Little known fact - Sunday will mark the date I met my husband thousands of years ago in Charlotte. Yes, it was already Charlotte thousands of years ago. I met him on a random - and I mean super random - trip to the All Star Nascar Race in Charlotte....er Concord. I'm not a Nascar fan, I could care less about watching matchbox cars go around a toilet bowl. The people I met at the thing were a little more than scary--- and that folks is what makes the world go 'round! Anyway me and my friend were drinking the free beer (ahhh back in the day when that still existed) and staring at all the camo and trucker hats and mullets. We hung out with a Lower Carolina (SC) crew from Columbia then one from Charleston - they were high tech rednecks. Then the race started. Seats taken, boredom abounded. Little did I know a fated bathroom trip would change my world forever. I ended up sitting with some freakshow who had a yellow Nextel (redneck staple of the late 90s to early 00's) and the number 17 sharpied on his bare back (extra major redneck staple for watching loud cars go in a circle for hours on end --- and we think we are superior to cats and dogs ha!). I think my eyes rolled about seventeen billion times and I gave more exaggerated "uh huhs" than ever before in my 23ish years. The killer - he was from the exact place I was from but I had no clue who the hell he was. (Ego kill for him, who cares for me)
To make a long story short - I married a redneck from a Nascar race. He's came a long way from a yellow Nextel and sharpied body art. Thank God.
Life is very interesting and ironic. If you don't think these moments are God's favorite soap opera then you need to take it easy bub and have a two buck chuck.
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It is the last day of this week's blog theme of summer prepping. Today is the hodge podge group of things you better go ahead and check on and get on the calendar. Hope some of it works for you, I know not all of it will fit everyone.
Here we go:
1. Swim Lessons
Summer revolves around water. Think about it - pools (water), lakes (water), ponds (water), ocean (water)...water is also a big killer. The most peaceful and purifying substance can rip away a life in a matter of seconds. If you don't know how to swim you better learn now. I went 13 years deathly afraid of water. Fears cripple and take the fun out of life (healthy fears you do need to keep -- please remain scared of some meth ya'll). There is nothing worse than being the kid at the pool party who cannot swim and who sits on the side and watches all the fun. There is nothing more powerless than a parent who watches their kids swim who cannot swim themselves. If that child got a cramp and went down you have to jump in and help not worsen - you can't go down with them.
Swim lessons are not expensive and are available for ALL ages. Check your local YMCA, YWCA, public pool, private pool, swim team - they can direct you in the right location. A lot of folks will offer private lessons in the summer too - check your paper and the net.
Get them done early so you can enjoy the entire summer.
2. Get the mower working right.
In the summer I want us to spend extra money on a family trip, some good food, date night, etc. I do not want to spend money on a mower that I didn't service or keep maintained. I know most of us have been mowing for a month now (ok some of us, we didn't have a mower thanks to some breakage at the end of last season that proved fatal). It is ok - now is the time to hit up the small engine, mower man and let him service your goods (whoa that sounds wayyyy hot ha!).
3. The grill needs your attention.
We never really stop grilling at my house. It isn't weird for us to grill in January but that is a perk of the South. Still, the grill needs to be checked out. Get it really clean, replace any parts you may need (like the pan under the grates), check your propane levels, make sure you have a good cover (making a note of that now, I owe my husband one). Also, check your grilling utensils and please toss out that metal brush, you really don't order burgers with shards of metal in them do you? Freak.
4. Decking and play centers.
If you have a deck (wood) or a children's play center (wooden) you need to scope it out. A few things to look for on the deck - rotten boards, raised nails, bowing of the deck, bee/wasp nests, trip spots. Get these attended to before you start regularly using it again.
The kids play place needs to be assessed and made safer as well. Last weekend my husband pressure washed ours and it is a brand new structure! The reddened, mildew ridden wood is now back to a honey blonde and oh so clean! You can rent a pressure washer if you don't have one and get it clean. Also, check for bee nests on these. Wood play structures are a mecca for dirt dobbers, boring bees, and also honey bees! Remove old nests and if you spot new ones get the kids inside and gown up with your spray in hand. While you're at it check the swings for any rot from the winter and check the slide for cracks. If you have an under side for storage, get it clean and remove anything that can be recycled or needs to be trashed. Cut the grass and check for snakes. Keep it weed eated - snakes aren't cool and guess what....if you live where I do Copperheads are on the up and up this year.
5. Speaking of snakes....
(No this isn't a political rant, calm down) This year in NC we are seeing a spike in the Copperhead population (reported on our local Fox affiliate). If you live in a rural or suburban area you need to check your shrubs. Keep the grasses low, bushes pruned and try not to use pine needles for landscaping. These are all great spaces for snakey poos to hide and bed.
Also, if you have a wood pile or a burn pile (we have bonfires in the summer with old wood....yeah I know not too earth friendly) you are giving snakes a great habitat. Get the wood off the ground and keep the kids away.
Snakes also like rocks and foundation - I cannot tell you what to do to fix that situation. If I ponder upon it I can think of a few duh fixes: 1. Get your foundation sealed. 2. Move the rocks (thinking about larger ones) and if the rocks are part of a structure then fill in the gaps.
Oh yeah...if you have mice you will have snakes. It is called the food chain - snakes eat mice. So if you have noticed Mickey and Minnie visiting you need to just accept that there are going to be snakes around. Luckily, in the rural areas, by summer the mice have taken back to the fields.
And last - snakes are here for a purpose (to trick us into eating bad fruit!) - they keep the eco system in check. Know your snakes.
If its black it aint wack,
if its ringed its the good king,
if its a copperhead it should be dead,
if its brown or green it isn't mean,
if its in the water swim like an otter.
Yes, I made that up.6. If you have doggies or kitties keep them safe in the summer.
Know your breed of dog. If you have a smushed face dog the heat can really do some damage to them. My shihtzu cannot effectively cool his air he breathes in (pugs, bullies, poms, and any other short snout dog have the same issues) so he cannot be in heat for a long time. Remember, your dog is your best friend and doesn't want to leave your side so remember his health needs in the heat. Keep their coats in good summer shape - especially a breed that requires lots of grooming. Once again our Bertie gets a summer cut so he is cooled off. Water dogs need some water to make them happy - take your labs to run and swim in the creek.
Dogs are curious and cats are too so snake safety applies to them. I lost a beagle to a snake bite when I was a little girl. Vets say dogs are most likely bit on their snouts while cats get it on their paws. Not all snake bites are fatal but they can kill soft tissue. If your dog gets bit go see the vet.
I could always tell my dogs were bit if their neck was swollen. Scary!
Also, this is the time of year for crazy animals (distemper and rabies) - get your dogs and cats up to date on their rabies shots. Clinics are probably going on now ($7-$10 rabies shot). Animals most likely to have distemper and or rabies: skunks, foxes, raccoons. If you see them out at the wrong time (in the day when they are nocturnal) and or you see them acting strange (walking in circles, falling down, foaming at the mouth, coming toward you - like your uncle Willy at Christmas) then call Animal Control. If you live where I do, get out your 12 gauge or .22 and take matters into your own hands and then call AC.
7. Is your first aid kit packed?
Ok wait....do you have a first aid kit? You need some bandaids, neosporin, alcohol (rubbing, though the fridge should be stocked as well), peroxide, gauze, tape, and after bite. That is the bear minimum. Make your own kit or go buy one.
8. Stock up on tummy meds.
I mean pepto, kaopectate, immodium, ya know the poop pills. Summer is the field day for diarreah. Dairy products and heat are a terrible idea. Go for fruit based treats that are frozen. There are also a lot of covered dish style meals and many of those have a mayo base and that is a bad news gut story too.
9. Turn off your lights.
We have ample day light/sunshine now. Turn off the lights in your house and open your blinds and curtains. Don't give your electric coop anymore than they deserve from you. Remember this is the season to be outside so unplug the computer and phone chargers and go out. Put a clothes line up and refuse to use your dryer. Dryers are great but they heat up your home (just what you yearn for in the summer huh?) and tug on that energy bill. Summer is the best time to lower the impact of your carbon footprint.
10. Plan a get together.
It is summer! The happiest season on earth - get your friends together and fire up the grill, kick back a few cold ones or salty chihuahuas and enjoy friendship, family, food, and fun. Did you know the majority of childhood memories are made in the summer? Yep, its true. Add to your memory bank this year with a massive deposit.
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Happy Friday! Have a great weekend.
Brownie
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