Nice Weather

The nice weather continues and it is going to make going back to winter all the harder.  But if you are a gardener, it is a nice break to get out and do a little quick clean up or even some transplanting.  Now is the perfect time of year to put in some trees or bushes or to do some transplanting.  It is also nice to have a break in the weather in order to get out and do a quick clean up of needles or other debris that has been left strewn about by the winds of the previous weeks.  So get outside, get some fresh air, some exercise and some vitamin D and a clean yard in the process.

Holiday Office Closings

The Pine Cove Water District will be closed on Monday, January 2, 2012 in observance of the New Year's Day holiday.  We will resume our normal work hours on Tuesday, January 3rd which are 9 to 4.  Everyone here at the water district hopes that each of you has a very joyous, healthy, happy and prosperous 2012!

New Year approaching

Good Morning blog readers.  Well we all made it through the holiday weekend and the nice weather continues to hold for the coming New Year's weekend as well.  While it is great to have such nice weather in December, it makes the return to winter, and you know it will return, sort of depressing.  But I guess we can just enjoy it while it is here.  From the weather reports, it looks like we will have highs of about 60 degrees all week and into the weekend.  So enjoy!

Reminder

Just a quick reminder that we will be closed Friday, December 23rd and Monday, December 26th.  We will resume our normal office hours on Tuesday, December 27th.  Should you experience a water emergency, you can call our emergency number which is 951-294-8282.  We have someone on call that can help you if an emergency arises. 

It should be a beautiful holiday weekend and  everyone here at the Pine Cove Water Distrct wishes the best this season has to offer to each of our customers.  May you experience joy, happiness, love, friendship and contentment.


Merry Christmas!  Happy Hanukkah!  from the staff here at the Pine Cove Water District.

Jerry Holldber, Becky Smith, Vicki Jakubac, Jerry Johnson, Jeremy Potter and Stitch

As always, please remember to turn your water off at your customer valve when you leave your mountain home!

Holiday Hours

We will be closed on Friday, December 23 and Monday, December 26.  Merry Christmas everyone!

First Day of Winter?

Tomorrow is the first day of winter, even though here on the hill, winter arrived several weeks ago. But as Christmas Day approaches, the weather is actually taking a turn for the better.  The holiday weekend should be clear sailing weather wise with highs possibly getting into the 50's.  So it seems we will be able to enjoy the holiday weekend without having to worry about any weather problems.  Enjoy your weekend!

Tuesday Morning

Good morning all.  It is a brisk morning, but those winds from last week are gone and the sky is partly cloudy today.  They aren't calling for any more snow this week and in fact, the weather service says it should be in the 50's by the weekend.  So a little reprieve from the cold winter weather we have been experiencing.  The roads still have the occasional icy spots in the early morning from the snow that melts during the day and then freezes up overnight.  So if you are out on the roads heading to work, be careful.  Otherwise, the driving is fine here in Pine Cove.

But don't let the daytime temperatures fool you. It still gets cold at night and water pipes can develop leaks at any time of the year. So don't let your guard down just because the daytime temps have warmed up a little bit.

Turning off your water at your customer valve, when leaving your mountain home is the single most important thing you can do to prevent damage and loss from a water leak or a frozen or broken pipe.

 It only takes a minute and could save you a lot of headaches and money. So get in the habit of turning it off when you leave your mountain home.



With the upcoming holidays, many part-timers and visitors will be here on the hill.  Luckily, the weather will be nice so we won't have snow covered or icy roads to contend with.  It should be a beautiful weekend for this time of year and we hope everyone has a memorable time while here in Pine Cove.

If you are visiting, please remember to find a safe place to play in the snow and not on the side of the road.  County Park in Idyllwild is a great place, as there is plenty of parking, lots of room, to run around and play, rest rooms, picnic tables for a picnic in the snow and no danger of accidentally going into a busy road.

REMEMBER, the turn outs are for cars that need to pull off the road and are not parking areas. It is also dangerous to let your children play in the turn outs because should an emergency occur and a car needs to pull in there unexpectedly, someone could get hurt.  It is also very dangerous to play along the side of the road. So please play in a safe area so that you go home with nothing but wonderful winter memories.

Freezing temps

When I went out to feed my chickens this morning, their water was frozen.  It was inside their coop, so this tells me that it was pretty cold last night.  That being the case, we would like to put out this reminder to everyone because it is the single most important thing you can do to prevent broken or frozen pipes.  Please remember that any and all water that goes through your meter is your responsibility.

Please, turn off your water at your customer valve when you leave your mountain home!

Hold on to your hats!

Update:  At 10 a.m., the sun is peeking through, but there are still dark clouds looming over us, so I don't know what the day will bring.

Wow, what a windy night we had. I was awakened at 3 a.m. by things hitting my metal roof.  That is the trouble with a metal roof.  A gentle rain sounds like a hurricane and small bits of branches sound like whole trees.  So I just lie there awake listening to all the noise.  It has died down some what, but it is still windy and snow flurries are flying around helter skelter.  The sky looks ominous and I don't know what is in store for us.

Here is what the National Weather Service has as the forecast for us.

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 41. East wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Tonight: A 30 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. Breezy, with a east wind between 20 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

I can tell you from where I am sitting here in the office, it is not partly sunny.  We had a small accumulation of snow late yesterday afternoon and evening.   The side roads have been plowed and cindered, but some of them are still slick as it was very cold and windy overnight.   Hwy 243 seems to be OK.  If you are planning to come up, I would advise checking road conditions first, just to be on the safe side. There are links on the left side of this blog to check weather and road conditions. 

Hope you all have your propane tanks filled or your wood shed full.  As always, please remember to provide for you outdoor animals.  Bring them in if possible.  In the case of other types of animals, please provide them with a dry, draft free shelter and fresh food and warm water.   This morning my chickens are enjoying hot oatmeal with apple cider vinegar and sliced apples, topped with meal worms and corn.  They also got hot water with vitamins and have a thick layer of pine shavings in their coop and in their nest boxes.  The warm food and water helps to warm them up from the inside out after a long, cold night. 

Winter doesn't even begin until next Thursday, but it seems as if it is here in full force, so we better be ready.  Hope you all have full propane tanks or woodsheds.  Please remember to check on your neighbors, especially the elderly ones, during these bouts of cold weather.

Weather

Great news this morning.  The sun is shining.  While it is cold and icy, I doubt it will last.  The roads are fairly clear as well.  I don't see any large storms in the near future on the weather forecast.  If one does hit, I will be sure post here what the conditions in Pine Cove are like.

Board Meeting!

The monthly board meeting starts this morning at 10 a.m. sharp.  Hope you can make it!

Tuesday Morning

Good morning folks.  After a day of on and off snowing yesterday and last night, we have only accumulated a couple of inches so far.  The side roads are a bit icy, but have been plowed and cinders have been put down.  They are calling for another inch or two today, and it is currently very overcast, but there is no snow falling as of 10:30 a.m. 

Please check the road conditions if you plan to be out driving today.  There is a link to the Cal Trans site as well as CHP traffic information under Websites of Interest.

They are calling for clear skies for Wednesday, which is great because it is our monthly board meeting.  The public is welcome and it starts at 10 a.m. sharp.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  We hope to see you there!

Reminder, Board Meeting

Just a reminder.  There will be a board meeting on Wednesday, December 14 at 10 a.m.  The public is always welcome to attend.  Our board meetings are held the second Wednesday of every month and are held in the board room of the water district office. 

Snow Fall Totals

I was asked to post snow fall totals here on the blog and I think that is a great idea.  So each time it snows, I will do that.  As I said in my previous post, it is snowing as I type today, however, it really isn't sticking to the roads at this point.  They are wet at this point, but that is about it.  If you have any questions about weather conditions or road conditions, I have posted a pretty conclusive list of places to get that information on the left side of the blog.  Just scroll down to where it says websites of interest. 

I know when you are off the hill it is sometimes hard to get accurate information about what is going on up here weather wise.  I hope these links are helpful as are my posts.  As always, it is best not to be out driving during a storm if it can be helped.  But if you do find yourself having to go out, it is best to be as prepared as possible.

Winter Weather Ahead

The official start of winter is still over a week away, but no matter what the calendar says, it is here now.  Snow is falling as I type and I have heard all sorts of wild predictions.  Everything from 1/2 of an inch of snow up to 20 inches.  I always say to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  Emergency preparations are never a waste of time in my book.  I don't think anyone can be too prepared. 

As we go around our homes preparing for winter weather and storms, lets not forget out pets and animals that are outside.  Bring pets indoors when ever possible.  If you can't bring them indoors with you, perhaps you could put them in a garage or other protected area of your home.   If your pet must stay outdoors for some reason, please be a responsible owner and make sure that your pet has an adequate, clean, dry shelter complete with bedding such as straw and a few old rugs or blankets for warmth.  These suggestions also apply if your pet is in an unheated space such as a garage or basement.  Be sure they have plenty of fresh, clean food and water as well.  Many outdoor pets enjoy something warm to eat as well.

It is also important to provide clean, dry, draft free shelters for other animals you may keep outside as well.  Many animals, such as chickens, goats and horses, do fine in cold weather as long as they stay dry and draft free.  They too also enjoy some hot water on these cold, snowy days.  It helps warm them up from the inside out.

The CDC has some great information on their website about preparing for winter storms.  Here is a link to their site and I will put it in the side bar as well.

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/takesteps/

Please take some time to read over their site and make sure that you, your pets, your home and your car are prepared to deal with what ever Old Man Winter throws out at us.

Get Ready Folks

We have been having a nice spell of weather, but that is about to change.  Sunday night they are calling for snow and most of next week will be cold and have the possibility of snow showers.  If you are coming up for the weekend, please remember to turn your water off at your customer valve before leaving your mountain home. 

If you haven't done so already, now would be the time to winterize your home.  It is better to be on top of these things than to get caught unprepared.  Plus it is no fun working outside in the cold and snow, so do yourself a favor and get outside and get ready for the cold weather now.  You can never be too prepared.

December Board Meeting

Our last board meeting of 2011 will be held next Wednesday, December14, 2011 at 10 a.m.  As usual, the public is welcome to attend.  The meetings are in the distict office board room.  Just go through the gate on the left side of the office and follow the side walk back to the board room door.  We hope to see you there. 

Happy December Everyone!

I know this is a little late in coming, but I have been down and out with some sort of flu bug.  I finally made it back to my desk this morning and realized we are a week into December already.  Gees, where does the time go to?  I wish it was like when I was a kid.  Time drug on forever.  It took an eternity to go from one Christmas to the next and the excitement was almost more than I could bear.

But now, each day flies by at warp speed and days blend into weeks and months in what seems like a nano second.  I always try to remind myself to slow down at this hectic time of year and appreciate what is around me, here in this wonderful mountain hamlet we call "The Hill".

I like to take an afternoon and do some Christmas shopping down in the village, stopping at one of the local restaurants for a cup of tea and dessert. I enjoy looking at all the decorations and chatting with all the merchants.  I try to do this with my daughter as a Christmas tradition.   Soon she will be grown and gone and these little traditions will be just distant memories.  I hope my two youngest children, who have spent their childhoods here in Pine Cove, appreciate how special it is and how lucky they have been to have been raised in this wonderful community and I look forward to sharing it all with my 4 grandchildren as well.

 December is such a wonderful month here on the mountain.  Winter is just about here, everyone seems to be in a good mood and you can feel the mountain magic in the crisp, cold air.  I enjoy all the beautiful decorations and the spirit of love that abounds this time of year. The smell of woodsmoke fills the cold night air and blends with the fragrance of pine and cedar.  My sister once told me that Idyllwild and Pine Cove smell like Christmas.  We couldn't agree more and we realize that we are truly blessed and incredibly lucky to be living  here in Pine Cove.

 I hope that at this time of year and all year through, we can all be neighbors and help each other when the need arises.  Tomorrow I will be attending the MEMSCOMM meeting and one of the topics we will be discussing is what buildings would be suitable to be used as an Emergency Operations Center should the need arise.  But we need to remember that as residents in a rural area, we should all be preparing to fend for ourselves during an emergency and know which neighbors we need to check on.

Over the next several months, I will be making some posts about what to do or where to go should a disaster befall us.  Having the right information and supplies will help each person to get by if we are isolated during an emergency and have to fend for ourselves.  The chances we will have to do that are pretty high.  Should a major disaster strike, emergency services will most likely be helping the areas that have much larger populations and we will be left to manage things pretty much on our own.  Planning and preparing for this now, will save time and confusion later.  After a disaster strikes, things will be hectic and we will all need to pull together and work together as a team if we are to survive.

I look forward to providing more information to everyone in Pine Cove and in the meanwhile, there is a lot of information here on the blog in the side columns.  Now is the time to familiarize yourself with some of these agencies and how to prepare yourself, your home and your family for an emergency.

Post Thanksgiving

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!  The weather could not have been more beautiful.  What a pleasant experience being at the Tree Lighting Ceremony and not freezing!  It was so much more pleasant.  That, plus they didn't make us wait forever to light the tree like they did last year.

This week looks to be fairly nice as well, so enjoy the good weather because you never know when it will abruptly end.  If you haven't already prepared your home for the upcoming winter season, now would be the time. 

Wrap any exposed water pipes, disconnect outdoor hoses from hose bibs, insulate water pipes in uninsulated areas under your house and cover hose bibs with insulation socks.  These may seem like small measures, but they help prevent frozen water pipes.  And as always, please turn your water off at your customer valve when you leave your mountain home.  It is really the single most important thing you can do to prevent a leak or damage from frozen or broken water pipes. 

Last year we had several leaks in unoccupied houses due to the water being left on.  It is a simple matter to just turn the water off at your customer valve.  If you forget to do it, you can give us a call at 951-659-2675 and we will be happy to go out and turn it off for you for the fee of $15.  This is much more reasonable that what the cost of a leak or broken pipe would be.

A little preparation this time of year goes a long way.

Cold Frames & Greenhouses

The early snows this year have given me serious greenhouse envy.  I had a lot of tomatoes still on the vines when the first snow hit and killed everything off.  I can't help but think that if I had some sort of a greenhouse, I could have saved those tomatoes.  Now when I pass a yard with a greenhouse in it, I get seriously jealous.

Mother Nature sure likes to give us gardening challenges here in Pine Cove.  And each year I try to outsmart her just a little more, with varying degrees of success.  At my current residence, I have large, in the ground gardens so building green houses over them would be very expensive and time consuming. Plus they get the hot afternoon sun and in the summer it would be a constant battle to keep them from frying the plants.  If they were portable, they would be so big that storing them would be a problem.  But as luck would have it, I will be moving shortly and starting all over with a new garden.  So this time I am going to garden smarter, not harder.

Being a tad over 40, my knees and various other joints now protest when I spend too much time bent over or kneeling down tending to garden chores.  So in order to continue gardening well into my fast approaching golden years, I have decided to make all raised bed gardens at my new house.  What doesn't fit in the raised beds will go into containers (on platforms with wheels for easy moving) or window boxes. 

But of course, it doesn't stop there.  My greenhouse envy now has me pondering how to make either greenhouses or cold frames to fit over the raised beds.  If I am going to go to all the trouble of building raised beds, I might as well install some sort of greenhouse protection as well.  I am going to do some research and report back here.  I am not sure what exactly I will come up with, but  I will also post pictures when my projects get underway.  In the meantime, I have to go out and dig up my now frozen and dead tomato plants out of my current garden.

Holiday Hours

Thursday, November 24th is Thanksgiving Day.  Our office hours for this week will be 9 a.m. until 4 p.m on Monday through Wednesday.  We will be closed on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day and on Friday as well.  Should you have a water emergency, please call 951-294-8282.

Everyone here at the Pine Cove Water District, Jerry H., Jerry J., Jeremy, Becky, Vicki and Stitch wishes everyone a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving Day.  We are all very thankful that we get to live and work in a community as wonderful as Pine Cove.  Enjoy your holiday!

Snowy Thanksgiving

Another storm moved through yesterday and left us with a few inches of snow.  Looks like it is going to be a white Thanksgiving this year.  More rain/snow if forecast for Thanksgiving Day, so if you are traveling, please drive carefully.  And remember, many times it is the other drivers on the road that are causing the hazards, so stay alert and go slow.  Better to get where you are going a little late, than not at all. 

Winter Survival

Here is a little something I wrote for the Idyllwild Town Crier.  Hope it helps someone.

Winter Survival by Vicki Jakubac


Winter in the mountains brings to mind images of roaring fires in stone fireplaces, cute, snow covered cabins and children frolicking in the snow. However, there is another side to winter that everyone, whether visitor or local, needs to be aware of.

While winter in the mountains can indeed be beautiful and idyllic, it can also be dangerous. Preparing yourself, your car and your home prior to a storm arriving, will help you survive should a winter emergency befall us.

Some unique challenges we face here on the hill are frozen or broken water lines, power outages and dangerous or impassable roads. High winds and heavy wet snow can topple trees onto roads or houses and you can find yourself being housebound or isolated for the duration of a storm. Preparation is the key to warding off a potentially, life threatening situation.

Any time you come to the mountains to visit, make sure that you let friends and family members know where you are going to be. Power outages are common during winter storms and you cannot be sure you will have phone service or power to charge your cell phone if there is an extended outage. If you own a mountain home, it is best to keep one old fashioned corded phone in the house that does not rely on electricity to operate.

When planning a trip to the mountains, think ahead! Bring adequate amounts of the proper clothing and footwear for cold, wet, snowy weather for each person in your party. Many people are surprised at just how cold it can get during the winter and how wet snow can be. Having the proper attire and footwear will make your snow experience a more pleasant one.

Winterize your car and be sure to have a full gas tank prior to leaving for the mountains. Stock it with emergency items like tire chains, flash lights, snow scrapers, sand and a few old rugs. Make sure you have enough blankets, snacks and drinking water handy in case you get stranded in your car. And remember, if the roads are bad, it is always best to just stay home and wait until it is safe to venture out. Preventing an emergency situation is always easier than trying to rectify one.

If you are planning to stay on the hill for several days, be sure you have enough food and an emergency supply of drinking water to last through an extended power outage. People don’t always realize that if your pipes freeze, you will not have running water. With just a little forethought and preparation, you will have a much better chance of getting through whatever Mother Nature throws at you.

If you own a home here on the hill, winterizing it is the first step in preventing unexpected emergencies such as frozen or broken water pipes, which can cause leaks. Insulate all water pipes and faucets in unheated and outdoor areas before temperatures plummet. Disconnect and drain hoses from outdoor faucets allowing water to drain from the pipe. Seal off access doors, cracks and around vents. Winter winds whistling through overlooked openings can quickly freeze exposed water pipes. When you leave your mountain home, turning your water off at your customer valve is the single most important thing you can do to prevent coming home to frozen or broken water pipes.

Winter can be a magical time here in the mountains, so be informed, come prepared and you will leave with wonderful, winter memories!

December Board Meeting

The December board meeting will be held on December 14th at 10 a.m. in the board room here at the water district office.  As always, the public is welcome to attend and we would encourage you to stop by and attend.

More snow on the way!

Well folks, it seems as if winter is off to an early start.  Just as the snow melts away from the last storm, another one is on the way.  I was so hoping for a longer autumn.  However, the snow is good for the water shed, so I guess we cannot complain because we certainly don't want to get back into drought conditions.  But when autumn is your favorite season, it seems a shame to have it cut short.

As a reminder, please turn your water off at your customer valve anytime you leave your mountain home.  It is the single most important thing you can do to prevent a leak or a frozen or broken pipe. 

Each winter, several of our customers face high water bills and damage to their homes due to pipes freezing and breaking and leaks going undetected.  If your water is turned off, you can avoid all of these problems.  Turning your water off at your customer valve is quick and easy.  If you do not know how to do it or if you are unsure where your customer valve is, give us a call.  We will be more than happy to come out during normal business hours and show you where your customer valve is and how to turn it off. 

Remember, it is like the old saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!"  Another incentive for turning your water off when you leave is the fact that should you develop a leak, you will be responsible for paying for all the water that runs through your meter.  People seem to think that when they have a leak,  their water bill will be forgiven or reduced.  However, that is not the case.  Each homeowner is responsible for paying for all the water that runs through their water meter.  While we can work with you to make a payment plan should you find yourself in this situation, we cannot just forgive the bill.  We don't want to see any of our customers in this situation, so take a minute and turn your water off when leaving. 

Board Meeting

The monthly board meeting is this morning at 10 a.m. if you care to come.  It is open to the public.

Olla Update

As you all know, I put ollas in my garden this year around my tomatoes.  However, I made one crucial mistake.  I didn't allow enough room to get to them easily.  As the tomato plants grew bigger and bigger, it quickly became like crawling through a jungle when trying to get to the ollas to fill them with water and developed into quite the unpleasant chore. 

Since I was still harvesting tomatoes, up until last Friday, I have not yet dug them up to see if the roots of the plants had grown towards or around the ollas.  Unfortunately, they are now buried under all this snow and my tomato plants are  goners.  So when I am able, I will go out and dig them up and try to see how the roots were growing and try to get a few pictures for the blog.  You dont' even want to see my poor frozen tomato plants.

What I learned this summer was that if you make ollas out of clay pots like I did, it would be wise to to do a couple of things differently than what I did.  The first thing you could do would be to place them along the edge of your garden where they will remain easy to access for filling.   Don't bury them in between lots of plants that are going to get very big in a couple of months.

The second thing you could try is to enlarge the hole on the top pot and install a piece of PVC pipe up to a height that would be easy to fill.  Not sure on the specifics of this, but you could probably drill some holes in the part of the PVC pipe that will go down into the olla to allow the water to come out and fill the olla.  They you could just walk around and fill them from the top of the PVC pipe.  Of course, I have not tried this yet, so it is all theory at this point.

The third thing you could do is to purchase ready made ollas that have the the tall spout on the top that sticks up out of the ground making them easier to fill.  This is really the only problem I have found with using the clay pots.  Since they are flat and at just about at ground level when buried, you have figure out a way to fill them easily.   Each year is a learning experience and eventually I will get this down pat.  If anyone out there has any ideas or knowledge about watering with ollas, I would love to hear your thoughts, experiences or ideas.

In addition to the above mentioned improvements, I also plan to try them in some raised bed gardens.  I have decided that raised beds and container gardens will replace my in the ground gardens as I did not enjoy crawling on my hands and knees through the tomato plants with a hose to fill the ollas.  Plus they are just so hard to work in with all the bending, stooping, kneeling and digging there is to do.   There has to be an easier way and I am going to find it!

But using smaller, raised beds, I may be able to keep the ollas at the perimeter of the raised bed, thereby making filling them much easier.  Or at the very least, eliminating the crawling on my hands and knees part. It would not have been so bad getting between the tomato plants had I not had to get on my hands and knees to do it.

I feel that gardening should be an enjoyable past time.  While it is hard work and challenging at times, why not incorporate things that make it easier and more pleasant, like raised beds.  I will be making mine tall enough that I can sit on the edge of them and do my gardening chores either standing or sitting.  I think that will make gardening much more enjoyable and much less of a chore and perhaps some water saving methods, such as ollas, will be easier to incorporate into raised bed gardens than they are into the ground.

One thing I will report is that I was shocked at how often the ollas went dry.  I was filling them daily until the last 6 weeks or so when I gave up and just watered the tomatoes normally.  So I feel that they must have been doing their job superbly.  The water was definitely seeping out and I am pretty sure I am going to find lots of tomato plant roots around each one once I can get to them.

All in all I would say that my olla experiment was a success and with some tweaking next year, I think it can be even a greater success.  I will also work on some posts on raised bed, container and window box gardening in the near future.

Board Meeting!

Tomorrow is our monthly board meeting.  It will begin promptly at 10 a.m. and is held in the board room here at the water district office.   The public is welcome to attend and the agenda is always posted in the box outside the front door here at the office in accordance with the Brown Act.  You can read the minutes to past meetings on our website at www.pcwd.org.  We hope to see you there!

Turn Off Your Water

Well folks, it is time once again to remind everyone to...

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

Every winter people experience leaks, broken and frozen pipes and a lot of it can be prevented by one simple act.  We cannot emphasize this strongly enough.  When you leave your mountain, take a minute and turn you water off at your customer valve.  It is that easy and that simple and will save you a world of headaches, not to mention money. 

If you develop a leak or a break on your side of the meter, you will be responsible for all the water that runs through your meter and this can add up to quite a large water bill depending on the size of the break or leak and the length of time it runs.   Many people are under the misconception that if they have a leak, they do not have to pay for the water used.  This is incorrect.  If the water runs through your meter, no matter the reason, the home owner is responsible for paying for that water.  I am not sure why people think they don't have to pay for the water when they have a leak, but every time someone has a leak, we hear over and over again that they thought they didn't have to pay for the water lost. 

So please, do yourself a favor.  Just turn off your water when you leave.  That way when you come back to visit your mountain home, you won't be hit with any unpleasant surprises or bills.

If you do not know where your customer valve is or how to turn it off, please give us a call at 951-659-2675.  We would be happy to come out during regular business hours and show you where it is and how to turn it off.  It is way better to be safe than sorry and no one wants to deal with broken, frozen pipes or leaks when they come up to visit they mountain home.

What the heck?

OK, who ordered all this snow?  Not me, that is for sure.  I am not ready for winter.  I was highly enjoying our brief autumn season.  Some of the trees hadn't even turned colors yet and now they are flopped over heavy with snow.  That is the funny thing about living here in the mountains.  The seasons can sure trick you.  So ready or not, here we are with a pile of snow to contend with and it is only early November. 

Last night was quite the show as well with the thunder and lightening.  I always find that strange to have thunder and lightening with snow.  I am not sure why, but I think it is weird.  Snow fall always seems to be a quiet type of weather.  So many times when it is snowing up here, it is so very quiet.  I love that.  No cars on the road, no snow plows noisily flying down the road.  The animals all seem to have disappeared, hopefully taking shelter somewhere dry.  The world just seems to go to sleep while the snow silently falls.  Thunder and lightening is not part of my snow picture and I find it somewhat unsettling.

The snow also presents a challenge if you have animals that you keep outside.   Please be sure to give them fresh warm water, clean, dry, fresh food and make sure they have a shelter out of the wind, rain and snow.  Remember, they can't self cater and rely upon us for their needs.  If you take on the responsibility of an animal, please be a responsible owner and see to their needs.

Also use caution when driving because as we all know, the roads here can be treacherous and many times it isn't the road conditions so much as the other drivers on the road.  Beware of people who don't know how to drive in the snow.  I have had many near misses due to inexperienced drivers coming up to the mountains  unprepared.  Go slow and leave a large distance between you and the cars in front of you.  As always, if you don't have to go out, then don't.  No sense risking life and limb for something that can wait until another day. 

So stay warm, stay dry and stay safe.  Hopefully it will warm up and most of this snow will melt away and autumn will come back and give us a few weeks before we settle into winter for good.  I am so not ready for winter.

Heads Up! Weather change coming

Well it is that time of year again folks. The weather can change on a dime and while we have been enjoying nice weather these past few weeks, there is change afoot.  There is snow in the forecast for tomorrow.

Tonight: A 20 percent chance of rain after 11pm. Increasing clouds, with a low around 32. West wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Friday: Rain showers likely before 11am, then snow showers. High near 34. West wind between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

I guess 1 to 3 inches isn't too bad for the first storm of the season, but I am enjoying this fabulous fall weather and would prefer to keep it at least until December.   However, moisture is always needed and welcome, so should we receive some, I will not complain. 

So make sure you are ready for snow.  It is better to be safe than sorry because the weather can be unpredictable at this time of the year.  As always, remember to turn your water off at your customer valve when you leave your mountain home.  This is the single most important thing you can do to prevent leaks.  Please take a minute and check the side of the blog for more cold weather tips.

Also, if you have animals outside, please be sure you provide for them in this colder weather.  A warm, dry shelter out of the elements is essential as is fresh food and water, no matter what the weather is.  Remember, they depend on you to provide for all their needs and it is your responsibility as a pet owner to provide what they need. 

We also have a link to the weather forecast on the left hand side of the blog as well many other helpful links and phone numbers.  I continually add to the list any websites or phone numbers that I think may be useful to the residents here in Pine Cove.  If I have missed any, please drop me a line at Vicki@pcwd.org and let me know.

November Board Meeting

Our monthly board meeting for November will be held on Wednesday, November 9th at 10 am.  The public is welcome to attend.  Our board meetings are open to the public and always held on the second Wednesday of each month.  They are held in the board room of our district office located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road.  We are located right next to the fire station.  We hope to see you there.

Discover Mountain Gardening

Saturday the Idyllwild Garden Club presented two speakers at their Discover Mountain Gardening program at the Caine Learning Center. Dr. James Nieh from UCSD gave a presentation on The Dangers of Being a Honey Bee. Joe Walker of Obra Verde Growers in Valley Center then spoke on Australian Perennials: Water-Wise Beauties for Your Landscape. Both speakers were very informative and I think the many people that attended learned a lot. We hope you were able to be there as well. They also had a wide variety of bulbs and plants available for sale on the deck. Hot cider and yummy home baked goodies were made available as well and everyone received a free packet of seeds to plant in their garden next spring.

It was a beautiful fall morning as everyone shopped for bulbs and enjoyed some cider and home baked goodies.



Sign in table.



Joe Walker giving a presentation on Australian Perennials.  Approximately 40 people attended this presentation.



IGC Discover Mountian Gardening

Don't forget that this Saturday, starting at 8:30 a.m., the Idyllwild Garden Club is having their annual bulb sale as well as presenting two speakers.  We are hoping that many of our Pine Cove neighbors will take advantage of this presentation because there will be some good information presented on water wise plants as well as some fire resistant plants.  I think it will be very informative and the Pine Cove Water District is happy would could be a part of it.

I will be attending and taking notes and pictures and will post here about what I learned.  Hopefully the information will help everyone here in Pine Cove who would like to garden with natives or incorporate some fire resistant plants into their landscape or garden. 

If you would like more information, you can visit the Idyllwild Garden Clubs website at http://www.idyllwildgardenclub.net/

Hope to see you there!

November Board Meeting

The November board meeting will be held on November 9, 2011 at 10 a.m. in the district office board room.  The public is invited to attend.  We hope to see you there!

Garden Club Speakers

On Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011, Pine Cove Water District partners with the Idyllwild Garden Club to host two special guest speakers.  Dr. James Nieh from UCSD will be speaking about The Dangers of Being a Honey Bee.  Then Joe Walker of Obra Verde Growers in Valley Center will present Australian Perennials: Water-Wise Beauties For Your Landscape and also touch a little bit on fire resistant plants.  They will also be having their annual bulb sale which will feature mountain tested Native and non-native bulbs.  They will be packaged with photos and instructions for your convenience.  They will be for sale outside on the deck of the Caine Center.

The fun starts at 8:30 a.m. and goes until 1 p.m. We  hope to see many of our Pine Cove residents there.

Heat Wave?

The weather forecasters are calling for a heat wave over the next few days.  Last week they were talking possible snow and now a heat wave.  The weather sure is mixed up these days.  My poor tomato plants aren't sure what to do.  Some keep growing and some just gave up and died off.  Can't say that I blame them.  It is hard to figure.  And the leaves haven't started changing yet either.  Hopefully, they will start soon.  It won't feel like October, until they do.  We have had winter and summer weather within the past week and that leaves me to wonder, where is autumn?

Board Meeting

Tomorrow, Oct. 12th, is the monthly board meeting.  It begins at 10 am and the public is welcome.  We hope to see you there.  If you want to see what is going to be discussed at the board meeting, we post the agenda the Friday prior to the meeting.  You are free to stop by and read it.  We hope to see you there.

October Rainfall Totals

Great rain storm yesterday.  The weather station has recorded 1.54 inches of rain for October so far.  According to weather.com, our average rainfall in October is 1.22 inches, so we are already ahead of the game.  Is this a preview of things to come?  No one knows for sure, but it is a good start.  Rain and moisture are always welcome here in Pine Cove, no matter what the month on the calendar it is. 

It also serves as a reminder that winter isn't that far off and that we should be getting ready for it, if we aren't already.  While the weather is supposed to warm up again, there is no guarantee how long it will last, so it would be a good idea to get all those pesky little jobs done that you have been putting off.

Helpful Hints

Just wanted to let everyone know to check out both sides of the blog.  They are loaded with tons of helpful information and phone numbers for everything from the weather to an emergency.  So if you need some information about something, check out the sides of the blog and you might be pleasantly surprised.  Also, if you have a link or phone number to some information that you think would be helpful to everyone here in Pine Cove, drop me a note and let me know.  If it is something helpful, I will post it on the side of the blog.

Autumn Chores

Now that it is October, winter can't be far behind.  Now is the perfect time to get out into the garden and get it ready for next spring.  Autumn is a great time to add compost to your soil and to mulch in plants and trees that are already established.  When you use a natural mulch material such as wood chips, they will slowly decompose over time and provide compost to your soil as well as helping it retain moisture.  Well composted soil retains water much better than unamended soil.  So adding compost and mulch to the plants already in your yard, will help them become healthier and stronger and in turn you will use less water in your garden. 

So before fall turns to winter, get out there in the yard and add compost and mulch and let nature do it's work over the winter while you are inside enjoying a toasty warm fire and a hot cup of cocoa.  Remember that we have free wood chips available to anyone here on the hill. 

October's Board Meeting

October's board meeting will be held on October 12, 2011 at 10 a.m.   As always, the public is welcome to attend.  We hope to see you there. 

Did you feel it?

No, not an earthquake, but that little nip in the air the past couple of mornings.  It is chilly in the morning.  I love that.  I checked the weather forecast and next week they are calling for overnight lows in the 40's!  That is just about cold enough to make me want to turn the heat on for a few minutes to take the chill off the house.

 It seems that nowadays, the seasons come and go in a flash.  No gradual warming or cooling, just cold one day and hot the next and visa verse.  Perhaps it is just me, but it seems like someone just throws a switch and bam, summer is over and winter is here. Very odd.  Spring and fall seem to come and go in the blink of an eye as well.  Which is too bad as they are my two favorite seasons.

The nip in the air reminds us that now is the best time to winterize you home in order to avoid problems down the road. 

The single most important thing you can do to prevent a leak from broken pipes, is to turn your water off at your customer valve when you leave your mountain home.

We cannot stress this enough.  There have been so many instances of leaks that could have been prevented if the homeowner had just turned their water off prior to leaving their home.  So we will keep promoting this until everyone gets it!

Some other winterizing tips are located on the left side of the blog, down towards the bottom, but I will post them here as well.

Winterizing Tips

Every winter season, homeowners in mountain communities are at risk of the damage and expense caused by frozen pipes. However, just a few precautions can greatly reduce your risk and may even help with your winter heating efficiency.

1. Disconnect and Drain-detaching hoses from outdoor faucets allows water to drain from the pipe.

2. Insulate-if you have pipelines in an unheated garage or cold crawl spaced under the house, wrap the water pipes before temperatures plummet. You can also purchase insulated covers for your outdoor faucets as well.

3. Seal Off Vents, Cracks and Doors-winter winds whistling through overlooked openings can quickly freeze exposed water pipes.

By following these simple steps, you will be protecting yourself from a possible leak or broken pipe due to freezing.

These are just a few tips to get you started and help prevent a broken water pipe due to freezing.  And remember, it is so much easier to do these chores now before temperatures plummet.  No one wants to be outside doing winterizing chores when the weather is cold and wet.  So do yourself a favor and get them done now while the days are still warm and sunny and come winter, you can sit inside in front of the fire and enjoy your mountain home instead of worrying.

Frugal Friday

Today is the first day of autumn.  That means summer is over and the gardening season is winding down quickly.  I am always amazed at how fast the vegetable garden goes from lush abundance to looking like it's better days are long gone.  It seems to happen over night.  The good news is the tomatoes are ripening by the dozens and that means all sorts of yummy things like tomato pie, BLT's and of course fresh, homegrown tomatoes adding to just about everything I make from salads to pizzas. 

I have also been sharing my bounty.  I think as gardeners, we love sharing what we have grown with others.  They always seem so appreciative and it makes me happy that someone else will enjoy what I labored all summer to grow.  I should can some tomatoes, but I don't know if I will get around to it or not.  Right now I am enjoying taking bags of tomatoes to unsuspecting neighbors and watching their faces light up!

Hope your garden was bountiful and that your autumn will be too!

October Board Meeting

The October Board Meeting will be held on October 12th at 10 a.m. in the board room here at the district office.  Our address is 24917 Marion Ridge Road in case you would like to attend.  Everyone is welcome.  Hope to see you there.

Lemon Lilies

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going out to the Highway 243 well property to disperse the lemon lily seeds from the pods that were open and full of seeds.  I don't know if we will get any new lilies next year or not, but I made a good try at putting the seeds in spots where they would have a good chance to germinate.  Apparently lemon lilies don't have a high germination rate, but we will see what happens.  Perhaps Mother Nature will smile upon us and a few seeds will actually develop into lilies. 

I was amazed at how many seeds are in each pod.  They were also a beautiful honey yellow color and were stacked very neatly inside the pods.  They just poured right out of the pod.  Very cool.  So we will see how it all works out.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Monday Musings

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  The Idyllwild Area Historical Society had their annual fund raiser this past Saturday.  That's right, the Idyllwild Home Tour.  I hope you were able to attend.  As per usual, there were 5 spectacular houses on the tour, each very distinctive in their design.  I played my harp at one of the houses and thoroughly enjoyed the day.  This is a major fund raiser for the IAHS. 

They are also holding a drawing for a lovely garden bench that was hand made from local bark beetle pine by staff at the Pine Cove Water District.  The lumber was milled by the Bautista inmates and the Pine Cove Water District donated the garden bench to the IAHC.  It would be an adorable addition to any one's garden or deck.  Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5.  The winner will be notified by phone and need not be present to win.  So make sure you get your tickets and a chance a winning a great bench that was made right here at the Pine Cove Water District.

Rain, Rain Come & Stay!

Rain, rain come and stay,
And come again another day. 

What a great rain storm yesterday!  The weather station up at the Rocky Point tanks has now registered  a total of .71 inches of rain for the month of September.  That is great.  Wonder if we can make it to an inch?  Anyway, it was a very refreshing day giving everything a well deserved shower.  Hope you enjoyed your rainy day yesterday.

Board Meeting Reminder

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow is our monthly board meeting.  It starts at 10 a.m sharp and is open to the public.  It is held in the board room here at the water district office.  We hope to see you there.

Board Meeting Reminder

Just a quick note to let everyone know that our monthly board meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 14, in the board room here at the water district.  The public is welcome to attend and the agenda is always posted in the box next to the front door, as per the Brown Act.  If you would like to see what as transpired at past meetings, feel free to visit our website at http://www.pcwd.org/ where you can read the minutes from past meetings.  Our board meetings are held the second Wednesday of every month.  We hope to see you there!

Monday Musing

Here we are back in the office after an absolutely gorgeous Pine Cove weekend.  Sometimes it is hard to believe what beautiful weather we are often blessed with.  As we move towards autumn, these last warm days of summer are to be relished.  All too soon we will hunkered down indoors with darkness arriving as we prepare our evening meal and Old Man Winter howling at our doors.  Autumn is such a glorious time of year as we grow weary of the heat and gardening chores of summer and prepare for the upcoming holidays and for spending time indoors.  But in the meantime, enjoy every glorious moment that you can and hopefully there will be many more sunny days we can spend outdoors before cold temperatures force us inside.

Labor Day

Well folks, I guess it is official.  Summer is winding down.  We just had our last official holiday of the summer season.  Since it was cool and rainy all day on Monday, I imagine a few plans got rained out or changed.  As for myself, I spent the day making jam from some boysenberries I got from a friend in Anza and canning green beans that I grew myself.  So I was happy for the less than perfect weather.  In my book, rain is the perfect weather.  But no matter, we hope everyone had a great holiday regardless of what they did.  And as the summer of 2011 comes to a close, we can take comfort in the fact that we  have the wonderful autumn season to look forward too! 

Autumn means cool, brisk mornings, spectacularly perfect sunny autumn afternoons,  leaves changing colors and that feeling in the air that the seasons are changing. We will smell the smoke from the first fires of the season as the evenings start to get cold and the smell of pine and cedar will permeate the cool evening air. It is also a time to get back to cooking soups, stews and all sorts of things that get put away for the summer months when cooking heats up the kitchen too much or there is just too much to do outside to be stuck in the kitchen over the hot stove.  But sandwiches and salads lose their appeal after several months and a bubbly beef stew with warm, homemade bread fresh from the oven and a fresh baked apple pie for dessert have been on my mind lately. 

While I am sure summer has a few punches left for us, I know it won't be long until my favorite season of the year is upon us.  Meanwhile, I will be having salad again for dinner tonight!

Board Meeting

The September board meeting will be held on September 14, 2011 at 10 a.m. in the board room here at the district office, which is located at 24917 Marion Ridge Rd.  The public is welcome to attend.  Hope to see you there.

Mail Issues?

I am not sure why, but for some reason we are having a lot of customers tell us that they haven't received their bills this past billing cycle and have had quite a few tell us that they mailed in their payment 10 or more days ago and we either have not received them or they are taking a long time to arrive.  We don't know what is going on, but the bills were mailed on on August 1st and were due on the 25th.  So if you have not received yours, please give us a call so we can tell you how much is due.  Late charges will be added to unpaid bills on Sept. 10th, so you want to avoid that.  While it is normal for a bill or two to go missing, there seems to be a rash of mail either not showing up or coming very slowly.  Hopefully, this won't continue, but in the meantime, feel free to contact us via email at Becky@pcwd.org or call us at 951-659-2675 or stop by the office and we will be happy to tell you if your payment has arrived or not or what the balance due is on your account.

Monday Musings

What a wonderful, wet weekend we had!  Is there anything better than a summer rain storm? Not in my book.   As I left the office on Friday, it was just starting to rain.  Saturday brought a downpour and Sunday brought another nice shower.  I had to go to the beach all day on Saturday, so I missed Saturday's storm, but as we arrived back up on the hill, we could feel the coolness in the air as well as smell the rain.  It was wonderful!  It almost makes it worth going off the hill just so you can come back and have that feeling of relief at being back on the hill.  I think going off the hill makes me appreciate being able to live on the hill a lot more.  After time away, is there anything nicer than coming around the corner in and seeing and smelling Idyllwild?  Of course if you are coming up the Banning side, it is seeing the Pine Cove sign.  It is almost as if every muscle in your body suddenly relaxes at that point and you realize, I'm home.  I have always told my husband that I would rather live in a tent in Pine Cove, than in a million dollar home off the hill.  I just hope he doesn't take me literally!

Pets and Heat

It seems we are having a bit of a heat wave this week.  Whew!  Can't wait until it is over, but in the mean time, we have to all try to stay as cool as possible.  Since so many of our customers are also animal owners or animal lovers, it is a good time to remind everyone to be extra diligent with their animals in this heat.

 Please do not leave your pet in the car during this heat wave.  I know many people like to take their dogs with them when they run errands, but if you can't do them early in the morning, then just leave them at home.  It is just too hot to sit in a car, even with all the windows down.  Your beloved friend will be much more comfortable at home, than in the hot car.

Water.  Make sure your pets have plenty of fresh, clean, cold water to drink.  This is especially important for animals kept outside.  Add ice to it periodically to make it as cold as possible.  It is critically important that they have access to fresh, clean, cool water at all times. Also, be sure to provide shade for them as a resbit from the sun and heat.  We all know it can be many degrees cooler in the shade than in the sun and this is a welcome relief to your animal.  Some animals enjoy a small kiddie pool full of water to cool off in.  If your pet doesn't like to get wet, try this.  Fill a kiddie pool or any container large enough to accommodate your pet, with sand.  Freeze a couple of gallon jugs or large freezer bags full of water and bury them in the sand.  Make sure you put this in the shade and it will provide a cool place for your pet to escape from the heat. 

If your pet isn't an indoor pet and if you have a nice cool garage, it can be a good idea to temporarily put your pet in the garage to make sure they stay nice and cool.  If this isn't an option, then you will need to take a couple extra steps to ensure your pet stays cool and comfortable during this heat wave.

Remember, our pets depend on us for their health, safety and well being.  This heat is hard on them and it doesn't take that much extra effort to make sure they are comfortable and well cared for during this heat wave.

Bills Due

Hi everyone.  Tomorrow is August 25 and that is the due date for the August billing period.  If you are experiencing difficulties paying your bill, please call Becky at 951-659-2675 and she would be happy to try to work something out with you.  Late bills are subject to a late fee, so you want to avoid that if possible.

Frugal Friday

OK, let's be honest here.  How many times have you gone out and turned your hose on to water something in the garden, only to get involved in another project and forget all about the hose that is running?  I know I have done it. I just did it the other day and I was outside the whole time and still I forgot it was on.   I just got involved it another task and the running hose slipped my mind.  It is easy to do, especially if you are trying to multi task and get other chores done while the hose is running.  I have been trying to think of a way to solve this problem.  Since I just did this a couple days ago, it is fresh in my mind, but other than putting sticky notes all over the place, including on myself, I didn't really come up with a good solution. 

So imagine my surprise when  I came in this morning, logged onto the blog, and saw the answer right there in front of me.  On the left side of the blog is a daily water saving tip widget. Most of the tips I have already seen and I know about them.  However,  today's tip was one I hadn't seen before.    It said to set a kitchen timer when watering with a hose so you don't forget about it.   How simple, easy and cheap is that?  And it is such a simple thing that I am sitting here scratching my head and wondering why the heck didn't I think of that?

 Most everyone has a kitchen timer and if you don't, they are easily obtainable at a hardware store, kitchen store, grocery store or discount store and are very inexpensive. You can take it outside with you and put it in your pocket if you are working in the yard.  If you are working inside, just take it with you and put it in what ever room you are working in.  When it goes off, you will be reminded to go turn off your hose. If you are like me and wear an old apron when working in the yard, just stick it in your apron pocket and you are good to go.    Which brings us back to the whole point of Frugal Friday anyway.  By watering our gardens in the most efficient way possible, we will not only save water, which is good for our water table,  but it will keep our water bills down as well, thereby saving us money.  And who doesn't want to save money as well as the environment?

So there you have it.  If you are like me and tend to forget the hose is running, invest in a kitchen timer and get in the habit of setting it each and every time you turn the hose on and soon forgotten hoses will be a thing of the past.

Rainwater-Harvesting Principles

Even though it is summer and we aren't getting much rain right now, you can still think about rainwater-harvesting and start getting ready now for when the rain and snow does come.  I have been reading Brad Lancaster's website, www.harvestingraingwater.com, a lot lately.  He has a lot of great information and suggestions on how to capture and keep rain water.  One of his practices that I find interesting is how he keeps the water that falls onto his property, on his property.  He encourages others to do the same.  By using swales and berms and by amending your soil so it is more absorbent, you too can keep more of the rain that falls onto your property, on your property.

Here are Brad's Eight Rainwater-Harvesting Principles.  If you want more info, he has two books out as well as his website.  They are all worth checking out.

1.  Begin with long and thoughtful observation.
      Use all of your senses to see where the water flows and how.  What is working and what is not?  Build 
       on what works.
2.  Start at the top-or highpoint-of your watershed and work your way down.
      Water travels downhill.  Start at the top where there is less volume and velocity so it is easier to follow
       the next principle...
3.  Start small and simple.
     Work at the human scale so you can build and repair everything. One thousand small strategies are far
      more effective than one big one when you are trying to infiltrate water into the soil.
4.  Spread and infiltrate the flow of water.
      Rather than having water run erosively off the land's surface, encourage it to stick around, walk around
      and infiltrate INTO the soil.
5.  Always plan for an overflow route and manage that overflow as a resource.
     Always have an overflow for the water in times of extra-heavy rains and use that overflow as a resource.
6.  Maximize living, organic ground cover.
     Create a living sponge so the harvested water is used to create more resources, while the soil's ability to
     infiltrate and hold water steadily improves.
7.  Maximize beneficial relationships and efficiency by "stacking functions."
     Get your water-harvesting strategies to do more than hold water.  Berms or swales can double as high
     and dry raised paths.  Plantings can be placed to cool buildings.  Trees can be selected to provide food.
8.  Continually reassess your system:  the "feedback loop."
     Learn from your work-we begin with the first principle.

I know a lot of this information seems daunting, but Brad breaks things down and takes them one step at a time and makes it seem like a much more manageable way to keep our yards and gardens.  By getting more water to stay on your property, you will be able to decrease your dependency on irrigation in order  to keep your landscape green and healthy.  So think about taking some baby steps toward keeping more rainwater on your property instead of letting it run down the road. 

Firewise Landscaping

Here we are in the middle of August and while it hasn't been an overly hot summer, it hasn't been an especially wet one either.  We must remain ever vigilant about our fire abatement and keeping the plants and trees in our yards healthy, as a healthy plant or tree is more fire resistant than a sickly one.

We all know about the basics of fire abatement around our properties and homes, however, I came across a Guide to Firewise Landscaping at the website of the National Fire Protection Association and thought they had some additional ideas that aren't normally told to people.

One is to use brick or stone finishes on your house.  I would think this is a no brainer, but I have never seen this on any fire abatement literature that I have read.  If you are going to be re-doing the outside of your home, it might be a good idea to incorporate some stone or brick into the design.  Here in the mountains, stone is a very appropriate look if you are trying to stay with that rustic, mountainy look.  Instead of installing cedar shingles down to the ground, why not put some stone around the bottom of the house and then your cedar shingles on the upper half. 

 Also using pavers for driveways or walkways can create a fuel break within your yard.  If you are wanting a water permeable driveway or path, try using gravel with large rocks lining your path.  This will keep the gravel in the path or driveway as well as help with creating a fuel break and look pleasing in your landscape as well.

If you are going to be replacing any doors or windows, go for double paned or tempered glass.  Double-paned glass can help reduce the risk of fracture or collapses during an extreme wildfire.  Tempered glass is the most effective of the two and if you are going to be installing any skylights, glass is a better choice than plastic or fiberglass.

Some other tips, which may or may not be feasible are to use a concrete patio instead of a wooded deck, use pebbles, river rock or gravel instead of mulch near your home's foundation and use rubber outdoor mats rather than natural fiber ones.

Anything attached to the house (decks, porches, fences and outbuildings)should be considered part of the house.  These act as fuel bridges, particularly if they are constructed from flammable materials.  If a wood fence is attached to the house, separate the fence from the house with a masonry or metal barrier.  Decks need to be kept free of combustible materials and debris. Box in eaves, fascias, soffits and vents or enclose them with metal screens.  Vent openings should be covered with 1/8" metal screen.

So remember,  fire season is never over and go out and take a walk around your property and see what you can do today to make it more fire safe.  By continually making improvements to protect your home, you will stand a greater chance of your home surviving, should a fire come our way. 

Next Board Meeting

Just a head's up that the next water district board meeting will be held on September 14th at 10 a.m. in the board room at the water district office.  The public is welcome to attend.  We hope to see you there!

10,000 Hits!

Well the blog has reached another milestone!  Actually we reached it last Monday on August 1.  We have over 10,000 hits now!  That is incredible. We were getting close at the end of July and I was predicting we would hit 10,000 by the board meeting on Aug. 10.  Boy was I wrong.  When I came in the morning of August 1 and read the blogs stats, it said 10,039.  I couldn't believe it.

We would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read the blog, send in a picture or leave a comment or emailed us.  We appreciate it very much.  We want everyone to know what is going on here at the Pine Cove Water District and we feel the blog is a great way to let people know what is going on as well as provide a lot of community information, links, addresses and phone numbers as well as emergency numbers.

  We hope you find the blog helpful and as always, if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact us.  Our office phone number is 951-659-2675.  My email address is pcwd2675@yahoo.com and Becky's email address is Becky@pcwd.org.  Our address is 24917 Marion Ridge Road in case you want to pop into the office.  We are located right next to the fire station.

Board Meeting Reminder

This month's board meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 10th at 10 a.m.  The agenda was posted last Friday morning if you want to have a look at it.  Becky also posts it on the website at http://www.pcwd.org/ if you prefer to use the Internet.  As always, the public is invited to attend and we hope to see you there.

August Board Meeting

August's board meeting will be held on August 10 at 10 a.m. in the board room at the water district office.  We are located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road, right next to the fire station.   The meeting is open to the public and we hope to see everyone there.  The agenda will be posted tomorrow if you care to come and look at it prior to the meeting. 

Monday Musings

August is here!  Wow, where is the time going?  Wasn't it just the 4th of July the other day?  Well, we still have lots of summer concerts and the Jazz Festival to look forward to before we head into Labor Day weekend.  July went out spectacularly.  What a lovely, rainy weekend.  While I didn't get any painting done on my shed, I can't complain.  The rain was well worth putting off the painting for another week. It will probably take me until Christmas time to get it done anyway.  The rain was a good excuse for staying inside and napping!  I did do some inside chores, but I also took the liberty of goofing off as well.  I just love waking up to a cloudy, rainy morning and it puts me in a good mood for the remainder of the day. 

This morning as I walked to work, everything looked so refreshed.  I think most of the pine pollen has now been washed away, as I saw very little of it during this storm.  The last storm that came through created yellow rivers and puddles, due to the large amount of pine pollen that had settled onto everything.  I noticed the plants and trees all looked extremely happy this morning.  Freshly showered and cooled off, they were standing taller, looking greener and I think some of my trees actually grew over the weekend!  Rain is an amazing gift and it rejuvenates everything living here on the mountain.  The plants and trees  Rain is so incredibly refreshing during the summer.  I tire easily of the heat and the dryness.  But the rain brings a coolness to the air that is invigorating and I think plants, animals and humans are grateful for the break from the unrelenting sunshine. 

We have a couple more chances for rain this week and I do hope they pan out.  Here in southern California, I don't think we can have too much rain in the summer time.  At least not in my opinion.

Bird Houses are Re-Stocked!

We have a fresh batch of blue bird houses ready to give away to our customers.  The boys make these out of recycled fence boards.  Rather than take them to the landfill, they figured out something useful to make out of them.  So if you haven't gotten yours yet, why not stop by and pick one up?  They are free for the taking and the blue birds will thank you!

Meter Reading

Just a quick reminder that the boys, a.k.a. Jerry and Jeremy, are out reading meters today.  August water bills will be in the mail on August 2 and will be due on August 25th.  Please remember to continue conserving water when ever possible.  Even though we are not in any conservation stages, the more we save now, the more we will have later or in lean years.  You never know when old Mother Nature is going to withhold the moisture and we want to be sure we are prepared.

Olla Update!

When I planted my tomatoes several weeks ago, I also put in some ollas made out of clay pots.  While the plants were small, they seemed to hold water for a couple of days before going dry.  Of course the temperatures weren't as high then as they are now either.  Now that the tomatoes are well over 3 feet tall and the temperatures are higher, I am finding the ollas are drying out daily.  So this tells me two things.  One, that they must be working and two, that maybe they aren't large enough.  I still have to water the tomatoes as well, but I am trying to do it every other day and let the ollas water them on the off days.  Since most of them now either have tomatoes on them or flowers, I am assuming my watering is sufficient.  I was hoping to only use the ollas, but the tomatoes were wilting, so I have had to do some additional watering.

Anyone who gardens knows that it is a constant learning experience with lots of experimenting going on.   Especially with vegetables.  Lots of trial and error.  But each year you can put that knowledge to use and have a better garden than you did the year before.  So next year I will make ollas that are double the size of the ones I am currently using and see how that works.  I will then take the ones I am using now and put them in another location. Perhaps around some zucchini plants or in the spaces between the green beans. 

I am also wondering if I perhaps I didn't bury deep enough.  Traditionally made ollas have a neck and you bury them up to the neck.  Since I used clay pots, mine have no neck and so I had to make sure the top of the pot was accessible, which means some of the pot is sticking out above the soil line.  So now I am wondering if I could attach a small piece of PVC pipe into the hole on the top of each olla and fill it through the pipe. This would enable me to bury the whole pot well below the soil line and just leave the PVC pipe sticking up.  This would actually be helpful because I could make the pipe any length I want and eliminate bending and kneeling in order to reach the olla to fill it.  So stay tuned for my olla modifications next spring!

If you are using ollas in your garden this year, let us know about it.  We would love to hear how our customers as using them in their gardens and what their experiences are.  I think they are a great alternative to overhead watering and I am determined to use them in my vegetable gardens as much as possible.

Emergency Situations

The guys at the fire station next door asked us to remind everyone that in the case of an emergency or fire, do not call the fire station directly.  Call 911!  All emergency help has to be routed through the 911 system.  They may not be the closest help available and by calling them directly, valuable time is lost.  So please remember that if you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 immediately and they will see to it that you get the help you need as quickly as possible.

August Board Meeting

The August board meeting will be held on August 10 at 10 a.m. in the board room at the water district office.  We are located at 24917 Marion Ridge Rd. right next to the fire station.  Everyone is welcome to attend and we hope to see you there.  If you cannot attend the meetings, you can find the minutes from past meetings on our website at www.pcwd.org. 

Monday Musings

How is your summer going so far?  It is the last week of July and summer is flying on by.  Hope you are having a good one.  Everything is pretty quiet here the water district.  We are keeping busy working though as there is always something to do here.  We are still giving out $25 gift certificates to your restaurant of choice if you spot a leak and report it.  So keep your eyes peeled, even though it is summer.  Leaks can happen at anytime, so we must always be vigilant.  If you spot one, just give us a call and we will go check it out.  If it is a leak, we will go pick up your gift certificate and give it to you. 

As always, we would like to remind everyone to turn their water off at their customer valve when they leave their mountain home.  Leaks don't take a vacation or only happen in the winter, so an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say.  Isn't it better to be safe than sorry?  It only takes a minute to do and can avert a potential disaster.  If you do not know where your customer valve is, please call the office at 951-659-2675 during normal business hours, and we will send one of the boys out to show you where it is and how to turn it on and off.  Everyone should know where they customer shut off valve is.

If you have any other questions about your water service or billing, please feel free to call us or stop by the office.  We will be happy to help you in any way we can.

Meter Readings

Just a quick reminder that on Thursday and Friday of this week, the boys, Jerry and Jeremy, will be out and about reading meters.  Bills will be mailed out the first part of next week and will be due on August 25.  Remember, we bill every other month on the even months. 

Links

I don't know if everyone has noticed this or not, but down the left side of the blog, I have posted several links that I think are very helpful, including a weather link.  If you know of any other links that would prove useful for us to post, please feel free to email me at pcwd2765@yahoo.com and let me know what you would like to see added.  I tried to add some of the most commonly used ones so people could just come here and look rather than having to search around.  I hope you find a lot of useful information here on the blog.

Monday Musings

Here it is the 18th of the month already.  Where does the time go?  Next week it will be time to read the meters again.  The boys will probably be out and about the second half of next week.  Bills will be sent out the first part of the following week.  Just thought I'd give everyone a heads up.  As a reminder, we bill every other month on the even months.  So February, April, June, August, October and December are the months you will receive a bill.

Bills are always due by the 25th of the month they are received in.  If you are going to have a problem paying, it is best to get in touch with Becky at 951-659-2675 and let her know.  Late payments are subject to a $15 late fee and so you want to avoid that if possible.

We also want to remind everyone to turn their water off at their customer valve when they leave their mountain home.  Yes, it is summer, but leaks can happen any time of the year.  Customers are responsible for all the water that runs through their meter, so leak prevention is critical. We have to be vigilant all year long, not just in the winter time.  So if you are leaving, take a minute and turn your water off.  It is like the old saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."  So true when it comes to turning the water off to your home.

If you do not know where your customer valve is, please give us a call and one of the boys, Jerry or Jeremy,  will be more than happy to come out and show you where it is located and how to turn it off and on.  It is a simple thing that can save you thousands of dollars in water bills and damage.  If you have an outdoor watering system, it is good to check that periodically for leaks as well.  Some times the squirrels can reek havoc with outdoor drip systems or they can just develop leaks over time.  A few minutes spent in maintenance and prevention will also go a long way in preventing unexpected leaks. 

Here at the Pine Cove Water District, we want our customers to be aware of things that can and do go wrong and how to prevent a catastrophic leak.  I know we sound like a broken record at times, however, there are still those who do not heed our advice or warnings and they end up with a problem.  We hate to see anyone have to deal with that, so we will keep repeating ourselves over and over again.  Turn your water off when you leave your mountain home!

Fugal Friday

Since summer got off to such a slow start, it seems I am currently in a planting frenzy now that it has warmed up.  Since this is Frugal Friday, it wouldnt' be right of me to say I was at the nursery "buying" things to plant.  That isn't very frugal, now is it?  No, I was actually transplanting things from around my yard that self sow.  Specifically I have been transplanting lambs ear.  About 5 years ago, my friend  gave me half a dozen or so plants  from her garden that were growing everywhere.  At the time, I was just getting started on my current garden and a lack of funds was making for a frustrating gardening experience.  So being the avid gardener that she is, she was happy to share her over flow of plants with me.  So I took my little starts, went home and planted them all in  a row in a small garden I had created in my front yard.

Fast forward 5 years and those 6 plant are probably now abut 50.  They pop up everywhere!  Of course, the gardener in me could never just rip them out of the ground and dispose of them.  They grow like gangbusters up here and when you find something that grows well, you stick with it.  That is my theory anyway. 

Since they self sow and pop up in the most unusual or inconvenient places, I just wait until they get a few inches tall and then I dig them out and plant them somewhere else.  The majority of them survive and I have the feeling that in about 10 years time, I will be living in a sea of lambs ear.  Which is fine.  I think they are very pretty. 

So on this Frugal Friday, I would like to suggest that instead of making a trip to the nursery, look around your own yard and see what you could transplant, divide or share with friend.  Maybe an afternoon plant swapping tea would be fun.  I came home one day to find 6 asparagus plants on my doorstep from a neighbor who gardens.  What a fun surprise that was.  Personally, I am going to try to learn how to propagate roses so that I can expand my rose collection and share with others as well.  Many other plants such as hostas, can be divided up to provide more plants for your yard or to share with others.  

Perhaps you need to remove a plant for whatever reason.  Why not give it to someone else?  My neighbor just did that.  He didn't like a certain bush he had and so he came over and asked me if I wanted it.  You bet I did!  There are lots of ways to get out there and add to the garden without spending any money.

Sustainable Thursday

With the summer season upon us and in full swing, watering the garden or your trees and bushes becomes a frequent chore.  During last weeks rain storm, I stood and watched where the water was going and I was shocked to see a good portion of it running right off my property and down the street.  I have amended the soil in my garden beds and have been slowly trying to stop the water from leaving my property, however, it was clear that a lot of it was still running off.  So the question is how can I stop that and retain that water in my garden?

Since my house sits way at the back of my property, the majority of my yard is in the front of my house and gently slopes toward the road, which encourages all the rain to run right off my property.  So how could I keep more of the water on my property?  Rain barrels?  Sure, they are great, but once they are full, you are right back to square one with all the excess running off.   So I decided to do a little research.

I found Brad Lancaster's website, books and videos.  He lives in Arizona and is passionate about rainwater harvesting.  Here is a little blurb about him from his website, www.harvestingrainwater.com.

Since 1993 I’ve run a successful permaculture consulting, design, and education business focused on integrated and sustainable approaches to landscape design, planning, and living. And as I live in the dryland environment, rainwater harvesting has long been one of my specialties and a passion. Through my business I’ve been able to share this passion and many of the fun innovations and daily adventures that come about from striving to live more sustainably and comfortably in the Sonoran Desert.  At home my brother and I harvest over 100,000 gallons of rainwater a year on a 1/8-acre urban lot and adjoining right-of-way.

I found his website and the work he has done, to be fascinating and I ended up reading his website and watching several of his videos.  I plan to read his books in the near future as well.  He has a really good video about getting your soil to absorb water more like a sponge and retain it instead of letting it all run off.  You can save a whole lot more water by having your land absorb water like a sponge, then by adding rain barrels.  Here is a link to that video.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wbyUz4IkjM  It is well worth the 5 minutes it takes to watch it. 

Since I am in the process of creating a garden in my front yard, now is the perfect time for me to start implementing some of these ideas and incorporating them into my garden landscaping.  Imagine when it rained or snowed, if all or the majority of that moisture stayed right in your yard instead of running off down the street.  By implementing some of Brad's ideas, I will not only create a better water situation for my new garden, but for the plants and trees that are all ready established there as well.  So take a few a minutes to either watch his videos or read his website.  I think it is really full of helpful rainwater harvesting and he has ideas we can all implement without going to the expense of adding huge rainwater collection tanks.