Pest Control

We decided to go to Alexandria for brunch and then stop at the hardware store next door to pick up some industrial strength ammonia. Any "big" city has it's positives and negatives. In this instance, we like to keep all the 4 legged critters at bay- and the little furry ones with the long tails are not wanted. We have a little shed on our patio that allows for extra storage (luggage and planting supplies, etc), but is also a cozy place to vacation during the winter months- or at any time of the year. Our building provides for routine pest control service, but we wanted to make sure we did our part on the patio. Since we do not have a cat to deter these creatures, I came across an article on the web that stated ammonia soaked rags drives them out and away. And by golly! It's a miracle. Since we've been using this approach over the past few months, we've had excellent results.We tried a lot of things before that, but nothing ever worked. I'm not sure I would recommend it for inside use, but that's not where we had our problem. In Milwaukee, we made sure the dog food container had a very tight lid. Can't exactly keep the shed air tight, so we're doing the next best thing. I suppose that's why a plastic shed is more practical, but it would look really tacky here.

On Washington Avenue in Alexandria is Southern Restaurant & Ace Hardware

To the cleaning materials shelf

Would like bigger bottles

The patio cushions and luggage are stored in the shed

Stay away!

An Absolute Necessity

This week has been really rainy and ugly. If there were any leaves left on the trees they will be long gone by Thanksgiving. Last year I decided to get a pair of rain boots to prepare for the wet season- and it probably was the smartest investment I have made as of late. In Milwaukee, we had snow boots that served the purpose - and I pretty much drove from point A to point B there. In the event of the "rare" snow here, I do have a pair of snow boots that I saved just in case. But because I have to walk back and forth to work every day, the rain boots became a necessity if I was to keep my feet and legs dry with the wind blowing 30-40 miles per hour! Anyway, if one ever decides to live in this town, there are certain necessities. And they include rain boots, rain shoes, and a very sturdy umbrella- not the cheapo kind that folds up and gets stuck in your purse (although I have one of those too!)

Be prepared!

One Of The Four Promises

A second grade teacher lives in the building and sent out a request to the neighbors for recycling supplies needed for a project. She also requested if there were any other useful items that could be donated, it would be very much appreciated. We thought we would take the opportunity to clean house of all the crafty stuff, books, and other items that had accumulated over the last few years to entertain our 7 year old grandson. We first checked with him to make sure he was on board with the whole idea. Although he had some misgivings, we reminded him that he had promised his Dad that he would always be "kind to others" and this might be a great opportunity to show how this works. Within a couple days, we recieved a wonderful thank you note from the kids. It really doesn't take much to make someone else's day- a really good lesson for our grandson and a great reminder for us.

Our favorite color

What a nice gesture!

TIP- LOOK DOWN

Although the homes are uniquely beautiful, the sidewalks are not. I know of several embarrassing and painful situations where sidewalks are always involved. One of our neighbors fell on the way to work and broke her kneecap; I slipped coming home from work and split my lip; my husband took a tumble but luckily was "winter padded" enough to break the fall; and a friend visiting from the Midwest landed on her face. Another friend bruised up her face in Old Town. Imagine the surprise to greet your spouse with a mouth full of blood and a possible broken tooth when you thought you were going to sit down for a peaceful and quiet afternoon lunch! So, look down when you're walking or you could suffer the consequences. The only time one of us fell in our old neighborhood was when the dog's leash got tangled up in my legs. Now that is a legitimate excuse! Even at work, on a flat surface, the halls are so slippery that people are sliding and falling all the time. One of my colleagues broke a shoulder and another got a very swollen knee.


High heels anyone?



TIP

If you need to make an appointment (doctor, car, etc) it's best to schedule the first time directly after lunch. That way, you can avoid all of the rush hour traffic in the morning and late afternoon. And, the likelihood of being taken care of "on time" is greatly enhanced.