Thoughts on spring, and other things

• What a spring! What spring? I planted about 300 bulbs last fall, and as I write this, they are just peeking out from under the snow.

The great blessing is that the lakes are full, the reservoirs are bulging, and the streams are running hard. Also, the drought has been called off. I wonder if we will have watering restrictions this summer. I suspect that we will, just to keep us in training for the drought years that will inevitably return.

• Good news! I am not going to write about the tobacco industry this month, but I do appreciate all of you who contacted me to express your support for the position I took in my last column about children and smoking. It is encouraging to know there are other people concerned about this issue.

• Life has been a little dull since our big soiree at the James Beard House in NYC with Charlie and Karen Abowd. What a great time! I am plotting to get back to the Big Apple for a friend's dance performance in November, but whenever I go back, it will not be the same as our trek last November. I am still enjoying the pictures, the laughs and the memories of that experience. I have since shed the extra pounds I picked up in NYC by breaking my New Year's resolution from the previous year by eating less cake. No fun at all.

• I loved the story in last Thursday's Appeal headlined, "State appeals reinstatement of female prison guard over sex act." On what other job, except at one of the ranches east of town, could an employee perform a "sex act" at work, get caught doing it, and continue working there?

Would an employee in the Legislative Counsel Bureau or the State Gaming Bureau be treated in the same manner? Do they get paid for the time they spent performing the "sex act," or is it deducted from their paycheck? What happened to the recipient of the "sex act"? Is he still employed at the Lovelock prison? This sets a whole new standard for state workers.

• In the same edition of the Appeal, it was reported that in Reno, six motels are allowing police to check their registry online. In the first three weeks of operation, the program has resulted in 14 arrests on felony warrants and four sex offenders at just one hotel. If the CC sheriff had that kind of cooperation from several of the motels in Carson City's own little tenderloin on North Carson Street, I suspect that it would be a huge step in improving security in that area and in cleaning up the meth addiction that is fomenting in those motels.

• What was he thinking? Troy Szczotka, a member of Carson High School's state championship culinary team and creator of the beautiful, delicate, 3D chocolate butterfly that adorned the champagne mousse, was charged with defacing Carson Middle School and two businesses.

Making things even worse, he confessed to running amok with a spray can in Las Vegas while he was there for the competition. His explanation - he was inspired by a video game. These video games should have a warning, "You are in virtual reality, don't try this in the real reality."

• On Sunday's Appeal front page was an article by Becky Bosshart asking the question, "How do we brand the Old West for new tourists?" Evidently, the tourism bureau is considering hiring a company from Olympia, Wash., to tell us who we are.

We don't need a consultant for this one. We are the "Real Nevada." We have real history - no need for fake, Disney-like attractions. We have the real thing. Steeped in real history, the reconstruction of the V&T Railway is a part of the real thing.

Let's be careful not to be sucked into the Las Vegas soul-selling syndrome of building phony, theme-based attractions that are unrelated to our roots. We do that, and we will all want to move to Winnemucca. My vote - keep CC authentic.

• I am hopeful that the CC School District will take a tough stand on those students who chose to leave school to exercise their First Amendment rights by joining in the immigration demonstrations.

What high school student wouldn't rather be marching than sitting in class? Believe me, I have participated in a number of marches, and it is lots of fun. But these kids, if they are to improve their circumstances in this country, need to be in school and leave the First Amendment for Saturday.

• Linda Johnson is a wife, mother and recovering attorney. She has lived in Carson City for 30 plus years and has an opinion on everything.