Irrigation and That Man

Thursday we rode the mountain bikes.  It was pretty cold, but was a glorious day to be outside.  Cold is relative, the phone said it was 61F, but the air mass was cold from having been at freezing over the night.  So, warm going uphill, cold going down hill.  This is a house with really cool landscaping.  That's an agave, the top part is very tall and out of frame.  I would love to have one of these in the yard, but that would mean digging a hole, which is difficult here.

When we got home, Delores the landscaper called and said he could come now to take out the three ugly sages in the back yard.  It's good to have them gone.

Notice the oleanders, how they're pale on the bottom.  The sages were blocking their sun.  I think they'll sprout leaves on the bottom and fill in.  They're not on irrigation, and we think they probably should be.

Once they were down to the ground, they asked if we wanted the root balls out, which we did.  Unfortunately, a main irrigation line was killed during the removal process.  We haven't found the damage yet, we found other damage, but not that.  So, we're watching youtubes on how to repair a line.  

There has been another leak on the back bank.  I do not understand why you would bury drip lines in an area that is covered in rock like this.

We could see water pooling, so I flung the rocks uphill above the water until the source became evident on the hill side.  Digging revealed a broken T intersection.  The line carrying water has been plugged, and hopefully nothing down stream was depending on the T for water.  Look dead center in the photo.

The plugged tube on the right was releasing a lot of water.  Now I have to put all the rocks back that we removed looking for it.  Pain in the butt!  This is out of character for us.  Generally we call someone; after the last guy came out for another leak and charged $185 for less than an hour, we decided perhaps we would learn to do this ourselves.

Before any work on the bank could begin, new pants were in order.  When I packed, apparently it did not cross my mind that there would be yard work.  We're becoming Walmart shoppers.  Thus far I have two long sleeve tee shirts that are pretty nice for painting, a button down men's shirt, size S that fits really well, and is warmer than what I brought, and now there are pants.  They're 3% spandex, which I usually don't like, but working on the bank involves squatting on one's heals.  Those pants are extremely good due to stretch.  The brand name is George, some good stuff.

This is a Fairy Duster in the back yard.  The hummingbirds like it.

Ok, enough about irrigation and pants, I'm moving on to the useful idiot.  These are in no particular order, and certainly not a complete list.

Hegseth will be the new Secretary of Defense.  So, the military will be headed up by a drunk and a rapist.  What could go wrong?

President Donald Trump revoked Executive Order 11246 which was put in place by LBJ.

In an executive order titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” issued January 21, 2025, President Donald Trump revoked Executive Order 11246, which has long provided the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) with legal authority for ensuring government contractors comply with anti-discrimination law and maintain affirmative action programs. Continuing his campaign promise to gut diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs across the federal government, Trump’s order comes on the heels of his day-one executive orders eliminating DEI programs within the federal government. But this latest move might be the most impactful yet.  Here is more.

Essentially, it's open season on non-male, non-white people.

President Donald Trump plans to pull about 20,000 U.S. troops from Europe, according to a leading Italian news agency.  A European diplomatic source told ANSA that Trump, who entered office on Monday for a second term, wants to reduce the American contingent in Europe by about 20 percent and plans to ask for a "financial contribution" for the maintenance of the remaining troops.  More is here.

As we all know, 47 wants to end birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed by the 14th amendment.  The DOJ is in court with this, and apparently this is their argument.

This is quite incredible. The US Justice Dept, under Trump, is defending its birthright citizenship Order by arguing that immigrant children covered by the Order cannot be citizens because... the children of Native Americans aren't US citizens.  Posted by Neal Katyal.  

In 1924 Native Americans were made citizens.  They vote, they're citizens.  An EO does not trump a constitutional amendment.

47 has cut off foreign aid to every country except Israel and Egypt.  This morning, he announced that zero money would be sent to Ukraine.  Before he left office, Biden had allocated money to Ukraine, but I don't know if it had been shipped off shore yet.  I guess 47 got his marching orders from Putin.

Today 47 was in California, talking about water, where he was heard to say, "I'm signing an executive order to open up the pumps and valves in the north. We want to get that water pouring down here as quickly as possible ... you're talking about unlimited water coming up from the Pacific Northwest, even coming from parts of Canada."  Water rights law is so complicated that lawyers specialize in it.  The PNW is in drought, which is getting worse.  Canada is a sovereign nation, it's their damn water.  Where are these mystical valves and pumps? 

 He is continuing to threaten to take Greenland by force, because he wants it.  

Well, it's time to go dig up a leaking irrigation line and see how bad it is.