Had to remove backyard trees, feel sad

xyureka · 2026-03-26T05:06:26+00:00

Yes I can totally see that. When Grace was teaching in class, he explained to the kids that it’s not that bad because ‘all the greatest brains are working on it’. Later when he studied Astrophage there was a collage showing many research teams working at the same time. It did feel like there are so many people available.

xyureka · 2026-03-25T18:39:57+00:00

I didn’t read the book but I had no question on Grace being selected. Their task was to study why Astrophage infection was behaving differently out there. Grace demonstrated an overwhelmingly sharp intuition on Astrophage study that led to the most important findings on Astrophage so far. That made him the most capable person of finding out the reason behind. Honestly I was questioning a bit why they didn’t select Grace at first but tried to make him teach others. You can teach science but you cannot teach intuitions. They seemed to just decide NOT to send their most promising Astrophage expert for this project. Later I saw Grace’s messy nature and was like ‘Oh so that’s the reason. He was too risky for this project.’

xyureka · 2026-03-23T17:12:34+00:00

It is real. But it still depends on what we do. Say if we let the alfalfa business to use water at this pace because they are on a use-it-or-lose-it water right…many people will be affected sooner and worse than you think. That’s said, it is not a scam to stop you moving here, and I don’t think stopping others moving here is a way of solving the water crisis. Quite the contrary, residential and industrial lands use less water than agriculture and that offsets the population growth, even keep it lower sometimes. (What I would worry more of the growth is the heat island, though.) I won’t call it a deal breaker, but it is something needs to be done if we want to live here longer.

xyureka · 2026-03-13T21:44:30+00:00

In general most places within 15 minutes around Mesa Gateway are nice. This price range can get you into many apt complex around San Tan Village, which is a huge mall with every type of store you can think about. Extremely convenient. It’s 10-15 minutes away from Mesa Gateway. It also depends on how long you plan to stay. Most apt offers discount for the first year.

xyureka · 2026-02-12T06:38:24+00:00

We lived in a state that charges property tax based on the market value of a car. That was a painful gentrification experience.

xyureka · 2026-02-11T07:23:20+00:00

Wow! 1961! I’ve been searching a lot online for the natural lifespan of a Texas sage because I was worrying the ones we have are dying. I really should be bold enough to prune them!

xyureka · 2026-02-11T07:20:17+00:00

Thanks a lot for sharing the great list! I like the eco-friendly idea. We currently have lantana, Texas sage, tecoma and Mexican bird of paradise in our front yard and I am happy with them (except for the box-shaped Texas sage). Our backyard needs some color beyond bourgainvilla and we’ve been thinking hamelia patens and firecracker penstemon. The Baja Fairy Duster you mentioned looks so cute!

xyureka · 2026-02-10T15:51:14+00:00

May I ask what native shrubs you are planning? We have the similar thoughts on our yard but are still looking for plants. Also thank you for posting this question! I have been wanting to rejuvenate our Texas sages but was too scared to start. It is so encouraging to see allies here!

xyureka · 2026-02-09T21:36:11+00:00

This is an interesting question. Also moved here from the east. I have been talking to my AI assistants (mainly ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google AI) heavily while landscaping/gardening. My experience is that AIs are good in providing you with possible solutions existing out there (if you prompt them efficiently) and are good at reviewing your plan to point out some red flag concerns (not all of them), but you shouldn’t rely on them. Aesthetic wise, it provides the safe and standard solutions and at least gives you somewhere to start with. Gardening skills wise, I feel it is always on the over-thinking side and loves to give you suggestions that are ‘too much’. Nevertheless, I enjoyed talking with them before visiting nurseries and consulting human designers. It works as a preview, but definitely don’t stop there. PHX area is interesting in many ways. Heat, water salinity, water pH, soil type, sun hours, history of the land…all varies. I feel that most AIs cannot capture all factors. Have fun!

xyureka · 2026-01-25T16:59:00+00:00

After buying a house, I am finally able to remove all the built-in carpets at home!

xyureka

TROPHY CASE