SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

TODAY I THOUGHT I'D RAMBLE ON A BIT ABOUT SOUTH LAKE TAHOE. THE FULL TIME RESIDENTS OF LAKE TAHOE ARE THE BIGGEST GROUP OF "TREE HUGGERS" OUTSIDE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO.

THE RULES AND LOCAL LAWS ARE ALMOST UNDECIPHERABLE. YOU'RE DEALING WITH TWO STATES, NEVADA AND CALIFORNIA, BUT BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN REAGAN WAS GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA THEY ESTABLISH A THIRD ENTITY CALLED T.R.P.A. (TAHOE REGIONAL PLANNING ASSOCIATION). LET'S SEE NOW, TWO STATES, FOUR DIFFERENT COUNTIES, SEVERAL CITY COUNCILS, THE U.S. COAST GUARD, AND NOW THROW IN "TREE HUGGER'S", BEAR LEAGUE, AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE.

IT'S A MIRACLE ANYTHING GETS DONE AT ALL. LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE; THE FAA CAME IN AND ORDERED SOME TREES TO BE CUT DOWN ON THE END OF THE RUNWAY FOR SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY. THE AIRPORT QUICKLY COMPLIED WITH THE FED'S ORDERS AND WAS PROMPTLY SUED BY THE T.R.P.A. AND OTHER TREE HUGGER ASSOCIATIONS. IT'S A "CATCH 22".

I FEEL REALLY SORRY FOR THE 260 HOME OWNERS WHO LOST THEIR HOMES IN LAST YEAR'S FIRE, AS THEY TRY TO GET BUILDING PERMITS, ZONING RULES, ETC., BUT I'M GOING TO DO A BLOG ON THE FIRE , ONE YEAR LATER, NEXT WEEK.

THE "OD" USED TO SAY THERE ARE ONLY TWO SEASONS IN SPOONER, WINTER AND THE 4TH OF JULY. THAT SURELY APPLIES TO LAKE TAHOE. AT BEST, THE SUMMER IS 10 WEEKS LONG AND THERE HAS BEEN RECORDED SNOW ON EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE YEAR AT SOMETIME OR ANOTHER. DURING THE 10 WEEKS OF SUMMER, THE WEATHER IS SUNNY AND 75 DEGREES ALTHOUGH EVERY MORNING AT 6:00 AM THE TEMPERATURE IS IN THE 40'S.

MAYBE IT'S THE SHORT SUMMER, OR THE IMPOSSIBLE OVERLAPPING LAWS AND GOVERNMENT, OR MAYBE BEING 6,250 FEET UP IN THE MOUNTAINS?
(AND HERE COMES THE RANT.....)

IT CONTINUES TO GET MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE TO LIVE AT LAKE TAHOE. IT'S SOON GOING TO BE AN EXAMPLE OF THE "HAVES" AND THE "HAVE NOTS". THE MIDDLE CLASS IS SIMPLY MOVING ON, OR SHOULD I SAY OFF THE MOUNTAIN.

FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN I SPENT MY FIRST SUMMER, MY CAMPSITE COST ME $350/ MONTH. I WAS IN SHOCK!!! TO CAMP? THIS YEAR IN THE SAME, (CHEAPEST), CAMPGROUND IN THE BASIN, THE RENT IS $675/ MONTH. THE SPREAD AT LAUGHLIN OVER EIGHT YEARS WAS $185 /MONTH THE FIRST YEAR TO $240 /MONTH LAST WINTER.

EVERYTHING COSTS A LOT MORE. ON THE AVERAGE ITEMS AT THE GROCERY STORE ARE $1 MORE PER ITEM THAN SUPER WALMART AT CARSON CITY. YESTERDAY GASOLINE AT LAKE TAHOE WAS $4.79/ GALLON AND AT CARSON CITY THE PRICE WAS $4.09/ GALLON. IN THE FIVE SUMMERS SPENT AT LAKE TAHOE I'VE NEVER SEEN GAS FOR LESS THAN $3 A GALLON.

SO YESTERDAY WHEN WE WENT TO CARSON CITY WE BOUGHT 78 ITEMS AT SUPER WALMART, AND TEN GALLONS OF GAS FOR THE HONDA. THAT'S 60 MILES ROUND TRIP AND $85 SAVED.

LIVING IN AN RV WITH IT'S TINY REFRIGERATOR, FREEZER , AND STORAGE SPACE TAKES SOME PLANNING TO DO THE BI-MONTHLY SHOPPING.