Although it seems to have been slow in arriving, spring is definitely on its way now. There are signs of the first flowering plants pushing up through the soil, birds singing in the trees, lawns that are being uncovered and turning green and longer daylight hours.
It's also the beginning of the Easter weekend, and that is a big event for us this year. Our family will be arriving over the next couple of days and that will make for a full schedule. Grandkids and grown children will fill up our home once more.
We also have guests arriving from Japan this afternoon for a 24 hour visit. We last saw them at their wedding, which was in Vancouver nearly 7 years ago. She had been our home-stay student here in Nelson, back when the Canadian International College had their first year program running at the Fairview campus. We're looking forward to their visit very much. But I want to recount an amazing thing involving current technology that happened yesterday. About 3:30 in the afternoon my computer indicated that I had a Skype call. This is unusual, as I don't often have Skype running, but since it was our grand-daughters birthday last weekend, it was still in the background. When I answered the call I was speaking with our Japanese friend. So I asked if she was in Vancouver and she advised me that "no, we are still in Tokyo". I said to her "Well, we're planning to pick you up at Castlegar in only 1 day", and she replied that they were excited to be visiting us, but that they still had to go to work (it was 7:30 on Thursday morning in Tokyo as we spoke) for the day, before boarding the plane in the evening. And here I thought I led a hectic life!
I was hoping I might have a photo of their wedding to share with you, but cannot find one on this computer.
| How to Protect Your Home And Family From Fire | |
 A fire can be devastating to your home and family, yet many people ignore common fire hazards and don’t prepare themselves or family members from this common catastrophe.While a house fire can happen by accident to unsuspecting homeowners, many house fires are completely preventable. Set aside some time and effort to protect your home and family from a devastating blaze with these safety tips. 1. Make sure you have adequate insurance First you need to realize that nothing you can do will possibly reduce the risk of a fire to zero, so you will need to purchase adequate insurance to cover your home. This will help you, in the disastrous event of a fire at your house, cover the costs of the damage and help you get back on track. If you do not have fire protection you may find yourself in a tough situation. After you have insured your home and belongings, you should take measures to reduce the risk of fire as much as you can. 2. Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors The number one cause of total loss and death by fire is the lack of working smoke detectors in the home. Smoke detectors are not expensive. Install good quality smoke detectors in your home and check the batteries at least twice each year. At a minimum, there should be one smoke detector on each floor including the basement. Ideally there should be one detector in each bedroom as well as common areas like hallways. Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors should be placed by the furnace. A properly installed and working smoke detector can save lives and might save your home. 3. Prevent careless fires While smoke detectors provide the safety and security of early warning in case of fire, preventing a careless fire from ever starting is another important safety measure you can take. You can easily take fire prevention measures by looking at your house room by room and practicing basic safety rules. In the kitchen, always double check appliances like stoves, ovens, toasters and coffee pots. Make sure they are turned off when not in use, and unplug small appliances after each use. Never leave cooking food — whether on the stove top, in the oven, microwave or on your barbecue — unattended. Always keep an eye on food that you are cooking, and keep items that can catch fire away from the stove top. Keep flammables, such as drapes and furniture, away from portable heaters or open flame candles. Keep matches away from small children’s reach. If you need to store combustible materials, carefully read and follow the packaging instructions. Keep combustible materials away from areas exposed to high heat. 4. Use electrical outlets properly Do not overload electrical outlets that could cause a fire. If you need additional power from an outlet, either use a power strip with a surge protector or hire a licensed electrician to run additional power to the outlet. Set up a routine of checking appliance cords every month or so. This should be done for lamps, TVs, toasters, etc. Check the cords for fraying or open areas. If you notice any problem either replace the item, have the cord replaced or cover it with electrical tape. 5. Have at least one fire extinguisherAlways keep a small fire extinguisher in or near the kitchen area in case of accidental grease or electrical fires. Don’t just keep the fire extinguisher handy; make sure you know how to use it. You might also want to keep additional fire extinguishers in the basement, garage and on the second floor if you have one. 6. Plan and practice a fire escape routePlanning an escape route is critical in being prepared for an emergency and can save you valuable time in the event of a fire. Make sure everyone knows how to escape and keep all exits clear. Always keep keys for doors and windows where everyone can find them. At least twice a year, practice your escape plan during the day and at night. Assign an adult to wake and assist each child in the house. Also consider lending extra help to family members who are physically challenged or elderly. Identify a meeting place outside the home. If there is a fire, get everyone out of the house as soon as possible and call 911. |
3 bedrooms, 1 bath on the main (upper) floor with near-level access from the carport and another bedroom, family room, 3 pce. bath and kitchen downstairs. Located in Uphill Nelson, on a huge lot, this home has potential to be suited, and to construct a garage/workshop on the back part of the property, accessed through the alley. Priced at $389,500, you can find additional photos, details and virtual tours on our web-site.
With the Masters Golf Tournament beginning today in Augusta, Georgia, I thought this would be an appropriate bit of humour:
Golf Meditations
1. If you really want to get better at golf, go back and take it up at a much earlier age.
2. The game of golf is 90% mental and 10% mental.
3. Since bad shots come in groups of three, a fourth bad shot is actually the beginning of the next group of three.
4. When you look up, causing an awful shot, you will always look down again at exactly the moment when you ought to start watching the ball if you ever want to see it again.
5. Any change works for a maximum of three holes . . . or at a minimum of not at all.
6. No matter how bad you are playing, it is always possible to play worse.
7. Never try to keep more than 300 separate thoughts in your mind during your swing.
8. When your shot has to carry over a water hazard, you can either hit one more club or two more balls.
9. If you're afraid a full shot might reach the green while the foursome ahead of you is still putting out, you have two options: you can immediately shank a lay-up or you can wait until the green is clear and top a ball halfway there.
10. The less skilled the player, the more likely he is to share his ideas about the golf swing.
11. The inevitable result of any golf lesson is the instant elimination of the one critical unconscious motion that allowed you to compensate for all of your many other errors.
12. If it ain't broke, try changing your grip.
13. Golfers who claim they don't cheat also lie.
14. Everyone replaces his divot after a perfect approach shot.
15. A golf match is a test of your skill against your opponents luck.
16. It is surprisingly easy to hole a fifty foot putt ......for an 8.
17. Counting on your opponent to inform you when he breaks a rule is like expecting him to make fun of his own haircut.
18. Nonchalant putts count the same as chalant putts.
19. It's not a gimme if your still away.
20. The shortest distance between any two points on a golf course is a straight line that passes directly through the center of a very large tree.
21. There are two kinds of bounces; unfair bounces and bounces just the way you meant to play it.
22. You can hit a two acre fairway 10% of the time and a two-inch branch 90% of the time.
23. Every time a golfer makes a birdie, he must subsequently make two triple bogeys to restore the fundamental equilibrium of the universe.
24. If you want to hit a 7 iron as far as Tiger Woods does, simply try to lay up just short of a water hazard.
25. To calculate the speed of a players downswing, multiply the speed of his backswing by his handicap; i.e. backswing 20mph, handicap 15, downswing = 600mph.
26. There are two things you can learn by stopping your backswing at the top and checking the position of your hands: how many hands you have, and which one in wearing the glove.
27. Hazards attract, fairways repel.
28. You can put "draw" on the ball, you can put "fade" on the ball, but no golfer can put "straight" on the ball.
29. A ball you can see in the rough from 50 yards away is not yours.
30. If there is a ball in the fringe and a ball in the bunker, your ball is in the bunker. If both balls are in the bunker, yours is in the footprint.
31. Don't buy a putter until you've had a chance to throw it.
*Thanks to Pastor Tim for this joke!*
All right, I will sign off for this month. Please don't forget, if you are looking for more real estate related information, to check out my "business blog" at http://nelsonrealestate.inthekoots.com
Thanks for reading! Click on the picture of the bunnies in the box at the upper right side of this page.
Lorne & Drew
