The upside of the downturn

[BunsenBurner]

<p>H, who is in charge of taking the garbage can and the recycling bin out ot the curb, mentioned that both of them have been very light this year. At first, he thought it was due to D not living with us, but it looks like the economy might have something to do with it:</p>

<p>[Landfills report up to 30% decline](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008861574_trash15.html”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008861574_trash15.html&lt;/a&gt;)</p>

<p>

Along with the stock market and the foreclosure rate, a less-heralded barometer has signaled the arrival of hard times: the landfill.</p>

<p>In a wasteful society that typically puts 254 million tons of unwanted stuff at the curb to be thrown away each year, landfill managers said they knew something was amiss in the economy when they saw trash levels start steadily dropping last year. Some are reporting declines of up to 30 percent.

</p>

<p>And among the local real estate slump, this housing market is heating up:</p>

<p>[The</a> Seattle Times: Great blue herons lift winter blues](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/photogalleries/localnews2008844197/2.html]The”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/photogalleries/localnews2008844197/2.html)</p>

<p>Time to dust off our camera and buy some protective netting for our koi pond. :)</p>

[MarinMom]

<p>The other silver lining of the downturn - air fares! If you can still afford to travel, that is…</p>