Spring Lawn Care

Ah, spring! Warm days, growing things. Yikes, lawn care! About.com's landscaping guru David Beaulieu says, "There are a number of things you should consider doing to get ready for the mowing season...But just when you should perform any of these spring lawn care tasks will depend upon the climate of your own region. Mother Nature provides palpable cues in some cases. For instance, when you're pretty sure the snow season (if you have one) is over in your region, it's time to begin raking." See the complete article for 10 tasks to consider before the mowing season.

Spring Home Maintenance Tasks

Spring not only brings lawn and landscape tasks, but also many things in and around the house that need a checkup or a little preventative maintenance. Some of those little things we all mean to get around to, but always forget, such as replacing smoke alarm batteries and various filters in things like the furnace and/or air conditioner, the range fan exhaust, etc. The State Farm Insurance site (no endorsement implied or intended, just a good resource) has a useful checklist  of spring home maintenance tasks, including how to do some tasks yourself and which ones to refer to a professional.

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Garage Doors

Another often forgotten item for an annual checkup is garage doors. Check that the metal tracks are securely fastened to the side walls at each bracket connection on both sides, and tighten any that have loosened. Also adjust any track junctions that have become misaligned or have gaps that cause the doors to bump or rattle. Ensure the bolts that secure the tension spring to the frame above the doors are tight. Refer to your manual to adjust the door to stop on the floor and the pressure stop to release easily (use a 2×4 under the door) by adjusting the settings (normally found on the overhead control unit). Check that the safety beam is set about 4” to 6” above the floor.

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Outside Storage

While you are busy accomplishing all the spring lawn and home tasks, you might also think about getting some outside storage for the paraphernalia that is involved, or replacing your current one. We have assembled a number of websites to help your get an idea of what’s available, what might be right for you and what it might cost. All are cited solely for their information and not as an endorsement of any particular website or product brand.

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Find Parts for Appliance Repairs

Most of us have been there. We decide to do some simple repair on an appliance, but can’t find the flange, gasket, knob, button or dial we need and end up having to call a professional. You may wish to try RepairClinic.com® for appliance parts and free repair help. You can search by various identifiers such as model number, brand, appliance type, part length or part characteristics (electrical, metal, plastic, etc.). To ensure you get the right one there are pictures to scale of the parts. Ask their RepairGuru® your repair question. Let their PartDetective® show the part photo, pricing and availability. Shop online or use the toll-free number. They promise no-hassle returns. 

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NEWS 

There is good news and bad news in recent figures from the National Association of Realtors®..The good news is that “Sales of existing homes increased in February and remain within a fairly stable range.” And “Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – rose 2.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate.” The bad news is that “The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $195,900 in February, down 8.2 percent from a year earlier.” However, “Buyers taking advantage of higher loan limits for both FHA and conventional mortgages will unleash some pent-up demand. As inventories are drawn down, prices in many markets should go positive later this year.” See the complete press release.

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Fast Facts

Famous April Fool Pranks (all taken from Wikipedia.com)

• An April 1998 newsletter of New Mexicans for Science and Reason alleged the Alabama Legislature had voted to change the value of the mathematical constant pi to the "Biblical value" of 3.0. 
• Spaghetti trees: The BBC television program Panorama ran a famous hoax in 1957, showing the Swiss harvesting spaghetti from trees. They claimed that the despised pest the spaghetti weevil had been eradicated. A large number of people contacted the BBC wanting to know how to cultivate their own spaghetti trees.
• Left Handed Whoppers: In 1998, Burger King ran an ad in USA Today, saying that people could get a Whopper for left-handed people whose condiments were designed to drip out of the right side. Not only did customers order the new burgers, but some specifically requested the "old", right-handed burger. 
• Taco Liberty Bell: In 1996, Taco Bell took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times announcing that they had purchased the Liberty Bell to "reduce the country's debt" and renamed it the "Taco Liberty Bell." When asked about the sale, White House press secretary Mike McCurry replied tongue-in-cheek that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold and would henceforth be known as the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial. 

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