wrote in message
...
Art Shapiro wrote:
...

Art (fidgety and babbling after the club cycling got rained
out today)

It must be raining pretty hard to cancel the ride! Where are
you
again? LA area? If you're in CA, it's good news - we need the
rain
badly. (It was very rainy and windy last night in San
Francisco -
today it's overcast and doesn't look like it's over yet.)


Heh! Joyce's point above reminded me of a General Certificate of
Education (Ordinary Level) [1] Geography lesson I attended as a
pupil when visiting a famous British Public School [2, 3], back
in 1977.

The lesson was all about the problems of insufficient rainfall on
the West coast of California to sustain the needs of a public
water supply for an increasing population.The topic was very
relevant to all the students at the time - the Summer of 1976 had
seen Britain's worst drought since records began!

One of the solutions to the problem in CA included households
being banned from watering their lawns and gardens. As a result,
it was reported that some people were spraying green paint on
their lawns to maintain appearances!

[1] The British education system had examinations - "GCE O'
Levels" - taken in the final year of compulsory education at age
16.

[2] "Public" Schools in the UK are not State funded - so,
somewhat confusingly, they're also referred to as "Private"
Schools!

[3] I was fortunate to be selected as an "Exchange Student" from
a state Comprehensive school, and was educated at Eton College -
one of the foremost Public Schools in the UK - even if it was
only for three days.

PS - isn't it wonderful how conversation develops? From
neighbours to education, via topics about language and the
weather!

--
MatSav