I know a downtown businessman who wants to plant victory gardens in the planters along North Main Street instead of flowers.

He wants to grow vegetables, just like they did during World War II, and donate the food to feed the hungry.

He said the petunia baskets on the street lamps would be ideal for growing tomatoes.

Now, that’s original thinking.

Downtown

My patience is running out as far as the downtown fire mess is concerned on North Main Street.

I think we need to try “reverse psychology” on Austin city officials and tell them not to clean in up.

Maybe, that will result in some action.

Right now, the Jan. 15 fire mess is in line for becoming a stop on the Downtown Development and Hazardous Materials Walking Tour.

Talking taxes

I don’t know how serious this letter I got really is, but it makes for good reading and at the request of the letter-writer I am going to share some of it with you:

According to the taxpayer, his/her county taxes went from $502 in 2006 to $1,164 in 2009.

“I live in a very old house, and I have no idea where you get the valuation figures you use to calculate my taxes.”

“I have a one-income household. I don’t have a second, part-time job making $28,000 a year such as the county commissioners make.

“I also believe there should be a two-term limit for the county commissioners. There is a two-term limit for the President for a reason and that reason should apply to all elected officials: After so many years they become arrogant, opinionated and get the Hitler-mentality and sometimes become power freaks.”

People, it really pains me to do this. After all, I am a muck-raking reporter and elected officials are my sworn enemy.

In this case, I find it necessary to defend the Mower County commissioners.

Is that thunder and lightning I hear?

While I champion the right of the letter-writer to render his opinion, when I see a mistake I must correct it.

The commissioners do not make $28,000 a year working a part-time job.

They make $24,926 a year working a part-time job.

On a different note

This woman’s husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day. One day, when he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer.

As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears, “You know what? You have been with me through all the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you stayed right

here. When my health started failing, you were still by my side … You know what?”

“What dear,” she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill

with warmth.

“I think you’re bad luck.”

A visit for Easter

My grandchildren visited me over the Easter weekend and the youngest one, a preschooler, brought me pictures that I have to display on the walls of my house.

I always ask her to explain them to me, because it’s hard to figure out what she has drawn.

Her explanations leave me scratching my head: “This is the shadow of a bird … “This is the world upside down … “This is a bumble bee without a stinger” and so on and so forth.

It reminded me of children’s thoughts on the sea:

1) This is a picture of an octopus. It has eight testicles. (Kelly age 6)

2) Oysters’ balls are called pearls. (James age 6)

3) If you are surrounded by sea you are an island. If you don’t have sea all round you, you are incontinent. (Wayne age 7)

4) Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson. She’s not my friend no more. (Kylie age 6)

5) A dolphin breaths through a butthole on the top of its head. (Billy age 8)