Speaking of Free Stuff!

While we are on the subject of free stuff, don't forget about our bark chip mulch.  We are giving that away free to anyone on the hill.  You can just stop by and load up what you need.  However, if you are wanting an excessively large amount, please call and talk to use about it first.  We like to make sure there is enough for everyone who wants it. 

Why should I use mulch you may ask.  Well, because it helps the soil retain moisture.  Water is a precious commodity and we have to be very careful how we use it.  We should all be taking steps to make our outdoor watering more effective.  Even if you aren't a gardener, putting mulch around the trees or bushes in your yard will help them retain the moisture from rain or snow, thereby giving Mother Nature a helping hand. 

Compost is also useful in the yard or garden, as well amended soil retains moisture much better than non amended soil does.  Ever notice what happens to the water when you try to water some thing and the soil has not been amended with compost?  That's right, it runs off or just sits there.  That is not an effective use of water and your plants won't be doing very well.  Unless you have a whole landscape full of native plants that need this unamended soil, it is a good idea to start adding manure or compost or making your own compost and adding it to the garden.  Many times plants fail because they do not have the right soil conditions, among other things. 

That is another benefit of using mulch in the garden.  It will slowly decompose into compost and you don't have to do a thing.  Passive composting I guess you could call it.  Set it and forget it!  What could be easier and cheaper? 

Bird Houses Replenished

There has been one really good side effect of all this snow and rain.  The boys have been stuck inside the workshop and as a result have made a large amount of bird houses.  As you all know by now, Jerry J. and Jeremy P. make this out of old fence boards, keeping them from cluttering up a landfill somewhere.  They make a great addition to your summer garden.  All you have to do is stop by the office and ask for one.  They are free to all Pine Cove Water District customers, so don't miss this opportunity.  They are very popular  and go quickly once the word is out that we have them available.  Stop by the office and pick yours up today.  They are FREE!!!!

Fresh supply of bird houses

Solar Roads

I got this video sent to me this morning from Sustainable Idyllwild and I thought it was worth passing along.  I think it is a brilliant use of solar technology and uses the trash from landfills as well.  It kills several birds with one stone.  This is such a sustainable idea I think.  I was amazed by this video.

http://www.wimp.com/solarhighways/

After you watch it, I hope you will post your thoughts about it here on the blog.  I think it is a fabulous use of technology and would free us from the the whole fossil fuel situation.  But I am no expert, so I would like to hear from those more knowledgeable than myself. 

Billing Time

The boys are working on reading the meter in our last meter book today, so bills should go out on Friday or Monday.  They will be due on April 25th.  We are using our new, customized format.  We think they are much easier to read and they contain more information.  If you have any questions about your bill, please feel free to contact us.  You can email Becky at becky@pcwd.org, or call us at 951-659-2675 or stop by the office which is located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road.  We are right next to the fire station.  You can't miss us!

We will be sending out a survey with the bills this month and we hope you will all take the time to fill it out and send it back to us.  We like to know what our customers around the district are thinking, so let us know!

Monday Musings

I am so happy to see some sunshine today!  Do you ever notice how the weather affects your mood and energy levels?  It seems that during the snowy, rainy &  foggy weather, I don't function very well.  My brain seems to be foggy and I have no desire or energy to do much of anything but lay around and drink hot tea.  But once the sun comes out, it is like someone changed my batteries.   I am re-energized and ready to tackle projects that I have let slide for months.

This week promises the arrival of spring like weather and I for one, am very happy about that.  I know we need the snow, but I really am anxious to get back to outdoor activities.  I hope by the end of this week, that I can see the ground in my garden again.  I have lots to do out there and it is time to get started.  Here at the water district, we will be working on some projects such as using ollas for conserving water when watering the garden, composting for soil improvement and water retention and rain water harvesting for making use of the moisture that falls from the sky.  All of these things are key to conserving water while still  enjoying the delightful benefits of a home garden.

Some of these projects will be done at my personal garden.  Since I was planning to do them anyway, I am more than happy to report the results back here on the blog so that everyone can benefit from what learn.   I am also looking forward to touring  a local garden that uses rain water harvesting in their garden.  Rain water is so much better for plants and between using that for the landscape and ollas for the veggie garden, I am hoping to reduce my outside water use drastically.  Of course you can put rain water in your ollas as well.

It is my hope that by using a variety of gardening methods, I can show people how to use water wisely and efficiently, thereby enabling everyone to have a garden they can  enjoy while doing what is right for the earth and conserving our precious water resources.  It is easy to get lax about water use when we have had a wet winter, but just remember that  we never know if we will receive abundant moisture or not during any given winter,so it is best to use as many water conserving techniques as possible, no matter what the moisture situation is like.  Conserving today, provides for tomorrow!

So here is hoping for springs arrival and getting started on some of my garden projects!

Meter Reading Time

Yes boys and girls, it is that time again.  The boys are out and about reading meters today.  It will probably take them until Wednesday to finish up due to the snow.  Luckily it is warming up and the snow is melting.  If you would like to help them out a bit, you can make sure your water meter is shoveled out so they can read it.  This really helps the process along.  Other wise they have to stop and shovel out each meter before they can read it.  Since we have almost 1100 meters in the district, you can see how time consuming this could become.  We appreciate any help you can give us with this matter.

Frugal Friday

Even though the weather is rainy, foggy and cold today, I decided to post a Frugal Friday garden tip anyway!
I have been looking through some gardening blogs this past week for some inspiration.  Wow,  there a lot of fabulous gardeners across our country.  There are more blogs than I could ever read and they are extremely inspirational. And even though I can't even see my garden right now due to the 3 feet of snow that is covering it,  it is still fun to plan ahead.  Next week promises spring like temperatures so perhaps we will be able to get out and start gardening sometime next week.

It never fails to amaze me at the amazing ways people find to re-purpose items.  Yes, we have all seen people plant flowers in old boots or old sinks and things along those lines, but when I was over at Garden Fresh Living yesterday, I took the time to watch some of the videos that Theresa Loe, the owner of the blog and the Associate Producer of the PBS show Growing a Greener World, has posted.  You can actually watch the shows from her blog and so I decided to watch the one that featured her garden on less than 1/5th of an acre in Los Angeles.  Since I too live on about 1/5th of an acre, I am always very interested in seeing how other people create sustainable gardens in such a small space. 

Her garden is a lovely cottage style garden and has a mix of flowers and vegetables and she even has a chicken coop with several backyard chickens.  A girl after my own heart!  While she has a lot of re-purposed items throughout her entire garden, the one thing that really caught my eye, was the old glass doorknobs that she had attached to the top of metal pipes and put into the ground to use as a hose guards.  I thought that was very clever and I am definitely going to use that tip in my garden this summer.  How many times have you smashed down a plant when the hose got drug over it?  I have done it plenty!  Her re-purposed hose guards kept the hose out of the flower beds and they looked adorable as well. I am going to write to her and see if she will tell me how she attached the door knobs to the metal pipes.  Perhaps you can find a piece of pipe that fits right into them.  I am not sure.  But I will be sure to let you all know. 

I hope you will return often to our blog because as summer approaches because I will be posting lots of pictures of the projects I undertake here at the office, as well as at my home garden in hopes of helping and inspiring others here in Pine Cove to garden more.  Ideas will include re-purposing items, water saving ideas, composting, mulch, plants that do well up here, natives and many other things along the way.

Water Bills

The next billing cycle will occur on or about April 1st or 4th.   We bill every other month, on the even months.  Water bills will be due on April 25.  Remember, we can now take Visa, MasterCard or Discover cards, but there is  $2.50 convenience fee that is charged by the company that processes these transactions for us.  We do not get that money.  We are trying to make paying easier for those who are not on the hill or prefer to pay their bills in this way.  You can pay by phone or in person when using a credit or debit card.

Unfortunately, we cannot set you up on automatic payments, as our billing system is not online at this time.  We feel that our customer's  information is safer by us not putting it online.  We would suggest you check with your bank to see if you can set up automatic payments if that is how you prefer to pay.

As always, we gladly accept checks and cash.  However, please do not send cash in the mail. You can also slip your payment through the slot in the office door if you arrive to pay it after normal business hours.   If you have any questions on how to pay your bill, please contact us at 951-659-2675 and we will be happy to answer your questions and help you in any way we can.

Meter Reading

Jerry J. and Jeremy ( a.k.a., "the boys") will be out and about next week reading meters.  Starting on Monday, they will begin reading.  Hopefully, some of this snow will have melted by then.  It always takes them longer when they have to dig out meters.  So if you see them out and about, say Hi!

Ok, who canceled spring?

The snowy weather just keeps on coming.  I have to admit, even though we need all the snow and rain we can get, I am tired of it.  Physically tired.  I am tired of being cold.  My dogs are tired of walking around on the snow and ice to go potty, my husband works outside mostly and he is tired of being cold and wet all day.  We are both tired of shoveling and tired of having snow piled up to our window sills.  I am tired of not being able to open the windows and I am tired of the ever white landscape. I am tired of all the extra coats, boots, sweaters, gloves and hats that are cluttering up my laundry room and snow shovels and snow blowers cluttering up my back porch.

 I think this is the time of the year when cabin fever really sets in .  In January and February, you can tell yourself it is winter and this is to be expected.  But, by the end of March, it is spring and I WANT spring weather.  We have done our time in winter and it is time to reap our reward for making it through yet another cold season.  I want to dig in the dirt, see some green and sit out in the sun without a heavy coat on.  I want daffodils and tulips and yard sales. I want to hang my sheets out on the line.  I want to be outside working in the garden for hours on end.  I want to swap out snow boots and Uggs, for Birkenstocks and Wellies.  I want to play my harp out in the garden on a warm afternoon. I want to  let the gentle breeze waft through the strings and just listen to the song Mother Nature creates.  So much to look forward to....I can hardly wait.

Unfortunately, I will have to wait, as they are calling for more snow tonight!  When will it end?  Too bad we can't bottle some of this cold weather up and use it in July or August when we are having a heat wave, dry spell and feel as if it will never, ever be cool or wet again.  One thing about the weather, it always gives us something to talk about, complain about or rave about.  Be it nice or nasty, we have to take it as it comes.  I guess that is what makes living her in Pine Cove so special.  While is is frustrating now, I know in a few weeks or so we will be rewarded with the most glorious sunny days and cool, crisp, star filled nights.  The trees will leaf out and the lilacs will bloom.  The smell of cedar and pine will perfume the early morning air and we will once again be sure that there is no better place on earth to live.  Our summer time activities will be in full swing and another glorious summer in the mountains will envelope us.  Soon, I hope!

Cal Fire News Release

In light of the recent events in Japan, Cal Fire has put out a news release about earthquake safety.  It is posted on our website at www.pcwd.org.  It might be a good idea to pop over and take a look at it.  It is easy to forget we need to be prepared as well.  Sometimes fire seems to be our main adversary, but we can't let our guard down when it comes to earthquake preparedness as well.  As for myself, I will be working on my to go box this week and making sure it is up to date and that everything that should be in there is.  Once the weather warms up, I will get out in the shed and make sure my other supplies are up to date as well.  It is easy to forget to replace the food in your emergency kit or make sure you have enough water stored and so on.  I guess the old saying, prepare for the worst and hope for the best, applies here. 

We see these disasters on TV and figure they will never happen to us, but they could.  We could easily be isolated should a major disaster happen and who knows how long it would be until help would arrive.  So it is best to prepare and hope it never comes to that.   I hope as a community, everyone here in Pine Cove would come together and help each other out in a time of disaster.  I know all of us here at the water district would do whatever we could to help out during an emergency situation such as an earthquake. 

Web Cam working

Great news!  The web cam is up and running again!  You can view it from our website at http://www.pcwd.org/.  There is also a link to our website on the right sidebar here on the blog.  It is kind of fun to watch it snowing up at Rocky Point.  Take a look for yourself.

Still Snowing!

Well, it doesn't look like we are going to get a break from winter any time soon.  At least not until Saturday by the looks of the weather forecast.  On the water front, this is good.  The more moisture the better.  While this type of weather does make life tougher, it is wonderful for our water situation.  Plus we were lucky that at least this recent storm held off until the snow from the previous storms melted off.  So at least it isnt' piled up over our windows or anything. 

So even though it says spring on the calendar, here in Pine Cove it is still winter for now.  It will make spring and summer all that much sweeter and hopefully give us another year where we don't have to move into a higher stage of water conservation.   While we aren't out of the woods drought wise just yet, having these wet winters is certainly a welcome relief.  It may not end the drought, but at least it keeps it from getting worse.  It is so easy to forget we are in a drought when we are sitting here with all this snow, but we have to remember that it isn't what is on the ground that counts, it is what percolates back down into the ground.

So don't put those boots and heavy coats away just yet.  Perhaps in a few weeks we can think about doing that, but for now keep your snow shovel and boots by the door and make sure you have an adequate supply of propane and/or wood so you can stay toasty warm. 

Spring has Sprung?

Not!  Yesterday may have been the first day of spring, but Old Man Winter isn't ready to leave just yet.  The weather reports I received over the weekend are predicting up to 31 inches of snow!  Yes, you read that right.  31 inches. 

This isn't all that unusual for the hill though.  Anyone who has lived here for any length of time can tell you all sorts of snow horror stories.  Just last year, we had snow in May.  So while it may be spring on the calendar, it is probably not spring here in Pine Cove just yet. 



Looking up Marion Ridge Road from the water district office.




Looking down Marion Ridge Road to Highway 243 from the water district office.




Pine trees outside the water district office covered in new snow.

It would be a good idea to stay inside if you don't absolutely have to go out anywhere.  The roads are fairly clear, but why take the chance?  Please be sure you have provided adequate shelter, food and water for outdoor animals.  If possible, bring your dog inside during this bad weather.  Remember, they get cold too!

Spring arrives with snow

Well, I knew the weather has been too good to be true.  As spring arrives this Sunday, they are calling for snow.    Up to 11 inches.  While the moisture is fabulous and we can certainly use all we can get, snow in the spring is just cruel and unusual punishment.   I would much prefer it to be in the form of rain, because after all April showers bring May flowers, right?  No where is there a saying about Spring Snow, but what can we do?  We just will have to deal with it and continue to suppress our urge to get outside in the garden.

I noticed some trees are flowering and budding up.  I hate to see this happen.  I always think these plants and trees will acclimate, but they never seem to.  Each year as soon as the weather gets nice, they start to grow or bloom, even if it is only February or March.  Then bam, it snows and they get frozen again.  They never seem to learn or get with the program.  The oak trees seem to be the only ones with enough sense to wait until the end of May before emerging from their long winter nap.  I don't even know if it is possible for other species of plants to acclimate to our climate.  They seem programed to spring to life after a few days of warm weather no matter when it arrives.

So, I guess all we can do is be thankful for the  moisture and take consolation in the fact that spring has to arrive sooner or later and when it does, we will be ever so grateful and excited!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We just wanted to wish everyone here in Pine Cove a happy St. Patrick's Day.   From everyone here at the Pine Cove Water District to everyone in Pine Cove, here are some Irish blessings for you.

Wishing you always...

Walls for the wind,
A roof for the rain
And tea beside the fire.
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire.

An Old Irish Blessing
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

And my favorite Irish Blessing of all time!


May those that love us, love us.
And those that don’t love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if he doesn’t turn their hearts,
May he turn their ankles,
So we’ll know them by their limping.

So here's to a Happy St. Patrick's day to everyone here in Pine Cove, whether you are Irish or not!  I hope no one comes into the office and is limping!

Custom bills

Starting with our April billing, we will be using our custom billing program.  We used the new style of bills in our February billing, but that was just a generic form.  Becky has been working on getting the form customized to our specific needs and it is finally ready!  The new bill will break down your water usage tier by tier and we think the bills will be much clearer to read.  We have been getting a lot of positive comments on the new bills and we think that the customizing will make them even better.  Let us know what you think after you get yours next month.

Town Crier is here

The Town Crier installed a paper machine here at the Pine Cove Water District.  It is located right next to the blue mailbox on the covered porch in front of the office.   It is lite and we keep the parking lot plowed, so you should have easy access to the paper machine as well as the mail box.  We hope this helps the community out at least a little bit.

TaDa!

Newspaper shelter

Our newspaper shelter is complete and we are just waiting for one more paper machine from the Town Crier.  The boys even completed the whole thing with a nice gate.  They did a super job and we hope that this works out well for everyone.

The whole thing done!

Bird Houses replenished

The boys have been hard at work and our popular bird houses are back in stock.  These birdhouses are extremely popular and go quickly.  So if you don't have yours yet, stop by the office and pick one up.  They are absolutely FREE! 

The boys makes these out of old wooden fence boards, so they are very sustainable.  They are very rustic looking and make a great addition to your yard.  Did I mention that they are FREE?

Birdhouses

Close up of birdhouses

Birdhouse hanging in the office

Spring Ahead

So, did you all remember to turn your clocks forward on Saturday night?  It is always an adjustment, isn't it?  Whether going forward or backward, I find it disruptive to my internal clock.  And while I like the extra daylight at the end of the day, I do not like the dark mornings.  I love to get up early and take my dogs for a walk in the quiet, early hours.  It gives me a chance to think, pray and just listen to the sounds of nature while we are walking.  However, walking two dogs in the dark is not especially fun. 

I have tried doing this, but I am always afraid of what or who I might run into.  Since you can't see, it is very easy to trip and fall as well.  I tried taking a flash light, but my husband thinks that makes me look like I am doing something suspicious.  Since I have to be at work at 9 am, I cannot wait until 7 or 7:30 to walk the dogs unless I want to get to work all sweaty.  I doubt my co-workers would be in favor of that.  At my age, I need extra time in the morning to make myself presentable.

So for now, it is afternoon walks for us.  I don't enjoy them as much as there is more traffic, bright sunshine and more noise.  At 5 am, Pine Cove is fairly quiet and watching the sunrise as you walk is an invigorating way to start the day.  It kind of puts everything into perspective for the day.

How about you?  How has the time change affected your schedule?

Frugal Friday

As this latest batch of snow melts away, my thoughts are turning to spring.  Thinking of spring naturally makes one think of the garden.  An what does one need for a garden?  Seeds of course.  Well plants are nice, but they are expensive, so since we are being frugal here, seeds are the way to go. 

Now, I will admit I have not had as much success with starting seeds as I would like to have.  However, since they are so inexpensive, I feel it is an area I can afford to have failures and keep trying.  After all a $2 pack of seeds doesn't break the bank like a $50 plant would. 

My biggest problems is that I have no where to start seeds indoors.  So on a few select things, like tomatoes and basil, I will still by the plants.  However, I am going to do some early seed sowing in the garden and make some mini green houses to cover the seeds and see how that method works out.

If anyone out there is good at this, I, and many others, would appreciate any advice you can give us regarding starting seeds.  It all seems easy enough, but last year my morning glories never got past 2" tall.  That is correct.  2 inches tall.  How is that possible?  What am I doing wrong?  I see pictures of morning glories that grow like weeds and envelope a trellis or arbor with glorious green leaves and flowers.  Yet mine, after all summer never really grew at all. 

Hollyhocks are the other plant that elude me.  I see them growing practically wild up in Big Bear. They are in parking lots, coming up through sidewalk cracks and invading yards.   So of course I thought they would do well here and would  need a minimum of water and care.  Wrong.  I got 2 plants out of about 50 seeds I planted last year.   My friend, who lives in Big Bear, was good enough to go around one fall and harvest seeds for me from different hollyhocks and  I still do not have hollyhocks growing in my yard.

So as spring begins to come to Pine Cove, I will again attempt to plant seeds and get them to grow.  After all, spring is a time of renewal and who knows, perhaps one day I will get lucky and something will actually grow!

Newspapers are here!

The newspaper machine project is just about complete.  The Press Enterprise and the LA Times have arrived and we are just waiting on the Town Crier, which we expect sometime today.  The boys, Jerry and Jeremy, did a great job on constructing the shelter.  It came out very nicely and will be handy for those wishing to purchase a newspaper without running into town.  Stop by and take a look.

Sustainable Thursday

Today I was reading our latest copy of Waste Age Magazine.  I know, not exactly my first choice in reading materials, but you just never know when they are going to have an article that is pertinent to PCWD.  This time they had an article about composting and you know how we LOVE composting here at the water district.  Some of the statistics they quoted were kind of surprising to me. 

North America generates more than 80 million tons of organic waste each year, which includes food waste, yard waste and clean wood from forestry projects and the construction and demolition sector.  In the U.S., the EPA estimates that about 1/3 of municipal solid waste is organic.  While approximately 65% of yard wastes is being diverted for recycling, only around 2.5% of food was is currently being recycled. 
(courtesy of Waste Age Feb. 2011 issue)

I am kind of shocked that only 2.5% of food waste is being recycled or composted.  This is such a waste of resources, not to mention all the room it must be taking up in the land fills.  While new technologies are being developed to capture methane gas from landfills to generate electricity or provide fuel, I am not going to get into that here.  What I do want to discuss is composting.  Just think if each household composted their food waste, how much trash could be saved from the landfills.

While I do think it is important that schools, restaurants, hotels and so on get on board with composting as well, that is too big a subject for this little blog.  So we will keep it local and just think about what Pine Covians can do.   While cities like Seattle are miles ahead of us here in Riverside County when it comes to sustainable living, we can follow their lead and set a good example and hopefully push the powers that be in the right direction. 

Composting is an incredibly easy way to begin living sustainably.  It is easier than you think.  I know there is a lot of information out there on how to do it.  You need 3 bins or a spinning bin or one big bin.  You need to check the moisture content and temperature of your compost pile.  You need to constantly turn your pile. You need to layer the greens with the browns, etc., etc., etc.  Forget all that.  Yes you can do it that way, but here is how I do it.

This is for household food composting.  First, get a container for your kitchen counter or put it under your sink.  You can buy these online or you can do like I do and use an old stainless steel bowl.  What ever you decide to use, just make sure it is easy to clean and has a lid and don't get something so big that it will take 3 months to fill up.  Stainless steel or ceramic work really well.  I took an old lid from a stock pot and put it on top of my old bowl.  Not the most attractive of kitchen accessories, but it does the job and is easy to keep clean.

Step two.  Put all your scraps into this bowl.  I put in everything but meat.  That means veggies that have gone bad in your fridge, veggie peelings, tea bags, coffee grounds, scraps off your plate after a meal, egg shells, paper towel and toilet paper rolls and so on.  When your container is full, simply take it outside, dig a hole somewhere in your garden and bury the scraps.  That is it.  It takes about 10 minutes out of my day once every week or two.  I do this in my veggie garden in the off season and during the summer I put it around the yard near the trees and other plants.  The scraps will compost themselves and you don't have to worry about doing anything else.  Just make sure you dig down far enough that animals don't come buy and dig it back up.  And if they do happen to do that, no big deal, just re-bury everything.   Easy Peasy!

Compost is a wonderful addition to the garden.  It provides nutrients for plants and trees and amended soil has better water retention, thereby conserving water.  Add a layer of mulch to that and you are conserving even more water. Here on the hill it is important to conserve water no matter how wet of a winter we have had. Droughts are a fact of life and a few good years won't necessarily end the drought situation. Even if it does, we should always be conserving because you just never know when a drought will return. By making water conservation a way of life, we are caring for our resources and ensuring that we will have water for our future needs.

Stitch

Here is a new picture of Stitch just because!

Christmas in March?

We have several Christmas cactus in our board room that love it there and joyfully bloom for us each December, per their name.  But every once in a while, they decide to treat us with a second blooming!  I don't know much about Christmas cactus, so I was surprised to see this happening.  Aren't they beautiful?

Beautiful, pink Christmas Cactus





Here is another one blooming as well!

Newspapers are coming!

Progress is being made on bringing some newspaper machines to the water district for our customers convenience.  The cement slab to hold the paper machines has been poured.  Everything should be completed by this Friday.  So stop by, put your mail in the mail box and buy a newspaper.

Cement slab is poured and drying.

Today's Board Meeting

This morning was our monthly board meeting.  Next month's meeting will be held on April 13 at 10 am.  Hope to see you there.

Stitch, Mike, Lou, Dan and Joel waiting for the meeting to start.

Joel, Tom, Jerry and Becky getting ready to start the board meeting.

Paying by Credit Card

There seems to be some confusion when it comes to paying your bill by credit card.  Yes, you can pay it using a Visa card, Mastercard or Discover card.  You can do this over the phone or in person here at the office.  There is a $2.50 convenience fee that goes to the company that processes these payments for us.  We do not get that money.  We do not have a merchant account to process these payments as they are too expensive and we would have to pass the cost onto our customers.  It is up to you to decide if you want to use a credit card and pay the fee or not.  We are happy to accept checks, money orders and cash.  Many people pay us through their online banking system which is fine also.  We try to give you as many options as possible.

Our billing system is not online.  We cannot set you up on automatic payments at this time and we do not keep any of your credit card information on file anywhere.  Once the payment is processed, the paper work gets shredded.  This may become an option down the road, but at this point in time, it is not available.

If you have any questions regarding paying your bill, please call us at 951-659-2675 and we will be more than happy to answer your questions.

 

Please, Turn Your Water Off!

Wel,l it happened again.  Someone left their mountain home without turning their water off and developed a leak. This was very BIG leak and luckily someone spotted it and turned their water off before it got even bigger.

I know we sound like a broken record, but this is exactly why we keep singing the same old song.

WHEN YOU LEAVE YOUR MOUNTAIN HOME, PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR WATER AT YOUR CUSTOMER VALVE!

This one small action can save you from some very big problems.  All the water that runs through your  meter is your responsibility to pay for.  We cannot forgive a water bill because you had a leak.  In most cases of really big leaks, had the water been turned off, this would not have happened.  So again, we are sending out the message to please turn your water off when you leave your mountain home and protect yourself and your property.

Rain Total

According to the weather station, we got a total of .28 inches of rain yesterday.  That's pretty good.  One of the things we discuss at the board meetings is the ground water situation and if the moisture that we have received has been plentiful enough to make it back down into the water supply.  If you have any questions on the state of our water supply, it is a good idea to attend a board meeting as they are a wealth of information. 

If you need a weather forecast, I have link posted on the left hand side of the blog to get the week's forecast. We are still trying to get the weather station live onto the blog, but so far, we haven't been able to achieve that.  But we will keep working on it.  In the meantime, I hope the links will work out.

I also posted several other links that Pine Covers might find useful.  So take a minute and look around the blog.  I am continually adding information that I think is helpful to both our full-time residents as well as our part-time residents.

Board Meeting Tomorrow

Just a quick reminder that our monthly board meeting is tomorrow at 10 am.  Hope you can make it.

Raining again!

As I sit here typing my blog posts, we are shrouded in fog.  This is great.  I love a rainy, foggy morning.  I don't know why, but I do.  There is something extremely cozy about it.  Being enveloped in fog and rain is like being given permission to stay indoors and relax.  With weather like this, it seems OK to stay in your jammies all day and watch re-runs of old television shows.   It seems everyone would be content to just hang around in front of the fire with a mug of hot chocolate, the remote control or a good book.

However, I did manage to get myself dressed and make it into work.  According to the weather station we have received .24 inches of rain so far today.  March may have come in like a lamb but this past weekend, the weather across the nation was anything but calm.  We are really very lucky here in Pine Cove.  We don't usually have tornadoes, hurricanes or flash floods to deal with.  While I am sure there is always the possibility they could happen, as a rule they do not.   We also don't usually get those frigid below zero temps and even though we might get large amounts of snow, we don't seem to get those white outs or blizzards that are common in the mid west or back east.  Being out in the snow when the temps are around 30 or so is quite fun.  This past week brought temperatures in the 40s and 50s. I am amazed at how much of last weekend's snow has already melted away.  Once today's storm clears out, the forecast looks like it will return to the nicer weather, so I expect it will all be gone before long.

Before we know it, summer will be here and the winter of 10-11 will be just a distant memory.  Snow is such a magical thing sometimes.  Watching the first flakes of the season slowly drift to the ground is always exciting.  Of course snow at the holidays always makes things seem more festive.  And a walk in the snow when there is a full moon just can't be described as anything less than magical! We are very lucky that we get to enjoy all four seasons here in Pine Cove and that none of them are all that extreme.  Makes for very pleasant living.  So as we leave one season for the next, we will have to say good bye to the rain and the snow, but  we can look forward to the garden springing to life, picnics, sandals, the summer concerts and all the other wonderful activities that go on during the spring and summer months here on the hill.

Board Meeting Reminder

Just a reminder that there is a board meeting on Wednesday, March 9 at 10 am.  Per the Brown Act, our agenda was posted on Friday, March 4th.  If you  want to know what is going to be discussed at the board meeting, you can stop by the office and read it or you can go to our website at www.pcwd.org and Becky has it posted there as well.  Hope to see you there!

Rain Last Night?

I think it rained last night.  Did anyone see or hear it?  I did not.  When I got up and let my dogs out about 5 am, everything was wet.  The weather station did not record any amount of rain, so it must not have been very much rain.  I was a little surprised though as I did not think we would actually get any rain at all. Hopefully the moisture will keep coming our way. 

All in all, it has not been that bad of a winter.  Yes, we have had some storms come through and drop a lot of rain or snow in a short amount of time, but the weather in between storms has been fairly decent.  I was actually pretty amazed at how warm it has been this week.  When the icicles are dripping at 5 am, you know it isn't too cold out.  So even though there is a lot of snow on the ground, it is still pretty nice to be outside. 

Now the question remains, will we get any more snow or is this it for this winter.  I will be curious to see what are rainfall and snow totals end up being for this winter.  It seems like we have had a lot, but I am betting that we haven't gotten as much as what we think we have. 

Snow or no snow, cold temps or warm, please remember that it is important to turn your water off at your customer shut off valve when you leave your mountain home.   

Board Meeting

Next Wednesday is our monthly board meeting.  They are always held on the second Wednesday of each month at 10 am.  If you are interested in seeing what will be on the agenda, we post it right outside our front door.   If you are interested in seeing what has happened at past meetings, you can read the minutes from previous board meetings on our website at http://www.pcwd.org/.  Everyone is welcome to attend and we hope you can make it.

Mailbox is up and running!

The mailbox move is all completed and the mailbox is ready for action.  We hope this works out well for everyone.  We will also be adding a Town Crier paper box in the near future, so I will keep you updated on that.  While it is unfortunate that we no longer have a post office, gas station or market, we are happy to be able to provide a spot for the mailbox and a paper machine.  We hope it helps those of you who don't get to town as often as you might like. 

New Mailbox Location!

As you all know, the closing of the Pine Cove Post Office, the gas station and the Pine Cove Market has left quite a hole in our little community.  With the absence of the market, the lot is not getting plowed on a regular basis, therefore making it difficult to get to the mailbox.  So Jerry Holldber, our General Manager here at the water district, contacted Kelly at the Idyllwild post office and made arrangements to have the blue mailbox moved from it's location outside the old Pine Cove Post Office to the water district. 

It will sit right on the front porch and be accessible 24/7.  We hope this makes things easier for those who need to use the mailbox.  It isn't as good as having the post office back, but it will be better than nothing.  We are located at 24917 Marion Ridge Rd right next to the fire station.  So come on by, mail your letters and stop in and say hi!
                                            
 The bench that used to be here is removed.

                                                  
 Here is the post office van backing in.

                             
 Jeremy and Martin unload the new mail box as Kelly supervises.

Installed and just about ready to go.

March is here!

March has arrived and even though there is a lot of snow on the ground, it is fairly nice out.  So I guess that means that March has come in like a lamb.  The rest of the week doesn't look too bad weather wise.  Hopefully some of this snow will melt before we get any more. 
As we enter into March, it seems like winter will soon be a distant memory.  March 20th is the day spring officially arrives.  Hopefully, the arrival of spring won't mean the end of our moisture for the season.  I am hoping that we receive more moisture for several months yet.

In the meanwhile, it is nice to start thinking about the garden.  I will be heading off the hill soon in search of clay pots for my olla project.  I will be posting my progress on that project, here on the blog.  Olla's shouldn't be used around trees or any type of bush or plant with woody roots, as the roots will break the pot.  But they will work great in the veggie garden, in flower boxes, raised bed gardens, containers and hanging baskets.  From the research I have done, it seems they are a very good way to water outside and conserve water at the same time.  There is virtually no waste involved since the pots are buried underground.  Much more efficient than even drip irrigation.  So I am going to give it a try!

Those of us that like to eat organically and grow our own food are in a kind of catch 22.  Growing food takes water, there is no way around that.  So when you are trying to conserve water, do you forgo vegetable gardening?  I hope not.  That is why I will be doing this experiment with the ollas.  It is my goal to grow my own vegetables as well as conserve water.  Down the road., I will also be working on a rain water harvesting system and will post that project as well once I get to it.  My eventual goal is to harvest enough rain water that I can water outside all summer long without tapping into my hose.  Since plants do better on rain water anyway, this would be a win win situation.  But one project at a time.

It should be an interesting summer.  I am anxious to see how the ollas work and how much water it saves.  So stay tuned!