Water wrongs

Me and my wife were watching the news the other night when a story came on that made me think. Before I had talked about the car dealership here in Salt Lake that was capturing rain water from the roof and using it to wash their cars. Well the City has declared such actions illegal. Yes you read me right it is against the law to harvest rainwater in Utah. The reason is that by capturing the rainwater you are denying the people downstream. So by keeping the nasty roof water in Salt Lake they can't use it to water the cotton downstream. I understand the logic but it just seems so stupid. It also makes me mad t0 think that people who are trying to be environmentally conscious and do good things get slapped in the face in the name of bureaucracy. That is just my opinion. In the end the car dealership was able to work out a deal with the city but the city official on the news basically said that people who harvest rainwater on their home to water their grass and garden are breaking the law. When the reporter asked if they would be enforcing this law the official said that they have bigger fish to fry. So, if they are not going to enforce the law why don't they change it so that home owners can collect rainwater legally. Anyways think what you will, I still plan on keeping the rain that falls on my roof for my plants. Geurilla gardening all the way!

You too can speak French

I had to share this with anyone. I have decided that my boys should speak French. I mean I speak French so it would be a great waste if I did not teach my children, so I have been speaking more and more in the beautiful tongue of angels. Last night I was putting my oldest to bed and I said, "je t'aime, that means I love you" and he said, "bleh bleh doesn't mean I love you." Bleh, bleh is all that he hears when I try and speak to him in French. The other day he was trying to copy me and he walked around the house saying, bleah blah blah. I don't know for sure if he is mocking me. Anyways... Oh and the cat is one of my favorite graffiti artists in paris. This cat is all over the city, you just have to find him.

The above picture has nothign to do with this post, but it is wicked sweet.

We had another Lunch and Learn today, my last one of the summer, where we talked about noise control in high end condos. The best thign that I got out of the presentation was that designers need to think about where noise is coming from during the conceptual stages of design and not wait unti people have moved in and start complaining and calling their lawyers. So if you are interestd in noise control building products go to www.kineticnoise.com for more information.

Wasatch Community Garden

On Tuesday we went over to the local Community Garden to attend a workshop on winter gardening. Yes, you can and should grow things in you garden during the winter time. At this point I want to go off on a tangent so if you are really interested in the winter gardening part then skip the small print.

Why can't we all just be normal? I like gardening there is something wonderfully visceral about digging i the dirt and a feeling of wonder and fulfillment when you first see little sprouts popping out of the ground. I like gardening because it connects me in some way to that prehistorical, and medieval, and modern person that ate the food they grew. I believe it is in our basic makeup to grow food. Adam was a farmer. So why is that I feel so out of place when I go to workshops like this? Why is it that me and my wife and this other lass who recently moved from Cali are the only ones who were young and had kids. why is anytime I want to enjoy and learn I am verbally attacked on behalf of PETA or the Vegan Liberation Front? Anyways.

The Garden was interesting, as a landscape architect I am extremely critical when it comes to design. As a human the garden was pure delight, there were sunflowers everywhere. The Wasatch Garden really is a great program. We learned about planting garlic in the fall and covering it with 6 inches of mulch and then in the spring, pop! You have more garlic growing. We also learned how to make hoop houses out of pvc pipe and some cloth. All in all very interesting and when we get back to Kansas we are going to put all of that knowledge to work. First I think we are going to plant peas and lettuce for the chilly months of September and October. Visit Wasatch Community Garden on the web at: http://www.wasatchgardens.org/

or the community, CSA, or farmer's market near you.

New Post Monday,

How far will you go to get a proposal out to client by six o' clock? That was the question facing us on Friday as we frantically printed, hole-punched, and sorted six proposals for a project. We were just to the part where we needed to laminate the covers when we discovered that the room that houses the laminater was locked. Oh, no! So, quickly we ran to the front of the office and asked the administrative assistant were the key was. She didn't have it. Then we called the building manager and he came to the office. He didn't have it either. Then the security guy came, the one with pepper spray and a tazer, I think it might just be a squirt gun but I didn't want to find out. He did not have a key to the room either. Holy botched locking job Batman! My colleague, Mark then took matters into his own hands. There was a vent on the front of the door and Mark grabbed a pair of pliers and wrenched the vent open. We got to the laminater finished our proposals and go out the door happy as clams. So, remember when things have to get to done they have to get done in the name of quality and professionalism. Also, change your desktop background, it will boost your creativity.

Paper toys

I have recentyl become enchanted with paper toys. It this great combination of origami, model building, and fun. If you are bored at the office and you don't think you will get caught. http://toypaper.co.uk/ Here is a good place to start. I am making the eyecannon right after I finish a report.

LunchandLearn landscape forms

Time for another Lunch and Learn update that I think will be beneficial to all. Have you ever opened the ASLA magazine to find a sepia toned fashion model sitting on a bench in a cocktail dress and thought, Well that looks cool. I wonder if this ad was supposed to be in Martha Stewart”. Well, I am willing to bet that the ad was for Landscape Forms. They are a pretty neat company and their rep came and gave us a great presentation. First and foremost was her explanation that Landscape Forms makes a quality product and that means it is more expensive. They also make a sustainable product using recycled aluminum and sustainably harvested woods and that means a more expensive product. Therefore they cost a lot of mullah. The upside is that they are beautiful, beautiful products, which last a long time. Also, get this… They have a SketchUp library full of their products, which means you can plop them down into your models. I wish I would have known this last year. They also have CAD files and specs right on their website. Take a few minutes and check it out. http://www.landscapeforms.com/en-us/pages/default.aspx Also, they have a custom shop that will walk with you from concept to finished product if there is any custom work you want done. http://www.landscapeforms.com/en-US/products/pages/custom431.aspx The rep here was more than helpful and I would definitely talk to them the next time I need to specify some seats.