Robert Reich

THE REAL REASON FOR IMPEACHMENT

boil water notice!

Yesterday afternoon, July 24, a stupid construction crew severed the main water line leading to South Padre Island, and the entire island was without water until after 8pm last night. Needless to say, restaurants had to shut down all over the island, in the middle of the tourist season!

When they restored the water, they issued a "boil water notice" until further notice. Bacteria apparently had gotten into the water supply. It's kind of a pain to boil water before making coffee, etc. Yeah, I know, whine, whine, whine. But with the frequent water outages and frequent power outages on this island, this place is starting to look like a 3rd world country. I mean, we ARE only a few miles from Mexico!

Finally, the boil water notice has been rescinded, but I can promise you, you should NOT drink any untreated tap water on this island. It smells and tastes like dirt. Use a filter. Or TWO!

Boil Water Notice Rescinded

July 25, 2019

On July 24, 2019, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality required the Laguna Madre Water District public water system, PWS ID: 0310005, to issue a Boil Water Notice to inform customers, individuals, or employees that due to conditions which occurred recently in the public water system, the water from this public water system was required to be boiled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes.

The public water system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water distributed by this public water system used for drinking water or human consumption purposes and has provided TCEQ with laboratory test results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling prior to use as of July 25, 2019, 2:00 p.m. Bacteriological samples from lab came back negative, results received at 2:00 p.m.

If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Carlos J. Galvan, Jr. at (956) 943-2626 Ext. 110, 105 Port Road, Port Isabel, TX 78578.

dragonflies

We're being invaded by dragonflies again, and it's great to see.

Mosquito Control: 10 Plants That Attract Mosquito-Eating Dragonflies

Did you know that dragonflies love to eat mosquitoes at all stages of life? They are excellent mosquito predators and can keep mosquito populations low if you attract dragonflies to your area. Not only do dragonflies eat mosquitoes, but they eat other pests as well.

How can one attract dragonflies if they don’t seem to live in your area? Adding the following plants to your landscape will attract dragonflies and encourage the population to flourish!

Add hiding spots for baby dragonflies using trees and shrubs around the perimeter of your property. In general, flowering plants should be integrated throughout your landscape. Use the following plants and dragonflies will call your area home in no time!

Dragonflies are aquatic insect predators by nature so a small body of water such as a pond is ideal to have in your landscape. When dragonflies mate, they leg eggs in water. Some of the plants below do very well in wet environments but the first 5 plants in this list are best suited for those without a pond. The last 5 plants are better suited for a wet, shoreline environment.

Five Plants for a Dry Landscape

1. Meadow Sage (Salvia marcus)

2. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

3. Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)

4. Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

5. White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Five Plants for a Wet Environment

6. Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia)

7. Wild Celery (Vallisneria americana)

8. Cattail (Typha latifolia)

9. Water Horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile)

10. Water Lily

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roasting garlic

yum!

You Should Grill Whole Heads of Garlic This Summer

Roasted garlic is the ultimate finishing touch. Smear it across a steak, mix it in a dip, or toss it with some sort of grilled vegetable salad, and it will make it better. But, in the summer months, the act of roasting turns your kitchen into a sweaty, unpleasant place. The great news is that you don’t have to choose between a swampy kitchen and delicious roasted garlic—you just have to throw it on the grill.

When grilled over indirect heat, the garlic roasts just as it would in your oven, without heating up your house and making you sad. It also requires so little attention, you can simply toss it in there along with whatever else you’re grilling. The prep for grilled garlic is the same as the prep for roasted garlic: cut about a quarter inch off of the top to expose the cloves, drizzle some olive oil on top, tapping to get it down in the bulb, then wrap the whole thing in aluminum foil. Once the bulb is oiled and wrapped, set it on the grill where it will get some good indirect heat, and let it hang out for at least half an hour, until it’s soft, spreadable, and deep, golden brown. Remove the fragrant cloves and spread them on everything—grilled meats are ideal, but don’t sleep on simply grilled bread.

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