Friday, January 25, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Prevention is the best medecine. Even for your pipes at home:
Read this fact sheet for more info on keeping your home safe from the dreaded frozen pipe syndrome:
http://www.mdema.org/disaster/frozen_pipes.pdf
http://www.mdema.org/disaster/frozen_pipes.pdf
Monday, January 14, 2013
WATER BAN: PROGRESSIVE OR RESTRICTIVE?
The University of Vermont will become one of the first institutions nationwide to end the sale of bottled water on campus and mandate that one-third of drinks offered in vending machines be healthy options. The decision marks the advent of a long-awaited systematic sustainable beverage policy after years of lobbying by students and the greater campus community. Also, Concord Massachuesetts the revolutionary ;) historic, New England town became the first in the U.S. to ban single-serve plastic water bottles.
How do YOU feel about these movements?
How do YOU feel about these movements?
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The dark places under your floor...?
I don't know about you, but I have always wondered what's going on underneath my floors. You know... in those places that you will never see, but are supremely important to the running and maintenance of your house. I found this picture that helps explain what's going on, so I thought I would share! Now that I know what's going on in those dark places under my floors, I feel much more confident when talking about any plumbing issues - which definitely helps!
Monday, January 7, 2013
Go Tankless!
Here are some advantages to Tankless, on-demand water heating:
- Tankless water heaters are compact in size and virtually eliminate standby losses - energy wasted when hot water cools down in long pipes or while it's sitting in the storage tank.
- By providing warm water immediately where it's used, tankless water heaters waste less water. People don't need to let the water run as they wait for warm water to reach a remote faucet. A tankless water heater can provide unlimited hot water as long as it is operating within its capacity.
- Equipment life may be longer than tank-type heaters because they are less subject to corrosion. Expected life of tankless water heaters is 20 years, compared to 10 to 15 years for tank-type water heaters.
- Tankless water heaters range in price from $200 for a small under-sink unit up to $1000 for a gas-fired unit that delivers 5 gallons per minute. Typically, the more hot water the unit produces, the higher the cost.
- In most cases, electric tankless water heaters will cost more to operate than gas tankless water heaters.
It's Your Money
Whichever type of water heater you buy - either gas or electric - look for a unit with a higher energy factor. It may cost more initially, but the energy (and your money) savings may more than make up for the higher sticker price. Consider the price difference and how long it would take to recover the money through energy savings.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Free, Fun Family Event this weekend. Must love Dogs!
I can already hear the howling! Ever go to a Dog Sled Race before? Looking for something to do this weekend?? Who is ready for a Fun, FREE, family event!? This weekend Jan. 5th & 6th starting at 9 am sharp and ending by 11am, is The 2013 Mormon Lake Sled Dog Races held at Mormon Lake. Dress warm and be ready to cheer on the teams. Hosted by Purina, there will be snacks and hot beverages to keep you toasty, but as always in January -dress warm. :)
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Hey Flag. Gardners, Think Green.. even if it's January
In January, you will most likely be doing all your seed starting indoors.
Vegetable and Herb Seeds To Start
Perennial seeds can also be sown now, if they haven't been done already. Purchase seed starting mix for your indoor seedlings when you purchase your seeds.
Note: the last expected frost date is May 15th. So if you are from a different area, double check your frost dates and adjust the planting schedule accordingly.
Maintenance Chores to Do
Most of the maintenance chores and home garden tips for January deal with soil preparation.
If the soil has thawed in your area, it's a good idea to turn it. This will start to break up the frozen layers, as well as exposing insect eggs and larvae for the birds to take care of.
In addition, if it freezes again, it will kill any exposed pests.
If you have a square foot garden, a warm day in January is ideal for cleaning out last summer's growth and turning the soil.
If you are planning a square foot garden for the first time, you should start building your grow beds now.
Pest Control
During the colder months, there isn't an awful lot to do when it comes to pest control. Turning the soil to expose pest eggs, as mentioned above, can be useful.
You should also take a warm day and walk around your property looking for signs of damage. Nipping a problem in the bud before it warms up significantly is much easier.
If you wait until spring is in full bloom, it may be too late to implement a good pest control strategy.
Now is a good time to research natural and organic pest control measures. Have them ready before planting time.
Fertilizing
Seedlings that are started indoors don't really need an awful lot of fertilizing. When they get to the juvenile stage, they can benefit from a diluted application of fish emulsion, or another organic fertilizer.
Turn to your compost pile, if you have one, and begin adding that composted organic material to your growing beds. It's also not too late to begin composting the organic matter from your garden.
Vegetable and Herb Seeds To Start
| Broccoli | Chives |
| Cauliflower | Thyme |
| Cabbage | Sage |
| Parsley | Marjoram |
| Onions | Cilantro |
Perennial seeds can also be sown now, if they haven't been done already. Purchase seed starting mix for your indoor seedlings when you purchase your seeds.
Note: the last expected frost date is May 15th. So if you are from a different area, double check your frost dates and adjust the planting schedule accordingly.
Maintenance Chores to Do
Most of the maintenance chores and home garden tips for January deal with soil preparation.
If the soil has thawed in your area, it's a good idea to turn it. This will start to break up the frozen layers, as well as exposing insect eggs and larvae for the birds to take care of.
In addition, if it freezes again, it will kill any exposed pests.
If you have a square foot garden, a warm day in January is ideal for cleaning out last summer's growth and turning the soil.
If you are planning a square foot garden for the first time, you should start building your grow beds now.
Pest Control
During the colder months, there isn't an awful lot to do when it comes to pest control. Turning the soil to expose pest eggs, as mentioned above, can be useful.
You should also take a warm day and walk around your property looking for signs of damage. Nipping a problem in the bud before it warms up significantly is much easier.
If you wait until spring is in full bloom, it may be too late to implement a good pest control strategy.
Now is a good time to research natural and organic pest control measures. Have them ready before planting time.
Fertilizing
Seedlings that are started indoors don't really need an awful lot of fertilizing. When they get to the juvenile stage, they can benefit from a diluted application of fish emulsion, or another organic fertilizer.
Turn to your compost pile, if you have one, and begin adding that composted organic material to your growing beds. It's also not too late to begin composting the organic matter from your garden.
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