What do I do if my controller fails to keep proper time?
1. There may be no power or improper voltage going to the motor. If so, check the Electrical Circuit and Connection Diagram or proper connection of power to controller. Check voltage supply to ensure voltage to motor is 120 or 240 volts as specified for model type.
2. Your clock motor may be turning but the time dial is not turning. The drive gear located behind the time dial may be broken. If so, remove the time dial and inspect the drive gear. Install a new drive gear noting "this side out." Reinstall the time dial and be sure it turns freely clockwise.
What if my controller does not turn ON in the manual mode?
That means no power is getting to the controller. First be sure that the controller is properly wired as per the Electrical Circuit and Connection Diagram. Also check your circuit breaker.
What if my controller fails to operate properly in automatic (AUTO) mode?
1. This may be due to the Daywheel not being properly programmed. Check the Setting and Operation instructions for programming the Daywheel.
Be sure to turn the Auto-Off-On knob to AUTO position.
3. The switch may need adjusting. Remove the controller face from its enclosure after disconnecting power to the unit. The switch adjustment screw is located on the switch cover. A clicking of the switch should be heard when the switch arm is slowly pulled back at the halfway point between the edge of the time dial and the far edge of the timing pin. With a small screwdriver, tighten the screw clockwise to cause the switch to active sooner. If the switch is activating sooner than desired, turn the adjustment screw counterclockwise slightly.
4. The switch contacts or relay may be worn out.
What do you recommend if my controller won't turn OFF?
1. If your switch is being activated, ensure that wires do not push against the switch or relay. Check that wires leading to the switch are not pulled out.
2. Your controller may be improperly wired. Check the Electrical Circuit and Connection Diagram and make sure that the input wires are not wired directly to load.
4. The switch knob may not be in the OFF position. Be sure to turn the Auto-Off-On switch to OFF.
Indexing valves are mechanical valves that change from one outlet to the next each time the water flow is stopped and started so they will work if controlled manually with a hand valve, automatically with an electric control valve or if used with a pump that has the means to start and stop the flow of water.
Ideally the valve should be installed at the highest point of the system and as close as possible to the water source, if the valve cannot be installed at the highest point check valves will need to be installed on outlets that have zone lines higher than the valve to prevent back flow stopping the valve from cycling. The need for the valve to be installed as close as possible to the water source is to prevent the valve from skipping thru zones as the supply line fills purging air before reaching working pressure.
The 6000 series valve has a built in atmospheric vacuum breaker (AVB) that vents the valve to the atmosphere upon shut down to aid in the valve draining so as to cycle to the next zone, the 4000 series valve does not have an AVB so even though the valves will usually work without one if needed due to problems with the valve draining one can be added on the supply line before the valve.
When installing the valves care should be taken to not let glue drip inside the valve and damage the interior, and when gluing PVC into the outlets or inlet no glue, cleaner or primer should be used in the sockets of the valve. The best method is to use purple primer and clear glue on the PVC only as the valve itself is not PVC but constructed of ABS plastic and a chemical reaction occurs between the two plastics when glue is applied to ABS that causes the PVC to be pushed back out of the socket. Once pushed into the socket with the valve “right side up” the pipe should be held in for 15 seconds to allow the glue to set. The glue joints should be allowed to set for a minimum of 2 hours before testing the valve.
Why does my indexing valve stay stuck on one zone?
Remove the top and check for foreign objects and any rough spots on the valves interior walls. Inspect the only moving part inside the valve called the “Stem and Disc Assembly” also check the “Cam” which is the plastic part at the top of the valve the plastic stem tip goes into with internal teeth that advance the disc to the next outlet. Over time the spring inside the plastic stem wears out causing the valve to fail to cycle, the spring may still be strong enough to bounce the stem and disc up and down on the pin at the bottom of the valve however it may not be strong enough to fully engage the teeth on the Cam. Also a worn cam even though it may look fine might have areas that have “flattened out” between the teeth that will cause the valve to stay stuck on one zone.
After the valve shuts down and water drains from the zone lines sometimes this can create a “vacuum lock” if air is not allowed to enter the valve to replace the water that has drained out. The 6000 series valve has an atmospheric vacuum breaker (AVB) built into the top of the valve to prevent this from happening. On 4000 series valves an AVB can be installed on the supply line before the valve if this is an issue.
In most cases replacing the Stem and Disc Assembly, Cam, and or installing an AVB on the supply line will get a valve that fails to cycle back in operation.
Why does my indexing valve skip over zones?
If you have a pump fed system there may be suction leaks on the pump intake line causing the pump to “surge “ or not keep a steady flow of water needed to keep the valves disc depressed and on one zone. Diagnosing, locating and repairing a suction leak may take professional assistance.
Or if the pump is located more than a few feet from the water source the disc inside the valve may pop up and down skipping zones as the supply line fills purging air. Move the indexing valve closer to the water source, the electric control valve or pump closer to the indexing valve or pressurize the supply line.
Also if the valve is not installed at the highest point of the system there may be back flow entering the valve after shut down which will cause the disc to skip as it is pushed against this back flow by water coming through the inlet during start up. Install a check valve on any outlet that has zone piping higher than the valve.
Why does water come out of multiple zones /outlets at once?
There is a minimum amount of water required at the valve to push the rubber disc inside the valve down firmly enough to seal off the outlets other than the one in use. As equipped from the factory a 4000 series valve will have a “Standard Stem and Disc Assembly” that requires 10 gallons per minute (GPM) to operate. The 6000 series indexing valve will have Stem and Disc that requires 15 GPM.
If the flow falls below these numbers it can be from a worn diaphragm on the electric control valve if so equipped. After turning off the water supply and disassembling the valve if you find that the diaphragm shows signs of wear and or cracking it should be replaced as this will prevent the valve from opening fully causing low flow.
On pump fed systems clogged intake filters/well screens or canal baskets can result in low flow. Also check the pump impeller for debris as this can drastically reduce the output of the pump.
Check to see if there is a main line filter clogged that could be the cause of the problem.
In some cases on city water fed systems worn water meters can put out less water over time, disconnect the supply line from the valve and do a simple flow test by seeing how many times the line fills a 5 gallon bucket in one minutes time to get an idea of your GPM that is available. If the system worked fine at one time and all other causes have been eliminated contact the local water department to see what input they might have about replacing the water meter.
On systems where the amount of GPM the valve requires equipped with a Standard Stem and Disc is not possible there are Light Stem and Disc Assemblies available. The Light Stem and Disc for the 4000 series will reduce the needed flow down to 6 GPM and the 6000 series valve has both a Light and Extra Light Stem and Disc available with the Light model reducing the needed flow down to 10 GPM and the Extra Light reducing it to 6 GPM.
Can the number of active outlets on an indexing valve be changed?
Yes by changing the “Cam” a valve can be made to skip over outlets to change the number of active outlets /zones. The Cam is a small circular piece held in place by 2 screws on top the 4000 and inside the top of the 6000 valve.
4 outlet 4000 series indexing valves can be Cammed for 2, 3, and 4 zones, 6 outlet 4000 valves can be Cammed for 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 zones.
4 outlet 6000 series indexing valves can be Cammed for 2, 3 or 4 zones however the 6 outlet 6000 valve can only be Cammed for 5 or 6 zones.
Should unused outlets be “capped off”?
Yes. Cap off unused outlets to prevent debris/animals from entering the valve when it is off, leave a 6” piece of pipe with a cap on its end to allow for future expansion of the system.
How deep should the trenches be to install my sprinkler pipe?
Bury your sprinkler pipe 6 to 12 inches below ground surface taking into account the height of the fitting, the length of the rise and the height of the sprinkler head.
Can I dig under sidewalks to install my system?
Yes, by attaching a power nozzle to the pipe end so you can "jet" under the sidewalk.
Why should I change nozzles on a gear drive rotor?
Nozzles should be changed to equalize the rate of water application.
How do I install a Pump Start Relay?
My Pump Start Relay is chattering and I just installed it. What do I do?
1. The Pump Start Relay may be too far away from the controller and/or the wire size between the controller and the relay’s coil is too small. Increase the wire size (#14 gauge for runs over 15 feet) and see if that solves the problem.
2. Or your controller’s transformer may be too small to pull the relay contacts in. It may be necessary to increase the transformer size on the controller.
My previously quiet Pump Start Relay is now buzzing loudly while in operation. What do I do?
The Relay should be replaced. A Pump Start Relay is a magnetically activated switch. Over time the magnetic contact points oxidize making them ineffective at pulling the high voltage contacts together and buzzing can result, high moisture and or high salt atmospheres will accelerate this wear process resulting in a shorter service life.
How do I adjust gear drive rotors?
K-rain rotor heads have adjustable arcs to cover any pattern from 40 degrees to 360 degrees of rotation. The heads can be adjusted either dry before installation or wet with the water running. All adjustments except pulling the riser up with the water off which requires a K-key can be done with a medium size flat blade screw driver or a K-key if available.
1. If the head is to be used in a full circle 360 degree arc setting insert a K-key or medium flat blade screw driver into the slot of the arc adjustment dial in the TOP CENTER OF the turret. Turn the dial all the way clockwise until the arrow is pointing at 360 then proceed to step #3.
For other arc settings hold the head in one hand and place the palm of your other hand flat on the top center turret of the head. With a twisting motion turn this center turret counter clockwise all the way to the left (it may be necessary to first turn clockwise all the way to the right then back to the left). Notice the position of the arrow at the EDGE of the turret. This is the fixed “Left Start” position. The sprinkler will begin spraying from this position (the nozzle is below the arrow) and rotate clockwise until it reaches the right Adjustable Stop-Return Point.
2. All K-rain rotor heads come from the factory preset to 90 degrees if this is the arc (pattern) you need then proceed to step #3.
To adjust the right Stop/Return insert the K-key or medium flat blade screw driver in the arc adjustment arrow in the TOP CENTER of the turret. While holding the turret in place by pressing down with one thumb turn the dial to your desired stop point/ degree setting. IMPORTANT: DO NOT TURN THE ARROW PAST THE 40 SETTING OR PAST THE 360 SETTING.
3. Install the head by turning it clockwise onto the fitting in the ground, before the head is “snug” on the fitting check the left stop on the turret to make sure it is still in its left start position. If it has moved during the install process rotate it back to its far left position with your finger tips or the palm of your hand and then continue turning the head clockwise stopping when the arrow is at or near the spot it is desired for the arc to begin spraying from.
Note: The head should be installed hand tight on the fitting in the ground, overtightening or Teflon tape is not necessary.
4. To make the final adjustments turn on the water and after the riser pops up twist the LOWER PART of the riser BELOW THE TURRET to make any adjustments needed to get the left start position where desired. The lower riser can be turned any direction needed to make this adjustment. And the rotating turret can be manually turned in the same direction it is rotating automatically to speed up the adjustment process.
With the water still running insert a K-key or flat blade screw driver into the slotted nozzle retention screw that is above the nozzle. Turn the screw clockwise to reduce the radius and “fan” the stream out to a wider pattern for more water near the head.
NOTE: Using the nozzle retention screw can reduce the radius by up to 25% however be careful not to turn the screw more than 3 complete turns clockwise from the preset factory position or it will thread completely through the hole and be lost in the water stream.
The Super Pro and K2 Pro models have a flow control/ shut off that can be used in addition to or independently from the nozzle retention screw to adjust the radius of the water stream or shut the head completely off if need be. To operate the flow control, insert a K-key or flat blade screw driver into the flow control located half way between the arc adjustment dial and the edge of the top turret about where the arc adjustment arrow would be pointing if set to 270 degrees. Turning the flow control counter clockwise will reduce the radius and flow proportionately up to 50% however it can also be used past a 50% reduction with the complete counter clockwise position being off/no flow with the riser still popped up. Heads come from the factory with the flow control fully open.
What if a gear drive rotor isn’t turning?
If your sprinkler isn't turning properly, try cleaning the filter. If sand or debris gets into the rotors gear drive it will wear out prematurely and at this point the entire head will need to be replaced.
How do I adjust a RPS75?
RPS75 adjusts from a fixed right position meaning that for whatever arc (pattern) the head is set the right start/stop position can only be changed by either turning the whole head or by twisting the base of the pop up riser below the rotating turret. All adjustments can be made wet or dry with a white plastic RPS key.
Before installation holding the head in one hand place the palm of your other hand flat on the top center turret of the head. With a twisting motion turn this center turret clockwise all the way to the right (it may be necessary to first turn counter clockwise all the way to the left then back to the right). Notice the position of the arrow at the EDGE of the turret. This is the fixed “Right Start” position. The sprinkler will begin spraying from this position (the nozzle is below the arrow) and rotate counter clockwise until it reaches the Left Adjustable Stop-Return Point.
2. Install the head by turning it clockwise onto the fitting in the ground, stop turning when the head is “snug” (don’t over tighten) on the fitting and the nozzle arrow at the edge of the top turret is at or near the point where it is desired for the fixed Right Start to begin watering from.
3. To adjust the arc (pattern) with the water off insert the “T” shaped end of the white plastic RPS key into the hole in the rubber cover on top the turret marked “ARC” at the 9 o’clock position relative to the nozzle arrow being the 12 o’clock position. K-rain rotors are preset at the factory to a 90 degree (1/4 circle) arc setting, if this is the setting needed leave the key in the arc adjustment dial for fine tuning and precede to step # 4.
To change the arc from the preset 90 degree setting, with the water off turning the key 1 complete turn will increase the arc by 25% so 1 turn equals 180 degrees (1/2 circle) 2 turns 270 degrees (3/4 circle) at 3 turns you will hit a stop or hear a “clicking” noise and the arc is then set to a full circle 360 degree setting.
4. For final adjustments turn the water on and when the riser pops up notice the top turret turning, either wait for the turret to reach its right stop automatically or after the turret reaches the left stop and reverses you can manually turn it to its right stop. If the right stop is in need of adjustment twist the riser BELOW THE TURRET to get the fixed right start to the desired position. Twisting the riser counter clockwise may loosen the head from the fitting in the ground so even if the riser needs to be moved a few degrees counter clockwise it is best to turn the riser fully clockwise to get to the position needed. The ratchet assembly inside the head will make a “clicking” sound when the riser is turned and this is normal.
5. Finally to adjust the radius (distance) of the stream insert the metal hex shaped end of the RPS key into the hole in the raised arrow above the nozzle. With water on turn the key clockwise to reduce the radius up to 25% and breakup the water stream for fallout of droplets providing close in coverage around the head. The nozzle screw should not be turned more than 3 complete turns from the factory preset position or the screw will thread completely through the hole and be lost in the stream.
To change the arc (pattern) from the factory preset 90 degree setting insert the “T” shaped end of the white plastic RPS key into the hole in the rubber cover on top the turret marked “ARC” at the 9 o’clock position relative to the nozzle arrow being the 12 o’clock position. Turn the key three complete turns clockwise or until you hit a stop or hear a “clicking” sound.
Install the head by threading it clockwise onto the fitting in the ground, it is not necessary to over tighten or use Teflon tape. Next refer to step 5 above after turning the water on to adjust the radius (distance). If you have an RPS75i refer to the last paragraph in step 5 above to adjust the flow control.
How do I adjust a RPS75i?
On the RPS75i model rotor there is also a flow control that can be used in addition to or independently from the nozzle retention/break up screw described in the adjustment above. The flow control is located at the 5 o’clock position in relation to the nozzle arrow’s 12 o’clock position, insert the “T” shaped end of the RPS key into the hole over the flow control. Turning the key clockwise will reduce the flow and distance proportionately up to 50% however can be used to adjust the distance below 50% with the fully counter clockwise position being off/no flow. The riser will still pop up but no water will come out with the flow control off.
How do I replace nozzles for gear drive rotor heads?
All K-rain rotors have a variety of nozzles available to deliver the right amount of water needed for your turf and landscaping’s needs. Each nozzle puts out a different amount of water measured in gallons per minute or GPM for short. Nozzles come in 2 different trajectories which changes the angle of the water stream relative to the ground, they are referred to as STANDARD angle and LOW angle nozzles. All the nozzles have the same basic shape of the water stream before the nozzle retention/break up screw (located above the nozzle) is used to “fan out” or widen the stream while also reducing the radius (distance) and providing more fallout of water droplets for better close in coverage around the head.
The ¾” inlet full size rotors have a 2.5 GPM STANDARD angle nozzle pre-installed at the factory except for “RCW” models which have a 2.5 GPM LOW angle nozzle installed. The ½” inlet “mini” rotors have a 1.5 GPM STANDARD angle nozzle pre-installed however at the request of some retailers the K1 model may have a larger 2.5 GPM standard nozzle.
1. Reduce or increase the amount of water applied in relation to a given areas soil /plant /turf type and the rate at which the area absorbs or drains the water.
2. Adjust the precipitation rate of the heads, which is the amount of water applied by the nozzle during a given amount of time.
The reason precipitation rates are typically adjusted are because as the radius of a rotors coverage is increased or decreased the same amount of water is being spread over a larger or smaller area. This frequently results in too little water being applied around larger arc heads and too much water around smaller arc heads.
The solution to this uneven watering is to increase or decrease the nozzle size used as the heads arcs are increased or decreased.
Can a gear drive rotor head be adjusted with the water running?
All adjustments can be done with the water running.
How do I change a rotor nozzle?
To remove and install nozzles you will need a pair of needle nose pliers and either an RPS key, K-key or small flat blade screwdriver (depending on model of head being serviced).
For changing nozzles on RPS75i, Super Pro and K2 Pro, turn the water on then use the K-key or RPS key to turn the flow control all the way counter clockwise so that the riser is popped up with no water coming out of the nozzle. Then skip step #1 and proceed to step #2.
1. Insert the K-key or RPS key in the pull up slot on top the head. In relation to the arrow above the nozzle being located at 12 o’clock the pull up slot can be found at the 11 o’clock position on RPS75, the 6 o’clock position on K2, K2 Pro, K8000, Super Pro and Pro Plus and the 3 o’clock position on the smaller “mini” rotors (K1, Mini Pro, and RPS50).
2. Use the end of the K-key or the metal hex shaped end of the RPS key depending on which model you have and loosen the nozzle retention screw located in the center of the nozzle arrow, if your head has a rubber cover push the key through the hole in the center of the arrow. Turn the screw counter clockwise until it is no longer in front of the nozzle, it is not necessary to completely remove the screw.
3. To remove the old nozzle use a pair of needle nose pliers to grab one of the tabs that go on either side of the nozzle retention screw if the nozzle is RED or grab the pull out tab to the right of the nozzle orifice on GREEN nozzles and pull the nozzle out of the socket. A K-key can also be used to remove the nozzle by inserting the end of the key into the small rectangular slot at the top or side of RED nozzles then pushing the key to one side and pulling out.
4. Install a new nozzle by pushing it into the socket with the 2 retention tabs pointing up if the nozzle is RED or with the pull out tab to the left on GREEN nozzles. The socket is angled up slightly so it is necessary to push down at an angle with the thumb to get the nozzle fully seated. After the nozzle is in all the way make any final adjustments needed to make sure the tabs that go on either side of the nozzle retention screw are at the top by moving the nozzle into place with needle nose pliers or a K-key.
5. Turn the nozzle retention screw clockwise until it is in front of the nozzle and in between the 2 tabs at the top of the nozzle. Turn on the water and make any adjustments necessary to adjust the radius.
How do I adjust a spray head?
Pop up spray bodies have threaded inserts called “nozzles” installed on top of their pop up risers. These nozzles have preset arcs or patterns such as 90 degrees (1/4 circle), 180 degrees (half circle) and 360 degrees (full circle) that determines the area that the head will cover. Some heads are equipped with variable arc nozzles that will adjust to any arc needed to cover odd shaped areas.
The pop up risers on all K-rain spray bodies are adjustable by twisting the long portion of the riser below the nozzle to get the arc spraying in the desired direction.
On adjustable arc nozzles turn the riser as described above to adjust where the left side of the arc will begin with the water running and spraying away from you. Next while holding the base section of the nozzle turn the top serrated ring at the top of the nozzle clockwise to make the arc larger and counter clockwise to make the arc smaller.
To adjust the radius(distance) hold the nozzle in place to keep it from turning and use a small flat blade screw driver to turn the slotted screw in the top center of the nozzle clockwise while the water is running to reduce the radius.
K-rain rotary nozzles have multiple streams of water that rotate and are for use with K-rain Pro-S spray bodies and others that accept female thread nozzles. The benefits of rotary nozzles include water savings through higher efficiency due to slower application rate preventing waste from run off, less wind drift from reduced atomization and the ability to run more nozzles with less line pressure than conventional spray nozzles. Rotary nozzles can also be used on the same zone as gear drive rotors as they have the same precipitation rate.
Can spray heads be mixed with rotor heads?
Spray heads should not be mixed with rotor heads due to rate of water application and distance.
How do I install and adjust a rotary nozzle?
1. To install a rotary nozzle insert the nozzle in the top of the riser turning clockwise until snug.
2. To adjust the nozzle turn on the water and with the nozzle spraying away from you turn the LOWER part of the pop up riser any direction needed to get the Left Fixed Side of the water streams to start in the desired location. Next place the orange nozzle adjustment tool over the top of the nozzle and while pushing down lightly turn to change the Adjustable Right Stop/Start. Turn the tool clockwise to increase the arc and counter clockwise to decrease the arc.
3. At the base of the nozzle there is a band/ring that matches the color of the nozzle top, this is the flow control that is used for radius adjustment. The flow control should be all the way clockwise from the factory which is the fully open position, turning the flow control ring counter clockwise will decrease the arc, ¼ turn counter clockwise is the fully restricted position/ shortest radius.
Are there certain steps I should take to maintain my irrigation system?
1. Check your timer settings and make any adjustments to run times to compensate for any under or over watering.
2. Activate each valve electrically with the controller to check operation.
3. Unclog nozzles on your spray heads if needed and check rotor heads for rotation.
4. If you have a mainline filter, clean it out.
5. Check for damage from lawn mowers, vehicular traffic and vandals.
1. Clean out the filters in all your sprinkler heads.
2. Check the height of the heads relative to the landscaping and turf grass and raise or lower as needed to provide good coverage and prevent damage.
3. Check to make sure wires and wire nuts in splice and valve boxes are water tight and secure. 4) Check pump operation/intake screen if applicable. Check rain sensor operation if so equipped.
1. If you live in an area prone to freezing temps your system MUST be “winterized” by blowing out the systems valves and piping with compressed air to prevent damage. Contact a local licensed irrigation professional to find out if this is done in your area.
How do I clean out the filter on a sprinkler head?
For spray and rotary nozzles lift up the pop up riser and unscrew the nozzle then remove the filter from the bottom of the nozzle. Clean the filter and reinstall the nozzle and filter back onto the riser then turn the water on to readjust the nozzle back to its original position by twisting the lower part of the pop up riser below the nozzle.
For gear drive rotors remove the riser assembly from the canister in the ground by turning the ribbed twist cap around the top circumference of the head counter clockwise until the riser assembly will lift out of the canister. Once removed look on the bottom of the riser assembly to find the filter basket. Remove the filter basket by grabbing the center pin with a pair of needle nose pliers and pulling out. Clean and reinstall the filter basket and riser assembly back in the canister, then turn the water on and readjust the head back to its original position by twisting the LOWER part of the pop up riser BELOW the top turret clockwise to the desired location.
How to I winterize my Sprinkler System?
In a freezing climate it is advisable to "winterize" the sprinkler system in order to avoid damage. Special attention should be given to removing water from the pipes, valves and sprinkler heads, before freezing occurs. This may be accomplished using three techniques; the manual drain valve method, the automatic drain valve system, or the air blow-out practice. Click here to view our air-blow out guide.
Local irrigation contractors usually offer this service for a reasonable fee that may also include start-up in the spring. Depending on how extensive your system is and what type of equipment you have installed, you may want to choose a professional who is fully equipped to provide this service. Let us recommend a professional in your area. Click here to find a qualified contractor in your area.
Can I measure my water pressure?
Yes. You can use a pressure gauge or call your municipality for the answer.
For optimum results, we suggest you water less often for a longer period of time rather than frequently for shorter periods. Frequent watering keeps lawn root growth at a surface level. By watering infrequently you promote the expansion of deep-water sources that encourage deep root growth.
That depends on how quickly water is dispersed by your sprinklers. You can determine this by putting pans on your lawn when watering. After 15 minutes, measure the water depth. multiply by 4 to get the water sprinkled per hour. On average, you can expect about ½ inch of water in 15 minutes from sprayheads and ½ inch of water in 60 to 90 minutes from rotors.
How do I know how much water my lawn needs?
In normal season weather (80 to 90 degrees), most lawns need about 1 inch of water a week. When temperatures go up, so does your lawn watering needs because so much of the water gets evaporated. Desert areas in mid-summer require up to 2 inches of water per week. Judge your own lawn accordingly.
How much water pressure do I need?
Most homes have 50 psi, which is more than adequate. 30 psi is a minimum amount of water pressure for system operation.
Is a certain time of day better for watering?
The optimal time for watering your lawn is early in the morning. if not possible, evening watering is next best. Mid-day watering is discouraged, unless it is cool out or if you have a new lawn that needs constant moisture. Do not water more than once a day unless heat is causing extreme evaporation. Heavy clay soil or hillside irrigation with considerable runoff may also require additional watering periods.
What should I do about dirty water?
Some water sources include sand, particles, moss and other debris which are not effectively trapped by the inlet screen. Such materials damage heads, valves and fittings within your sprinklers. If these are your circumstances, your best option is to install a filter on your mainline.
Can my rotors and spray heads be used at the same time -- or on the same line?
No. Rotors and spray heads water at different rates. Therefore you need to run them at different times.


House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), told reporters on Wednesday that former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker did not deny discussing details of the Michael Cohen case with President Trump, nor did he refute claims that he directly participated in conversations about whether to fire 1 or more U.S. attorneys in New York who brought the case against Cohen.
Details: Whitaker, who was in charge of the Justice Department from November until last month, met privately with Nadler to clarify his public testimony that took place in February. However, the panel's ranking Republican member Douglas Collins (R-Ga.), who was present, pushed back against Nadler's characterization of Whitaker's comments, calling them an "inaccurate interpretation of what he said. Mr. Whitaker said he did not have conversations with the president about Cohen," said Collins, per CBS News reports.
The backdrop: Whitaker testified last month that Trump had never pressured him to intervene in any investigation. Lawmakers, along party lines, have been questioning whether Whitaker misled Congress about his stint as acting attorney general, and his contact with Trump about the Mueller probe.
President Trump late last year called acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to ask whether a Trump-appointed attorney could "unrecuse" himself in order to lead the Southern District of New York's investigation into hush money payments during the 2016 election, the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: There is no indication that Whitaker took any steps to appoint Trump ally Geoffrey Berman to lead the investigation, which had ensnared the president's longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen. But Whitaker, who has reportedly told colleagues that part of his job was to "jump on a grenade" for the president, testified to the House Judiciary Committee earlier this month that Trump had never pressured him to intervene in any investigation.
House Democrats are now pursuing a formal deposition of Whitaker as they scrutinize whether he committed perjury.
Asked Tuesday whether the "unrecusal" conversation with Whitaker ever occurred, Trump responded: "No, not at all. I don’t know who gave you that. That's more fake news."
The big picture: The Times piece reveals a number of unreported incidents over the course of the two last years that shed light on Trump's extensive efforts to derail the various investigations that threaten his presidency.
After former national security adviser Michael Flynn was fired for lying about his contacts with Russian officials, Trump directed then-Press Secretary Sean Spicer to tell reporters that the president asked for his resignation — which the White House counsel later concluded was misleading.
In the summer of 2017, after the president threatened to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, one of Trump's lawyers reportedly reached out to attorneys for Flynn and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort to discuss possible pardons.
The bottom line: There are more than 1,100 instances of Trump publicly attacking the Russia investigations. This, the Times notes, has been "a public relations strategy as much as a legal strategy."


On average during 2018, how much did federal, state, and local governments collect in taxes from every household in the United States?
In 2018, federal, state and local governments collected a combined total of 5.1 trillion in taxes, or an average of $39,869 from every household in the United States. These governments also spent $1.2 trillion more than they collected in revenues, or an average of $9,589 for every household in the United States. This deficit spending is an effective tax on tomorrow's workers and taxpayers.


Every time a journalist wants to do an in-depth piece about either Iran or Iraq and its long-term relationship with the United States, he or she gets around to American intelligence support for the regime of Saddam Husayn in the last year of the Iran-Iraq War.
Usually in that research, my name comes up. More often than not, the researcher does his homework and gets the story right. Other times, however, they rely on one source. If that source happens to be an incorrect account - and there are plenty out there - it merely perpetuates untruths. The latter apparently happened again today.
I refer you to an article written by British journalist Mehdi Hasan which appeared in the Opinion section of the Aljazeera website (which of course is picked up and distributed by a host of other media). I recommend the article - click on the image above to go to the Aljazeera (English) website - with the caveat that you substitute his version of what happened in 1988 with my account. That section in his article is "1988: Chemical weapons."
In his piece, Mr. Hasan cites his source as an article published in 2013 by Foreign Policy magazine. I have rebutted that article on several occasions, in both print and broadcast media. I posted my rebuttal on this forum immediately after its publication - see Foreign Policy Article - Corrections and Clarifications.
In April 1988, Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army began an operation to retake the al-Faw peninsula from the Iranians, launching sarin attacks that killed thousands.
These Iraqi attacks on Iranian positions, using banned chemical weapons, were facilitated by the US. In 2013, Foreign Policy magazine revealed that: "US intelligence officials conveyed the location of the Iranian troops to Iraq, fully aware that Hussein's military would attack with chemical weapons, including sarin, a lethal nerve agent… The Iraqis used mustard gas and sarin prior to four major offensives in early 1988 that relied on US satellite imagery, maps, and other intelligence."
In fact, the Reagan administration had become aware five years earlier, in 1983, that the Saddam regime was using banned chemical weapons in its war against Iran, yet US officials continued to offer satellite imagery and other support to the Iraqi military. As retired US Air Force Colonel Rick Francona, a former military attaché in Baghdad during the 1988 operation, told Foreign Policy: "The Iraqis never told us that they intended to use nerve gas. They didn't have to. We already knew."
-- First paragraph: Fine. That operation in April 1988 was code named Ramadan Mubarak (Blessed Ramadan), and re-took the al-Faw peninsula in 36 hours.
-- Second paragraph: The United States did not "facilitate" the use of chemical weapons. While we did provide intelligence from a variety of sources to the Iraqi military intelligence service, we were not "fully aware that Hussein's military would attack with chemical weapons, including sarin...". In fact, in April 1988, we were not aware that Iraq had developed effective nerve agents.
The use of the nerve agent sarin at al-Faw was not confirmed until I was able to gain access to the battlefields on the peninsula and gather physical evidence. Once we had evidence that the Iraqis had used sarin, our intelligence assistance came to an immediate halt pending a review of our options - a review held a much higher pay grade than mine.
The Reagan Administration was faced with two bad options: help Iraq despite its use of chemical weapons (specifically nerve agents), or end the program and allow the Iranians to win the war. The choice was to prevent an Iranian victory, so I returned to Baghdad and continued the program. The Iraqis used chemical weapons - mustard and sarin - in the three following offensives.
-- Third paragraph: The United States was aware that Iraq had attempted to develop the nerve agent Tabun, but had failed; they were using mustard in defensive operations. As for the quote attributed to me, I don't recall saying those exact words, but it is accurate as far as it goes - the Iraqis never told us they intended to use chemical weapons, but why would they? In fact, they denied having them even when presented with the evidence. After the al-Faw operation, they did not need to admit to it, we knew.
The United States was not aware of Iraqi nerve agent capability prior to the al-Faw operation in April 1988. In no way did the United States "facilitate" Iraq's development, acquisition or use of those weapons.


The Sun-Innotek Deal: Panicky or Prescient?
VirtualBox is a free, open source hypervisor. I haven't used it, but Sun said in a press release that it's been downloaded more than four million times since January 2007, meaning that there's a lot of curiosity about it.
My first reaction to the acquisition was that Sun was playing "me too." As in, "All the other major virtualization players are getting into PC virtualization, so we need to get into it, too." That kind of impulse buying without a plan rarely works.
But wisely not trusting my instincts, I called up Dan Kusnetzky of Kusnetzky Group. Dan, along with being brilliant and having a taste for Broadway show tunes, is also a real out-of-the-box thinker. He said he thought the same thing initially. "My first thought was I didn't understand why they did this. [Maybe] they were getting so enthusiastic about virtualization technology that they wanted to purchase one of each [type]."
As he examined it further, however, his mind started to change. Maybe, his reasoning went, Sun was waking up and smelling the coffee -- or the Java, to be more exact. It could be the perfect vehicle for various Sun apps to run anywhere, inside a VM, after writing once. Sound familiar? "Having this tool opens up a whole world of opportunities for Sun that wasn't available" before, Kusnetzky said. "I could kind of see that this was the same thinking that led to Java."
When he blogged about this this morning, here's what he said: "If the company was going to make it possible for everyone to come to the Sun party, they needed something that could work just about anywhere. Acquiring this technology would be far easier than developing their own entry into this branch of the virtual machine software market."
Dan says that he doesn't have any inside information on this; it's just his supposition. But it does make more sense than "Hey, we need a PC virtualization solution since VMware, Microsoft, Parallels and everyone else does!" And it seems to go beyond being a software development tool for Solaris (which Sun made great pains to point out in its press release announcing the innotek purchase). Sun has devoted a ton of resources to their virtualization efforts, and it's coming out with some very sophisticated products, including its Xen-based xVM bare-metal hypervisor and xVM Ops Center management software. In fact, Sun is one of the few companies that comes at virtualization from both the hardware and software end of things. It seems unlikely (although certainly possible) to be a panic move for a company that has taken slow, deliberate steps into the virtualization market.
In the meantime, if you've used VirtualBox, I'd love to hear from you. Let me know what you think of it.


Do you plan to take a competitive examination in the near future? If yes then this write up will definitely be of great help to you.
In any competitive examination what gives you an edge over the others?
A combination of these three aspects surely helps you achieve great results. But what makes you a real winner?
Having been there and done that, I would strongly recommend these strategies that you should work on so that you are calm, composed and confident on the final day.
A healthy body is a prerequisite for any academic goal that you have set for yourself. I cannot stress enough on that. You do not want to waste time fighting an infection when you have a gamut of topics to prepare. Take care of your health and look after your body.Eat nutritious and light food.
Regular exercise, yoga and meditation for just 20 minutes a day also works wonders in the long run. Though physical and mental fitness does not directly contribute towards higher scores but its overall impact on you is immense. After all, a relaxed mind will naturally be more receptive to the hoard of information that you are going to stockpile your brain with.
Learn to manage time. It will always help you in any walk of life. There is no need to study the entire day. Begin with 2 hours a day and then gradually increase your study time so that the concentration level stays intact; however regularity is very important. You cannot afford to study for 6 hours one day and then decide to skip studies altogether for 4 days.
Making a time table is important but what is more important is sticking to it! I do not think I need to elaborate this further.
While preparing a topic do not just read through the study material. Practice solved examples as well as practice questions. More often than not it so happens that while reading through a topic you feel that you have completely understood the concept but when you actually solve questions you feel stuck.
Set small time goals for yourself while solving practice exercises too. By doing so you are actually working upon improving your speed simultaneously from day one.
So practice, practice and practice.
Why I could not solve this question?
Is there any alternative solution to the question?
What are my strength areas?
Which are the areas I need to work upon?
Which are the topics whose questions I am able to solve mostly correctly? You need to accelerate your speed here.
Am I attempting less number of questions but achieving high accuracy or am I solving more number of questions but getting them generally wrong?
Maintain a record of total number of questions, number of questions attempted number of answers correct and number of answers wrong. Initially it may seem like a tedious exercise to fill up this table every time you take a test but overtime it will aid you immensely in analysing yourself and making judgements.
So many times I have come across students who feel that tests are for the end once you have prepared all the topics. Sorry to say that this is a wrong notion. First of all you will never have ‘completely’ prepared all the topics, something or the other will always need ‘still more’ practice.
Secondly, I feel, barring a few topics, say alligation, you are already familiar with 90% of the topics as they have already been taught at school. What you have not learnt at school are shortcuts and tricks which you are learning for competitive examinations. Isn’t it?
So please start taking tests from an early phase even if you have not ‘prepared’ certain topics. Do not feel shy of lower scores initially. You will not be hanging your result on the notice board for others to see! Believe me, this habit will be crucial to help you balance speed and accuracy effectively and efficiently.
Prepare a handbook for yourself that contains various tips and tricks, formulae and shortcuts. This will be very handy when you want to brush up a topic later without wasting much time. You might get such books readymade from coaching institutes or other publishers. Generally they are good enough but I feel that preparing one in your own hand and adding new pointers as and when you come across them is always more effective. This is because you can customise it to suit your level of understanding and tailor-make it!
Here I will present a broad list of what you should include in your handbook. I will write a detailed topic wise post later.
Theorems and riders in geometry pertaining to lines and angles, triangles and circles.
Table containing circumference, length of diagonal, total surface area and lateral surface area of all 2D shapes and 3D figures.
Having listed down so many things to do, I would like to wind up by saying go easy, chill and relax. Push your limits but do not overexert yourself. It will only pressurize you excessively and not do much good. Do fun things during your study period and sleep adequately. Take a walk. Spend some time with yourself in solitude. Listen to music. Smile and have an overall positive attitude. I am sure you will do great. All the best!
Share your thoughts in comments below on how to gain competitive advantage in any competitive examination?
We live in the age of information, and we must read extensively if we intend to be successful in our studies, or careers. Schools and colleges have discovered that courses in reading skills give enormous aid to students struggling under the heavier loads of today’s scholastic programs. Young men and women trained in speed reading show distinct advantages over those who lack this kind of skill. For any competitive examination preparation, Speed Reading is an essential requirement. It is not only a must have skill for reading comprehension and verbal ability section but for the entire paper. Most of the examinations test your accuracy as well as speed.
How fast you can be?
Current affairs | general awareness | general knowledge section is as important as any other section in almost all government job competitive examinations. To improve our overall awareness there are lots of options like internet, newspapers, magazines, etc. However, there are very few options for exam specific preparation. The most striking part of this section is that there cannot be any prescribed format to prepare oneself for it. Fortunately, there are some wonderful books which can help you to sail through these competitive examinations. I am listing the most trusted books on current affairs and general awareness below.
I have a total of rs 1000. Item A costs rs 110,item B costs rs 90, item C costs rs 70 ,item D costs rs 40 and item E costs rs 45. For every item D that i purchase, I must also buy only 2 items of B. For every item A, I must buy one item of C. For every item E, I must also buy 2 of item D and one of item B. For every item purchased I earn 1000 points and for every rupee not spent I earn a penalty of 1500 points. My objective is to maximise the points I earn. What is the number of items that I purchase to maximise my points?
Pay attention to Satish’s problem and suggest time reduction techniques along with the solution to the above problem.
I would latter include the best answer(s), posted as comment, in the post itself.
Bank exams, be it Bank PO (probationary officer) examination or Bank Clerical are not that difficult to crack as many people presume them to be. The main issue in this area is “vacancies : applicants” ratio. So instead of focusing on the toughness of the paper, one needs to concentrate on preparation. One has to surpass the scores of many others in order to stand a chance.


What do I mean when I say protection in connection with employee wellbeing? I am not referring to some employer-based mafia-type protection, nor am I referring to being followed around by two heavy set 7ft men in dark suits and sunglasses. In fact, what I am referring to is the protection needs of the employee in relation to their lifestyle and their family, should their circumstances change for the worse.
We are all acutely aware of the need to provide protection for ourselves, we all do it. We take out car insurance to protect ourselves in the event of an accident (and because it's compulsory), we protect our homes with content and building insurance and we even protect our pets (how it costs over £500 to have some gravel removed from a dog's stomach is beyond me). We all have the same need and desire to protect our families and our lifestyle in the event of ill health, death and long-term disability, and on the whole it is our employers that provide that protection for us.
In our wellbeing survey I scored six out of ten for protection, which at face value appears to be a fairly low score. The reasons for this will hopefully become apparent further into this blog.
The difficulty with protection is that every individual employee will have their own protection needs and on the whole employees are provided with blanket protection or - at worse - no protection at all. Most employers will provide their employees with death in service cover, a minority will provide long term disability insurance and some will provide health-related cover such as private medical insurance.
The difficulty with protection is that every individual employee will have their own protection needs.
I myself have a family, I have a six month old and my wife has given up work to bring up our son. In the event of my demise I would need to ensure my wife has enough money to survive and bring up our son without financial worry - obviously losing me would be heart-breaking enough without having to worry about paying the bills and putting food on the table. My employer provides me with four times my salary as a standard, and we have the ability to flex that cover up or down to suit our individual needs. Before the birth of my son we had decided to flex that down as we didn’t need the cover, subsequently we have decided to flex that up, albeit restricted by the rules of the scheme (my main reason for scoring lower on protection).
With regard to long-term disability I have cover that provides 65% of my salary in the event of my inability to work in the long term. I personally think that long-term disability cover is the most valuable protection benefit you can have. I think people naively believe that the state will provide when it comes to long-term disability, but in truth the state will provide very little - around £500 per month. That amount isn’t sufficient to pay half of mortgages let alone bills, food, car repayments and so on. Debilitating conditions can happen to any of us and the vast majority of people need extra long-term disability cover should they suffer from such condition. In truth, the majority don’t have it.
I believe that death in service cover and long-term disability cover should be as compulsory as pension provision. We care so much about protecting our future that we neglect to protect the here and now.
Some of you will have picked up on my exclusion of private medical insurance as a protection benefit. In reality, if you have something seriously wrong with you then the NHS will provide. Medical insurance is either at my sceptical worst a ‘nice to have’ or at my embracing best a very good tool to return employees to health quicker - benefiting both employer and employee.
How do we make our employees feel more protected? Firstly, we need to provide them with cover. In my opinion we need to ensure that all of our employees have death in service and long-term disability cover. At the very least we need to provide this as an option for employees to purchase at their own cost. We need to provide flexibility around death in service cover and never for long-term disability (other than increasing cover).
...we need to educate. I think that we forget that the Average Joe on the street doesn’t have a clue what long-term disability insurance does, they have no idea how much the state will provide them as cover, and at worst most have no idea what protection their employer has in place on their behalf.
My advice therefore is simple: provide cover, or at the very least choice of cover at the employees' cost, provide flexibility where appropriate and tell your employees what the reality is and help them select the right cover for them. If we don’t do this I am afraid that the list of horrendous stories of people in extreme poverty following the death of a loved one or the inability to work following illness will continue to grow.


Hearing the word "no" can stimulate a lot of pain in some people. For some it may stir up feelings of anger, resentment, frustration and sadness. Others may think that they are being rejected or neglected when they hear this powerful two letter word. It is quite incredible that two letters can stir up so much discomfort.
How can we say "no" in a way that increases the probability that people will not experience emotional pain?
1. See the gift (non-verbally or verbally) in the request being made and value the request. For instance you can say, "I see that you want to go to the movies with me."
2. Never say the word "no" and try to avoid saying, "I don't want to." Instead share your feeling and need. For example, "I feel tired because I need rest."
3. End on a request that searches for a way that boths needs (yours and theirs) can be met. For example, "Would you be willing to go to the movies after I take a nap." This way the person knows what is keeping you from saying "yes" and gets a sense that their request is being valued and respected as well.
Even if you are not interested in meeting the needs of the other person you can still practice the first two steps. Say for instance you do not want to spend time with someone who has stirred up pain for you in your past, you can still value their request by repeating it back and then sharing why you are not willing to spend time with them. We can do this by sharing our feelings and needs. For instance we can say, "When you did what you did I felt deeply hurt because I needed respect and I currently need time to heal. Would you be willing to wait three months to call me?" or "Would you be willing to not call me anymore?"
If the person still persists then you can set a boundary. In this case it might mean not answering the phone when they call or changing the phone number. In a case where someone is harrassing another a restraining order can be sought.
The key to the three steps is honesty with others and giving explanations for why we are saying "no." It is good to remember that whenever someone says "no" they are really telling us that there is something that is preventing them from saying "yes." They are trying to tell us something ... that a need of theirs is not met. If we can be open to hearing that we can better navigate through the situation and decrease the change of having a conflict.


Does the Syrian economy permit it to maintain its existing military might, gain new skills, and acquire new means to threaten its neighbors? Or is it in decline? Much economic evidence, ranging from living conditions to macroeconomic data, suggest that Syria is heading in the same southward direction, in a manner very similar to that of the Soviet bloc a decade ago, and for roughly the same reasons.
Syria, a central actor in many of the Middle East's dramas, is having economic troubles that are as consequential as they are unnoted. President Hafiz al-Asad has so adeptly ruled his small country for nearly three decades that Middle East analysts by and large ignore his economy. Yet gravity and physics also apply in Syria, and an understanding of this basic factor is crucial to understand Syrian politics and society. It is also essential for anticipating future Syrian behavior, both domestically and in relation to such countries as Turkey, Lebanon, and Israel.
Syrian economic communism differs from that of the former Soviet countries in only a few aspects, the most important of which is that the Syrian elite has not nationalized and violently collectivized agriculture, thereby avoiding the mass famines of Soviet experience. This reticence probably results from the ‘Alawi elite fearing the results of antagonizing the Muslim peasants who regard them with deep suspicion in any case; it may also have to do with the concentration of ‘Alawis themselves in agriculture and the reluctance of the ruling elite to impose collectivization on its own people (much as Soviet Georgia remained the least collectivized Soviet republic under Stalin).
Also important is that the Soviet-style regimes were imposed on countries technologically far more advanced than Syria. The Soviet Union after World War II had large numbers of engineers and technicians in its population; in the rest of Eastern Europe, communism was imposed on countries that had large industrial bases before World War II. Syria, in contrast, has a population with Third World levels of technical skill and education (where the country has yet to open its first business school),5 making it more comparable to Cuba or Cambodia than to the European communist nations.
The other piece of economic luck has been Lebanon. The Syrian army's Soviet-style gobbling up of Lebanon, with a level of economic production (the gross domestic product, or GDP) four times greater than Syria on a per capita basis, bought a brief economic reprieve. To an extent, Lebanon plays a role for Syria such as Hong Kong does for communist China, serving as the steam valve releasing pent-up economic pressures at home, allowing entrepreneurs to bypass central planners and socialist bureaucracy.12 Lebanon offers unregulated markets and trade that is largely free; it also serves as the arena of employment for a million Syrians, about a fifth of the entire Syrian labor force. Indeed, with an the unemployment rate in Syria estimated at 12-15 percent, and underemployment probably worse, the Lebanese economy offers the only alternative to starvation for many Syrian families.
But Lebanon, too, may turn out to be but a fleeting shot of economic Viagra for a Syria well on the route to impotence. First, Syrian control in Lebanon has been tightening, and if this continues, the Lebanese goose will start laying fewer golden eggs. Second, Lebanon is also experiencing economic deterioration, having stagnated for several years with growth rates below population growth rates. The real growth rate for the Lebanese economy in 1998 was a fourth of what it was in 1994.13 This results in part from decades of civil war and then military occupation, but is also a purely economic problem. The current account deficit of Lebanon's balance of payments (approximately the excess of its imports over its exports) has been running at the incredible level of 35 percent of Lebanon's GDP, one of the largest such black holes in the world. Lebanon's external debts tripled between 1994 and 1998. The government fiscal deficit has been running at between 17 percent (1998) and 26 percent (1997) of GDP, magnificently illustrating the economic doctrine of the "curse of the twin deficits" familiar to many in the West.14 The government's internal debts have also been rising so rapidly that the country has been going deeper into hock (at a pace relative to its GDP) at one of the fastest rates in the world, and these debts are larger than Lebanon's GDP. An international debt rating company downgraded Lebanon's governmental debt in mid-1999 to BB-,15 making it a form of junk bonds.
Syria faces the same dilemma confronted by the European communist regimes before their collapse. This includes a large and growing illegal "parallel economy."16 While economic survival requires large-scale liberalization, privatization, deregulation, and opening of the country to foreign investment and influence, such reforms mean dismantling totalitarian rule. The Internet makes this dilemma even more acute. Despite its periodic trumpeting of new programs of infitah (economic openness), and the sponsorship of Bashshar al-Asad, the president's son and heir-apparent, the regime has not allowed any serious moves in this direction; at this time, access to the Internet is strictly controlled by the government to no more than 1,000 carefully selected individuals—and even they are subject to censorship.17 The infitah programs consist of cosmetic reforms reminiscent of Lenin's New Economic Policy (NEP) (restricted to such things as allowing Western companies to open hotels in Damascus); Asad's idea of privatization is the private sector setting up joint small projects in partnership with the government—with the regime always in control.
How the average Syrian lives gives a fairly accurate picture of the country's level of development. A variety of sources paint a picture of a country where living conditions are comparable to those in the lower reaches of the Third World.
Indications of medical infrastructure reveal how underdeveloped Syria is. The proportion of babies who are born in any sort of health facility is only 37 percent, one of the lowest rates in the world outside sub-Saharan Africa.20 (For many less developed countries, the proportion is over 90 percent.) Syria's rate is behind that of Kenya and Burkino Faso, but a bit better than Uganda's. Only 33 percent of mothers have any medical care during pregnancy, and only 61 percent have care during delivery. The proportion of infants receiving antenatal health care is only 13 percent, again one of the lowest outside Africa.21 Maternal mortality rates (in child delivery) are 180 per 100,000 in Syria (compared with 7 per 100,000 for Israel).
The World Health Organization puts the number of hospital beds at one bed per 832 Syrians,22 or about the same as in Bhutan; Botswana has twice as many. (The comparable number in Israel is one per 165.) The same source gives the number of physicians as one per 1,221 Syrians, comparable to the lower ranges of the Third World. (In Israel the number is one per 206 people.) Syria has just 10 nurses, 3 pharmacists and 3 dentists per 10,000 people. The distribution of health facilities is highly inequitable, with some areas having almost none.23 Recall that life expectancy and morbidity rates appeared fairly good in the Soviet Union before it collapsed; this was then followed by one of the most rapid peacetime declines in health since the great plagues.
This said, there are indications that Syria will find it increasingly difficult to feed itself, in part due to growing ecological disaster. Only about 28 percent of Syria's land area is used for farming. The Food and Agriculture Organization reports that while population is growing at 3-3.5 percent per year, arable farmland dropped by 14 percent nation-wide in Syria between 1980 and 1996, probably due to urbanization. Syria also lost 11 percent of its forested area between 1990 and 1995. Inflation in food prices has been severe in Syria, with reported food prices rising by a factor of about three between 1987 and 1994. This was higher than the Syrian official estimate of general price inflation, and even it understates the true dimensions of food inflation and shortages, because many prices used to compute food inflation are artificial.
The portion of the labor force engaged in Syrian agriculture has remained about steady at 30 percent for many years, indicating a sharp slowdown in industrialization.
Interruptions in water supplies, even in the capital city, are reported to be common, especially in the summer. Twenty-two percent of rural Syrians have unsafe drinking water; there is adequate sewer infrastructure for only 75 percent of urban Syrians, and 35 percent of rural.36 Electricity consumption per capita is 1,144 kilowatts per year (as of 1995), well within the lower range of the Third World.37 (With a bit over a third of Syria's population, Israel uses twice as much electricity.) Electricity supply is faulty, with long blackouts continuing for hours quite common, especially in rural areas. Electricity production is about the same as in Cameroon, half that of ex-Soviet Georgia, and less than production in either Guatemala or Armenia.
There were 166,500 private cars in Syria in 1995, a bit less than Malta (with a population of 345,000) and about the same as Moldova.38 That works out to a per capita ownership lower than in Zimbabwe. By comparison, Israel has 1.1 million cars.39 Forty percent of cars now in use in Syria were manufactured before 1980.40 With just 224,000 commercial vehicles (as of 1995), Syria also has fewer of these than Israel, despite its much larger population. Of the 40,480 kilometers of highway in the country, 31,170 or about three-quarters are unpaved as of 1997. Only 866 kilometers are expressways.41 Of the 104 airports in the country, more than three-quarters (or 80) of them have unpaved runways.42 Rail passenger service in Syria has all but collapsed, dropping by 62 percent between 1991 and 1995, probably due to deteriorating capital equipment. Rail freight has also dropped by 18 percent. The civil aviation sector in Syria as measured by passenger miles is just slightly larger than the same in Namibia or Zimbabwe or Kazakhstan.
Illiteracy is still widespread in Syria. UNESCO places total male illiteracy at 10.2 percent, rising to 17.3 percent in rural areas. But others put it far higher: the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ECOSOC) for Western Asia puts it at 29 percent.43 For females the illiteracy rates are estimated by UNESCO at 30.7 percent nationally with 39.4 percent in rural areas. For women over 65 the illiteracy rate approaches 100 percent. Half the women in the 20-24 age group nationwide are illiterate.44 The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRTCIC) database for Islamic countries puts the overall illiteracy rate in Syria at 32 percent for the entire population (1992). The comparable illiteracy rate in Zimbabwe is estimated at 15 percent.
All the libraries in Syria combined held an estimated 150,000 books as of 1992, about the same number as in my (admittedly well-endowed) high school library in Philadelphia. Of these, a total of 10,000 books are in college libraries. (The comparable figure for Israel is eleven million.) The entire college library system of Syria consisted in 1993 of 250 meters of bookshelf (about the same as in a small Barnes and Noble branch store). By comparison, Romania's books take up 309,000 meters. All of Syria imports about $600,000 worth of books a year, about the same as Senegal or Mauritius.
How Big Is the Syrian Economy?
Ultimately the ability of the Syrian regime to survive, compete and to maintain its military machine depends on its ability to produce; the size of Syria's economic output has economic, political and strategic importance.
Syrian government figures put GDP in the ballpark of a trillion Syrian pounds (S£). What this means is difficult to say, and for two reasons: the Syrian government, to put things diplomatically, uses creative and non-standard methods of measurement, to the point that the statistical abstract and other official materials should be catalogued on the fiction shelves of libraries.49 Second, it is not clear how to translate that one trillion pound number into something meaningful, such as a dollar equivalent. Currency conversion is so difficult because there is a world of difference between the official Syrian exchange rate, at S£11.225 to the dollar, and the actual value of the Syrian pound. This 11.225 number has no meaning at all, but results from an arbitrary whim of the Syrian regime, which could have set the number at any value whatsoever. Even the Syrian government recognizes that the 11.225 number is meaningless (virtually no actual transactions between Syrian currency and dollars take place at that rate) and uses a variety of other exchange rates: 26.6 Syrian pounds per dollar is the "blended rate" used by the United Nations and diplomatic missions; 42.0 is the "neighboring country rate" that applies to most state enterprise imports; 48.0-52.0 is the offshore rate.50 Revealingly, official Syrian government publications routinely rely on the neighboring country rate.
The best indication of what the Syrian pound is worth comes from the black market exchange rate for the Syrian currency in Beirut, where it goes for about 55 to the dollar,51 and even that may understate the true value or market-clearing exchange rate for Syrian currency.
Most analysts and outside observers have long replaced the 11.225 conversion rate with a higher number—but not all. The International Monetary Fund prints the official rate on its charts, apparently as a courtesy to Damascus. Curiously, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) does likewise (in its Factbook and on its web site). Using the 11.225 rate finds the Syria GDP valued at a gargantuan $106 billion (slightly larger than Israel's) and a mind-boggling level of per capita income of $6,600. With an average Syrian family consisting of seven souls, this translates into a level of $45,000 per household, making Syria a veritable Xanadu. However, the CIA is off by a factor of at least five and possibly ten.52 This is true to form; the CIA in the 1980s made similar errors in its evaluation of the Soviet Union, and in part for the same reason—taking Soviet economic data at face value. It was one of the last groups of people on earth to recognize the implosion of Soviet communism and is on track to do the same for Syria.
Other analysts are more awake to reality. The Washington Post puts Syria's per capita GDP at less than Egypt's, which is around $700 per year.53 The World Health Organization puts it at $696-785. The Economist Intelligence Unit puts Syria's GDP per capita at $837 in 1999 and predicts it will drop to $775 in the year 2000. The SESRTCIC database puts it at about $1,250. At the high end, the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia puts it at $1,289. A U.S. congressional delegation in April 1999 found that the GDP had dropped significantly after 1995, from $1,050 per capita to $900, with a 4 percent real decline in 1995 alone. After visiting Syria, it reported on the growing signs of an economic collapse in that country. In any case, the true value is nothing even close to the CIA's estimate and is only a tiny fraction of Israel's, possibly even behind Egypt's; Syria's is an underdeveloped impoverished Third World economy.
The regime's policy of insisting that Syrian enterprises convert hard currency into Syrian pounds at the official rate goes far to explain the lack of foreign investment; it amounts to a confiscation of some 80 percent of the foreign-exchange value. These realities explain why the new investment law passed with great fanfare in 1991, "Law Number 10 for the Encouragement of Investment," has had such poor results, for it still required foreign enterprises to convert 25 percent (instead of the previous 50 percent) of their foreign earnings to the government at these confiscatory rates. (It would be as if the United States forced exporters to sell British pounds to the U.S. Treasury at 10 cents per pound.) This means that 20 percent of export revenues are effectively gobbled up by the government right off the top, before deducting other costs and taxes. And at the time of this reform, the gap between the official exchange rate and the Beirut black market rate widened, meaning that the levels of confiscation of export earnings probably did not change very much after this reform was introduced. This also explains why export earnings are unlikely to spurt any time soon.
The new law also allows the creation of joint stock corporations for the first time since they were banned altogether and totally nationalized by the Ba‘th in its early days. Syrians overseas can now invest in Syria, as can overseas Arabs (investments by non-Arabs are discouraged in the law and are more thoroughly controlled).
Very few investors have jumped on Asad's investment welcome wagon. (Much of the manufacturing and industry in Syria is crony capitalism, enterprises run by Asad's kinsmen and close colleagues.) Every investor in industry needs governmental approval to build a factory or undertake any investment project. A Higher Council of Investment (headed by the prime minister) must approve all investments. Business taxes until 1991 were generally 90 percent of income or higher;56 thus, total effective taxes on exports would be well over 100 percent (unless they get special breaks, for example, by having crony connections).
Syria's export pickings have been getting slimmer. In 1986 the balance of payments went into one of its deepest crises when GDP dropped by 5 percent in real terms and Syrian foreign exchange reserves fell to $357 million (about one month's imports). In September of 1986, Law No. 24 was passed with severe penalties for illegal foreign exchange dealings. New import restrictions were also imposed. The balance of payments has been "in crisis" ever since.
Official statistics have recent Syrian price inflation in the upper teens per year, but there are reasons to suspect true inflation is far higher.59 The Syrian money supply grew by 30 percent in 1998 alone, indicating a hyperactive money printing press.60 Many foods are rationed and many prices set artificially by the state (which calls this "social pricing"). Taxes in Syria cover only part of the fiscal budget, the proportion officially varying from 46 percent in 1980 to 85 percent in 1998, with the remainder covered by the monetary printing press. The internal debt of the government has grown rapidly, increasing by 32 percent per year on average between 1975 and 1983. What the actual underlying inflation has been, what prices would be if controls were lifted, is anyone's guess.
The Economist Intelligence Unit correctly characterizes Syria as "severely indebted,"61 for the country's outstanding foreign debts amount to approximately $22 billion, and are growing at about $1.0-1.5 billion a year. The bulk of these debts are in default, in particular the debts to Russia, thought to be about $10 billion. Much delinquent Syrian debt is owed to Germany (the heir to East Germany); that Syria is in default on this debt has precluded any lending to it by the European Investment Bank, which otherwise would be a potentially major source of funds. The current debt level is equal to about five and a half years worth of Syrian export earnings; just paying the interest service on this sum of money would take up perhaps a third of Syria's export earnings. Syria has been shut out of all international banking and financial markets and must conduct virtually all of its trade on a cash-on-the-barrel head basis. Russia and others refuse to sell Syria goods except on a cash basis without trade credits; only a few Arab states are willing to lend cash.
Given the large size of Syrian households, these debts translate into an outstanding foreign debt burden of about $11,000 per Syrian family. For a family in the West this would not be particularly onerous, but in a country where per capita consumption is probably below $600 per year and median consumption far lower, this constitutes an extremely severe handicap. These debts may in fact be twice as large as Syria's GDP when the true value of the pound is taken into consideration.
Syria's debts to banks in the developed world62 are about $480 million as of late 1998. Most other debts (besides the huge ones to Russia) take the form of trade credits, with under $100 million in loans outstanding from multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and IMF (which have for years refused to do business with Syria). Syria was tossed a few scraps by the Arab, European, and Japanese for standing by Kuwait and the West against Iraq during the Kuwait war ($2-2.5 billion may not sound like scraps, but it is about a week's worth of production for Israel).
This picture becomes truly devastating when economic yeast is added to the dough. The Syrian economy is an impoverished, underdeveloped, dilapidated mess, where Syrians enjoy lifestyles in many ways similar to or below those in the least developed parts of the planet. "Deterioration is evident everywhere," says a congressman who recently visited the country. "When I went from Syria to Jordan, I felt like I was going from Nigeria to Switzerland."68 If Syrian currency were traded on any world market, George Soros would be shorting it. Syria is a technological backwater, a country largely enjoying pre-industrial standards of health, education, and consumption. It has begun to implode to the point that even a state-controlled paper called the prospects for the economy gloomy.69 The only way to avoid the continuation of this implosion is through wholesale liberalization of markets and society, but Asad and his junta know that steps in this direction are likely to consign him, his family, and his entire ‘Alawi community to the dustbin of history.
The impoverishment and lack of development not only hold the potential for increasing Syrian political instability, but they also seriously constrain the ability of the regime to acquire armaments and make serious trouble abroad. Various sources report a decline of morale in the Syrian military, resulting at least in part from the fact that it operates aging Soviet-era equipment that often are missing spare parts. A Syria suffering diminished agricultural capacity and greater dependence on water flowing from Turkey may be a Syria less willing to risk provoking its neighbor to the north. An economically weak Syria may be one that is less prone to a variety of forms of misbehavior in Lebanon, vis-à-vis Iraq, and beyond. And economically-induced behavior modification may be possible, perhaps along the lines of 1990-91, when the prospect of aid helped induce Syria to cooperate with the allies against Iraq. More generally, economic vulnerability makes Syria potentially more susceptible to economic pressures and sanctions, including those coming from the United States, Europe, and Turkey.
A Syria whose economy is contracting may be one that can be deterred by an Israel willing to engage it in an economic race, or—more specifically—an arms race. This has the clear implication that Israel need not hurriedly accommodate Syria. If anything, it should sit back and await Syria's collapse to proceed, for the economic situation is getting worse with time. As with the Soviet Union, there is every reason to believe that Syria can be defeated economically, without military confrontation. It can simply be allowed to collapse under its own economic dead weight. Its collapse can be accelerated by imposing additional economic burdens upon it, much as the Cold War's arms competition under Reagan and Bush did to the Soviet Union.
But a rush by Israel to reach agreement with Asad makes about as much sense as the United States rushing in 1989 to reach agreements with the Soviet Union. If anything, the present is probably the very worst time strategically to strike a deal with Syria because with each passing year Syria will be less capable of feeding and arming itself, and more susceptible to outside economic threats and pressures from the West. Israel should now be in the business not of making concessions to Damascus but of imposing additional economic burdens on it by strengthening Israel's military position. Western states can help this by imposing economic sanctions. Together, this could lead to a collapse of the totalitarian regime in Syria, and that in turn would redraw the strategic map of the Middle East, most likely in a direction that would benefit Syrians, Turks, Jordanians, Israelis, and everyone else.
1 The Syrian Communist Party is kept under very close control by the regime.
2 Saleh M. Nsouli and Mounir Rached, "Capital Account Liberalization in the Southern Mediterranean," Finance and Development (Washington, D.C.: International Monetary Fund, Dec. 1998), at http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/1998/12/nsouli.htm.
3 Syrian Country Profile, 1999-2000 (London: The Economist Intelligence Unit, 1999), p. 24.
4 Eberhard Kienle, ed., Contemporary Syria: Liberalization between Cold War and Cold Peace (London: British Academic Press, 1994), p. 29. Syria holds the honor of having issued the very first oil nationalization decree in the Arab world, in December 1964. Syrian Country Profile, 1999-2000, p. 13.
5 Syrian Country Profile 1999-2000, p. 10. The EU has been trying to help establish one in Aleppo.
6 Until about 1967, Syria's oil revenues came from the pipelines that traversed Syria from Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Syria's oil production began in 1968. Eliyahu Kanovsky, The Economic Development of Syria (Tel Aviv: University Publishing Projects, David Horowitz Institute, 1977), p. 40.
7 Syria has some natural gas but has been unable to develop this effectively due to a shortage of investment funds. It is currently negotiating with CONOCO to develop its gas reserves. Syrian Country Profile, 1999, Second Quarter (London: The Economist Intelligence Unit, 1999),p. 19; also Syrian Country Profile, 1999-2000 (special issue), p. 27.
8 Syria is both an oil exporter and importer because its oil has a high sulfur content and must be mixed with other petroleum to be usable.
9 Syrian Country Profile 1999-2000, p. 21; also Syrian Country Profile, 1999, Second Quarter, p. 7.
10 Syrian Country Profile, 1999-2000, p. 46.
12 Ha'aretz, Apr. 28, 1999.
13 Lebanon Country Profile, 1999, Second Quarter (London: The Economist Intelligence Unit, 1999), p. 5.
14 Ibid., pp. 3, 16-21. See also the International Monetary Fund web site at http://www.imf.org, and the IMF's International Financial Statistics (various issues).
15 Financial Times, July 1, 1999.
16 Syrian Country Profile, 1995-1996 (London: The Economist Intelligence Unit, 1996), pp. 13-14.
17 The Washington Post, Jan. 29, 1998; Financial Times, July 8, 1999; Ralph Begleiter, "Syria and the World Wide Web," Middle East Insight, July-August 1999, pp. 33-34.
18 Which puts it at 65 years for both males and females. World Health Report (1999) (Geneva: World Health Organization, 1999) at http://www.who.int/whosis/hfa/countries/syr5.htm.
23 Syrian Country Profile 1999-2000, p. 11.
25 Reuters, Mar. 16, 1999.
26 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Yearbook athttp://fao/org.
29 World Health Organization at http://www.who.int/whosis/hfa/summaries/syria.pdf.
30 United Nations, 1995 Statistical Yearbook (New York: United Nations, 1997); United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Statistical Yearbook, 1998 (Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 1998), pp. 7-20 to 7-80.
31 UNESCO Statistical Yearbook, 1998, pp. 7-51, 7-52; United Nations, 1995 Statistical Yearbook, p. 122.
32 UNESCO Statistical Yearbook, 1998, pp. 7-72, 7-74.
34 United Nations, 1995 Statistical Yearbook, pp. 141, 150.
36 World Health Report (1999) at http://www.who.int/whosis/hfa/countries/syr5.htm..
38 At the rate of one car per parking space per day, it would take just two weeks for every Syrian car to visit Euro-Disney, the amusement park outside Paris.
39 United Nations, 1995 Statistical Yearbook, pp. 560-566.
40 Syrian Country Profile, 1999, First Quarter, p. 15.
44 UNESCO Statistical Yearbook, 1998, Table 1-2, pp. 1-33.
45 Ibid., pp. 3-102, 2-103, 3-182, 3-176.
46 Ibid., pp. 3-50 - 3-60.
47 United Nations, 1995 Statistical Yearbook, pp. 699-701.
48 Kanovsky, The Economic Development of Syria, p. 46.
49 Syrian Country Profile, 1999, Second Quarter.
51 Syrian Country Profile 1999-2000 reports it in the range of 50-52, p. 15.
52 Here and there, the CIA manages to get it right: it lists Syrian military expenditure as $0.8-1.0 billion per year, then says this is about 8 percent of Syrian GNP, implying that the GNP is about $10 billion a year, a sensible number.
54 This reflects the fact that some 70 percent of workers make less than $100 a month. Syrian Country Profile 1999-2000, p. 19. The difference between mean and average has to do with the statistical peculiarities of the "average" as a measurement, which is affected by outliers and extreme values, in this case a handful of very high wages.
55 Ibid., p.17; Syrian Country Profile, 1999, First Quarter, p. 8-9. The Economist also predicts Syria's trade deficit will worsen.
56 Volker Perthes, "Stages of Economic and Political Liberalization," in Kienle, Contemporary Syria, pp. 44-71.
57 Syrian Country Profile, 1999, First Quarter, p. 23.
58 Kanovsky, The Economic Development of Syria, p. 67.
59 The Syrian regime says its consumer price index rose 89 percent between 1990 and 1998 and its wholesale index by 64 percent in the same period; but the Syrian money supply doubled between 1990 and 1996. See the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries at http://www.sesrtcic.org/.
60 Syrian Country Profile 1999-2000, p. 35.
62 Meaning here, all Bank for International Settlement (Basle) reporting countries.
63 United Nations, 1995 Statistical Yearbook, p. 836.
64 The IMF gives conflicting estimates in International Financial Statistics.
65 Syrian Country Profile, 1999-2000, p. 41.
66 International Financial Statistics, various issues.
67 The Washington Post, Jan. 19, 1998.
68 Ha'aretz, Apr. 2, 1999.
69 Ath-Thawra, Mar. 21, 1999.
70 Associated Press, June 19, 1999.
71 Al-Hayat (London),June 22, 1999,(See document, page 93).
Related Topics: Syria | Steven Plaut | September 1999 MEQ receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free mef mailing list This text may be reposted or forwarded so long as it is presented as an integral whole with complete and accurate information provided about its author, date, place of publication, and original URL.


Is Manufaktura Controls an upgraded version of PSAM Control Library?
Manufaktura Controls is based on some parts of PSAM Control Library (http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/87329/PSAM-Control-Library, http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/89582/PSAM-WPF-Control-Library) but it is rewritten in 90%. All platform-specific versions share the same drawing engine (implemented as portable class library) so you can easily switch beetween different platforms.
Which platforms are currently supported?
Specific features may vary between implementations. In the future we plan to add Xamarin libraries for Android and IOS.
The demo version has all the features that full version has but it displays red text "Demo" in the corner of the controls. :) We didn't want to implement sophisticated copy protection. Demo version is designated for testing only and cannot be used in real applications.
Are there any existing applications created with Manufaktura Controls?
After adding NoteViewer control to XAML view I get the following error: "NoteViewer" is not in "clr-namespace:Manufaktura.Controls.WPF;assembly=Manufaktura.Controls.WPF"
This error occurs because Windows automatically blocks files downloaded from the network. You have to right click each of downloaded dll files, click Properties and then uncheck "Unblock" checkbox (as described in this article: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/18016315/an-attempt-was-made-to-load-an-assembly-from-a-network-location-which-would-have).


Two frazzled law school grads want to relax and enjoy the outdoors in the tropics. Which island suits them best?
After three years of law school and several grueling weeks preparing for the bar exam, Jenny Meader and Heather McKinney, of Little Rock, Ark., are ready for some R&R. Both are in their early thirties, having worked for several years before heading back to school, and are looking to steer clear of a spring break bacchanal. "We're planning a Caribbean vacation before we become responsible adults again," Jenny wrote to us. "No more briefing, no more blue books, no more teacher's dirty looks."
Heather and Jenny have hefty loans to pay off and hope to keep expenses to a minimum, with a budget of $2,500 each for about five nights. "We'd like to leave sometime around April 7, when the bar exam results come out," says Jenny. "The trip will either be a celebratory one, because we passed, or one where we find a new career selling seashells by the seashore."
Picking the right island is the first task. We start by asking what they see when they imagine their ideal locale. "Sandy beaches," Jenny responds, "with clean, clear water, friendly locals, and good food." Heather adds that they'd also like to do some hiking. "Being near the beach and the rain forest would be amazing," she says. "We intend to go hiking and snorkeling." The island also has to be a safe, stress-free place for single women. And finally, they're looking for a stylish, welcoming place to stay with air-conditioning and, ideally, a kitchenette.
It's a tall order, especially considering their money constraints and the fact that they're traveling at the tail end of high season. We first suggest St. John, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Not only is the island mostly undeveloped, two-thirds of it is a national park, with fantastic beaches and easy day hikes. But there are a few drawbacks. St. John is popular for cruise ship excursions, and well-known beaches such as Trunk Bay can get crowded. More cons: St. John doesn't have a true, classic rain forest with towering old trees; and, perhaps most critically, inexpensive rooms with A/C are scarce.
Jenny is intrigued with what she's heard about the "Nature Island" of Dominica. It certainly has a legitimate rain forest, along with challenging hikes at altitudes high enough to keep mosquitoes at bay. There aren't a lot of tourists, which sounds good, but they stay away largely for the same reasons Heather and Jenny might--the beaches are either rocky or too far from the hotels they'd find most comfortable. And the main town, Roseau, is full of old, worn-looking buildings and might be a turnoff.
While discussing the options, Jenny and Heather discover their priorities don't entirely match. "I'm sold on Dominica," says Jenny, "but Heather doesn't want to give up the beaches. Is there someplace that's a cross between Dominica and the Virgin Islands?"
The solution is St. Lucia, famous for the two giant oceanside peaks known as the Pitons, with wonderful white-sand beaches and a variety of accommodations. We recommend staying in the shadow of Petit Piton, at the southern end of the island, near the fishing village of Soufrière. There are plenty of beaches and hiking opportunities, and it's away from the traffic and large hotels of capital city Castries. Before they settle on the Soufrière area, we offer up another choice on St. Lucia's east side, the Fox Grove Inn, which rents hotel rooms and apartments, only some of which have air-conditioning. And considering the location, they'd definitely need to rent a car, something they'd rather not do, at least not for the entire vacation.
Upscale Soufrière resorts such as Anse Chastanet and Ladera are out of Jenny and Heather's price range, but might be worth visiting for a meal or a swim. At our suggestion, they consider two retreats in the mountains outside town, Crystals Guest Cottages and Stonefield Estate Villa Resort. Jenny and Heather are instantly infatuated with the latter's 19 villas--with kitchens--spread over 26 acres; paths trace lines among the mango trees and other greenery. "It seems to be exactly what we want," says Heather. "It's away from the bustle, and how could we not be excited about the amazing views?" They especially like that airport pickup is included in their package, and that all guests can ride a daily shuttle into Soufrière and to the beach at the Jalousie Plantation resort, each about ten minutes away. They decide to delay their trip until after April 15, when the resort's rates drop. And then they splurge, going for a package that includes massages and a larger, ocean-view villa. "The regular deluxe suite was sold out for our dates, so we upgraded to the luxury suite," says Jenny. "We get our own private swimming pool!"
Finding reasonable airfare winds up being fairly easy, in part because Jenny and Heather shifted their dates to after spring break. A few Internet searches make it apparent that U.S. Airways has the best fares out of Little Rock: $630 round trip, with stops in Charlotte and Barbados, about $100 less than other carriers for the same dates. Satisfied with that rate, they decide against trying to save some cash by flying out of a bigger hub such as Memphis or Dallas; it isn't worth the trouble.
"We definitely want to experience some of the local culture, especially in terms of cuisine," says Jenny. Camilla's, an unpretentious, second-story restaurant with balconies overlooking downtown Soufrière, has excellent dinners (lobster thermidor, creole chicken), as well as burgers, sandwiches, and salads for lunch. The Stonefield's own Mango Tree restaurant specializes in fresh seafood, and every Thursday night hosts a fun barbecue ($35).
To stock their kitchen, Jenny and Heather will need to take the shuttle into Soufrière and walk to the markets on Bay Street, a block off the waterfront. They'll find all the basics, as well as island vegetables such as dasheen (similar to a potato) and callaloo (for a delicious spinach-like soup).
They could also drive to the Enbas Saut Waterfall Trail, which leads through rain forest and over steep steps to falls that double as a popular swimming hole. Lucky hikers catch a glimpse of St. Lucia's rare national bird, the Amazona versicolor. Even at a good pace, hiking the entire Edmund Rainforest Trail, not far from Enbas Saut, can take three hours. But the walking is easy and straightforward, and it's not essential to do the entire hike to spot orchids and bromeliads clinging to trees, along with occasional panoramas of the coast and St. Lucia's tallest peak, Mount Gimie.
Deep into the planning, after they've booked airfare and plotted a day-by-day itinerary, the women conclude that five nights just isn't going to cut it. "We're concerned that we won't be able to do everything we want," says Jenny. "So we're thinking about staying two more nights." Changing their flights means $100 more per person--not the end of the world. They stick with Stonefield for five nights, but want something less expensive for the two extra nights, perhaps even camping. Then they book a hotel in northern St. Lucia that they had dismissed earlier: Coco Kreole, where rates start at $85. "It's an inexpensive way to extend our stay," says Heather. "And the location, near all the action in Rodney Bay, gives us a nice change of pace after Stonefield." Making a vacation longer is hardly against the law--and returning to life as responsible adults can wait.
Jenny and Heather will enjoy a Rainbow Reef snorkeling package, free of charge, thanks to St. Lucia's luxurious Anse Chastanet resort. The package includes an excursion to nearby reefs and a plantation lunch with creole specialties. A water taxi picks the ladies up and drops them off at the Soufrière port. Bring an underwater camera!
The Reazer family, who we coached in July/August on a 25-day road trip, loved staying in unusual places, like this yurt in Oregon's Fort Stevens State Park. "It had a futon, bunk beds, and heat--which we really needed," says mom Laura.