WE CREATED A BIRD AND BUTTERFLY GARDEN, AND IT'S WORKING!

When I went out this morning to get the paper, I noticed a butterfly out of the corner of my eye. I thought it was one of the Monarch's that comes to our yard regularly, but then I realized it was bigger and it was yellow. I watched it for a couple of minutes, yelled for my husband to come out and see, and then went in and grabbed the camera. Of course it was gone when I got back so I just waited--by the aptly named Butterfly Bush. And so it returned, sipping from the purple blossoms and not seeming particularly concerned about my presence. The Western Tiger Swallowtail lived up to its name with the swooping ends at the bottom of the wings. The blue, almost turquoise in the wings was gorgeous. Hope it stays around for awhile. There is not a prettier sight than a butterfly flitting through the garden. See you tomorrow after pancakes and papers.

SO WHY AREN'T WE DIGGING WELLS?

When I told my husband about the brouhaha over whether the cost for the proposed hotel's parking garage might rise because the water table was only 12 feet down, his response was instantaneous. "So why aren't we digging wells?" Of course that had nothing to do with the discussion at hand, but it was a very good question. Asking around I found out two things: There used to be wells in Escondido. Their water is brackish. But maybe not so brackish that it couldn't be used for irrigation. Is this something we should be considering? I know the greywater program helps with irrigation around town, but what about wells? Is is far fetched or forward thinking? Something to contemplate as we all are asked to use less water. See you tomorrow.

THERE REALLY IS ENOUGH PARKING DOWNTOWN.

I don't think I've ever lived in a city where people didn't complain about the parking. The only place it isn't discussed is in suburbs where every house has 3 and 4 car garages and rather than a downtown there are shopping plazas with tons of parking and no character. When people go to North County Mall, there are always spaces available. But no matter how close you park, you still have to walk a good distance to get to the store where you want to shop.

Whenever I drive into downtown Escondido, I always find a pretty good space, and a free one at that. (I took these photos for a different purpose but you will note each has an empty parking space, and these pictures were taken in the middle of the day.) There will always be people who won't be happy unless they can park right in front of their chosen destination. Well no matter how many spaces there are, that can't happen. So maybe we need to spend our time bringing more businesses downtown rather than worrying about the parking. Compared to other cities, we are doing just fine. See you tomorrow..

WE HAVE NIGHTLY VISITORS NOW. [I KNOW IT'S HOT, BUT FARMERS' MARKET IS TODAY UNTIL 7.]

Last week at about 10 pm we were sitting in the kitchen talking when we heard a splash at the front fountain. Looking out the window, it was quite dark, we could see something large climbing out of the fountain--a big fat raccoon. Then we heard more shuffling on the patio, and this odd murmuring. Then we realized we were looking at a baby raccoon, and then a second. I turned off the lights inside and turned on the lights outside, and there they were--a family of five. The young ones were climbing all over each other trying to get to the water bowl we leave out and that sure clarified why so many mornings that bowl was very dirty. Last night, we ate outside and it was barely dark when the whole gang came shuffling along outside the fence and then hopped up onto the railing to take a look at what we were up to. From there, they headed back out front, finished off the water in one fell swoop and were back on their way.

We've been working hard to create a natural habitat in our small city lot, but we were mainly focused on birds and butterflies. We let some bougainvillea grow deep and we think there's a possum living inside that thicket, as I mentioned months ago, but I'm sure these raccoons have a home elsewhere in the neighborhood. They are beautiful animals and I'm glad to see them thriving. So I'll keep leaving water out, especially in this heat, and odds are the kids will grow up. leave home and find their own hangouts. I wish them well. See you tomorrow.

WHAT IF EVERYONE SPIFFED UP THEIR LITTLE PIECE OF DOWNTOWN?

A couple of weeks ago I was walking in Old Escondido. As I turned the corner somewhere around Maple and 6th, I heard the sound of sweeping, one of my favorite sounds. A Latina woman, maybe 60, was out with a broom tidying up her stoop, her front steps and the whole sidewalk in front of her house. When she was done, it looked like somebody cared about the place.. And when the dust and dirt arrived the next day or two, I would bet she would be out there sweeping up again.

Maybe the owners of property downtown, as well as the merchants, could take a lesson from this woman and do what they can to at least keep their little piece of downtown looking good.

For those who own empty rental property. Could you please go by on a regular basis and see how each buidling looks? Clean up the trash we can see on the inside when we walk by on the outside. Keep the windows clean and the weeds pulled. If you don't have someone taking care of these things, I'm sure it wouldn't cost too much to have someone do the job. The H. Johnson building, which I blogged about here and here, continues to be a major eyesore and I'm frustrated that nothing has been done to improve it.

For restaurants with outdoor seating. First, thanks so much for making Grand a place to sit outside and enjoy a meal. When you're closed, you might want to look at what that area looks like. I'm particularly disappointed in 150 Grand which is closed more often and leaves out tables that are held together with duct tape and look like they should be on their way to the dump.

For everyone with a business downtown. I know times are tough, very tough, and that means we all need to pull together. What if everybody picked up trash when they saw it outside? What if everybody swept their sidewalk at the start of the day? What if flower boxes and planters became a hallmark of Grand? I just think it would make people feel like they were doing their part to beautify the city. Then again, maybe the heat is getting to me. See you tomorrow.

THORA GUTHRIE WANTS TO MAKE DOWNTOWN ESCONDIDO FUN.

Reading about Thora Guthrie--the new CEO of the DBA (Downtown Business Association) and her vision for downtown gives me enormous hope. She has both enthusiasm and creativity, something this job certainly requires. She has a strong background in marketing and advertising, a huge plus. I also am pretty sure she speaks Spanish, which is a skill lacking in many of the city's leaders. I've typed up a few quotes from the article published in Downtown Escondido magazine July/August 2009.[I would love to give you a link to the article but the magazine is not available online. You can probably pick up a copy at one of the racks on Grand.]

Cover Story Meet Thora Guthrie – New CEO at the DBA

“Change means progress and exciting things to come…”

“Let’s pair up artists with the merchants who need a new sign or even a mural on their building. Let’s strike up the band and celebrate our Downtown with music in the streets! Let’s plant flowers. Let’s paint the town…red, purple, orange, any color that gives it life! Let’s put on plays in the alleys and concerts in our parks or on rooftops!”

I've begun emailing her since her arrival and I have no doubt she will work hard to make the downtown a star. And since she already says she'd like music in the streets, it might not be a stretch to add "Dancing!"

What would you like Thora to tackle first? What do you think are the most important goals for downtown? This week, I'd like us to work on a list of things we'd like to do and how we can help make it happen. See you tomorrow.