2010 March 17 Wednesday
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we had lunch at an Irish Pub in Celebration. I had a Guinness, and we both had corned beef and cabbage. It was very good. Then I spent my two hours on the computer at Starbucks while Linda read her book. Since it was so nice out, later in the afternoon we walked around lake 2 and along lake 3 a little. We saw some birds and several alligators. It was cloudy all day, but the forecasted 40% chance of rain became 0% in reality. Home for a light supper and the Idol elimination show. We were not so surprised about the bottom three, but we both expected Tim to be the one eliminated.

WEATHER: High 71, low 54. No rain, but cloudy all day. Only a light breeze. Perfect for people like us who are not sun ‘worshipers’. It looks like near 80 on Sat. and Sun. right after we leave. At home, it’s warm - 60’s for several days. Of course, a snowstorm is coming on the weekend to welcome us home!

FL NEWS: “BOLD WATER BILL WILL TACKLE USE, POLLUTION”
Virtually every important aspect of water in Florida, from tap to toilet and from storm runoff to bubbling spring, has a place in sweeping state legislation unveiled Wednesday. The legislation takes aim at the pollution spoiling Florida’s springs and rivers, and at the procedures agencies use to decide who gets water and how much. The bill’s sponsor acknowledged that it would be a long route toward passage by the legislature. Much of the bill’s language comes from remarks made at six public hearings staged across the state.
State officials estimate that, of the more than 2.3 million septic tanks in FL, more than half are at least 30 years old, and many are failing and discharging poorly treated sewage into state springs, rivers and lakes. Monthly fees collected from homeowners would be used to fund inspection and, when necessary, replacement of septic tanks. Other provisions of the bill include: Requiring the state’s water managing districts to develop a statewide catalog and analysis of the utility permits that control consumption of Florida’s dwindling water resources; Banning the spreading of sewage sludge on rural fields; Authorizing state regulators to rewrite and strengthen regulations for preventing polluted storm water runoff from finding its way into rivers and lakes.