How did you folks weather the storm last night?  PHEW!  The winds were howling here. (Progressively worse it seems.)  I was recording a “LAME project” and later discovered I could still hear the wind outside in playback.

Once again the relentless strong wind  that typically assaults the southeast  side of the house compelled a quick decision as to how best protect that homemade shade cloth awning  I created that took hours of hand stitched reinforced seams for the various support lines.   (I swear by that 550 7 strand nylon paracord! Fantastic stuff for all sorts of projects!  – Cut a small piece – remove the individual strands – they are great for sewing with a large needle.   I had a post on this, guess it’s still here somewhere?)

So I’m standing in the pouring rain and howling wind with basically two options:

allow the large shade cloth I had sewn together and installed over the back deck to continue billowing and “popping” like a parachute due to the oscillating gusts and take a chance they would survive, or, quickly detach the lines from the multiple posts supporting them over the deck to stop that parachute effect which clearly had the potential of snapping off posts or breaking the “wood spacers” keeping the shade cloths fully open and, well, properly spaced.

(That was my greatest concern, because although I had taken precautions of securing the wooden slats to the cloth – if they snapped under the pressure of the billowing parachute, those broken pieces could be propelled about by the wind representing a potential for serious damage or personal injury.  As is traditionally pointed out in such high velocity wind environments, it is not the speed or force of the wind that will harm you, but rather, all the debris being hurled at you!    For instance, one of those 1” x 2” x 8’ shade cloth support posts, if broken, could be released and actually launched towards the great room glass slider like an arrow from that “popping parachute 550 cord bow” and could severely damage that glass door – not to mention what it could do to the dumb ass standing there in a storm scratching his head trying to figure out what to do!   Lol)

I kid you not!  Felt like a star “action character” in one of those old black and white Sinbad the sailor type movies depicting the high sea perils ancient mariners faced.

(Minus the chiseled six-pack stomach; glistening rippling muscles; long flowing hair….blah, blah, blah)

There I was – pitch of night in the middle of a tremendous storm with ghost like howling winds (probably caused by some pissed off witch or evil spirit of some sort – certainly not climate change – lol) desperately attempting to save my redwood decked land based ship from certain destruction by cutting loose the varied sails and yardarm rope rigging to prevent the snapping of wooden masts and support structures…..

(like a 30 year old Leland Cypress tree trunk last night!)

and the ultimate capsizing and sinking of my vessel….. 

“Cut the sails! 

Save the masts and ship!  

Cut the sails – let ’em go!”

(Makes your heart race with the imagined excitement yeah?  Lol)

OK, good plan.   Just simply climb a ladder in the dark during a severe wind/rain storm with a sharp knife in hand

(no, not held securely between my clinched teeth like a pirate climbing over the side of an adversary’s ship – lol)

and stretch out my cutting arm as far as I could in order to reach the nylon cords dancing above my head – wildly flipping and flapping about in the gusty wind – rather scary in itself.

(Know how in some of the old “fright films” a situation like this takes a dark turn by mysterious evil forces?……”Stretching out as far as he could with outreached arm, the razor sharp knife trembled in hand as the wind wildly whipped and snapped a loose end of 550 7 strand rot resistant Desert Storm (fantastic inventory of colors and combinations) nylon paracord (Paracordplanet)  – which inexplicably wrapped around the knife handle in his out stretched hand snapping it away from him and whipping and slashing the now wind controlled air born razor by a wet nylon cord like a possessed flying demon slashing, cutting, nicking bone and ….YIKES!  Knew I  had a restless night, but, phew.  Anyway, a bit scary up a ladder at night, in a storm, high winds, with a sharp knife……blah, blah, blah)

 

ANYWAY, exercising extreme caution I successfully eliminated the “parachute effect” without injury or further risk of property damage.   Sure was some mess though.

(Used a knife to cut the support 550 lines because due to their being wet and knots pulled tight under tension of the wind there was no way to untie them safely while standing on a wet ladder.)

No biggie considering the other possibilities.  Certainly much easier dealing with storm debris clean up than having to extricate oneself from being impaled by a 1”x2”x 8’ shade cloth support post.   (Or a loose end of 550 paracord wrapping itself around my neck in an evil “spirit wind” and while fighting the ever increasing tightening hold of the garotte around my neck…slip and fall off the deck with the other end of the cord becoming entangled and essentially hangi…….YIKES!  Oh, remember why I didn’t sleep too well, howling wind, worry, and too many Jalapenos and chips last night.)

My best to you and yours, Lew

 

PS:  Well, a cursory inspection revealed three leaning Cypress trees and one with a trunk completely snapped off a couple of feet off the ground.   That will be a challenge in removal because I’ll need the assistance of an extension ladder to reach branches “wind tangled” in the canopy.   This loss was right next to the one that fell during a storm a few years ago damaging a garden shed roof.  (The shed actually kept it from going all the way down to the ground.)

That row of trees reminds me of a smile that incrementally looses another tooth (figure the space made available by the missing tree permits more wind to enter and essentially work on the next loose tooth a little harder!  Formula:  Rocky shallow rooted trees + water saturated ground + strong winds = Lumberjack Lew) Rather depressing after almost thirty years of raising and caring for these trees, but I must strive to be positive…(right?) ..maybe that old expression of “growth through destruction” will apply?  You know, … not realizing and appreciating concealed “positive aspects” of what certainly appears to be just a total loss right now?

Hey!  At least I don’t have a giant splinter sticking out of my bod!  Or lacerations from a wind controlled flying knife!  Or a ……

(BELOW)

Suddenly Liz and I make eye contact with the same obvious unspoken thought (she speaks too you know):

“Hear that?” 

(Darn dog forgot to remind me to take the potted plants out of the outdoor casement windows again)

(Below) “Now where did I leave that little piece of blue tarp?”

 

 

(BELOW)  “LOOKS TERRIBLE, BUT SMELLS GREAT”

(aka, goodbye to another Leland Cypress)

 

(JUST LIKE THE MAST ON SINBAD’S VESSEL!)

 

(BELOW)

“PERHAPS THE HENS JUST REDECORATED?”

 

My best to you and yours, Lew

Why not? It is, after all,  just another “Lew Almost Music Expression” produced in video format right?

So it is technically a LAME production anyway!

Perhaps, “Lew Almost Music Experiment” might be a more accurate and appropriate definition?  Whatever,  I can still continue having a blast with this stuff while simultaneously boasting a voluntary and accurate content disclaimer –

they are all LAME productions!

lol

(Referencing a lack of skill, proficiency, aptitude with “real” musical instruments/equipment and a wanting in vigor of expression; weak presentation, etc – A lack of adequate time the primary excuse used in quickly wrapping up a project when a bit more time and thought would have made a very big difference – this usually equates to something as simple as a good night’s sleep and starting again later…… But, oh no….. “I’ll just change this little part right here real quick…..”

For example, this final “tune”, as usual, was waaaaaaaay overdone –

I created a “sweet spot” that I really liked and thought had some interesting potential – but instead of “protecting that content” I kept throwing other instruments in the mix until I actually buried what I initially liked but going back through all the layered tracks was going to lead me in the opposite direction of finishing the project, so, I screwed up and rushed another one because I already have so many other “open projects” …..  it isn’t even lol and adding another was not an option at the time.  [Yawn]   Ahh, that elusive thing called time….)

Oh well. Guess I should just keep on practicing, right?   (Poor viewers- “he he he” evil chuckle).   This “almost music” stuff is also a great way to utilize some of the thousands of photos and videos I’ve collected through the years – which of course themselves are also chronic victims of poor organizational skills resulting in a lack of consistent easy retrieval – (“where the heck is that “______”  I shot back in winter of 2014?”) but I’m working on that also, just takes a lot of,  well, you know.

Seriously though, what is the point of taking and storing such material if not shared with others?  (Most will probably end up in a land fill somewhere when I depart anyway, so might as well spread the garbage now yeah?  lol.

Of course that assumes others might even be interested, but there resides the primary reason for this exercise – the personal and therapeutic benefits in redirecting years of frustration and anger about the “activities of others” into creation of an expressive opposition,…. or in the present case, appreciation for something.  Yeah, I know, blah, blah, blah, here’s another LAME project for your whatever….    🙂

My best to you and yours, Lew

 

 

TRANSYLVANIAN LULLABY by THE ACES

 

The conclusion of a recent Letter to the Editor of the Mariposa Gazette regarding water service issues of the LDPCSD (more like a 350 word drive-by spray of relevant facts in outline form) referenced this website for more information on the subject.   I woke early this morning realizing I had essentially invited the entire Gazette reading public to drop by without making any reasonable advance preparations.  You know, rather like inviting folks to physically stop by and visit where you live without first picking up and cleaning to make a decent first impression – quite a traumatic realization for an “almost hermit”.

Sure, in this case it is more a matter of rummaging around my  “grey matter output” on this website that has been fueled by a sense of betrayal and frustration with the lack of more immediate correction and expressed in a variety of ways: verbatim transcriptions of board meetings; audio and video meeting productions, formal complaints to local, state and federal authorities, etc.  and most recently, through what I call “almost music” videos.  (An  activity which, in itself, only goes to show – you never know what previously unconsidered, new, and enjoyable options might materialize in response to a negative situation demanding much time, money, effort and diversion from originally planned and more happier pursuits.)

Anyway, a friend recently pointed out that banging on an empty trash can with or without vocal expression is still a form of music and my referring to what I was doing as “almost music” could conceivably be considered offensive or insulting to others who might express themselves in a similar fashion.   OK.  Point well taken – I basically agree with that and would never intentionally demean other sincere expressions regardless of form.  The “almost music” characterization of my back ground sound and/or satirical little songs was not intended to be self deprecating, but rather, just an acknowledgement that (in my own mind) what I’m doing would likely not qualify as true music by those trained in composition and/or those possessing the talent and skill (achieved through extensive study and practice) to play an authentic musical instrument.  Seriously, I am merely pressing different Casio keys to mimic instrument sounds digitally – but it is still a blast of fun!

Do I know how to play a violin?  No.

Tuba?  Nope.

Laotian flute?  No.

Would I know how to use a set of drums if they were laid out in front of me and I was handed a couple of drumsticks?  No.

Could I conduct a string quartet or orchestra?  No.

Do I know how to write music?  No.

You get the idea — but I sure can play around with a Casio keyboard in an attempt to produce digital sounds that at first blush seem like actual musical instruments/equipment.   (A real trumpet player or violinist could never hold a note as long as I can digitally – while sipping a beer with the other hand no less!   lol)

Heck, that keyboard even has the capability of conveniently recording different tracks with a variety of instruments with playback of all or only selected tracks.  I honestly do not know how to use the far majority of functions and features of the darn thing!   This new interest started when a friend generously loaned me an old keyboard  she had and I was hooked – and thus began the systematic torture of viewers with “almost music”.  I just needed a short cut to being an accomplished musician so I could (hopefully) present my opinions and thoughts in a form folks might think interesting, or humorous enough, to spend the time to get the point.  (Which I repeat over, and over, and over, ……anyway.)

Yup, Lewtune “almost music” videos turned out to be a blessing in disguise while continuing objection and fight against what I sincerely believe to be an intentionally designed financial and water service fraud operating for decades committed against thousands of MR WECs of the Lake Don Pedro residential subdivision since 1980 (formerly Sierra Highlands Water Company – transformed into a public agency in August 1980 with 88 affirmative votes and 29 against).

Yes indeed, a brand new special district complete with built in innocent, but mandatory victim customers of LAFCO’s foothill water providing district scam essentially creating a perpetual “deep pocket” for continued water service expansion outside the subdivision POU of WL11395 to serve LAFCO ANNEXATIONS.

How?  With an extremely expensive (and for this area, unreliable) GROUNDWATER SUBSTITUTION PROGRAM to specifically serve thousands of acres of LAFCO ANNEXATIONS into the LDPCSD that apparently didn’t even follow their own operational guidelines.

Why groundwater?  Because water license 11395 prohibits Merced River water service outside the subdivision so all river water illegally leaving the subdivision must be replaced with groundwater.  If the water is replaced – supposedly there is no violation of the license, so the MR WECs of the subdivision have been, and are expected to continue, paying for this special benefit water REPLACEMENT service for even more third party land developers who own LAFCO ANNEXED PROPERTIES within the district’s LAFCO expanded water service boundary.   Some of these outside owners are attempting to develop adjacent subdivisions which will obviously only increase the demand for expensive groundwater that is already primarily subsidized by subdivision residents!

Please understand:  subdivision MR WECs, DO NOT REQUIRE GROUNDWATER REPLACEMENT!

Seriously, consider how different this designated “disadvantaged community” might be if clear state regulations had been followed from the beginning.   Wonder how much more developed, attractive, and valuable our subdivision properties would be right now had our right to that quality Merced River water been protected rather than exploited by the respective local county government departments, agencies, commissions, etc. which were apparently focused more on the special interests of land developers in a drought prone area wanting our subdivision dedicated water.  Everybody wins but the subdivision residents who have primarily paid for all the additional costs!  (Heck, subdivision owners no longer consume the quality Merced River water from Lake McClure, but a “blended product” made with groundwater that must have contaminants such as arsenic removed.  Special monitoring, treatment, reporting, equipment, etc.  all paid for by those who do not require a remedy for intentional violations of the state water license.

 

Shame, shame, shame.  Distrust of local government is sometimes not only warranted, but earned.

 

My best to you and yours, Lew

 

 

….the Merced River actually flows? 

  lol?

(hint: Mariposa County where it begins and Merced – Stanislaus County line where it joins the San Joaquin River.)

 

 

My best to you and yours, Lew

 

 

Our best to you and yours.