welcome to the organic green doctor blog

i am a family physician who was diagnosed with
early mild cognitive impairment(mci) amnestic type on december 21, 2010
this is a precursor to alzheimers disease
because of this diagnosis i have opted to stop practicing medicine
this blog will be about my journey with this disease
please feel free to follow me along this path
i will continue blogging on organic gardening, green living,
solar power, rainwater collection, and healthy living
i will blog on these plus other things noted to be interesting

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

rains needed

RAINS NEEDED









we here at the country n depend on a continued rain supply
in order to fill our 30,000 gallon tanks that we use for our
drinking water and for the irrigation of our gardens

many of the cities in this area including austin depends on
the water system called the highland lakes which are several
lakes along the colorado river that provide reservoirs for
the water

it is gradually or suddenly let out from lake to lake and
eventually if they are lucky to the rice farmers further
downstream

we have been in a drought off and on now for a few years
as we know here at the country n
there has been very little
rain here in the last 3-4 months

our personal supply of water in our tanks is at 50% capacity
which is good compared to people just west of here
some of them have had their rainwater tanks run out again like they
did two summers ago

this area west of here is the recharge zone for the highland lakes
which are not being recharged
lets just say they are like a dead battery

one lake is so low that old towns and farms are now visible
on the bed of the lake

the rice farmers down stream were just told that they probably
wouldnt get any water this year which means
their rice production will be zilch
which will affect the rice supply some

last night and today we are getting rain   finally
over that recharge zone
which should help fill the lakes some and fill those tanks of
those rainwater collectors who have run out of water

my hope is to completely fill my tanks up with this rain
which should keep me supplied with rainwater for months and months

one problem also is water conservation
we here at the country n practice it every day
we wish that those of you who depend on this recharge zone for
your water supply would do the same

it makes me sick to see all the green grass and landscaping in
the towns and watch the water sprinklers dump all that precious water
on to the ground and watch it run down the street into the gutters

it doesnt have to be that way
we xeriscaped our yard and do no supplemental irrigation except
to our veggie garden

but i know thats the way it works
its always crisis management when it comes to the water supply
like when the lakes get real low and everyone is  put on strict
strict water measures
then they loosen the restriction when some water gets back in the lakes

they do that all the time
back and forth

if we dont do something in this area for water conservation
we are going to be up the creek without a paddle
as the population is growing rapidly and no new sources of
water are being located rapidly enough
theres not any

conservation is the answer
and or infection with the rainwater collection virus


so 20 years from now when this area is out of water
i will still have my full tanks and will enjoy life as i know it now
keeping my organic garden green
enjoying drinking clean rainwater
taking rainwater showers
washing clothes in rainwater
while many of those around us will be having trouble
getting water

guess ill better build a fortress around my tanks

i see a reality show idea
the rainwater collectors or
the rainwater hoarders or

(as i was called dr duck by my pediatric patients since i
talked to them like donald duck)

the dr duck rainwater dynasty
starring

the organicgreen doctor

3 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great show, I like the The. Dr. Duck Rainwater Dynasty best. Cities could do more to save water at little cost to people if they wanted to. First step should be to require all new homes to have a recirculation pump installed on the hot water lines to keep from having to run the water waiting for it to get hot and require xeriscaped yards.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice blog. Good article on NPR this morning about people in Austin drilling wells (yes in the city). Talk about water hoarding. I will watch the Dr. Duck Dynasty religiously.
    Cowgurl friend

    ReplyDelete
  3. You better grow that beard and hair out if you want to start your duck dynasty show!

    ReplyDelete