Archive for 2016
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By Michelle Portesi
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THE HOUSE
October was a month of heavy precipitation with both rain and snow. The ski areas are anticipating opening before Thanksgiving, and before you know it, winter will officially be here.
The Sierra Sun has a wonderful article on getting your house ready for the season. Among their suggestions were these tips:
* Get your chimney swept out. Nothing puts a damper on the season like a chimney fire. And if you haven’t ordered your wood yet (Whoa! Are you late!!!) best get that lined up ASAP.
*Check your roof and clean out your gutters.
* Check your furnace and put in new air filters.
For more of their home winterizing suggestions, go here: sierrasun.com
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THE YARD
Getting ready for winter isn’t just about your house though. If you want your yard to survive and thrive next spring, you’ll want to take care of a few things outside as well.
* Fall is for planting. Now is the best time to get those plants, shrubs and trees in the ground. Planting in fall allows the plant to put down some roots during the winter so that when spring arrives, they’re acclimated and ready to burst with new growth. While you can still plant in the spring, it can send the plant into shock just as they’re starting their growing spurt, so best to do it now. Landscapers are crazy busy this time of year for just this reason, so call around to make sure someone has time to put you on their schedule.
* Now is also the perfect time to throw wildflower seeds around. Rake up your ground a bit, cast your seed and then spread seed cover over them. They will lie dormant until the spring snow melts, giving them a germinating shot of water to get them started once the ground warms up.
* Get some gardeners tape and wrap up your shrubs and immature deciduous tree branches into tight columns. Winter’s heavy snows can break branches and destroy years worth of growth. Do the same with any potted plants and move them away from roof lines to avoid large, damaging dumps of snow on them.
* I’ve had a horrible time with aphids on my columbine and lupine, and as it turns out, it’s because of what I didn’t do in the fall. I’ve just let the plants die back naturally and that’s actually the worst thing you can do. Aphids lay their eggs in the leaves in the fall for hatching in the spring. So if you’re having trouble with aphids, be sure to cut plants (any that normally would die back in winter) below the leaf line and throw it in the garbage.
*Remember to detach all your hoses and put them in a dry place. Hoses attached to the bib can freeze and that can lead to freezing and a break in the line. And turn off your sprinklers and drain the system if it doesn’t automatically drain.
Here is more advice on how to protect your plants with mulch and ‘heeling in’ anything that’s still in pots. smartpots.com
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Photo from Truckee CHP Facebook page
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THE CAR
And don’t forget about your car. With this weeks early snow and heavy rain, both I-80 and Hwy. 267 were closed down for hours because of accidents. Pete Bansen. chief of the Squaw Valley Fire Department has an informative (and highly amusing) article about preparing for winter driving: Don’t be ‘That Guy’.
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YOU
Find your snow shovels, car snow scrapers and brushes, mittens, hats, winter boots and jackets and have them at the ready so you’re not fumbling around looking for them when you need them the most. Invest in a car Snowhoe if you don’t already have one. It makes getting snow off of your car ten times easier.
Be Safe and Have Fun This Winter!
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THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOUR LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
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Fall at Donner Lake
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Are you curious as to how our Real Estate Market is doing at North Lake Tahoe, Truckee and Soda Springs? Then click on the link below to view 2016’s third quarter stats vs 2015. Also included are stats for the luxury home market in our area as well.
yourfriendinhighplaces.net/north-lake-tahoe-truckee-real-estate-market-stats/
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Give me a call if you’re interested in buying or selling real estate in our area and joining our vibrant community.
Lynn Richardson
Your Friend in High Places
530.582.2422
800.926.4975 Toll Free
17400 Northwoods Blvd. Truckee, CA 96161
lynn.richardson@camoves.com
THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOUR LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
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By Michelle Portesi
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Autumn brings with it a plethora of fun things to do, and one of my favorites is going down to Apple Hill, which is just past Pollock Pines on Hwy. 50.
If you’re coming from the North Shore or Truckee, you can make a day of it and take the long way around down Hwy 89 South and view all the spectacular fall colors along the way. Maybe make a quick stop at Taylor Creek, where the aspens are abundant and in all of their fall glory. Stroll along the creek to view the brilliant red and green hues of Kokanee Salmon as they make their way to their spawning grounds. Who knows? You might spot a bear or two fishing for a quick meal.
But I digress…
It’s a beautiful drive all the way down to Apple Hill, and you’ll no doubt be starving once you get there. The beauty of Apple Hill is not only can you get a full basket of the season’s most crisp, delicious apples, but many of the orchards offer a full compliment of good eats beyond home made apple pies. BBQ Tri Tip and Pulled Pork Sandwiches often top the menus in addition to other fare.
You’ll find more than just apples at Apple Hill. It’s fun for the whole family, featuring pumpkin patches, pick your own berry farms and apples, hayrides, farmers markets, craft fairs and more.
Think of Apple Hill like it’s Disneyland. You couldn’t possibly get to every orchard and shop in one day. So if it’s your first time there, go to their website and download their map to get a lay of the land. applehill.com/map2016. If you have been there before, you can explore a new orchard or venue you haven’t been to yet.
The website also offers a comprehensive brochure that can be downloaded and printed out – with a list of every gift shop, winery, orchard, Christmas tree farm, bakery and berry patch along the way. Starting on page 38 is a list of every point of interest with a grid showing what they offer. issuu.com/applehill.
Here are a few of my favorites:
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Bill’s Apples
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Bill’s Apples/Felice’s Dolls – This is a beautiful orchard with not only acres of apple trees, but magnificent rolling hills of fall flowers still in full bloom. They offer a variety of apples, my favorite being the Arkansas Black. They also sell wonderful whirly-gigs and have a shop full of craft dolls and gifts
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Grandpa’s gift shop
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Grandpa’s – This orchard features a bake shop and a lovely shop specializing in all things apple themed. They also have an impressive array of specialty food items including syrups, jams and butters. I sprung for a jar each of the cranberry chutney and caramel apple butter. The perfect addition to the upcoming Thanksgiving meal.
Apple Ridge Farms – A great place to grab something to eat. It not only features a BBQ lunch and bake shop with plenty of picnic benches, but a country store, duck pond and orchard market building. Lovely grounds to stroll through and hay mazes for the kids.
High Hill Ranch– This sprawling area features plenty of places to eat, a large craft fair, hay rides, a produce shop with specialty food items and a pond area. Just up the road is the Fudge Shop full of every kind of candy you can imagine to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Rainbow Orchard – Watch them make fresh apple cider in their cider press, and don’t forget to buy a gallon. (You can freeze it!) Featuring plenty of apples for sale in addition to pumpkins, pears and much more.
Honey Bear Ranch – Wonderful bake shop featuring their signature caramel apple pie. They also have wine tasting, with a specialty near and dear my heart – 4 kinds of Hard Cider!
Boa Vista – They offer a huge produce market, wine tasting, crafts, bake shop, lunch and more! www.boavista.com
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The pumpkin that ate Tokyo…at Boa Vista
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Apple Hill is busiest during the fall, but some orchards and shops are open year round. Call ahead to pick up a fresh or frozen holiday pie. And don’t forget about their Christmas Tree Farms for choosing a perfect holiday tree.
For more information, go to Apple Hill’s Website: applehill.com
From there, you can visit the websites of all the individual orchards and venues.
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THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOU LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
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Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
YOUR FRIEND IN HIGH PLACES 