Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Boring Blog?
Blogs are great. But they can get boring without some great pictures to spice things up. Do you have any great pictures taken in Pine Cove that you would like to share with us? Perhaps you caught the perfect sunset this summer while sitting on your deck. Or how about that cute squirrel that lives in your yard. Or maybe you had some great flowers this summer. Whatever it is, if it happened in Pine Cove, we would be interested in posting it. It would be fun to show everyone what is happening around Pine Cove. I know we have some beautiful sights around so come on, use your amateur photographer skills to show us what is happening.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Pine Cove Cam
Not sure if most of you are aware of this or not, but we have a Pine Cove web cam available on our website. Just go to www.pcwd.org and click on the link that says Click Here for Live Pine Cove Cam. The camera is installed up at the Rocky Point tank site and has a wonderful real time video of the view from up there. You can just click on and watch the wind blow, or a storm move in or even a plane fly by. If you haven't checked it out yet, please do. We also have a link to the latest weather up here as well. We hope you find these two things to be useful.
December Board Meeting
The next board meeting will be held on December 8th at 10 am here at the water district in the board room. Everyone is welcome to attend and we would love to see you there!
Turn your water off!!!!
Just wanted to issue a not so subtle reminder that if you are leaving your mountain home, PLEASE TURN YOUR WATER OFF AT YOUR CUSTOMER SHUT OFF VALVE. This is the single most important thing you can do to prevent water damage from a broken or frozen pipe.
Please remember that all water that goes through your meter is your responsibility. Even water lost due to frozen or broken pipes. Turning your water off while you are away from your mountain home, can help prevent a diaster.
We recently sent the Winter Newsletter out and included in with the Newsletter you will find a brochure entitled Winterizing Tips. It has some good information on how to prepare for the cold winter months ahead. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us here at the water district. Our number is 951-659-2675 and there is someone in the office Monday thru Friday from 9 am until 4 pm. We will be happy to answer your questions for you.
Please remember that all water that goes through your meter is your responsibility. Even water lost due to frozen or broken pipes. Turning your water off while you are away from your mountain home, can help prevent a diaster.
We recently sent the Winter Newsletter out and included in with the Newsletter you will find a brochure entitled Winterizing Tips. It has some good information on how to prepare for the cold winter months ahead. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us here at the water district. Our number is 951-659-2675 and there is someone in the office Monday thru Friday from 9 am until 4 pm. We will be happy to answer your questions for you.
Monday Musings
It is beautiful Monday morning. Cold, but clear and sunny. After a long holiday weekend, it is nice to get back to the daily routine. While holidays are nice, I always feel like I am living in a dream world for those few days. Once Monday hits, it is back to reality and I find that comforting. Since I am very routine oriented, I am always happy to be back at my desk here at the water district.
All the employees here at the Pine Cove Water District, hope that each of our customers had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. But now it is back to the business of running the water district. You will notice the boys, Jerry and Jeremy, out and about reading meters. New water bills will be out shortly.
We would like to remind everyone that we bill every other month on the even months. So we will be sending out December's bills in a few days. Remember that water bills are due on the 25th of the month. If you have not paid your bill by the due date, you will receive a late notice reminding you that the bill is due and that a late charge will be added to your account should it not be brought current.
We would also like to remind our customers that we now accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover cards. You can stop in and pay with your card or you can phone us and pay over the phone. There is a $2.50 processing fee that is charged by the company who processes the credit card payments for us. This money goes to them and not to us! We hope this option helps you manage your water bills.
If you need more information on our billing policies, please feel free to call the office at 951-659-2675 during regular business hours, which are now Monday thru Friday from 9 am until 4 pm.
All the employees here at the Pine Cove Water District, hope that each of our customers had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. But now it is back to the business of running the water district. You will notice the boys, Jerry and Jeremy, out and about reading meters. New water bills will be out shortly.
We would like to remind everyone that we bill every other month on the even months. So we will be sending out December's bills in a few days. Remember that water bills are due on the 25th of the month. If you have not paid your bill by the due date, you will receive a late notice reminding you that the bill is due and that a late charge will be added to your account should it not be brought current.
We would also like to remind our customers that we now accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover cards. You can stop in and pay with your card or you can phone us and pay over the phone. There is a $2.50 processing fee that is charged by the company who processes the credit card payments for us. This money goes to them and not to us! We hope this option helps you manage your water bills.
If you need more information on our billing policies, please feel free to call the office at 951-659-2675 during regular business hours, which are now Monday thru Friday from 9 am until 4 pm.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Winter is here!
Well, it looks like Old Man Winter has arrived a little early this year. While the moisture is wonderful, I was hoping for a few more weeks of some beautiful fall weather before we were thrust into the throes of winter. But, I have no say in the matter and Mother Nature will have her way. So, ready or not, here comes winter. Perhaps we will get lucky and have a break every now and again throughout the long, cold months. Let's hope we have a season that is full of adequate moisture. We are off to a good start with October's rain and now November's rain and snow, but we are no where near being ahead of the game moisture wise.
We encourage our customers to continue doing the superior job they are doing with conserving water. To that end, we would like to remind you that we still have Water Saving Kits availabe free of charge, for all Pine Cove Water District customers. Just stop by the office at 24917 Marion Ridge Road and ask for one. It is as easy as that.
Everyone here, Jerry Holldber, Becky Smith, Vicki Jakubac, Jerry Johnson and Jeremy Potter, and Stitch the dog, wish each and every one of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!
We encourage our customers to continue doing the superior job they are doing with conserving water. To that end, we would like to remind you that we still have Water Saving Kits availabe free of charge, for all Pine Cove Water District customers. Just stop by the office at 24917 Marion Ridge Road and ask for one. It is as easy as that.
Everyone here, Jerry Holldber, Becky Smith, Vicki Jakubac, Jerry Johnson and Jeremy Potter, and Stitch the dog, wish each and every one of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Office hours this week
The Pine Cove Water District Office will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 25th & 26th, for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will be open during our normal business hours of 9 to 4 on Mon., Tues, and Wed. We hope all of our customers have a most pleasant and enjoyable Thanksgiving Day.
Happy Thanksgiving!
As the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaches, everyone here at the Pine Cove Water District wishes each and every one of our Pine Cove neighbors a happy and blessed Thanksgiving Day. Please stay warm, dry and safe throughout this 4 day holiday. I am sure with all the activites in the village this weekend, the roads will be busy. If you are going off the hill for the Thanksgiving holiday, please drive carefully. We are thankful for all the wonderful people that we are blessed to know here in Pine Cove.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Jerry H., Becky, Vicki, Jerry J., Jeremy and Stitch
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Jerry H., Becky, Vicki, Jerry J., Jeremy and Stitch
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday Musings
I cannot believe this. I woke up to rain again this morning. I was very happily surprised that we were blessed with more moisture today. I do hope this trend continues, even though the powers that be are predicting a dryer than normal winter. We may not be breaking any precipiation records, but in my book, some rain is better than no rain. I do hope this pattern keeps up.
The trees are turning colors and it is really looking like fall here on the hill. Add to that the cooler, foggy weather this morning and it adds up a perfect autumn day here on the hill. Of course, the weekend was beautiful as well. It seems that everyday is a beautiful day here on the hill no matter what the weather is doing.
We still have free mulch available for those who want to get some mulch down prior to the snow flying. Just come on up and help yourself. The mulch pile is located on Marion Ridge Road right behind our workshop/garage. You can't miss it!
The trees are turning colors and it is really looking like fall here on the hill. Add to that the cooler, foggy weather this morning and it adds up a perfect autumn day here on the hill. Of course, the weekend was beautiful as well. It seems that everyday is a beautiful day here on the hill no matter what the weather is doing.
We still have free mulch available for those who want to get some mulch down prior to the snow flying. Just come on up and help yourself. The mulch pile is located on Marion Ridge Road right behind our workshop/garage. You can't miss it!
Board Meeting Reminder
Just another quick reminder that our monthly board meeting is being held on Wednesday, November 10 at 10 am. We hope you can come and we look forward to seeing you there.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Frugal Friday
Let's talk about frozen pipes. According to State Farm, approximately 250,000 families have their homes ruined and their lives disrupted each winter by water pipes that freeze and burst. When the outside temperature drops below freezing, water pipes with little or no insulation can freeze and break.
Now, what does this have to do with Frugal Friday you might ask? Well, think of the cost of preparing your pipes for winter vs. repairing the damage done when they freeze and break. This is obviously a no brainer. Why would anyone want to deal the mess and disruption of frozen, broken pipes when it is so simple to prevent it? While it might mean a small cash outlay initially, the time, money, worry and inconvenience you will save is priceless.
Before the cold weather hits:
Insulate pipes in unheated areas and those that run along outside walls, floors or ceilings. There are several types of insulation available for this job and you can decide which one will work best for your situation.
Seal leaks that allow cold air inside near where pipes are located.
Disconnect garden hoses and cover faucets with special insulated faucet socks.
Once the mercury drops, you can open your cabinet doors to allow heat to get to the piping under sinks and vanities.
If you do experience frozen pipes or a leak, call a plumber immediately and turn your water off at your customer valve. Do not try to thaw the pipe with a torch or other open flame and do not use electrical appliances in areas of standing water because you could be electrocuted.
The biggest thing you can do to prevent frozen pipes, is to turn your water off at your customer valve anytime you leave your mountain home. This is the single most critical step you can take in preventing frozen and burst pipes.
Don't let water damage dampen your life this winter. Spend a few minutes protecting your water pipes to save time and money down the road. Remember it is cheaper to prevent a problem than it is to repair one. And remember that there does not have to be snow on the ground for it to be cold enough for pipes to freeze.
Now, what does this have to do with Frugal Friday you might ask? Well, think of the cost of preparing your pipes for winter vs. repairing the damage done when they freeze and break. This is obviously a no brainer. Why would anyone want to deal the mess and disruption of frozen, broken pipes when it is so simple to prevent it? While it might mean a small cash outlay initially, the time, money, worry and inconvenience you will save is priceless.
Before the cold weather hits:
Insulate pipes in unheated areas and those that run along outside walls, floors or ceilings. There are several types of insulation available for this job and you can decide which one will work best for your situation.
Seal leaks that allow cold air inside near where pipes are located.
Disconnect garden hoses and cover faucets with special insulated faucet socks.
Once the mercury drops, you can open your cabinet doors to allow heat to get to the piping under sinks and vanities.
If you do experience frozen pipes or a leak, call a plumber immediately and turn your water off at your customer valve. Do not try to thaw the pipe with a torch or other open flame and do not use electrical appliances in areas of standing water because you could be electrocuted.
The biggest thing you can do to prevent frozen pipes, is to turn your water off at your customer valve anytime you leave your mountain home. This is the single most critical step you can take in preventing frozen and burst pipes.
Don't let water damage dampen your life this winter. Spend a few minutes protecting your water pipes to save time and money down the road. Remember it is cheaper to prevent a problem than it is to repair one. And remember that there does not have to be snow on the ground for it to be cold enough for pipes to freeze.
Board Meeting
Just a quick note to let you know the the monthly board meeting is coming up. It is on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at 10 a.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. Hope to see you there.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Sustainable Thursday
Even though we are currently experiencing Indian Summer here on the hill, I know that Old Man Winter is lurking just around the corner. Yes it was beautiful on Halloween this year, but memories of my daughters Trick or Treating in snow linger in the back of my mind. It seems I get complacent during nice weather and tend to forget how it is all winter long. However, this year, I have been trying to plan and think ahead to the long, cold winter months when many of my sustainable practices have to change due to the weather.
The biggest change that the winter brings for me, is not being able to hang clothes outside to dry. Since I do this with a large majority of my laundry, winter presents a challenge when it comes to drying my clothes all indoors! In order not to just throw everything into the dryer, I have come up with the following solutions.
Since I normally use my shower curtain rod to hang wet clothes, I decided to add another shower curtain rod parallel to, but up higher than the one that holds the shower curtain. This has doubled my space to hang wet clothes. Since I put all my shirts on hangers to dry, this gives me double the space to hang them up to dry. These rods can also be used for large items such as table clothes, quilts or sheets.
The next problem I had to solve was for things like sweaters that need to be laid flat to dry. During summer, it is easy enough to lay a clean sheet or quilt on the ground and put things on that to dry in the sun. But with the onset of cold weather, the amount of sweaters being worn goes up and I quickly run out of drying space on the kitchen table. Plus we do like to eat there once in a while. So a quick trip to Amazon dot com helped solve my problem. They now make nifty little contraptions that can be laid over your tub and then folded back up when you are done. So after purchasing a couple, I had another problem solved.
Then came the real challenge. Pants, jeans, pillow cases and so on. Where was I going to dry them? They take up too much space on my shower curtain rods and were hard to move should anyone actually want to take a shower. I thought fleetingly about hanging a couple of clothes lines up in my living room, but I didn't think my husband would prefer that, so I ended up purchasing a very old fashioned drying rack. It is made out of stainless steel and works great! It is extremely light weight and I can move it around or fold it up and put it away. I can sit it in the bathtub if I have something that is dripping wet or put it in front of the heater, or just off to the side behind the sofa. On nice days, it can even be toted outside to the deck.
It holds anything and everything. Jeans to delicate hand washables. Come winter it will be a lifesaver when my husband comes home from work soaking wet from delivering gas in the snow or rain all day long. His previous solution was to hang his work coat on a dining room chair and put it in front of the heater and then spread the rest of his gear around the heater on the floor. Needless to say, this wasn't a great solution and my wooden chairs were taking a beating from it.
Now I can just put the rack in front of the heater and all his outerwear fits on it! Oh happy day. Plus when the grandkids come up, all their snow gear will be happily accomodated on this one rack. No more hats, mittens, coats and snow pants strewn all over my house!
So that just left one more problem to solve. Little things like plastic bags, socks and so on. Once again, Amazon came to my rescue. I found a nifty little plastic frame that comes complete with clothes pins and a hook for hanging. It fits right over my shower rod and has close to 2 dozen pins on it. So now all winter long I can continue to wash and re-use my freezer bags and I now have a place to hang them to dry.
With a little creativity, a little research, a little effort and a little money, I solved all my laundry problems. Living sustainably might take a little extra effort, but I just think of all the electricity and propane I am saving, which then translates into money saved, and the good I am doing for the earth and I am happy to exert the extra effort.
So, what clever solutions have you come up with to living sustainably throughout the winter months when it can become challenging?
The biggest change that the winter brings for me, is not being able to hang clothes outside to dry. Since I do this with a large majority of my laundry, winter presents a challenge when it comes to drying my clothes all indoors! In order not to just throw everything into the dryer, I have come up with the following solutions.
Since I normally use my shower curtain rod to hang wet clothes, I decided to add another shower curtain rod parallel to, but up higher than the one that holds the shower curtain. This has doubled my space to hang wet clothes. Since I put all my shirts on hangers to dry, this gives me double the space to hang them up to dry. These rods can also be used for large items such as table clothes, quilts or sheets.
The next problem I had to solve was for things like sweaters that need to be laid flat to dry. During summer, it is easy enough to lay a clean sheet or quilt on the ground and put things on that to dry in the sun. But with the onset of cold weather, the amount of sweaters being worn goes up and I quickly run out of drying space on the kitchen table. Plus we do like to eat there once in a while. So a quick trip to Amazon dot com helped solve my problem. They now make nifty little contraptions that can be laid over your tub and then folded back up when you are done. So after purchasing a couple, I had another problem solved.
Then came the real challenge. Pants, jeans, pillow cases and so on. Where was I going to dry them? They take up too much space on my shower curtain rods and were hard to move should anyone actually want to take a shower. I thought fleetingly about hanging a couple of clothes lines up in my living room, but I didn't think my husband would prefer that, so I ended up purchasing a very old fashioned drying rack. It is made out of stainless steel and works great! It is extremely light weight and I can move it around or fold it up and put it away. I can sit it in the bathtub if I have something that is dripping wet or put it in front of the heater, or just off to the side behind the sofa. On nice days, it can even be toted outside to the deck.
It holds anything and everything. Jeans to delicate hand washables. Come winter it will be a lifesaver when my husband comes home from work soaking wet from delivering gas in the snow or rain all day long. His previous solution was to hang his work coat on a dining room chair and put it in front of the heater and then spread the rest of his gear around the heater on the floor. Needless to say, this wasn't a great solution and my wooden chairs were taking a beating from it.
Now I can just put the rack in front of the heater and all his outerwear fits on it! Oh happy day. Plus when the grandkids come up, all their snow gear will be happily accomodated on this one rack. No more hats, mittens, coats and snow pants strewn all over my house!
So that just left one more problem to solve. Little things like plastic bags, socks and so on. Once again, Amazon came to my rescue. I found a nifty little plastic frame that comes complete with clothes pins and a hook for hanging. It fits right over my shower rod and has close to 2 dozen pins on it. So now all winter long I can continue to wash and re-use my freezer bags and I now have a place to hang them to dry.
With a little creativity, a little research, a little effort and a little money, I solved all my laundry problems. Living sustainably might take a little extra effort, but I just think of all the electricity and propane I am saving, which then translates into money saved, and the good I am doing for the earth and I am happy to exert the extra effort.
So, what clever solutions have you come up with to living sustainably throughout the winter months when it can become challenging?
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Board Meeting
We will be having our monthly board meeting next Wednesday, November 10th at 10 am. The public is welcome to attend and we hope to see you there!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Monday Musings
Well, another month has gone by. What a beautiful weekend we had to end October with. Rain on Saturday then giving way to the most beautiful autumn day on Sunday. Very pleasant weather for trick or treaters to prowl around Idyllwild. With weather predictions being sunny and mild for the next few days, I am looking forward to getting out into the garden and finishing up my end of summer chores.
One thing I always try to do at this time of year is to add compost and/or manure to the garden so it can sit all winter long. I have noticed that sometimes when I add it in the spring, it is a little to potent and by letting it sit all winter, it mellows out just a little and my little seedlings love it.
With winter fast approaching, now is the perfect time to get the garden ready to go to sleep for the long winter months ahead. With predictions of a dryer than normal winter ahead, it is also the perfect time to get your trees and plants all mulched in as well. This not only protects the roots, but helps the soil to retain what ever moisture we do happen to get. We have to make the most of the moisture we do receive, so being that we have FREE mulch available, why not take advantage of the situation and do your garden a favor?
You can also mulch down your veggie garden, even though there is nothing growing in it right now. This helps prevent it from getting water logged through out the winter. The snow will gently melt down through the mulch and into the soil, rather than sitting on top of it and melting and creating mud puddles.
Remember we have FREE mulch for anyone to help themselves too and we also have bags of manure available for Pine Cove Water District customers as well. Each customer can have one bag for free. Just come in and ask for it!
One thing I always try to do at this time of year is to add compost and/or manure to the garden so it can sit all winter long. I have noticed that sometimes when I add it in the spring, it is a little to potent and by letting it sit all winter, it mellows out just a little and my little seedlings love it.
With winter fast approaching, now is the perfect time to get the garden ready to go to sleep for the long winter months ahead. With predictions of a dryer than normal winter ahead, it is also the perfect time to get your trees and plants all mulched in as well. This not only protects the roots, but helps the soil to retain what ever moisture we do happen to get. We have to make the most of the moisture we do receive, so being that we have FREE mulch available, why not take advantage of the situation and do your garden a favor?
You can also mulch down your veggie garden, even though there is nothing growing in it right now. This helps prevent it from getting water logged through out the winter. The snow will gently melt down through the mulch and into the soil, rather than sitting on top of it and melting and creating mud puddles.
Remember we have FREE mulch for anyone to help themselves too and we also have bags of manure available for Pine Cove Water District customers as well. Each customer can have one bag for free. Just come in and ask for it!
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