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Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 06:17:05 -0700
From: Richard Childers <fscked@sbcglobal.net>
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To: ray.smith@co.humboldt.ca.us
CC: ggoade@ci.fortuna.ca.us
Subject: 137 12th Street: Paper Lice Everywhere. Decaying Wood?
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Gentlemen,

There are so many things wrong with 137 12th Street that every time I 
turn around I find something else I forgot.

When I first moved into 137 12th Street someone who already lived here - 
Charles Wilson - told me that the place was infested with paper lice. 
And, indeed, I began to find little insects crawling across my pages.

(Chuck and his wife have separated and Chuck is now in Chico, but his 
former wife still lives in Alton. They used to live in 5A. They 
complained about mold in the closets. I should have listened.)

Even after I moved to 2011 Shamrock, we still had paper lice. I'd see 
one every once in a while crossing my screen.

Now, paper lice are really cellulose eaters - they are attracted by 
decaying wood and the things that grow on it:

"Psocids are small, scavenging insects with a relatively generalized 
body plan. They feed primarily on fungi, algae, lichen, and organic 
detritus." (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_lice)

.. and so I take their presence as indication that significant amounts 
of decaying wood are present.

Their presence has shaped my perception of 137 12th Street and so if I 
occasionally say something that does not seem to be supported by the 
observed facts, please forgive me for failing to provide a full 
explanation - but there is so much that is wrong.


Regards,

~richard