The weather has been unpredictable and unstable these past days. I have been spending so much time at the Windows, watching the wind move dead leaves around. I am amazed at how much needles from our Pine Needle Tree have fallen and spread all over the ground. Such a sight is a reminder that we need to cut down the Pine tree, which will give us additional room to extend our deck.
I have missed going outside and tending to my plants.
While preparing lunch early in the afternoon, I took a minute to look out the window to my surprise. Mr. Squirrel had made his way to my front yard in search of something. Food, I presume. Ground Squirrels eat insects such as ants, grasshoppers and termites. They also eat seeds and vegetation (especially in Summer). They have numerous burrows which are surrounded by hills of dirt in my next door neighbor’s backyard and they seems to come to my property for food. This is the first time they have come this close and we know something has to be done.
Hungry Squirrel in The Garden.
Together with the family, we watched FernGully: The Last Rainforest and FernGully 2: The Magical Rescue. We are looking forward to the release of Epic, tomorrow. Also on our movie list today were Ponyo, The Castle of Cagliostro, Howl’s Moving Castle, Porco Rosso, My Neighbor Totoro, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away, Steamboy as well as other movies from the legendary anime film makers Hayao Miyazaki and Katsuhiro Otomo. These are awesome animated movies and a few of my kids favorite.
Seven and a half weeks until Summer and temperatures are already soaring here in the High Desert. Not too long ago, some of us dreamed of trips to the Beach, Lake and Camping. Now we are wishing for the hot days to pass and looking for ways to make them enjoyable without missing out. For every problem, there’s a solution and you might want to start looking at Outdoor Cooling Systems for those BBQ nights you’ve been planning.
To lower the heat while filtering the air for better quality breathing and promoting wellness.
Open Your Window
During the evening, on a breezy day, open your window to enjoy some fresh air as long as you have screens to keep insects out as well as other particles and debris carried by the wind.
It’s Fresh Air cooling which lets you take advantage of two types of cooling. Fresh air cooling uses Mother Nature’s cool air to remove heat during periods of low outdoor temperature and humidity. If your home has air conditioning, it will automatically take over when the weather becomes hot and humid.
Custom draperies, blinds, shades or shutters for maximum light and energy control by combining soft, medium and hard window treatments. Smart window covering, window treatments as well as innovative and beautiful solutions to keep your home cool or warm using newly developed lighter materials or fabrics to give a beautiful feel and also to efficiently help in heat and cooling retention.
OUTDOOR COOLING SOLUTIONS
Use Your Pool
Click here for tips on getting it ready for Summer and the hot days. Click here to read about The Pros and Cons of Owning a Swimming Pool Home.
According to The Home Depot website, Evaporative coolers lower indoor temperatures by combining the natural cooling properties of evaporating water with an efficient air moving system. This combination of moisture and a steady breeze can lower indoor temperatures by as much as 30°F. Airflow is controlled by opening windows to allow the unit to push warm air outside. Evaporative coolers also add moisture, which helps keep fabrics and wood from drying out, and the water-filled pads act as a type of filter, removing dust and allergens from the air.
Evaporative coolers can be used as the sole cooling system, or to complement existing air conditioning systems. However, they should never be used at the same time, as one adds humidity while the other removes it. Evaporative coolers offer several benefits over air conditioning, including:
Low installation and maintenance costs
75% less electricity usage
Powered by a standard 120 volt outlet
No ozone damaging refrigerants
Fresh air flow pushes out warm air, smoke and pollution
Breeze makes effective room temperature feel 4 to 6 degrees cooler
Evaporative coolers are most effective in areas of low humidity and hot temperatures. They are not effective in humid climates or during rainy seasons. They are not as controllable as air conditioners, and can use between 3.5 and 10 gallons of water per hour, a consideration for use in areas with limited water supplies. The degree of humidity they deliver is a feature that distinguishes the two basic types of evaporative coolers.
Click here for additional information.
These devices are designed for pretty much any space in a home and allow for cooling as well as providing lighting. They are appealing and come in a wide range of colors and gorgeous designs.
I complained about the hot weather we had last week, but I didn’t expect to wake up to a chilly morning. Without looking out the window I could guess how strong the wind is simply by listening to its howling and the movement of the Tree branches. Although the Sun is shining bright and strong above the clouds, I am guessing that the wind is here to stay (at least for today). I had planned on spending thirty minutes to an hour in the garden working on a little project, it will be difficult to complete in such an unfavorable weather.
During days like these, I sometimes ask myself why we chose to live in the High Desert? We are constantly confronted with strong gusty winds in the Spring and Fall, extreme heat in the Summer and below freezing point temperatures in the Winter. Due to the high winds, there is no way to eradicate the weeds since the wind carries the seeds from all over California. Then a single look at my kitchen window and I realize why we chose to live here and why we are still here: the High Desert habitants are known for their kindness.
Three and a half years ago, I received a hand-blown clear Glass Swan Vase from a former neighbor for donating empty boxes, helping her family clean up and move out of their rental home. The vase has a tiny hole which can be used to hold an LED candle, a Liquid Perfume Diffuser or simply place a flower into it. It’s such a delicate and lovely piece which I have cherished ever since and which sits on my Kitchen Window.
Hand Blown Glass Decor: Swan Vase & Candle Holder.
On Friday we took a trip to LindaMarie’sEnchantedTreasures.com, and bought a vintage rustic Hand Fork for a Garden Sign we are building. I found a gorgeous Crystal Glass Candle Holder, which she gifted me (and for which I am very grateful). I placed my Breast Cancer Awareness Candle in it. They both can be used to create elegant arrangements and they make gorgeous centerpieces.
Today being an awesome day, we spent the whole afternoon Ladybug hunting. It was such a fun activity and the kids enjoyed it. These are some of the tools we used:
– Opened Jar/Trimmed Plastic Bottle
– Hammer and Nails (to pierce the lead for air, if you don’t want them to fly off right away or die)
– Small Branch (to watch them climb)
– Magnifying Glasses
– Lots of Patience
They started the search and once the kids had one on sight, they would carefully catch them, put them in a container, admire them for a little while and then release them back into the wild. They enjoy using their magnifying glasses and often end up finding/collecting a lot more than just ladybugs.
Spring 2010 (Ladybugs Hunt).Spring 2012 (Ladybugs Hunt) at Lake Gregory, CA.
I have always known Ladybugs to be beneficial Garden bugs until a few months ago, when I found a few articles while looking for Vegetable Garden Ideas. I was surprised to learn that some species of these beauties are voracious pests themselves and the easiest way to figure out which is which is by counting the number, shape, and placement of the spots on their wing coverings.
Many species are beneficial to gardeners as they eat plant pests such as aphids, Cochineal, mealybug, mites, ground pearls, pit scales, cottony cushion scales and other scale insects. On the flip side, we have the Epilachninae, a different species of Ladybugs, which are herbivores, known as crop pests and are selective feeders (turnip, broccoli, cabbage, maize, beans, cotton and much more).
Before releasing Ladybugs in your garden to fight the good fight for you, make sure you are releasing the predators and not the herbivores. Click here to learn to identify the different species of Ladybugs.
Are Ladybugs in your home? Learn how to get rid of them here and here.
Click here to learn about Releasing Ladybugs in The Garden.
Spring is in the air: do you feel the Love in your Garden? If you live in the High Desert like me, you’re probably not feeling too much love right now with all the unwanted and unattractive weeds popping up from nowhere. Most of my bulbs are flowering. My Gladiolus and Lilies are starting to sprout. As for me, I am starting to see new growth and beautiful colors all around my property which will be enchanted in just a few weeks. I am looking forward for the Trees to awaken and start growing their leaves while planning our outdoors activities. The outdoor furniture has been cleaned and will be ready to use as soon as I have a shaded area.
The temperature has risen unexpectedly these past couple of days. Though a slightly warm weather is highly desirable at this time of the year, this is not what I was expecting. Even though it’s gotten so hot that I haven’t been able to achieve my gardening objectives, I refused to hold off on weeding, which to me is by far the most challenging, consuming part of gardening and let’s not forget how unattractive they are.
Weeds on my property are thriving in this weather and some have begun flowering and very soon others will begin seeding. Aside from the Tumbleweeds, the most common and invasive weeds here are Hawkweeds, Crabgrass and Redstem filaree (edible if picked young). The edible and invasive Common Purslane hasn’t made its appearance yet. I use mulch to control weeds in my gardens and I pull those present as soon as they emerge to prevent late Summer seedlings. Regardless of which method I use, weeding is simply an endless chore.
I find comfort in the end result and in knowing that Gardening Is Good for The Health.
Click here to access a list of the Most Common Weeds in the Garden and how to deal with them the organic way. Click here to access a list of some weeds you can eat and here for a list Healing Weeds in Your Yard.
By JM Perez
