h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

i didnt think the state was in the bussiness of draining privite property.hiho.back about the turn of the century i reckon,this use to be one big farm around here.by the farmer who owned it a series of dicthes and a canal was dug to drain the tillable landage.the canal is fairly big and long so they must of had more time,money and cheap manpower then they knew what to do with.even with steam shovels this must have been quite a feat.its not one big farm around here anymore.i live on high ground which is actully low ground surrounded by even lower ground.as with most of the maryland deleware pennslyla depending on the tides it may or maynot be much,if at all above sea level to begin with. a fact of life in the watershed area,when it rains and rains and rains it can take some time for all that water to find its way back to the creeks rivers bay ocean.theres even aname for it.wetlands.this use to be a big part of the culture around here,with the water fowl and general wildlife and men working the water and surrounding areas.ive a cousin who still does but that way of life is all but dead now.replaced by houseing developments.if you drive the main roads you see lots of trees in aseemingly unspoiled landscape.but when viewed from the air particuly but not confined to the waterfront there are houses everywhere imaginable and then some.very deciveing.so consumer culture is the only culture around pretty much anymore.my cousin doesnt work the water anymore like his father and father before him but does alright for him self buying and selling over priced blue crab to people who cant get enough of what my grandfather use to call the buzzards of the sea.anyway in an effort to drain a small area acrooss the road from me the state also wants to dig up my front yard put a drain pipe all the way across to connect the two low spots on either side.the water still has no place to go once the surrounding ponds fill up,one natural the other three man made,the swamp starts to get deeper.the deeper dicth will only add to the problem in my eye and possibly undermine the road bed.can see myself lieing in front of a backhoe now.down the road acouple miles is aplace which in a heavy rain the road is below water. go figure.maybe weve reached a time again when someone has more time money and manpower then they know what to do with