IS THIS ABSURD OR

AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT THINKS SO. What am I talking about you say.  Well, give me a minute or several and I will tell you.  Two things, actually. 

1. Last night there was an earthquake in the NAPA valley. A 6. something. While the news did mention some of the damage to buildings and other property, most of the concern was with the wine.  OH, NO, wine bottles were smashed, wine barrels were broken open, thousands of dollars lost.  Well, it wasn't really lost, because it is insured.  So, guess the insurance companies lose. But then, they have been paid to lose, haven't they.  While I am not concerned about the lost wine, I do have one concern.  California is in the midst of a very severe drought. So, maybe they should just shut down those 500 plus wineries and put the water to better use. But, no, unfortunately, since I am in the minority on this, I am sure that the wineries will get financial help to rebuild and replace and they will go on, while others will suffer with limited water resources.

2. Back in the dark ages, when I went to school, even high school, and yes there was high school way back then, we started school at 9 a.m. and finished at 3:30 p.m. Then after school, we went home, on a bus, did chores, ( milked cows, got in firewood, etc ) and then if you happened to be on the basketball team (I was) then you drove back to the school 30 minutes away for practice. And we were home and in bed by 10 p.m.  So, what is the purpose of this post.  Somewhere along the line, schools started earlier and let out earlier. I don't know why and won't speculate why, but for whatever reason it happened. Now, Pediatricians want schools to start later so that teenagers can get enough sleep. And some schools have done this and reports show that the students are more alert because they can sleep in for an hour longer.  Now school starts at 9 a.m. at those schools. But, the news report on this was following a high school student and the report said he still goes to bed around midnight, the same as usual, but he can sleep later in the morning before he gets up.  Well, DUH!  I don't care what time school starts or stops, but these students could go to bed an hour earlier and accomplish the same thing.  Somehow, I feel I am in the minority on this one also.

3.  And a final note.  A while back a lady said her dog was bitten by a Mojave Rattle Snake. She was told that was not possible because those snakes did not live here. They lived in California. Well, guess what, snake handlers have caught several of the deadly Rattlers in the southern part of the State. Yep, folks, they are here.  How did they get here.  Well, they probably slithered here from California looking for water.

AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK