Enjoying My Life On Someone Else’s Deck

For the last week I was vacationing with my family in the Okanagan. For the week we stayed at the Safari Beach Resort in Osoyoos, British Columbia. They have a private beach with two docks. The kids enjoyed fishing off the dock, swimming and roasting marshmellows by the fire that Ron was nice enough to provide every night. I enjoyed taking it easy and cooking on one of the barbecues that was a few feet from my door.

The Osoyoos area is also great for touring wineries and golfing. Here’s a few photos of my travels:

Favorite winery of the week: Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery

Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery

My favorite winery during my week of vacationing in the Okanagan

Enjoying a round of golf at the Sonora Dunes golf course

Golfing at Sonora Dunes

Enjoying a round of golf at Sonora Dunes

 

BC Landscape Awards of Excellence Announced

The 2010 awards for the BC Landscape Awards of Excellence was recently announced. The BC Landscape Awards of Excellence is coordinated by the BCLNA to recognize and profile the high standard of landscaping excellence in British Columbia, Canada. The program began in 1981 as an opportunity for BC landscape professionals to officially showcase their quality landscaping projects in a competition.

There were thirteen awards given out this year and the categories included:

  • Unique or Special Feature
  • Single Family Residential Maintenance
  • Mulit-Unit Residential Maintenance

If you want to get inspired, read the stories on the winning landscape projects  and see some great photos – click here.

Make sure you check out the last winner, Pacifica Landscape Works Inc. They created our landscape plan that we are presently working on.

Planning On Building An Outdoor Tiki Hut?

Tiki Entrance to Drums of Pacific Luau

Tiki Hut Entryway at Drums of the Pacific

I recently returned from a trip to Maui and the night before we left we went to the luau at the Hyatt in Kanapali. The show is called the Drums of the Pacific. I received a Mai Tai as we walked through the tiki entryway and then we were escorted to our seats.

We had an excellent dinner and then we watched the Polynesian themed show. It was a great show and the finale was an excellent fire dancer. Every since our trip to Maui I can’t wait to go back and I keep thinking about all things tiki. If you are thinking about tiki as well and planning on building an outdoor tiki, I found a web site with lots of great pictures and ideas. If you want to get inspire I recommend you check out Bamboo Landscapes.

Bamboo Landscapes does more than have great pictures, they also provide bamboo, landscaping, tiki huts, waterfalls and many other kinds of exotic landscaping. If you live in the South florida area, check out their web site and see if they can do a project for you.

If you’re thinking of  building your own tiki hut or tiki bar, please read my review on plans for an outdoor tiki hut.

Now is the Time to Get Your Home Ready for Next Spring

(ARA) – The fall leaves have fallen and before you know it, winter snowflakes will be flying. But before the next change of season arrives, there are a few things you should do to make sure your house will make it through the winter and have an easy transition to spring.

Here are some of the more important tasks you should put on your to-do list:

1) Inspect all your doors and windows to make sure the caulk and weather stripping is intact. If they are worn or cracked, replace them; and if you don’t already have them, install storm windows to keep the heat in and the cold out.

2) Clean and put away outdoor furniture and kids’ toys. Start by spraying them down with water to get off the surface dirt, then rub on some CLR Outdoor Furniture Cleaner, which is specially formulated to remove outdoor dirt and grime quickly and easily from a number of different materials, including plastic, resin, wrought iron, metal and wood. Once clean and dry, wrap the items with plastic and store them someplace dry for the winter.

3) Clear gutters and downspouts of leaves and debris that can clog your gutters leading to ice damns in the winter. Repair or replace sagging gutters and reattach loose downspouts.

4) Make a visual inspection of the roof to make sure there aren’t any missing or cracked shingles or tiles, or vents that have become detached. Flashing, the thin metal strips around vents and other roof openings, should also be examined for leaks.

5) If you use your fireplace frequently, schedule an annual cleaning with a professional chimney sweep. Make sure he or she checks your chimney for loose bricks, crumbling mortar joints and missing caps while there.

6) Check to make sure you have adequate attic insulation. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, up to 45 percent of a home’s energy loss is through the attic.

7) Turn off the water supply for exterior faucets before the first frost to prevent pipes from cracking, and take the time to clean off the mineral deposits encrusted on the outdoor faucet spout with CLR . The fast acting, powerful formula will remove calcium, lime and rust deposits with no rubbing or scrubbing required. It is safe to use indoors too.

By taking these steps now, your home will make it through the winter unscathed, and come spring, all you’ll have to do is unpack all the stuff you put away and enjoy the sunshine. No repairs will be necessary.

For more household tips, to see what other CLR products can do for you, or to locate a CLR retailer near you, log on to www.jelmar.com or call (800) 323-5497.

Courtesy of ARAcontent