LINDA VILLA OWL SEES ALL - STORY RETOLD

The Owls are the order Strigiformes. Most are solitary, and nocturnal, with some exceptions.  The Linda Villa Owl must love us as it can be seen flying from one tree to another during the early morning hours, as well as watching over the complex during the night.  Though owls are typically solitary, the literary collective noun for a group of owls is a parliament., which suggest that MOI should try to get more to come here...


Owls have large forward-facing eyes and ear-holes, a hawk-like beak, a flat face, and usually a conspicuous circle of feathers, a facial disc, around each eye. Although owls have binocular vision, their large eyes are fixed in their sockets, as with other birds, and they must turn their entire head to change views. Most birds of prey sport eyes on the sides of their heads, but the stereoscopic nature of the owl's forward-facing eyes permits a greater sense of depth perception necessary for low-light hunting.


Owls are farsighted and are unable to see anything clearly within a few centimeters of their eyes. Caught prey can be felt by owls with the use of filoplumes, which are small hair-like feathers on the beak and feet that act as "feelers". Their far vision, particularly in low light, is exceptionally good.  It can turn its head 135 degrees in either direction; it can thus look behind its own shoulders, with a total 270-degree field of view.  With aid of more lamps in the night, our owl now sees much.

Most owls are nocturnal, actively hunting for prey only under the cover of darkness. Several types of owl, however, are crepuscular, active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk; one example is the pygmy owl. A few owls are also active during the day; examples are the Burrowing Owl  and the Short-eared Owl.


Much of the owls' hunting strategy depends on stealth and surprise. Owls have at least two adaptations that aid them in achieving stealth. First, the dull coloration of owls' feathers can render them almost invisible under certain conditions. Secondly, serrated edges on the leading edge owls' remiges muffle an owl's wingbeats, allowing its flight to be practically silent.

The Linda Villa Owl sees it all.  The Palm trees add to the ability to view from on high the nightly activity that some would believe is un-noticed.  How wrong they be.

The Owl sees the endless traffic that passes through the patio gate of a soon to be departed tenant.  How odd that they do not know that the quick stop visits are very odd indeed.  The owl notes the large volume of traffic into the car park that the unit in question has all the day long , even notes small children playing in the vehicle with no supervision and just might set the motor to rolling and cause great harm.

The Linda Villa Owl never misses the endless flow of night time visitors to another flat.  Poor chap is clueless that 'friends' are using his flat as a 'hang out'.  Mind, the days are numbered as 'friends' have brought drugs onto the property and that will not be allowed.  The owl will see the departure of another tenant who thought that 'drug free' was a joke told to on move-in.

The good Linda Villa Owl also sees much to be right pleased by.  He sees tenants digging in the dirt and planting flowers to make the Linda Villa more brilliant AND to possibly capture the grand prize on May 8th.

Our owl also sees lovely tenants having a good time on patios, a little food and drink and chat with mates, all done with consideration to others.  No tossing of butts over rail or causing noise to drown out neighbour under flat.  How lovely that young blokes can be so considerate.

The Linda Villa Owl caught sight of this old geezer, Murray, Paul, James, Chandra invited to the patio of Della & Michael to partake in a cook-up with potables!  Fancy that.  All carried out with good grace. No riot of drink in the car park or loud noise.  Truth be told, even the wee ones were on best behaviour.

The Linda Villa Owl has seen another weekend come and go at the complex.  True, there be one day left, but it will be quiet, considering the amount of drink SOME had until the wee hours.

This morning as I watched OUR owl fly from tree to tree, I hoped that it would get comfy and take position again this night and watch over us.  What grand things folks miss when they write off a road, a community or complex based on what was and not was is at present.  More's the pity that...

THAT ONCE THERE WAS...

Right, so there never was a Camelot.  It just suits the old geezer to wish it so.  And to remember.

Just enjoy, and think back on all of the tales you remember...

ACTIVISM IS MY RENT ON EARTH - LINDA REMEMBERED

My dears, at some point one has to try and make a difference.  To be told that one person can not make a difference is but so much tosh.  Like any 'urban legend', if repeated oft enough it takes on life of own and tends to be taken as truth.

Dear reader, were all to feel, that it would be a sad world we live in.  How horrid to think that due to things being one way, change is impossible, that once turned to custard, things can not be sorted out and made proper.  Over the past few years, many have told MOI that the rose-coloured glasses worn are bit dated, that one has to view the world, or patch of earth lived on, with all of the grit kept in place.

Past places lived have offered challenge and opportunity to try and make a difference.  Results were mixed.  Lives had been turned round and social change happened to a degree.  At some point one comes to realization that lasting change will only come about if the folks one is trying to save are truly interested in accepting a new path and stop clinging to the attitude of 'entitlement'.  Truth be told, there are some who feel more comfy living in a blighted community as it enables them to be benefits cheats and lazy layabout scroungers.  It is OK for drugs to be sold and the poison it is  continue to ruin any hope of a better life.  More's the pity that.

"In order to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, it helps to start with a silk sow."

Linda be that 'silk sow'.  Abused and forgot, folks lost footing on life's path and settled for less than deserved.  Regardless, the community is still there, just waiting for the dead branches to be cut away and the ground to be watered and made ready for new growth to spring forth.  Sounds a bit much?  Depends on who you chat with and what you have see of the level of interest in being made more brilliant.

This old geezer has been blessed.  Met many lovely folks  in Linda and community round.  Am just willing to listen to stories told and try to reach out to folks.  Grand as that may be, it is for naught unless you capture like minded folks along the path, willing to join in the efforts.  I have been gobsmacked at how much support is out there.

To be true, it started with top copper of Yuba County promising to take an active interest.  Add in Supervisor Andy Vasquez, toss in Supervisor John Nicoletti and mix in the coppers and ordinary folks willing to do extra-ordinary things, and you begin to get the picture.  One has to also give credit to Murray Kay, who partnered with and has come to see that sorting out the Linda Villa was the morally right thing to do.

Community activism is multi-layered.  One has to have more than a vision.  Helps to have tools to right some of the social ills that plague a troubled community.  Being able to fix up flats and offer good housing to deserving folks.  Folks who have limited cash but want to be safe and responsible.  A place that children can live and play without fear of coming into contact with the wrong sort.

Taking a huge hit in the pocketbook and getting bad folks out of units.  There is no future in renting to folks who deal poison or use it.  Expose their children to a poison that can ruin young lives.  There is no high to be got from poison, it is a complete downer and destroys all it touches.

The snaps featured with this post tell part of the story.  Horrid it is that folks just hurl broken furniture round bin and into.  Linda Villa is not to be in business of rubbish removal, it just plays out that way.  Bad folks who refuse to accept any responsibility.  Why should they, they live in a throw-away society and see selves as throw-aways.  Tenants and folks round who have no shame in 'dumping' on the Linda Villa.  In order to bring lasting change one has to suffer a few blows and this be one of them.

Rounding up 17 strays and removing has made life better at the Linda Villa.  No one is ever going to get this old geezer to feel that it was humane to feed growing population of cats.  Or that it is OK to allow dogs to poo where they may and not clean up after.  Not a popular action, but one MOI can live with.  Am not here to be everyone's best mate.  One has to knock a few heads together.

I abhor crude and filthy language, almost as much as I loathe folks who spew hatred.  Racial or lifestyle.  Unacceptable.  Having been viewed with hate in life, am acutely aware of how horrid it be.  To teach children hate words continues the cycle.

This old geezer is far from perfect.  I am trying to be more perfect and to make a difference.  How grand to know that path is filled with like minded folks.

"If you change things in one way, you change them in other ways."  I passionately believe that.

For the first time in ages am of the opinion that social activism in Linda can turn round the community.  Folks deserve better than received in past.  Public opinion is being changed, and Linda, the Linda Villa, the brilliant new neighbours moving in and the old neighbours cleaning up act are making that easier and easier.

I have been called a shameless self promoter in getting ink in local newspaper.  If that be price paid to draw attention to patch of earth live on, so be it.  More's the pity that more do not do.

Nothing kills a community more quickly than apathy.  From all heard about Linda, the good folks did nothing to correct the impression that Linda was DEAD.  Folks were too quick to jump on the bandwagon and spread the rumour that all was lost in this community.  To be true, there is loads of blame to go round.

Local Merchants forgot that customers have to be gone after, cultivated to the point that they truly want to come to Linda to shop, eat or live.  The Air Force community has not been brilliant either.  Linda is at the door step to the Air Force base, any guess how many of the folks stationed there live in Linda?  What about the local college?  Do many of the students lived round?

Linda has been robbed of its personality.  So much so, the postcode for Linda is Marysville.  How silly is that?  Linda matters so little that it can not even proclaim self in the post code?

Call me daft, and it may well apply to some degree.  I have propensity to be pedantic.  Some might even go so far as to say shrill.  Whatever.  Truth be told, I live in this community.  I want to see it be as brilliant as possible.  Want more and more folks to step forward and try to make a difference.  Passionately want folks in Yuba County to know that Linda contains lovely folks who are part of what makes the county a special place to live.

What I want and what I will get are two different things.  That is just the way of it, my dears.  I will just continue to bang on for change.