- Some rain we've been having, huh? Twice this week, I got caught in wicked downpours. You know, the kind that laugh at your umbrella and soak your eyelashes to blindness.
Just when I wanted to curse Mother Nature for ruining another ironed shirt, I stopped myself, naturally under a covered spot, and pondered the big picture.
Remember, we need the rain. Florida's drought may be officially over, but the prospects of another hang heavy.
Last week, regional water managers lifted the once-a-week watering rules imposed in May 2000, declaring the emergency restrictions unnecessary. Local governments, including the city of Tampa, are expected to follow suit.
LET'S HOPE they don't.
By now, everyone should be used to the watering rules. Even-numbered addresses can water their lawns on Tuesdays; odd-numbered ones can water on Sundays. Violators face a fine of up to $500 - and the title of Big Fat Cheater.
Simple as that.
Returning to twice-a-week watering goes against the conservation mind-set. Yards are a healthy green right now. Why give people the okay to run the spigot longer?
And don't forget the masses headed our way. Florida had the largest net gain of people moving here from elsewhere in the country than any other state, according to census figures from 1995 to 2000.
I DOUBT any of them brought their own water.
Octavio Blanco, a prowater conservation guy who lives near two water pumping spots north of Lutz, says changing the rules now will only cause confusion. True, the well fields have water again, but long-term damage to the cypress trees remains.
"The public has already accepted this," he says. "To take it away is ludicrous."
Southwest Florida Water Management District officials say they could no longer justify the emergency restrictions because lakes are back to their predrought levels. One board member, in fact, called it "ludicrous" to tell people they can't water.
The jury is still out on whether Tampa will revert to twice-a-week watering. In a draft letter to council members, water director Mike Bennett outlined the pros and cons of switching back.
In the pro corner: more money from water sales, reduced enforcement costs, and happy customers, to name the top three.
In the con corner: unhappy customers hit with higher water bills stemming from new rates, confusion about the new schedule - and rampant watering.
Ouch. So much for promoting xeriscaping and turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth.
The City Council must okay the twice-a-week schedule. At this point, Tampa water officials likely will recommend changing the schedule as of March or April, when it stops raining.
Council member John Dingfelder isn't sold on the idea. People have learned to conserve and yards have adjusted, he says.
For that opinion, he expects a lot of hate mail. Since the Swiftmud vote, he has already received a letter from a Florida landscaping group pushing for the switch. Landscapers say more water, more mowing.
I say, less water, less mowing.
THE LAST DROP: A record 4,500 students packed the University of Tampa last week. You see many of them walking along N Boulevard to classes and the new eight-story residence hall. Want to cross Kennedy Boulevard? Good luck. The intersection lacks pedestrian signals and crosswalks. You'd think the school or the city could spring for at least a few stripes on the road.
