As long as spring rains abate to allow suburban gardeners to get to work in earnest, some relatively heavy lifting will commence again.
We are referring to the hefting of sacks of mulch, the wood-chip material used to mask bare ground. Mulch, basically wood chips, is a handy camouflage for unsightly garden spots, among other uses.
Mulch, which comes in a variety of muted colors, is mundane stuff. It’s not complicated. It’s not special. It’s not a show-stopper by any stretch of the imagination. It’s utilitarian, if not boringly effective.
Big box retail outlets sometimes offer deals on mulch. So it’s possible to load up on it. Which requires a bit of muscle to man-handle (or woman-handle) the sacks.
The bags, comprising 2 cubic yards of effective ground cover, are heavy and rather unwieldy. It takes a manly man — or woman — to shift them about.
They are signs of springtime rebirth. Rather anonymous to be sure. But welcome nonetheless. Bring ‘em on down.
COLMA OBSERVES CENTENNIAL: Speaking of celebrations, the village of Colma is in the process of observing its centennial this year. That may not seem to be a monumental moment in San Mateo County history. But Colma is unique in these parts.
In its formative years, well prior to its official designation as an official town (it was dubbed “Lawndale” at first), much of what is now the North County was known as Colma. Over time, the borders shrank. A lot. To the point where the little town now embraces about 2 square miles, most of it cemeteries.
San Francisco interests were using Colma as a location for its cemeteries and a variety of gambling activities, including major outdoor boxing matches, at the turn of the 19th century.
Over time, a variety of commercial entities have set up shop there, including shopping centers, auto dealerships and a popular card room.
Still, in the end, cemeteries dominate the landscape with an estimated 1.5 million individuals interred therein. As for living residents, there are about 1,500 of them.
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PAY NO HEED TO THESE TEXTS: Scammers never sleep. Their nefarious work is unending. They grind on relentlessly.
Their latest con, among other persistent, illicit probes of private information 24/7, involves texts to unsuspecting recipients that purport to be from the U.S. Postal Service.
The fraudsters are seeking important personal data so that delayed “mail” can be delivered to the proper address. Pay no attention. It’s fake, a deception.
A spokesman for the USPS noted that the postal delivery outfit does not use texts in this manner. So be forewarned. Dispatch those bogus alerts to the electronic dustbin.
HEY, ATHLETICS NOT THE DREGS: Though it is much too soon to make a definitive call, it is instructive to point out that, with nearly a month of games in the books as of last weekend, the lame duck, penny-pinching, marketing bereft, customer-challenged, ultra-low expectations Oakland Athletics were not the worst club in Major League Baseball.
As they proceed in their final season in Oakland and prep for a transition move to Sacramento, with an eye on an eventual shift to Las Vegas, they have been surprisingly competitive, though losing more than winning.
Will this performance persist? Who knows? But a post-season playoff spot does appear to be unlikely.
TIME IS NOW TO GO WHOLE HOG: Still in Oakland for a moment, now that its airport officials have gone ahead with their contentious plan to add “San Francisco” to its name, why stop there? Go whole hog. Go for broke. Change the city’s own moniker to “East San Francisco.” Why not? South San Francisco has managed to pull off a similar labeling move here on the Peninsula for decades. It seems to be a success. Why not Oakland? Why not indeed.
A PERSONAL HIATUS NOTE: Due to a pressing orthopedic issue that needs to be addressed, your correspondent will be taking off the month of May. This delightful weekly literary treasure is scheduled to return in June. Stay well.
You can get in touch with John Horgan by email at johnhorganmedia@gmail.com and via instant messaging on Facebook and Instagram.
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Horg:
New Knee or New Hip?
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