H2O in the C A N

After months of procrastination I finally came to the conclusion I had to buy new jeans or punch a hole in the belt I was wearing.

We had a most enjoyable Thanksgiving afternoon and evening. We had no plans for Black Friday.

What the Hell was I thinking at noon when I said, "Let's go to Sears"

"I need a new pair of Levi's today."

On the way Wanda tried to excuse my impulsiveness by saying, "All the early shoppers will be gone. The store shouldn't be too crowded."

So, off we went to buy a pair of pants on what could possibly be the worst shopping day of the year. Worst, that is, unless you enjoy standing in long lines with hundreds of snotty, screaming, sneezing toddlers.

People, you don't need hands to work the fields these days. Is it really necessary to have four offspring in as many years? And if you do find yourself with a brood, hatch or clutch, leave half at home with mom, dad or the grandparents. 

It may take a village to raise a child but it doesn't take one to shop for bargains.

Today is Cyber Monday.....I should have waited.

Blame is not the proper word since blame implies responsibility for something wrong. 

So I'll not blame, but thank, a few of those who influenced my formative years, songwriters Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, playwright J.M. Barrie and philosopher and man-about-town Alfred E. Neuman. 

Who wouldn't want to go away and live in Neverland.

Don't Worry...Be Happy...and always remember, things are going to change.

When you get right down to it, what does worry do for you? Nothing good, that's for sure.

As I've mentioned many times, Wanda and I are trying our best to conserve water. I have no trouble catching over flow shower water in a bucket; there are people 150 miles from here bathing in them.

Here is very recent news.

What is historically the time of the year when Californians can expect the most precipitation is "off to an abysmal start" after only light to moderate rainfall that did nothing to improve drought conditions.

Precipitation was recorded in central and northern California during the last week, but not nearly enough to provide drought relief.

Three years of drought have left the state's water reservoirs at critically low levels and a mild start to the season in the Sierras suggests conditions might not improve during winter.

"The totals still fell short of normal and did nothing to offset the impacts of the ongoing three-year drought," according to a recent report. "The current Water Year has gotten off to an abysmal start."

And this from today.

The first significant rainfall in drought-stricken California in months was threatening more mudslides on Monday and Tuesday after motorists were stranded on the iconic Pacific Coast Highway over the weekend. 

Los Angeles County was battered by 1.4 inches of rain Sunday, causing mudslides and rockslides on sections of Route 1. No one was injured but drivers were forced to abandon at least a dozen vehicles and a stretch of the highway was closed west of Malibu.

With 80 percent of the state experiencing extreme drought, the soaking came as a welcome reprieve in many areas. But with more rain on the way on Monday, the downpour was expected to come with an increased risk of further mudslides. 

"There is more rainfall headed to California the next two days," The Weather Channel's Chad Burke said early Monday. "There is always the risk there since a lot of structures are built on top of or at the bottom of steep hills."

With drought relief in California a long way off, San Diegans are now getting a giant step closer to a more reliable, long-term water supply.

By a 9-0 vote Tuesday, the City Council approved a long-envisioned sewage purification system that'll crank out water you can drink.

Experts say it'll likely exceed current water quality standards – while supplying about a third of the city's daily needs and saving big bucks on waste water treatment costs.

Board member Carlton B. Dithers said. "It originally met with some opposition. The moniker 'Toilet to Tap' gets thrown around a lot. But really, what people have to realize is that every source of water they have is recycled many times over. 

"What we're just doing is maximizing that recycling here locally."

And there's this problem too

"Beer has to have water," said Luis Cayo, general manager for the Anheuser-Busch brewery, which has survived many droughts over the last 60 years. "The amount of water in a standard can of beer is about 92 percent."

This drought, however, is the most severe on record, and there's no end in sight. But in the brewing business, it's not just the water going into the cans which is now at a premium. It's the water used to clean tanks.

At the Budweiser plant, Cayo said the company has started using reclaimed water to clean tanks.

It's not just beer giants like Bud that are struggling to make beer with less water. California's fast-growing craft brewing industry is having the same problem.

In the small Northern California town of Cloverdale business had been so good at Bear Republic Brewing that CEO Richard Norgrove wanted to double capacity. However, the city said expansion would be impossible without more water. 

The nearby Russian River, which supplies most of the local water, is running low, and even though the brewery said it reduced water usage by half with a "state of the art waste water treatment system," it wasn't enough.

Bear Republic invested $450,000 in digging two new wells.

Norgrove believes there is now enough water for the next 3-5 years, but what about after that? "I mean, can you imagine a drought like this going over the next 10 years?" he asked. "I think you're going to see a lot more than breweries leaving this area.

That could leave California high and dry and crying in its beer.

...and drinking toilet water.

Hold on, I just thought of something. 

Beer is comprised of 92% water.....this is all somewhat redundant.