When to Consider Tree Removal

Removing a tree from you property is often not an easy decision, but sometimes it has to be done, especially when the tree is considered hazardous in its location whereby if it comes down poses a threat to your home and/or other structures nearby. Cost for tree removal varies; large trees can cost thousands of dollars, sometimes 10 to 15 thousand.

In my case, I have a 90 foot Ponderosa Pine standing solo, no more than 8 feet from my house, over 2 bedrooms. The tree has obviously weathered many changes since it began standing, including grade changes, and what appears to be removal of some of the major stabilizing root which was done probably 15 years ago to add a concrete driveway to the neighboring home.

Factors leading me to move forward on tree removal:

90 foot pine that will certainly destroy my house and those within if it comes down

Tree is suffering from a mild case of pine borers

Tree may have more serious problems internally; however, this is only a guess

Tree has lost a portion of its’ stabilizing roots through construction

Tree has suffered from grade changes due to construction

Cost: Approximately $3,000

Women over 40 get an annual mammogram

It makes perfect sense to get in the habit of scheduling your annual mammogram ahead of time. I was reminded by a friend, who used to be a mammographer and happened to have been my mammographer, the first time I went for one of those kinds of appointments.

Although getting your first mammogram is a right of passage, it is also a reality check that you’re getting old. I am convinced that getting one annually is the right thing to do, especially after my best friend was diagnosed with DCIS.

From that, I saw how lucky she was to have had the mammogram detect cancer at a very early stage. She would not have caught it with a regular breast check.

Summer’s no fun for some wine retailers

If you’ve ever met a cranky entrepreneur, who happens to sell bottles, and cases of wine, and tasting flights, you might see if coincides with the summer. According to a number of cranky SF Bay Area wine retailers and even those who work in wineries, summer time sucks! Why you ask, especially with all of the tourists, spending money freely while enjoying their holiday?

Well they don’t. In fact, the summer crowd of tourist - generally with the whole family in tow - is more interested in finding good tourist information and figuring out where the best ice cream shop is for their kid than spending lots of money on wine.

No. The better time for our irritated wine industry retailers is definitely going to arrive soon. For the irritated merchants out there, just be patient. Soon kids will be back in school and then the more serious buyers will once again return.

Fix My Garden!

When the phone rings with the client pleading for an emergency garden visit, you have to wonder what’s going on. In the first place, too many homeowners make the mistake of planting just about any plant that looks great at the nursery and imagine that it will stay the same size and shape, and be a nice addition in their garden.

So when the phone rang, the client asked me if I could remove all of the Fig and Magnolia trees. She reminded me that when I originally saw her planting I commented that Fig trees make wonderful street trees; now she gets the point. Her tiny backyard can’t possibly accommodate all of the large size trees and shrubs she planted. Well, back to the drawing board!

Scorpions

Forget the pesky woodpecker (mentioned on the 5/2/07 post), we've discovered scorpions living in our outdoor living area. I don't think the problem is as bad as somewhere like Arizona (the area we live in goes below freezing in winter) but after reading more, it seems this is a hard critter to get rid of.There are two routes to choose from: toxic or non-toxic. The first involves a pest control company spraying chemicals around and in your house every few months, definitely not very appealing to me. Dealing with scorpions more organically involves several steps: first, you must remove everything the scorpions desire from around your house. Clear out the spiders, ants and other bugs, which for them, is food. Close up any openings they might use for a den. Pack the areas around your house with cedar chips which equals repellent. And set up some scorpion traps. Here are more details about scorpion control.

Hot Air Balloon Rides in Napa

You've seen the ads for hot air balloon rides in wine country but have you actually seen the balloons taking off in in the early morning Napa sky? A stunningly beautiful scene. The sun just rising over the vineyards, vines green with early summer foliage and young grape clusters -and on the horizon - colorful hot air balloons rising. Seeing the balloons in flight definitely encourages one to book on the next ballon ride and the post flight champagne brunch is included.

Summer travel plans? Try something closer to home

I was just reading an article in the local paper about vacationing this summer and they say "an unprecedented convergence of problems will make this the worst air travel season since 2000". Hmmmm, so I'm rethinking my travel plans. Maybe a destination closer to home isn't such a bad idea. From the Bay area, a day or two of driving can get you to a lot of great places in Northern California. How about the eastern Sierras? Bishop and Mammoth Lakes are beautiful and not as trampled as somewhere like Yosemite. And there is plenty to do - camping, fishing, swimming, soaking in one of the hot springs, hiking, biking, rock climbing and so on. Plus there are some landmarks to visit such as Mono Lake and Bodie(see photo), a must see if you are a fan of ghost towns. The portion of this town that survives has been left as is, broken down cars, rusting tin cans and all.