Serving Northeast Georgia

December 2009Monthly Archives

Lawn Mowers ‘injure thousands every year’

BBC News – Ride-on lawnmowers ‘injure thousands every year’.

Some good stats in the article above. I see people all the time with young kids in their lap while mowing. Really not a good idea. The worst thing i ever saw was a little kid, maybe 5, riding on the back bottom of a mower. His feet were on a hitch and he was holding the seat. It is difficult to fathom what the Dad was thinking.http://www.guzer.com/pictures/redneck-riding-mower.jpg

The economics of lawn mowers – CommerceNewsTODAY

The economics of lawn mowers – CommerceNewsTODAY.

Truly push mowers are a rare site except in fenced backyards. But before long the lawn tractor will be just as rare. The zero turn mowers will be the norm once prices dip just a few dollars more. They are faster, more efficient because of the turning, and easier on your body. A steering wheel causes stress on the arms and shoulders on a big yard.

Grass Mowing – City Codes

Grass mowing cut back to three times annually could pose problems » Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

The article above points out another city cutting back on services now that times are tight, which is what should happen. But I find it interesting that the city can leave an area un mowed but when a homeowner does it they will get fined.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-12-13

  • Atlanta has had 60 in rain ths year. Avg is 50 in. Seattle only avgs 36 inches. #
  • How do landscapers work in the winter up North? Cold weather … not 4 me. #

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Outside Work & Weather

With rain and cold weather here now it makes me wonder how people in the North live and work. I know how office workers do it but I am talking about landscapers, construction workers, even DOT workers. The weather down here in Georgia is mild I know compared to up North. So maybe we are all just wimps but I don’t see how Northerners stand the cold.

Homeowners Improving Their Communities

Real Estate | Neighbors work together

Real Estate | Neighbors work together to take care of vacant homes | Seattle Times Newspaper.

Good story on homeowners working together to make their communities better in rough times. Are their abandoned homes in your sub division that need the grass cut or leaves blown off the driveway? Get together with 3 or 4 friends in the neighborhood and see what can be accomplished. If you and your friends are unable to do the work perhaps you can pool your money to pay someone to do it.

Freeze Warning Jackson County GA

Some more freezing temps tonight in North Georgia. Take precautions with pets, plants, & pipes.

Wet ground. Dangerous Roads in Georgia

I have seen 2 wrecks in the past week that were partly due to soaked ground from all our rain. Part of the problem was careless driving (which most of us do occasionally) . I saw a transfer truck tipped over in a ditch after running off the pavement just a bit then sliding in the MUD. Today in Commerce I saw a lady veer off the road and just keep sliding into… a ditch. Please be careful. The ground does not allow for any mistakes as saturated as it is in North Georgia.

Georgia Rain More Than Seattle

We are getting lots of rain again today in Jackson County Georgia so I wanted to check the rain stats.  Atlanta has received 60 inches of rain this year! The yearly average is 50 inches. I wanted to compare that to Seattle which is known for it’s rainy weather. Seattle only averages 36 inches per year. Apparently it is just light rain there but very regular.

In the drought of 2007 we got 32 inches of rain. That is about half of what we have received in 2009 with about 3 weeks left.

http://www.eontarionow.com/images/Rain.jpg

What Happens to Clogged Gutters

We did a few gutter clean outs today and one in Jefferson was really bad. I don’t think the gutters had ever been cleaned out. Leaves decay over time and turn into basically black soil. It is just like compost. That is not something you want sitting inside your gutters.

If you do your own gutter clean outs I would suggest getting some gutter guards if the house is 2 stories. They don’t work perfectly but they keep the vast majority of leaves out of the gutters.