Happy 2007! As my friend Ken say, "if you want something to be different, you've got to do something different." That may not be a direct quote but it sounds pretty believable. The Lobu Zone blog is something new for me and I'll make writing a blog a new activity for 2007.
The weather in Texas took a rainy approach to the new year. We've received a fair amount of precipitation in the first week and that's definitely a welcome start to the year. My friends know I've had an obsession with global climate change for a long time and even the weather broadcasters on TV scratch their head on a regular basis. They don't say much, usually sticking to the facts, but seem genuinely astounded to see the Dakotas and East Coast running 20-30 degrees above their normal winter temperatures. I don't want to harp on the mysterious and gloomy subject of man's impact on the climate-- but hey I'm a blogger and we're supposed to wax on about our obsessions!
I have one habit that is worth continuing into 2007-- walking our dogs Mojo and Suzi. I've made some observations about dogs, our fellow mammals, after five years of walking-- they have four legs to our two and are excellent walkers and they are closer to the ground than us and very earthy, snoopy animals. Okay, nothing to brilliant there. I've devised several LoBu-area neigborhood walks for my dogs and will discuss two of them-- Northwest Hills and Allandale.
Northwest Hills (walk #1) is hilly, as the name implies, and that has cardio benefits. White-tailed deer can often be sighted in Northwest Hills, especially at dusk, adding a Discovery Channel element to the walk and our little terrier Suzi gets revved up at the sight of deer groupings. They eye us suspiciously. The male deer have horns at this time of year and the sight of a full-grown buck deet with horns blazing is something to behold. We give them a wide berth but marvel at their beauty. I'm astounded to see the families of deer and wonder how they survive and flourish so close to the the center of Austin? My record is 15 deer observed on a single suburban lawn!
The walk in Allandale (walk #2) is flatter than Northwest Hills and it's a great place for the dogs to move around and cover some ground with less traffic than some of the other LoBu neighborhoods. Mojo and Suzi didn't notice the lawn signs stating "No Wal-Mart! Responsible Growth for Northcross!" as dogs can't read-- another big difference between us. The signs reference the biggest controversy to hit the lobu area in my ten years in the neighborhood-- the announcement of a proposed Wal-Mart store in the Northcross shopping center at a key LoBu intersection, Anderson Lane and Burnet Road. Neighbors are concerned over the development of a big box store-- open 24/7-- in a previously sleepy Northcross Mall, located right at the edge of our neighborhoods. Truthfully, it does not sound like a boon to the area or the property values! This is a controversy I will follow in the Lobu Zone blog.
Have a Happy New Year! Maybe try someting a little different this year and see what kind of results you get!
2 comments:
Re: Doggie Observations
I've often thought that dogs have it right. When they first meet each other they sniff and bark, and protect teritory, etc. Over time they soften and are nice to each other. I think we should follow their examples more often!
I have finally been recognized as the great sage I have always thought my selof to be.
ken
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