8/5/2011 Sedona, Arizona
Men and machines
Maui has experience several floods over the past several years. Directly behind our condo facility is a watershed to speed the rainfall on the mountain in the center of the island to the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, it hits an obstacle. A low bridge with 4 small drain pipes under it. Rain flies down the hillside rapidly carrying red dirt and debris, hits the bridge and slowly backs up in the watershed until it reaches enough height to go over the road. Each time this occurs, the water gets inches from our parking lot before getting enough momentum to clear the hurdle. Never wracking I tell you. Across the watershed lies other condo facilities; the process leaves piles of mud and junk on their lawn. In one of those units lives Ann, a colorful, retired British woman with two small dogs.
One evening, running into Ann throwing the ball for her two dogs on the beach we discuss the flooding. I will leave out the discussion we had for whomever designed the bridge but concentrate on her property manager. Apparently, the property manager decided to dig out 20-feet of dirt from the watershed along the property in hopes it would reduce future flooding. “But you know men and machines” Ann said laughingly in her British accent. “He hopped on the bull dozer and dugout 50-feet. He couldn’t stop once on it.” I found that hysterical. “Men and Machines”
