It was a most delightful morning again with the hazy sun and gentle breezes. I’m beginning to wonder if all those forest fires that are out of control in Siberia are sending this strange sort of upper atmosphere haze that I’ve been noticing these past several days. When you really look, it does look brownish. From what I read on BBC News this morning, it sounds like this business of global warming is all the more pronounced in the arctic areas. It’s becoming all the more alarming to the experts in how quickly it’s happening. What most people don’t realize, is that as the permafrost melts, it releases all the more trapped carbon and methane gas out into our atmosphere which is definitely not a good thing.
One of my appointments took me out to 900 Briarcliff Circle where I met a couple planning on moving here from the Des Moines area. They looked it over very closely, but I’m not so sure it’s the right fit for them. Since they’ve looked at a number of units already, I’d say they’ll now start the process of narrowing down the ones they want to look at again before they make their final decision.
If I were to target a buyer for that unit, I’d say it’ll be a single senior who likely summers here and winters in the Sunbelt. Since it’s all on one floor and in a tight-knit community, there’s less worries regarding security.
It certainly was noisy outside the front of my office this morning with those workers who’ve been removing and then replacing all of the many defective pavers. Two different contractors that I spoke with today, shook their heads over such a waste of money in the beginning, and now they’re going right back to the same materials. One of them asked, “Do you think they’ll stop putting snowmelt out in the Winter?” I looked at him and said, “I can’t imagine all the business owners and renters suddenly refusing to use that nasty stuff because it’s always been a quick cure for melting ice.” We will see.
Around mid-afternoon, I had an unexpected guest arrive at my office who just happened to be in town for a class reunion. She lives in a suburb of Los Angeles, and how I managed to get to know her, was that I listed and sold her mothers home several months ago.
We had a very good chat regarding our families, Mason City, people we know, and how certain districts of our City have grown to look like the “hood”, and since she grew up here and then moved to California many years ago, she definitely sees the difference between now and then. Of course most of us that’ve remained, have grown too used to the degradation to where it’s grown invisible. Even our illustrious transplants have no clue as to how beautiful our City once was. Never mind, it’s all in a past we cannot change.
The owners of the home I sold this week, drove all the way down from Northern Wisconsin to sign their offer, and I could not believe how much better the both of them looked from when I saw them last. Wow! Northern Wisconsin must be a very healthy place to live. They reside on a small acreage outside one of the towns near Duluth, and from what they’ve said, they’ll be living there until they can’t keep up their home any longer. The both of them are the nicest people you’d ever want to meet, and I’m very sorry they’re no longer living amongst us, but I’m in hopes the buyer is going to be a good substitute for them in their old neighborhood.
As chance would have it, there were two Schroeder Concrete trucks parked in the back alley of my office today, so I stepped out in curiosity to see what they were doing. I went up and spoke to the foreman, and he said Alliant Energy had contracted them to build a large concrete sarcophagus that would house the transformers of those monster over-head electric lines. I knew Alliant was building one, but I didn’t realize Schroeder Concrete would be doing it.
Since the foreman seemed willing to talk a bit, I did mention that I used their company a number of years ago by having them pour a basement, all the flatwork, and the footings and floor of a double garage. I also proudly told he there hasn’t been one crack appear in those basement walls since they were poured. I couldn’t have praised his company enough in the quality of work they do.
When seeing how pokey those workers of Country Landscapes have been out front, and then seeing how those boys from Schroeder Concrete were burning rubber, I’d say there was a great visible difference in work ethic between those two companies.
As well you know, I’m always looking for a good photo to share, so I asked the foreman if he’d mind if I took a photo of his men at work. Of course I told him the reason I wanted one, as well as assuring him I’d make sure his company’s logo would be visible on Facebook.
They were more than willing to pose for a moment, so I went and grabbed my camera and took the above shot. After looking at it later, I’d say the above photo would make a good cover story of America working.
Yes, we do have a number of lazy people in our midst, but I’m hoping there’ll be all the more young ones like the three in this photo who’ll step up to the plate and start making our America great again. You all know, we still have it in us.
Tonight’s one-liner is: Few of us get anything without working for it.
