Water Rates

OH ! OH ! We received a notice of public hearing from the Borrego Water District regarding water and sewer rate increases. The date of the hearing...June 22, 2011. Too bad...the snow birds have flown, summer vacations are underway and Borregans have almost settled in for another tranquil summer. Once again, we must face water issues!

Three new Water Board Directors were elected after a bitter battle. Meetings were held and petitions distributed. It seems that the reserve funds of the District need to be replenished. Both fixed charges and rate charges are slated to increase. Fixed charge for a 3/4 inch meter, now, $19.58/ mo. will increase to $25.45 /mo. Fixed charge for a 1" meter-now, $28.62/ mo.will increase to $37.21 in 2012. Tier 1 winter units ( 45 units ) are now $1.02.(in ID-1). They will increase to $1.46 in 2012. Tier 1 summer units ( 55 ) are now $1.02. In 2012, they will be $1.46/ unit. Remember, a unit is 748 gallons. The proposed fees include the power fee and the groundwater management fee. We live in ID-4, currently paying $1.12/ unit. ( tier1 ) Our increased rate will be $1.46/ unit...a difference of $ .34. Take some old bills and you can estimate what your payments will be. Do the same for tier 2 and realize that it pays to be water thrifty!

Water problems are nothing new. Battles have been fought and people killed over that valuable commodity. Here, in the Borrego Springs, we depend on an aquifer for our water. As residents of this unique community, we all need to take part in making sure wise decisions are made.

And, all of us need to do our part to make sure Borrego continues to flourish. Desert landscape can be captivating or just dust, rocks and gravel. We are desert gardeners! The challenges are many, but the rewards are great...We plan our landscape with water as the focus...smart irrigation, plants inured to the region, use of natives, mulching, composting and more. Our vegetables and fruit taste all the sweeter due to the care we have given them. They will still thrive and desert gardens shall still be beautiful even as we strive to conserve even more!

Sky Omens

Watching moving cloud patterns on the San Ysidro or Santa Rosa ranges has to be one of my favorite Borrego pastimes! One of the attributes, common to Neanderthals, and to us today most likely is the tendency to search the sky for omens. Intuitively, we think... time to hunker down - time to wander out and enjoy life - time to move to higher ground- time to move on...all are observations that must go back to prehistory. There are plenty of clues in the sky and, what better place to see the far reaches of overhead vistas than Borrego Springs!

As teenagers, do you remember days so perfect that you could look skyward and dream a thousand daydreams? A blue sky, a comfortable temperature and a gentle breeze are just clues that lead us to believe nothing terrible will befall us. On the other hand, dark skies, cold temperature and the sound of thunder gives us pause to consider our actions during any given day.

A farmer from Nebraska once told me, " Biscuit clouds mean it's going to hail! " We saw them during a Lake Powell vacation, hastily put up the canvas on our boat and watched it HAIL! That farmer made a believer of us. When we see bright blue skies and scattered fluffy white clouds, we predict the weather will be fine. When we see high "herring bone" patterns in the sky, we look for a change of weather.

Lately, we have had our share of "flying saucer clouds", and by now, every Borregan knows what THAT means...WIND. So, put down shade umbrellas, move patio chairs to shelter, lock gates and prepare to wait it out...at least until more favorable signs appear overhead!

UFO = Could be a lenticular cloud
Biscuits in the sky = mammatiform clouds ( look for them under a thunderhead )
Thunderhead = cumulonimbus cloud...it may have an anvil.
High squiggles (herringbone pattern) = cirrocumulus clouds.
Cotton puffs in the sky= fair weather = cumulus clouds

The Performer

If you live in Borrego and sleep with windows open, you are sure to be familiar with an unusual melody. This is truly music of the night. Crickets hum, coyotes sing, owls hoot...but NOTHING can match the persistence of the mockingbird! He sings all night...one encore after another.

The mockingbird is able to sing the songs of other birds...repeating them three or four times- until he gets them right, I guess. It's fun to identify the other bird medleys so ably copied by him. Our night singer is probably a bachelor ( females sing, too, but more softly and, usually, not at night ). I've heard him singing in more voices than you can count! It is said that he keeps learning new songs all his life and can sing over 300 tunes! I have even heard a " bell " sound coming from that versatile throat! A mockingbird will copy mechanical noises, insect noises, frogs and a friend from San Clemente told me they even copy car alarms! ( Oh, how I hope he doesn't start barking ! )

They are fierce defenders of territory, so you probably don't need to worry about having too many mockingbirds in your garden. Our resident bird creates such a noisy fracas when other birds come into his "space" that I have had to go outside to see what was wrong! They do have an eye for my strawberries and try to get under the netting. The birds are disliked by some...a neighbor even named her resident mockingbird, 'Killer" ...he attacked other birds and nests in her garden.
-
Some people might be bothered by this night music. We just wake up, listen for awhile, identify a few tunes and are then lulled back to sleep by nature's flying troubador.

The Palm that is not a Palm

A tropical appearing plant that grows well in Borrego is the Sago palm ( Cycas revoluta ).

We brought a small plant with us when we moved here from Orange County. We planted it, along with another we had purchased, near the pool area. Both have thrived, multiplied and provided us with many off shoots. At one time, these plants were considered rare and thieves actually stole them from residential and commercial gardens...they brought a hefty price. Now, they are no longer considered threatened, the price has dropped and you can find them in many nurseries.

Cycads come from one of the most ancient of families. They lived during the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods and are still here today! Most closely related to conifers, they are gymnosperms ( bearing naked seeds ). Not to get into sex too deeply, let's just say they are either male of female! Of course, when we planted ours, we knew nothing about the sex of our plants. We found out soon enough...the male produced a large cone-like structure-the female, a soft velvety, light brown fuzzy mass which containing large orange seeds...how exotic!

We have found the plants can grow in direct sun but need to be inured to it. They seem to do better with some shade. They are hardy to 15 degrees, need good drainage, regular water and very little care. Ours are planted on north and south exposures, with partial day shade from overhangs. A perfect patio plant.
Sagos are fairly slow growing, but a one hundred year old plant might attain a height of twenty feet!

The other side of the story: All parts of the Sago is poisonous to pets. When ingested, they can cause all types of misery. The walnut-like seeds make attractive playthings and some dogs might even eat them. Ours has not, but we pick up the seeds whenever we see them. The leathery leaves are pointed and sharp. I like to use the leaves in a large vase inside the house. They last for weeks and make a dramatic addition to the decor. BUT, I have shed more blood handling those leaves than any other garden plant! WEAR GLOVES WHEN WORKING NEAR A SAGO!

Corn Trials

CORN! Picked the first four ears this morning. They were small, but were full of kernels. Golden bantam seems to grow here, but I've had to baby it. The wind blew over a few stalks and the upper portion of the bed ( up slope ) did not do as well as the lower portion. The squash and beans scattered amongst the stalks also grew but not as vigorously as they do in the raised beds.

SO...like all good gardeners, I'm already planning an upgrade to the bed. The problem wasn't with the seed, but, I think, with the soil and the slope. Sometime before next year, I'm going to elevate the bed ( 4 or 5 inches ) ,level it, fill it with enriched soil and plant the rows closer together. My optimism abounds!

What has worked: Golden bantam seed, drip irrigation, squash and beans. Next season...a bountiful harvest! To cook: Bring pot of water to boil. Add corn. Turn off heat, cover and wait 10 min. Eat.

What do you Think of the Weather?

This on again-off again one day hot-two days cold with cold wind sandwiched between SURE doesn't feel like Borrego to me! The plants don't know what is happening, the birds are acting crazy...what in the world is going on?

I asked my computer the same question and was led to the following spot:
http://weathersource.com/past-weather

Just look it up, type in your location and access weather history...in Borrego, back to the 40's! Fascinating!

Revenge of the Limas

Retribution arrived as I always knew it would...and, justly, in the form of a lima bean - make that 24 lima beans!

A long time ago, I erred in entering my friends lima bean soup recipe in a "Best Recipe" contest. Of course, I changed the name of the recipe, added one new ingredient and called it my own. I added 1/4 tsp. dried red chili. The recipe makes the most delicious soup you have ever tasted - and, it is one of the most labor intensive soups you will ever prepare! EACH LIMA BEAN has to be peeled after soaking!!!
The bean skins do slip off easily but there are lots of beans in one pound. I told her I loved the soup but would NEVER make it again. However, it was so elegant ...a sure winner- and, win it did. First place. I called it Mexican Lima Soup. She has never forgiven me for that act.

Remember the pole limas I mentioned in a post? I planted them in my flat and watched for them to emerge every day. They didn't. They turned into mush ( soup?). I dug into the small partitions and found only goo! A friend had given me a packet of pole ( green) beans she had bought at the 99 Cent Store. I planted those directly into the soil around my upright support and ringed them with carrots. All germinated within ten days. I will order pole limas again next year from Burpee and give it another try. I think they need to be planted directly into the soil.(2" depth)

Do you think they will hold a grudge until next year?

Surfers and Sailors

I just can't believe how many older surfers and sailors have retired in Borrego Springs! Is there something similar to be found here that entices them to this relatively remote small town? True, sailing and surfing are both solitary activities...both involve communing with nature and are subject to nature's whims. Jeff Divine says no two waves are ever the same. No sailing trip is, either. The ocean is a mighty force.

Do they find something similar here, in the desert? Something seems to draw them here. Perhaps the capriciouness of the weather, the wilderness of the Park wich surrounds us, the infinite vistas, the ability to explore or hike and find a new type of self reliance. For whatever reason, they DO seem to like Borrego!

What is even odder, is that many of them have become avid gardeners! Again, gardening is also a solitary activity, reliant on nature,and subject to her whims. The other evening, we had dinner with Jeff Divine and his wife, Julie. Jeff is a well known photographer/ author who has worked for years for Surfer publications. He presented us with his new surf book, SURF 80'S. It's a great book. Now, I know what to order for my surfer relatives for Christmas!

Jeff and Julie have a residence here, in Borrego. He told me, " I'm getting to love gardening." He went on to tell me about his mother and grandmother, who were famous in gardening circles in La Jolla. Now, Jeff has the bug. Gardening MUST be in the genes!

To see ESPN interview, go to: http://espn.go.com/action/blog?post=6404159&sport=surfing&sort=oldest

Local Produce- Look for the Label!

I hope you all saw the article in the food section of the Union Tribune, April 27, 2011.

The article began by asking whether you would rather buy an avocado from Fallbrook or one grown in Chile. The article continued to point out the difficulty of actually determining where local produce is grown. Now, some county growers are putting a small sunburst-like label on the item that says, San Diego Grown 365. Ten farmers are using the label presently, but the S. D. County Farm Bureau is encouraging all growers to sign up for the program. Some local wineries are already using this method.

I don't know about you, but we LOVE avocados...We can't grow them in the low desert, so have to buy them. I am so TIRED of cutting open an avocado from Chile or Mexico and having to cut away a good portion before consuming it! OH, how I wish our own Center Market reads this post!