Opinion: I’m enjoying the rain storms
“It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring, he hit his head on the back of the bed, and he couldn’t get up in the morning.”
According to Wikipedia, this is an English nursery rhyme from 1912. I have enjoyed watching the rain outside my window this week. The recent drought may be over but in California, we always need to be careful and not waste water, which is a precious finite resource.
As the Riverstone housing development blossoms on Avenue 12 and State Route 41, I wonder where these homes will get enough water to sustain the families that are investing their life savings to fulfill the dream of home-ownership.
For Fred and me it makes more sense to rent a home rather than to own one. Part of the beauty of renting is the inclusion of yard maintenance with the rent. The downside is the many rules a tenant must agree to in order to take up residency.
We do our best to be good neighbors and renters. Our lease agreement prohibits smoking in the house. We have lived in our present house for more than a year and I have never smoked a cigarette inside the house. As much as I enjoy smoking you can’t smoke in here and it makes no difference where “in here,” is with the possible exception of the smoking sections at area casinos.
When Fred and I bought our very first brand new car, he asked me please to not smoke in the vehicle.
I’m the type of wife who would do almost anything my husband asks me to do, but I don’t respond well to being told what to do.
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A recent debate on Facebook led by a childhood friend asked if she was the only person, who thought cigarette smoke is one of the worst smells around. Many people weighed in with the consensus being that smoking is a nasty habit and stale cigarette smoke is one of the world’s worst aromas.
Historically tobacco is one of the country’s greatest cash crops. The nicotine it contains is highly addictive. As soon as growing marijuana becomes a legal crop that could change. Pot is more like a weed than a plant and will grow darn near anywhere.
National forests have become a popular location for growing marijuana. I went on several raids and eradication missions with now retired John Anderson when he served as Madera County Sherriff. Some of the pot plants were as tall and as wide as a giant Christmas tree topping six and seven feet tall.
Medical and recreational use of weed is the subject of great debate. I have seen cancer victims benefit greatly from both the relaxing properties in cannabis and the boost to the patient’s appetite.
Since the pharmaceutical industry can’t profit from selling something that is so easy to acquire home-grown there is strong opposition to the widespread use of tetrahydrocannabinol, one of the chemicals derived from pot.
Long days and pleasant nights, have a great weekend.
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Readers, may contact Tami Jo Nix by emailing tamijonix@gmail.com or following @TamiJoNix on Twitter.
