admit I’d be hesitant to move to the southwest because of the water situation. You can do without a lot of things but not water.

Desalinating water at the ocean in CA and piping it to AZ must be terribly expensive. It might be better to set up such facilities on the Gulf of California and pump it in from Mexico. Much shorter distance.

https://www.livescience.com/4510-desalination-work.html

Pioneer spirit? You mean when there were range wars over water access? I don’t think I’d be willing to shoot my neighbor so I could water my lawn.

qbrozen · June 2021

I can't water enough to do as some of you suggest. The system runs from 10pm until 7am as it is. It totally kills the water pressure in the house and it can't run more than 1 zone at a time. We have 18 zones. I had it set to every other night but the wife complained so now it runs every damned night.

kyfdx · June 2021

qbrozen said:
I can't water enough to do as some of you suggest. The system runs from 10pm until 7am as it is. It totally kills the water pressure in the house and it can't run more than 1 zone at a time. We have 18 zones. I had it set to every other night but the wife complained so now it runs every damned night.

Just run six zones, each night (3X as long on each one). You don't have to water the entire lawn on the same day.

qbrozen · June 2021

@kyfdx said:
Just run six zones, each night (3X as long on each one). You don't have to water the entire lawn on the same day.

Hmmm… I don’t think I can make the system do that.

kyfdx · June 2021

qbrozen said:

@kyfdx said:

Just run six zones, each night (3X as long on each one). You don't have to water the entire lawn on the same day.

Hmmm… I don’t think I can make the system do that.

You should be able to put in multiple programs. Mine has A, B and C. Zones 1-6 on A, etc... Then, you can schedule each program for two days per week (Sunday+Wed), (Mo+Th), (Tu+FR).

My controller is at least 8 years old. I'll bet you can do it.

stickguy · June 2021

mine is almost 30 years old. All mechanical with clicky dials for time per zone, and buttons to push/pull to change the date. Theoretically can do it, but it would take a lot of time every day to reset everything.

I assume new system controllers are all digital so can set it up off your cell phone app if you want. But I certainly am not paying to put one in!

abacomike · June 2021

I was admitted to the hospital on Sunday morning for problems with my back and nerve pain down my legs. I just got the results of my MRI and it shows two bulging discs at L3 L4 and L5 and serious stenosis.

I am waiting to see the surgeon to see his recommendations for solving my consistent pain. Just another day in the life of abacomike! 🤪😜🤓

carnaught · June 2021

abacomike said:
I was admitted to the hospital on Sunday morning for problems with my back and nerve pain down my legs. I just got the results of my MRI and it shows two bulging discs at L3 L4 and L5 and serious stenosis.

I am waiting to see the surgeon to see his recommendations for solving my consistent pain. Just another dai in the life of abacomike! 🤪😜🤓

@abacomike, wish you the best and keep us informed. If you need surgery, see if you’re a candidate for a minimally invasive spine procedure. People I’ve known have gotten almost immediate relief of pain following the surgery, so there’s something to be said for it if recommended.

jmonroe1 · June 2021

abacomike said:

@henryn said:

I've never had a sprinkler system. And I have always done minimal watering, just enough during the worst dry spells to keep the grass from dying. But if I did have a sprinkler system, and it was as expensive as I'm hearing on here, then I think I would become a self-taught sprinkler repairman. It can't be that complicated or hard to do.

I had a sprinkler system - my wife! 🤪😜

She always wanted a green lawn and beautiful shrubbery around our houses - so she mowed the lawns and she managed the watering of the grass and the shrubs. She was a stay-at-home mom and had lots of time on her hands once the kids started school. So she took a keen interest in out lawn and trees and shrubs.

When she went back to work, I began to team up with her on weekends in keeping our lawn, shrubs and trees green and well-manicured. All our neighbors were always commenting on how beautiful our home looked from the street. We even won community awards for the most beautiful home property in our city.

When the kids were old enough, they shared in the responsibility of keeping our lawn and greenery in top-notch shape. Fertilizer was essential in keeping our 1/3 acre lot exquisite throughout the spring, summer and fall.

We eventually had a landscaping company install an underground sprinkling system with timers and moisture sensors so the grass and shrubs and trees were efficiently watered. It was costly - but that’s what my wife lived for - GREEN, GREEN. GREEN! 🤢🧑🏽‍🎤🐸🐢🐊🌲🍀🍃🍏✳️🟢🟩

Yeah, I know what you mean. I haven’t met a woman yet that didn’t like money.

jmonroe

dad23 · June 2021

abacomike said:
I was admitted to the hospital on Sunday morning for problems with my back and nerve pain down my legs. I just got the results of my MRI and it shows two bulging discs at L3 L4 and L5 and serious stenosis.

I am waiting to see the surgeon to see his recommendations for solving my consistent pain. Just another dai in the life of abacomike! 🤪😜🤓

Sorry to hear about your back @abacomike, it's never fun dealing with those issues. I ended up having a three level fusion back in 2009 which seemed to help but am dealing with nerve issues now. I would try whatever possible to avoid surgery if possible, hopefully you get some relief soon!

qbrozen · June 2021

@kyfdx said:
You should be able to put in multiple programs. Mine has A, B and C. Zones 1-6 on A, etc... Then, you can schedule each program for two days per week (Sunday+Wed), (Mo+Th), (Tu+FR).

My controller is at least 8 years old. I'll bet you can do it.

Mine is 17. I’ll have to take a look when I get a chance.

mjfloyd1 · June 2021

@abacomike - I hope your back gets better. Have you had epidural steroids?

mjfloyd1 · June 2021

We filed with our insurance and got a rental. Ford Fusion. Woohoo.

Our company put the pictures through some estimator and one said totaled but the other said borderline. They didn’t realize that it has air suspension so that should tip it over the edge I hope

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