Do you have an ant problem?  During this hot season ants are out looking for water.  Why do they come in your house, isn’t there more water outdoors?  Almost everyone has an ant problem now and then.  Short of calling an exterminator or selling your real estate there is a better answer.About a year ago I read that ants do not like the smell of peppermint.  Therefore an easy way to rid yourself of these pesky pests, sprinkle peppermint leaves near their favorite entrances (window sills, doorways, floorboards etc).  I tried this recently and it really worked.  Best of all, its cheap and nontoxic. A good alternative to commercial pesticides which meets the now popular Green Earth motto.

Teaming with the EPA, many National parks throughout the United States are taking steps to reduce their global warming pollution.  Beginning this year, national park loving Americans can also do their part by joining the “Do Your Part for Climate Friendly Parks” organization.  The National Parks Conservation Association has launched a website that is dedicated to helping protect America’s national parks from the effects of global warming.  By visiting www.doyourpartparks.org, visitors are able to learn about the issues of climate changes as well as how they can help lower their own global warming pollution.  Visitors will be given the tools to make a difference.

Once on the website, visitors can pledge their emissions reductions to the national park of their choice. The EPA has provided a household carbon emissions calculator that will assist you with determining how much progress your household has made in reducing emissions.  You can even check your progress.  All reductions will help the park meet its carbon emissions goal.

There are 40 parks that currently participate in the program.  Each park has met or is working to meet the required milestones to be officially recognized as a “Climate Friendly Park”.  Only 15 US parks are currently participating in the “Do Your Part Climate Friendly Parks” website.
 
Yosemite of course is leading the charge as they are a Climate Friendly Park.  They offer a free shuttle system with hybrid buses for visitors.  This helps the park reduce its carbon footprint.  Yosemite’s goal is to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 10 percent lower than they were in 2005 by the year 2010.  They are right on track for getting this done.
  
For more information on this program or information on how you can help the environment visit:  www.nps.gov/vose.

E-Waste Recycling

Nothing says “thank you” to mother earth like recycling unwanted items instead of throwing them into the landfills.  Many items that people throw away can cause dangerous chemicals to be released into the soil.  Many items that people throw away are not only dangerous, but illegal to put into landfills.  In Madera County, E-Waste Recycling is a top priority once again.

There will be two recycling days coming to the area to help you get rid of those unwanted, yet recyclable, items.  This Saturday, June 28th from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. you can drop off your unwanted electronics at the Coarsegold Historic Village.  Items they are collecting include televisions, computers and accessories, telephones, cell phones and microwaves.  The second collection day will be on July 12th from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce parking lot.

If you are unable to make either drop off day, you can call and make arrangements for a free pick up of your electronic items.  If you would like further information, contact the Coarsegold Village at (559) 683-3900 or the Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce at (559) 683-7766.

You too can help keep America beautiful!

It seems like I have always loved to garden. I can remember working side by side with my parents planting groundcover when I was in the 3^rd grade. Maybe the joy was more in spending time with my parents, but the result became a love for being on my hands and knees and working in the dirt. Through the years it has become a place where I can relax, lower my blood pressure, pray and enjoy the sun. Imagine my excitement when we moved to the mountains and I now had 3 ½ acres of undeveloped dirt to plant!

I found out the hard way that gardening in the mountains is different! After planting 16 prized roses, watering, fertilizing, nurturing and awaiting those first gorgeous blooms only to see them stripped of all flowers, leaves, and thorns overnight…..I learned that roses are like candy to deer. They are better purchased from a florist and enjoyed in a vase in your home.

I’ve lived in the mountains of Oakhurst for 16 years and here’s what I’ve found in a nutshell: If it’s purple, there’s a pretty good chance the deer won’t like it. I know there are always exceptions, but here are some plants I’ve had luck with:

Purple Iris

Lilacs

Lily of the Nile

Society Garlic

Butterfly Bush

If you’re just starting a garden in the mountains, give these a try and I guarantee you’ll enjoy the blossoms and the deer won’t!

It was inevitable and now it is official.  The winter season’s snow pack is low and water restrictions have arrived.   For those living in California, this might not be anything new, but none-the-less a bit of a pain to deal with.  The Hillview Water Company has announced mandatory water restrictions for the Oakhurst-Sierra Lakes service area.

Things are looking a little better though in comparison to last year.   Last year, Oakhurst residents were only allowed to water their landscaping two times per week.  This year, we are allowed to water three times per week.  There will not be any watering allowed on any Sunday.  Residents with addresses ending in even numbers are allowed to water on Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Friday’s.  Residents with odd numbered addresses are allowed to water on Tuesday’s, Thursday’s and Saturdays.

There is NO watering allowed between the hours of 8:00 am and 8:00 pm.  There should be no washing of cars, sidewalks, walkways, driveways etc.  Residents should continue to check for leaks or broken water connections.  Never leave a hose unattended.  Those residents who have a swimming pool must apply in writing for permission to fill your pool prior to June 30th.  Permission will not be granted in July or August.

Hillview is reporting that five new wells went online last July and more improvements are expected.  Residents should expect that restrictions will be in effect from May 25th until September 25th.
 
Governor Schwarzenegger advised all California residents to be diligent about water conservation this past week.  I guess it is time to put that brick back inside the toilet!

In continuation to the post on Friday.

Plastic bags cost 1 to 2 cents per bag in the United States.  Paper bags cost 6 to 8 cents per bag.  Compostable plastic bags cost more than paper bags.  There are still no compostable plastic bags available commercially. 

Plastic grocery bags are 100 percent recyclable.  Many stores (especially grocery types) have receptacles to drop unwanted bags into.  Plastic bags can be made into other products such as decks and piers.  Reusing or recycling one ton of plastic bags will save the equivalent of 11 barrels or 462 gallons of oil.  Additionally, plastic bags consume less than 4 percent of the water that is needed to make paper bags.  It takes 91 percent less energy to recycle a pound of plastic than recycling a pound of paper.  Plastic grocery bags make up less than .5 percent of the United States Municipal Waste stream.

I always thought paper was better for the environment than plastic was.  Now after this research, my mind has changed.  The moral of the story is….plastic bags are a great option for Americans to use, especially if we all choose to recycle them   So in honor of Earth Day, let’s all commit to recycle those bags!  Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.  The three new “R’s” that everyone should be following. 

In continuation to the post on Wednesday.

Here are more interesting facts regarding paper and plastic bags.  I hope that it sparks you all to recycle those bags you have laying around.

Did you know that 2000 paper bags weigh approximately 280 pounds, while 2,000 plastic bags weigh approximately 30 pounds?  There are approximately 92 billion bags used in the United States alone.  It will take one good sized tree to make 1000 paper bags.  It takes 9 truckloads of paper bags to deliver the same amount of  paper bags as one truck load of plastic bags.  Paper bags take 40 percent more energy to manufacture than plastic bags.  Plastic bags generate 80 percent less waste than paper bags.  Plastic bags produce 70 percent fewer air emissions from being released into the environment.  It takes 91% less energy to recycle a pound of plastic that it would take to recycle a pound of paper bags.

It will take 13 to 17 precious trees to generate a ton of paper bags.  Paper bags weigh 9.6 times the weight of plastic bags used.  The bags account of only 5 percent of the bags that are used in the United States.  In order to supply the city of San Francisco with the amount of bags it uses each year, it would take 180,000 trees to be cut down each year.

Please check back on Monday for the conclusion to this post.

I have been asked this question hundreds of times in my adult life…Would that be paper or plastic?  Lately it seems; it is assumed that we all want plastic instead of paper.  The big question is which one is better for the environment.

Here are some interesting facts for you to ponder when making your choice when out shopping…..In the United States we use 20 million barrels of oil per day.  Of that oil used, .7% of that barrel is used to produce film and plastic bags.  It takes 163,000 gallons of oil to make 100 million bags (or 3870 barrels of oil).  The amount of oil that the United States uses in 72 minutes is equal to the total tonnage of bags that are consumed in California for at least 2 to 3 years.

Five percent of 1 days’ crude oil use in the United States is equal to a few years worth of carry out plastic bags used in California.  There are 1.3 million workers employed in the plastics industry in the United States.  This is the 4th largest manufacturing sector in the United States.  There are 43,600 employees working in the plastic bag industry in the United States.

Please check back on Friday for part two of this post.
 

Today is Earth Day, a day on which we take time to celebrate our great planet and consider ways that we can keep it clean and make sure that is remains a great place to live for generations to come.

You can make everyday Earth Day, by doing small thing to maintain our natureal resources and make the Earth a safer, cleaner home for humans and animals alike. Here area few tips:

-Turn off the water as you brush your teeth.
-As the bulbs in your home go out, replace them with compact fluorescent bulbs. These bulbs use less energy than regular light bulbs.
-Rather than leaving the car idling as you wait to pick someone up, turn off the enging and restart it when you are ready to leave.
-Turn your heat down when you go away on vacation. Just leave yourself a reminder to turn it up after you return.
When you write that reminder use the back of an envelope or some other piece of paper that has already been used, rather then using a fresh sheet of paper.
-Switch to rechargeable batteries.
-Take the time to recycle aluminum, paper and other products.
-Make your own compost.

In continuation to the post on Monday.

The reasons are pretty simple why everyone needs to clear their brush.  It will save the lives of you and the people around you, it will help reduce the tax dollars that are spent on emergency fire services, it will protect the beautiful wildlife that live in the area, it will help with the reduction of pollution being released in the atmosphere, and it will help to increase the precious ground water supply that everyone relies upon.  Additionally, the clearing will help protect your physical property, reduce your insurance bill, keep unwanted and unhealthy insect populations down and most importantly….because it is the law!

The state mandated laws are very clear and concise.  A defensible space must be maintained around the perimeter of any structure.  There must be a clearance of at least 100 feet.  All tree limbs that are dead and hang over your house, garage or structure must be removed.  All tree limbs that are within 10 feet of your chimney must be removed.  There must be a spark-arresting screen of at ½ inch or smaller mesh covering your chimney outlet or stovepipe.  All portable equipment, tractors, motorcycles and chainsaws must have spark-arresters installed and maintained regularly.  Each resident is required to clear all leaves and needles from rain gutters, eaves and their roof.

Please check back on Friday for the conclusion to this post.