Rain Barrels and the city garden

Lowe's put up this cool little video on Rain Barrels and your city garden. I thought others might enjoy.

http://www.lowescreativeideas.com/idea-library/videos/Rain_Barrels_0408.aspx?cm_mmc=email_newsletter-_-weekendprojects_augv2-_-num1-_-num

Excerpt:

Locating the Rain Barrels

To start, choose a location for the barrels. It should be under a downspout in an unobtrusive area, like the backyard. Select a spot that’s level and a little higher than your yard. If you can’t do that, level the ground and position concrete blocks to elevate the barrels. The barrels will have to be high enough to allow you access with a watering can. If needed, you can also attach a small garden hose to the rain barrel spigot to easily fill your watering can.

Preparing for Disaster

For Your Clients: 4 Steps toward Preparing Your Home for a Disaster

By Stephanie Andre

RISMEDIA, July 22, 2010--It's hard to believe that it's already been five years since Hurricane Katrina devoured the Gulf Coast. While hurricanes are not preventable, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your property should disaster strike.

Here are four important steps to consider, according to the Insurance Information Institute:

STEP #1: Review Your Insurance Coverage
Be sure you have the right kind and amount of insurance, enough to rebuild your home and replace your belongings.

STEP #2: Create a Home Inventory
An up-to-date home inventory will speed up the claims process by substantiating losses and may provide documentation for tax purposes. It can also help you determine how much insurance to purchase. Visit www.knowyourstuff.org to download software to help make this process easier.

STEP #3: Protect Your Property
Keeping wind and water out of your home is critical. Invest in storm-grade gutters and make sure that the best drainage away from your home is in place. Secure roof shingles and seal any openings, cracks and holes. Gable end walls and roof sheathing should be strongly attached and braced, and double doors should have heavy duty anchors at the top and bottom and a dead bolt at least 1” long.

STEP #4: Have an Evacuation Plan
Decide where you will go and how you will get there, and have more than one option. Keep a map, phone numbers and addresses handy. Think about what you’ll need to take with you — items like medicines, important documents, clothing and food — and have them ready to go.

117 Lakeview St. - My own creation

After a few months of work on rehabbing a house that I've owned for several years. I'm ready to reveal it to the world and offer it up for bids. The past few 40+ degree days have really made finishing it up easier. I'm in a quandary - there are two "regular" bedrooms and an office/playroom/storage area that is separated from the other rooms. It could be called another bedroom, but the builders of the house made it long and skinny. I'm talking 8' wide and 17' long! I initially put two large storage units in the room to augment the cabinet space in the kitchen, but I'm going to probably remove one of them because they make the room seem even skinnier. Anyway, all this to say that I've put a lot of effort and have had a great time working with my dad on this project. We brought in the experts when needed, but for the most part did the work ourselves.

See the photos at:

Adventures in Landlording - Ironing the carpet

Adventures in Landlording!
A Realtor's Perspective.


I have started bringing my camera to showings. These pics are from a home I showed recently. It is a foreclosed investment property where, I suppose, some cost-conscious landlord repaired an area of carpet where their renter had left their iron just a little too long. I'd give it a grade-A for resourcefulness and a D- for follow through - this was just laying there - not connected to the floor in any way!