New Blog

Well the new blog is up and running.  I will be posting over there from now on.  The new blog is at www.pcwd.org.  Just click on Blog and it will take you right to the new blog.  I will be leaving this one up for a while as we transfer the info from this blog to the new one.  See ya there!

Turn Your Water Off!

Just a quick reminder that if you are leaving your mountain home, please turn your water off at your customer valve when you leave.  This will prevent any leaks from frozen or broken pipes in your absence.
While it is important to turn your water off any time you leave your mountain home, it is especially important when there is a danger of freezing temperatures.  Leaks and broken pipes can and do  occur year round, but when there are freezing temperatures, it can cause pipes to freeze and break.  If your water is not turned off, this could cause a lot of problems, damage and waste a lot of water. 

Remember, you are responsible for all the water that runs through your meter, regardless of why it ran through.  So if none of the above reasons are incentive enough for you to turn your water off, then perhaps the thought of paying for water that ran and ran and ran from a leak will be.

Leaks can occur anywhere along a water line inside your house our out.  Leaks aren't always visible from the street either.  They can be underground and not visible or inside the house, where no one can see them.  We ready meters every other month, so that is generally when we find evidence of them.  However, a lot of water can be lost during that time.  We have no way to monitor the water usage at each home here in Pine Cove and unless someone sees or hears water running, leaks can sometimes go undetected for long periods of time.

Don't let this happen to you!  It only takes a minute to turn your water off and prevent all of the above problems.

Whatever your motivation, please heed our advice and turn your water off each and every time you leave your mountain home.  It is so much better to prevent a disastrous leak than to deal with one upon returning to your mountain home.

 Turn your water off at your customer valve when  you leave your mountain home!

Snow has arrived!

Old Man Winter isn't done with us yet.  Snow arrived over the weekend as predicted.  Approximately 16 inches fell.  It isn't snowing at the present time and the roads have been plowed and are passable, but they are not melted off.  Here is what Cal Trans has posted about Highway 243:

SR 243
CHAINS OR SNOW TIRES ARE REQUIRED FROM THE JCT OF SR 74 TO THE NORTH
BOUNDARY SAN BERNARDINO NAT'L FOREST (RIVERSIDE CO)

So if you are planning on driving up or down the hill, be sure you have chains with you if you do not have snow tires on your vehicle. 

For those of you with part time homes up here in Pine Cove, yes you will have a berm in front of your driveway.  If you need assistance in plowing you driveway out,  you can check with the Pine Cove Property Owners Association, as they have a list of people who do snow plowing on their blog site.  The link is listed on the left side of this blog.  Otherwise, plan to spend some time shoveling your driveway out if you decide to come up for some fun in the snow.

The sun is peeking in and out, but there are still some clouds lurking about.  The trees are covered in snow and it is very beautiful, as it always is after a snow fall.  Temperatures are expected to rise as the week progresses.  So if you want to play in the snow, now would be a great time to come up and visit.

Just use common sense and be prepared for winter driving and cold, snowy weather.  If you are planning to leave your mountain home, please turn your water off at your customer valve prior to leaving.  While leaks and breaks can occur at any time, it is even more important to do it now when there is a danger of pipes freezing and then bursting. 

Snow Forecast

The weather report for this weekend is calling for more snow and cold temps.  Yikes!  Just when you think it is safe to put your woollies away.  You would think I would know better.  It seems each year around March, I get spring fever and anxiously want spring to arrive.  And invariably, we get a big winter storm right about the time I am ready to get out the Birkenstocks and put away the Uggs.  But that is life in the mountains I suppose. 

So as always, remember to turn your water off at your customer valve when you leave your mountain home.  Check the side bar of the blog for websites containing information regarding road and weather conditions. 

Last Reminder

This is the last reminder that our monthly board meeting will be held tomorrow, March 14th at 10 a.m.  Everyone is welcome to attend and we hope to see you there.

Board Meeting

Just a quick reminder.  Our monthly board meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 14 at 10 a.m. sharp.  Hope to see you there.

Spring Forward!

The time has come already to turn our clocks ahead. Daylight savings time starts on Sunday, March 11th, so be sure you turn your clocks ahead when you go to bed Saturday night!

March Board Meeting

Just another reminder that Wednesday, March 14th is our monthly board meeting.  It starts at 10 a.m. sharp and it is open to the public.  The meetings are held in the board room at the district office which is located at 24917 Marion Ridge Rd., right next to the fire station.  I hope we see you there!

Rain Barrels

As part of our water conservation program, we are considering making rain barrels available at our cost.  We are trying to gage interest in a program such as this.  If this is something that would interest you, please leave a comment here or give Vick or Becky a call at 951-659-2675 and tell us you would be interested.  Or you could drop us an email at Vicki@pcwd.org  or Becky@pcwd.org.  Remember,  this is not a commitment  to purchase a rain barrel.    We are just trying to find out if there is enough interest in a program such as this or not.  We think they are an excellent value for the money and are very nice looking as well.  You can see an example of the barrels
here.

So let us know what you think.  If there is enough interest, we would be willing to be the middle man and make these available at our cost, which would be substantially less than the retail price.

Board Meeting Next Week

Just a reminder that our monthly board meeting will be held next Wednesday on March 14th at 10 a.m. in the board room.  Everyone is welcome to attend.

Beautiful Weekend Ahead

There may still be a lot of snow on the ground, but the weather forecast for this weekend is very nice.  After some wind tonight, they are calling for  highs in the 50s and 60s for Saturday and Sunday.  Can you say spring?  I hate to get too excited though,  because just about the time I get to really enjoying the warmer weather, winter generally comes back with a sneak attack.  We have had a very mild winter this year, so I can't really complain, but those 50 and 60 degree days just make you long for spring to arrive and for winter to be gone. 

Visions of gardening start dancing in my head and with all the talk this past week of a possible community garden here on the hill, it makes it even all the more exciting.  This is one community project that I hope does come into being.  Community gardens are such a wonderful addition to a neighborhood.  In addition to the food they can produce for those who garden in them,  they are also very good for meeting and getting to know other people and help to establish a real feeling of community and connectedness to others who live here. 

I have found when I am in my own yard gardening, most everyone who walks by, stops to chat.  I have met the majority of my neighbors while out working in my garden.  Gardening is an activity that most every one, young or old can enjoy and participate in and the fruits of your labors are edible.  Teaching children to garden provides them with skills that will last them a lifetime.   Many times more is grown than can be used and so is shared with others in the community, providing nutritious, fresh fruits and veggies to those who might not otherwise be able to afford them.  Gardening is so much more than just a hobby and I for one will be hoping this comes to fruition.

Board Meeting

Our monthly board meeting for March will be held on march 14.  It starts at promptly at 10 a.m. and everyone is welcome to attend.  It is held in the board room at the water district office which is located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road.  We hope you will come and join us.

Happy Leap Day

This year February has 29 days.  So instead of March coming in like a lion or a lamb today, we will have to wait until tomorrow.  As for today, the sun is peeking through the clouds.  The roads are in good shape and most are clear with the exception of a  few icy patches where the run off from melting snow froze overnight.  Highway 243 is in excellent shape and there should be no problem with leaving the mountain or coming back up.

Tonight will provide another chance of snow or rain so it looks like March might come in like a lion.  After that it is clear skies for several days.  It  should be a great week end to come and play in the snow,  if there is any left by then. 

There are still some pretty good berms along some driveways, so if you haven't been up recently, be prepared to shovel the berm out.  Or you could just wait it out and let Mother Nature melt it for you.

Snow Again!

Well it seems as if we are going to get a whole winters worth of snow inside of a couple of weeks.  Yesterday another storm moved in and as of this morning, we have close to a foot of new snow!  While the plows have been out, there is still snow on the roads, especially the side roads.  They are passable, but do be careful.  The sun is out and shining so I expect that they will start melting off before too long.  The trees are covered in snow and it is quit the winter wonderland. 

You should be able to come up if you need to, just be careful.  You can check the blog for links to highway conditions to find out more specifics.

Animal Care

With this recent storm, please remember to care for your 4 legged friends.   Bring animals indoors if at all possible.  For those that remain outdoors, please make sure they have adequate shelter that is dry so they can get out of the wind and snow.  Animals such as goats and chickens can manage the cold temperatures fine if they have dry shelter with good ventilation.  It is essential they have a place to get out of the blowing wind.

Fresh, warm water is a welcome treat that many animals enjoy on a cold morning after a frigid night. Remember, they are dependent on us for their care and we need to be responsible animal owners