Views and Interviews - Online Journal

Hints of Fall

We've had four perfect days in a row - totally clear skys, mild temperatures.  The trees in our neighborhood are still entirely green - no touch of of fall colors.  But as I sat on the deck yesterday a flock of about a hundred geese flew over heading south, creating quite a ruckus as they went.  I've heard them a couple of times before, but this was a really big group passing slowly overhead in their ragged V. 

(Now that I've been checking things out with my compass, I know they were going south - it's a direction that feels like west to me, but now I know my gut feel is wrong in this case.)

What's Wrong With This Picture?

On a different note, here's a report of yet another mess in regard to our government's handling of the aftermath of Katrina.  In our local paper there was a report yesterday of the experiences of fifty firemen including two of our own who went to New Orleans to help out.  (Our town is pretty small - we don't have many firemen, so even two are a lot for us.)

First the group was kept in Atlanta by FEMA for paperwork and 'training' - most of them were there for three or four days, which they found very frustrating when people in Louisiana were in such need. Our guys got out sooner however, because they were part of a special group that was selected to go to New Orleans to serve as a background to President Bush during some of his "photo ops" - they were not supposed to do anything - just stand behind the president and smile. 

Fortunately for the firemen (and the people they eventually helped,) the president was off somewhere else, so after hanging about for awhile, our guys were released and allowed to start doing what they came for - whereas the larger group they had been part of was stuck in Atlanta for a few more days. 

Some Notes

Some things have gotten better - I've been meaning to note this for quite awhile. 

For example, toilet paper dispensers in public bath rooms. I wonder how many people remember or worse - still encounter - the small metal boxes that despense small folded pieces of paper that are nearly useless unless you manage to accumulate a whole handful.  They are pretty much gone.  Then there are the too-tight rolls of paper where all one gets are shreds.  They too are disappearing.  They are being replaced by those foot wide plastic things that hold huge rolls of paper, or other such devices - and they all work.  Amazing - someone is thinking about things like this. 

Other things are improving -  all the obvious things, like PC storage devices - or digital cameras - but that's really new technology, areas where one expects improvement.  I didn't expect it in toilet paper.

Sometimes though the process goes too far.  Toothbrushes were already pretty good - but evidently someone thought to put a bend in the handle, then give it a lot more heft, and maybe some rubber to insure your grip - and now it doesn't fit the old toothbrush holder.  That wasn't so good.  Except that now there's a market for free-standing toothbrush holders that accommodate the larger brushes.  And less space on my bathroom sink. 

Oh - and about our deck umbrella - what was living in it was (were?) three bats.  They are gone now, but I'm hoping to put up a house for them next spring.  Even though my sister says that most bat houses never attract occupants.  Maybe I'll just hang out an old furled umbrella.