THE HORSE RACE OF BLOGGING 
Followers of Bumbastories may have noticed the blog’s evolution, nay its devolution, not only quality but also in frequency. Bumba, if you remember, and even if you don’t remember, broke out of the blogging starting gate at an ambitious and quite laudable “Every Day Another Story” clip. 
After the first turn, however, his gallop eased into a “well, almost every day another story” sort of canter. And then, somewhere in the backstretch, Bumba slowed to a weekly Bumbastories Magazine shuffle. 
Then the weekly magazine lapsed into monthly. It looked like Bumba was out grazing somewhere. 
However…er…. before we get off track altogether….with no further apologies, here’s this month’s Mid-Week (Huh?) Bumbastories Magazine, which we hope will be a horse of a different color (And no horsin’ around!). THE BUMBASTORIES MID-WEEK MAGAZINE First a little tribute to Buck Owens of Bakersfield, California. 
Click below to hear Act Naturally, which Ringo Starr and his little group recorded famously a while back (Ringo’s group recorded a goodly number of things famously). But the original of course was written and sung by Buck Owens and the Buckaroos. Buck wrote and performed a prodigious list of great country songs. Bumba and Maybank played this one last nite. Please sing along if you know it.
***************************** EVERY DROP COUNTS Los Angeles got some very welcome rain (yesterday). 
The drought situation is not appreciably changed, though. The reluctance of government officials, our representatives, to enact conservation measures, including price hikes for water is pitiful. The politicians are paid well by the agriculture conglomerates, but they are also afraid that the people, the voters, might be displeased by price hikes and inconveniences. I believe they under-estimate the public. People can understand that it hasn’t rained, that we have to conserve, that prices for vegetables will go up. To paraphrase Drew Barrymore, “We ain’t stupid, you know”. Many good citizens are already conserving water. Way to go. However, even the most conservative libertarians must concede that the drought and issues like climate change and protection of the environment requires a response that only government can orchestrate and implement. **************************** ABOUT WRITING I write but I don’t know why. I carry pen and paper most times. I write when I can. It keeps me busy. (An older man on a park bench Writing about writing) It’s a bit of a habit, the writing. I suppose it makes me feel I’m not idling away my time. But I am, of course. So who am I talking to? Who will read this? Not many. I suppose I’d be happy if just a handful of readers – say a dozen or two dozen, OK, make it three dozen people out there – someplace in space and time actually read my books. I write to charm. To amuse. To tell a good story, which, in turn, tells something deeper and more eternal. Which I figure is worth sharing. To achieve that kind of artfulness is not impossible. I figure it’s a good thing to keep trying to hit that level of art and amusement – and to hit it every now and then. Oh yeah, and keep playin that country music!
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An Occasional Story or Magazine 
We read this, Bumba! Plus, writing for writing’s sake is what it’s all about!! I believe that’s why everyone should write. It’s good for the soul!
Thank you , Dave.
I had to laugh when I read about your ambitious blogging schedule, right ‘out of the gate’. I did the same thing for about three months — daily posting. Then I switched to once weekly, which has worked far better.
As for our drought, we are really trying to cut way back on water use around our house, but we did recreate NY/NJ in our yard and that now will require some wizardry. Our lawn is going to be replaced slowly by xerigraphic plantings, despite the penalties that our HOA will likely try to impose. Lawns should be banned in California.
Love this blog!
You should see all the obsessive stuff I go about trying to save water all the time. Buckets etc. But most people won’t and it’s industry and agriculture who use most of it. They gotta raise the price, it’s simple. As for blogging, it requires a fortitude of sorts. Few people keep it up for long. I still like doing it.
It’s a source of hope that politicians seem so frightened of being voted out. As for my writing, thank you for the kind words, Ste. Writing is something of a compulsion, an enjoyable one. And it does feel good to get it right sometimes, especially when you have some fine and excellent individuals reading them (present company excluded).
Governments are strange, we vote politicians in so they can make the decisions that need to be made, especially when it comes to something as important as water. I’m sure they will act when it is too late and so bring down more ire than they would have done had they acted quicker so people won’t vote for them again anyway.
as a reader of your books, I am happy to be a statistic for once and I do recommend you, although refuse to give my copies away. People can trust me or they can read Fifty Shades, usually I tend to get my way.