Check out these changes to make at home for a healthier, happier home. The “Back to School” month of August in western North Carolina slips away all too quickly. One minute, we’re picking up #2 pencils and marbled composition books. The next, we’re getting the kiddos ready for senior portraits. Many of us work to usher our […]
Avoid These Things at Yard Sales, Flea Markets & Second Hand Stores
Endless summer days are filled with classic pastimes in these parts: ballpark dogs and Asheville Tourist minor league baseball; farm to table markets; refreshing ourselves in favorite summer swimming holes; picnic spots on Mount Mitchell; and an endless assortment of rambles. Yard sales, flea markets, upcycled and second-hand rambles can look a bit like a […]
Sprayed On Specks: Meet the Real Life “Plants vs. Zombies” Fungus Who Lives at Your House
When my kids were younger, one of their favorite books was “Freckle Juice,” a tale about a boy who would try almost anything to rid himself of the little specks across his nose. Now, with high moisture and temperatures edging toward the 70s and low 80s, the conditions are ripe for another kind of tenacious freckling. If you […]
Ready for a Home Security System? Here’s How to Choose the Right One.
Ring. Brrrrinnggg. Yesterday, the phone rang, and Mrs. Bayless, my wife, answered. The caller on the other end of the line approached her about purchasing a home security system. Home security systems, most of which retail under $1000, definitely factor into increases in safety and value in our homes. But in this case, my wife […]
Forget the Wildlife Selfies When Black Bears Come Over for Breakfast
The “Dogwood Winter” of the past week reminded us that despite the beautiful spring days, we can experience severe winter weather right up through Mother’s Day in May. When weather conditions are challenging, perhaps due to high winds, rains and flooding, or a spring snow, we all tend to notice that weather affects garbage schedules. […]
The Camel Cricket: Friend or Foe?
This week, I ran into an old friend who returns to this area every spring. I’d like to introduce you to the camel cricket. Homely as he can be, I prefer coming face-to-face with a humpbacked camel cricket over a pretty black widow spider any day. Camel crickets love the temperate climate of the Carolinas. […]
Manage Zika Virus Mosquito Scare with Appalachian Common Sense
The Zika Virus Brings New Mosquito Scare Warmer days are approaching and your tropical spring break is only weeks away. As a result, mosquito-borne illnesses like the Zika virus are catching your attention. The Centers for Disease Control recently escalated the Zika virus to Level 1 status. Naturally, this is raising concern across the US– and especially […]
7 Secrets To Good Indoor Air Quality During Winter
If Your Home Could Talk, What Would It Say? In these winter months, when we expect more extreme weather and temperature swings, many of us depend on our homes to keep us warm, healthy and happy. Your home is trying to do its part, but there may be good days and bad days. If your […]
Out on a Limb: Tree Maintenance
A truck, chainsaw, and ambition isn’t enough when it comes to tree maintenance.As the leaves fall, I’ll go out on a limb and guess you’ve put off taking care of those dead tree limbs you noticed last spring. Frankly, lots of us put off arboreal concerns until we get a storm warning, like the one […]
Are your fall allergies actually due to fall mold?
Most people are surprised to learn that their fall allergy symptoms are in fact a reaction to fall mold. My clients tend to associate mold with the warm damp months of summer, but in reality fall is an active season for mold spores. You might ask, “How can this be? I thought mold needed moisture […]