BRING IN THE CLOWNS

A "RAIN GARDEN"...

...DITTO

Friday,  8:45 AM.  65 degrees F, wind W, calm to very light.  The sky is clear with some haze and a few errant clouds.  The humidity is trending down at 77%, and the barometer up at 30.13".  It should be warmer today and I will have to do some watering.  It is surprising how quickly our sandy soils dry out and plants begin to droop.
   We have bears in the neighborhood again.  Our Coast Guard neighbor's garage was broken into last night and he has a cute, if that's an appropriate adjective, photo of  a little bear cub sitting in his garbage can.  If he sends it to me I will post it.  The mama bear must have helped him break and enter, as the window screen is cut as neatly as with a scissors.  I have begun closing windows and doors at night again.  Andy and Judy report that their camp kitchen was laid waste by a very noisy bear the other night, and a pack of howling coyotes ate the leftovers.  Andy and Judy didn't leave the tent.

   Yesterday's blog went into considerable detail to document a pretty much failed project of mine which I did several generations ago in Milwaukee.  I emphasized how important it is to correctly describe what is to be accomplished and give a design and planting a proper name to live up to so that it may be maintained over the years. 

   Rain gardens are a currently popular landscape design for impounding, filtering  and absorbing water runoff.  In the main they utilize native plants, which are purportedly easier to maintain than other plants but which in reality have very specific and crucial maintenance needs. 

   Far too often "Rain Gardens" are installed in places where they interfere with other activities, and more often than not they are not properly maintained; they are, after all, called gardens and it should be obvious they need care.  Those pictured above are in the parking lot of the new Bayfield boat ramp facility.  They were planted over a year ago and have not been weeded, many of the original plants have disappeared, and they are a functional and visual mess.  The assumption by the city has been that since they are "native" plantings they will take care of themselves.  Anyone with the least knowledge of weeds and native plants can see that is not happening.  If a landscape is not cared for, native or not, those responsible for its usefulness are just "clowning around." 

   With that in mind, have you heard about the Missouri rodeo clown who wore an Obama mask and clowned around with it on as part of his job to distract the rodeo bulls after they had thrown their riders?

   So offensive, evidently, was this clowns humorous performance that the NAACP is calling for  a federal investigation into "threats against the president," and the Missouri State Fair has banned him from performing there for life.  The upshot is that the banned clown has been invited to work in Texas, which still has some basic human freedoms and a sense  of humor as well. 

   I think we should all sing that oldie, "Bring In The Clowns," and see who shows up.  I think I know who will be leading the parade.