Sept. 26, 2002 - 19:35 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Small Things

Early fall doesn't seem really like fall to me. Other than the abatement of summer heat, everything else seems about the same here in Denver.

Heather and I had the usual run of errands to do as far as time used was concerned just with differences in the results desired. None of them were big important things, some bothersome and some pleasureable. So-so, you know, like, whatever.

We had been talking to each other and wondering what next year will bring in the way of water supply for lawns and gardens. This year some of our surrounding towns are on a, "drinking water," only basis. If we are going into a ten year drought cycle like happened during the Great Depression of the thirties, we think that due to the increase in population here even drinking water may have to be bought in bottles next year.

Drink it, cook with it or bathe in it but possibly not enough water for all three. Water, once so plentiful here in Denver and vicinity has always been an unappreciated miracle, a marvel of engineering and planning to ever accomodate the influx of citizens. In early days water was obtained in town from the Platte River and as the years went on a succession of dams upstream on the river were built to hold water. That worked for a lot of years, but eventually water was piped in from the Western Slope. Still we face a lack of water if things are not done right. This area after all might not be classified as desert, probably more like arid high plains, but water is actually a rarity.

So Heather and I managed to go by many of the places we love, to see the flowers and fancy growth. The flora is in good shape for now. Our city has many good and beautiful flower beds and they are in their glory. There are many residences here that have wonderful, blooming plants too. We wanted to take a good look and enjoy that largess before frost took all that away. Because we are not sure what the winter will bring in regard to snowfall in our mountains. Many of our reservoirs seem to be showing more shore than water now. I know of one dam on the South Platte River that was emptied downstream into the next in line. Made sense to me. Dams getting shallower would tend to accelerate the evaporation of water to my way of thinking. The deeper the water usually the smaller the surface open to evaporation compared to the volume of water held.

Then we came home to our apartment after an amount of mediocre success on our errands. Heather is looking for shoes and hasn't found what she wants yet. She saw some at Walmart in Eugene, Oregon while we were there, but didn't buy them in order to have enough luggage space to take home what we brought with us.

We spent some comfortable time sitting out on our patio (?) slab (?)relaxing and drinking coffee and enjoying the plants we have there. Early in the year Heather bought two Hibiscus bushes and a hanging basket of Bougainvillea. The Hisbiscus began to flower and as time went on the flowers got much larger, nice happy red ones. Seemed that when one flower was bloomed out two more would be in its place. The Bougainvillea looked like several switches stuck in the dirt with a very few leaves apparent. Gradually it began to like where it was and put out more leaves and made motions like it was going to do do something. Here and there a bloom would show up (if that is the proper term for them) a sort of hot pink / magenta color, vibrant it is. It was looking good when we left for Oregon and when we returned we found a riot of color. Talking about, "Brighten the corner where you are," that baby is putting on a pyrotechnic display.

So we spent time enjoying our gourmet coffee, rich and nice, quiet conversation and our plantings as well as looking out at the flower beds here and there on the complex. As we drove up to our parking we noticed the hanging baskets, gorgeous in color on different levels of the buildings. A sight prettier to me than the Christmas lights everyone puts out on their balconies in winter time.

Heather and I are making a point of seeing things that might not be existent next year. We gather into our hearts the treasures of Small Things . . . . . . . . .

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