Foothills Sentry May 2021

Foothills Sentry May 2021 Page 16 Curb appeal for the win Welcome back! Can you be- lieve it’s already May 2021? This month, we’re going to talk about your home’s curb appeal. I’ll share several DIY ideas and suggest professional services that can be done to spruce things up around your home. You’ve heard those sayings that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and that “a picture is worth 1,000 words.” When it comes to selling your home, the pictures might be worth thousands of dollars or might be the clincher in getting an offer. Even in a hot market, the first impression could be what gets a buyer to your home and turns their offer into a transaction. So, let’s dive in. DIY for $$$ First, clean up that yard. As you prepare to put your home on the market, you might want to hit that lawn with a little extra seed and water to get those greens a little greener. Be sure to get out the weed whacker and do some clean edging to get that lawn looking sharp. If you have shrubs up against the home, remove any dead leaves or branches, and try to create some clean lines. If the shrubs are growing in front of the windows, then trim them down a bit. Doing this will allow more sunlight into your home, which always helps in your home’s listing photos. Next, ask yourself how the driveway is looking. If you have a beautiful driveway, but it’s oil- stained, pick up some driveway degreaser and give that a try. Call a professional to high pressure clean, if needed. Could your home use some new exterior paint? If the outside paint is in pretty good shape except for a few spots that are chipped, or peeling, you might be able to take a sample to the local home supply store and get it color matched. Do some patch painting. For best results, have a professional give it an entirely new fresh coat of exterior paint. Potted plants around the front are another great way to add some color. To make your home’s exterior pop, add some hearty and colorful flowering plants in your planters. While you’re at it, toss in a few bags of colored mulch too. After all, it’s still spring until June 20th. If you have a tile roof with some discoloring, consider having that pressure washed. Be sure to rinse down the entryway and clean up any spider webs. Clean the windows and screens, too. If you have the room, put a small table with a couple of chairs to add an inviting touch. For more great tips on curb ap- peal, talk to your Realtor before putting your home on the market. They will have great ideas and professional contacts for almost any project you want to tackle. As always, thanks for reading, stay safe and tune in next month. The National Charity League senior class; front row, from left: Jessica Lynn Rahn, Claire Marie Hamelin, Hannah Klarissa Velasco, Kassie Linnea Machado, Megan Claire Nickerson, Chloe Anne Gonzalez, Greta Maurene Harness; second row, Hayley Marie Vanderpool, Madison Nicole Gorton, Andrea Kennice Smith, Naomi Constance Kollie McLeary, Zoe Alexandra Patton, Alexandria Sophia Morrell, Ryann Dawn Blue- mel; back row, Katherine Margaret Threshie, Emily Mae Froemke, Sydney Bernadette Jetter Montague, Marysol Yvonne Cazarez, Carly Elizabeth Rabun, Lydia Yee Wong, Colette Brandi Chandler; not pictured: Kelsey Belle Arvidson, McKay Ashlyn Arvidson, Reagan Elizabeth Arvidson, Sophia Jansen, Kate Monica Kuli and Rachel Lee. The graduates, with their mothers, have completed a six-year journey, dedicated to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences. They have served a combined 6,304 volunteer hours in support of 24 NCL philanthropy partners. NCL presents 2021 graduates I recently got over a four-day fever (not COVID-19 related). As you all know, it’s not enjoyable. The body aches, cold sweats, burning up, then freezing under three blankets. We’ve all been through it. However, no matter how bad I felt, I knew that my body was fighting some kind of infection, which I could be happy about. It meant my immune response system was working. As I lay there in my bed (my thoughts never sway far from trees), I thought of pine trees. We get calls from our tree guardians all the time, frantically reporting sap oozing from the trees. To us, this is actually a relief! It shows us that the resin tubes in the pine tree are responding to stresses, and the immune response system is operational. In humans, the hypothalamus, which sits at the bottom, in the center of your brain, acts as the body’s thermostat. It’s triggered by floating biochemical substances called pyrogens, which flow from sites where the immune system has identified potential trouble to the hypothalamus via the bloodstream. When the hypothalamus detects them, it tells the body to generate and retain more heat, thus producing a fever. When your pine tree is fighting an invasion of any kind, the resin tubes respond much like a fever. Ever heard of the expression, “feed a cold, starve a fever?” The reason for that, is that provoking digestion amidst the increased physiological stress your body has while generating a fever can cause your fever to spike higher than your body intends. When your pine tree is oozing sap, you shouldn’t trim it, or apply fertilizers. “Feeding” the pine fever will force the tree to use its much-needed energy to grow more, instead of allowing it to fight off the pests or disease it was fighting off in the first place. Generally, your tree needs help fighting what’s attacking it, and usually needs site condition changes. If your pine tree doesn’t ooze sap, that would be a tree to be concerned about. All in all, I got over my fever and my body fought off whatever was attacking it. Your pine trees may need some help getting over what’s attacking them, but if you look for the signs, you’ll know when to help. Immune response