Winter Containers

Repurposing Fall Cuttings

As the fall flowers faded with the first frost, we came up with a new solution for our otherwise empty containers. We repurposed evergreen cuttings from around the property and branches from the woods to give containers greenery for the winter months. Looks great! Can only imagine how good they will look against a snowy landscape....

Google Maps and Me

Home is where the heart is?

No, it's where Google maps puts the location marker.  Google maps had the location marker for our home somewhere out in the woods on our property.  As a result, navigation directed all visitors to an adjacent street behind our property.  Inspired by my daughters to be a change agent, it finally dawned on me that perhaps I could change my little piece of the navigation world. 

I posted my dilemma in a Google maps forum and quickly got two responses.  I was able to submit a change to the location marker for my house with an error explanation and move it closer to my driveway entrance. Who knew that for three years a change to this frustrating situation was in my control.  Google Maps approved the change and in two days we are back on the map as living on our own street.  Three years of cursing the navigation system that imposed this on me, and all it took was my own input to make the system more accurate.  Lesson #1: Ask for help in navigating the system! The Google Maps forum community quickly came to my assistance with the information I needed and provided me the link to submit my update. Google Mapmaker

Technology continues to change the world as we know it. Remarkably though information still is only as good as the local input received. Lesson #2: Technology gives us the vehicle to broadcast that local information. Little actions have impact. Make your mark.

That Which Inspires

En Plein Air - A French expression that means “in the open air” is used to describe the act of painting outdoors with the artist’s subject in full view.  With portable paints and easels, the Impressionists found they could capture the momentary and transient effects of natural light and the elements by painting en plein air. 

It is a reminder to us how the same scenes we see each day are altered by the changing conditions of sky and sun.  How much do we notice? The artist catches every detail and nuance with their skilled eye and talented hand. A moment in time is captured on their sketchpad or canvas.  

View our photos on instagram of the beauty of the changing elements at @sliceofexurbia.

Images via Slice of Exurbia

"Something There Is That Doesn't Love a Wall"

Throughout the Hudson Valley there are remnants of old stone walls that once marked boundaries of fields and property lines.  The stones so carefully placed resting one on the other winding over hills and across valleys.

Summers spent in Robert Frost country in New Hampshire gave me an appreciation of the importance of knowing the boundaries of your property. In a neighborhood on a lake where many houses had the second generation in the same family living there, property line issues had a way of becoming cemented in local lore.   Robert Frost wrote in his poem, "Mending Wall" of the annual ritual of walking the wall with a neighbor to mend and maintain it.

As a homeowner, it is truly important to learn the property lines that surround your yard.  Issues arise over time and it is much more pleasant to truly know the boundaries and understand your maintenance obligations vis a vis your neighbors.  We have all heard stories of neighborly squabbles that could have been avoided if first, there was knowledge of the property lines.

If it is not easy to tell the boundaries from your survey, it is a good investment to hire a local surveyor to mark the property line with a rebar marker that has permanence vs. a flag/stake.  In our area, we use Campbell Engineering, Chappaqua, New York.  This information helps if you need to have a conversation with your neighbor regarding encroachments or dumping by cavalier yard workers.

There is wisdom in the old New England saying, "Good fences make good neighbors."  Where each knows the boundaries, there is understanding and acceptance.  Where each works to maintain his part there is harmony.

Mending Wall by Robert Frost

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
The work of hunters is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
But at spring mending-time we find them there.
I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go.
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
"Stay where you are until our backs are turned!"
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.
Oh, just another kind of out-door game,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, "Good fences make good neighbors."
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
"Why do they make good neighbors? Isn't it
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That wants it down." I could say "Elves" to him,
But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather
He said it for himself. I see him there
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father's saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, "Good fences make good neighbors."

Images by Slice of Exurbia

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow!

You know it is summer when you see the orange daylilies by the side of the road, by a mailbox, behind old stone walls or on the lakeshore. The orange swaths pop up in unexpected places and are reminder to us to enjoy the fleeting days of summer.

Yet each flower lasts only for a single day. Greeting the morning with such boldness and beauty.  An inspiration to us to reflect on what it means to make the most of our time.

With multiple buds on each stem, a cluster can bloom for several weeks.  They are a reminder that each day of summer should be savored and enjoyed. Here today, but gone tomorrow. Carpe Diem - Seize the Day!

Images via Slice of Exurbia

Something On Which We Can All Agree?

In these politically charged pre-primary days it is great when we can find some common ground. Sunday marks the 31st anniversary of National Ice Cream Day.  The Congress in 1984, by Senate Joint Resolution 298, designated the month of July as "National Ice Cream Month" and the third Sunday of July as "National Ice Cream Day".  Further, they asked the President, then Ronald Reagan, to issue a formal proclamation. 

A look back at this historic proclamation:

By the President of the United States of America  
A Proclamation

Ice cream is a nutritious and wholesome food, enjoyed by over ninety percent of the people in the United States. It enjoys a reputation as the perfect dessert and snack food. Over eight hundred and eighty-seven million gallons of ice cream were consumed in the United States in 1983.

The ice cream industry generates approximately $3.5 billion in annual sales and provides jobs for thousands of citizens. Indeed, nearly ten percent of all the milk produced by the United States dairy farmers is used to produce ice cream, thereby contributing substantially to the economic well-being of the Nation's dairy industry.
 
The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 298, has designated July 1984 as "National Ice Cream Month," and July 15, 1984, as "National Ice Cream Day," and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of these events.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim July 1984 as National Ice Cream Month and July 15, 1984, as National Ice Cream Day, and I call upon the people of the United States to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and ninth.

RONALD REAGAN

---

---

Citation: Ronald Reagan: "Proclamation 5219 - National Ice Cream Month and National Ice Cream Day, 1984," July 9, 1984. 

   
This is something that we should all be able to agree on!  Since 1984, we've seen the rise in popularity of frozen yogurt (first introduced by TCBY in 1981). You may wonder - how has the popularity of frozen yogurt impacted our consumption of ice cream?

Source:  Fortune Magazine, "Do We Still Scream for Ice Cream," July 24, 2014

 
Even as we've become more health conscious, frozen yogurt has not surplanted Americans' love for ice cream.

In honor of this national holiday.....Let's go get some ice cream!  What is your favorite place to go - name/location?



[For our lactose intolerant friends we acknowledge your hardship in not being able to eat ice cream.]

Image via

Weed the Garden, Weed the Pond

Three summers ago, we inherited an old farm pond and learned quickly about the need for maintaining the pond to prevent overgrowth of algae and weeds.  The hot summer sun quickly warms the shallow areas around the pond edge, creating a perfect environment for new growth.

After a good cleaning of the pond bottom last year, we are seeing less algae, but still are getting an abundance of pond weed.  The addition of black lake dye has helped, but with warm weather in June the weeds are growing quickly.  The dye is not as effective at the edges of the pond. The presence of aquatic plants in lake environments can be summarized in a single statement:  “If light reaches the bottom, plants will grow.” NYS DEC A Primer on Aquatic Plant Management in New York State 

We ordered some tools from The Pond Guy last fall to help with pond maintenance.  The net was very helpful in early spring to remove algae forming along the pond edge.  The rakes got their test this afternoon on the pond weed.

The weed rake (left) was the workhorse with it's long rope. It was easy to throw the rake into the lake and pull it back along the bottom.

The weeds came up easily and the rake did a good job pulling them out. We used the net to pull up pieces that had broken off. It was easier to do than we expected.

Weed the garden! Weed the pond!
Chores are never done.

Before and After

           

 

Images via and by Slice of Exurbia

More Than A Parade....

Fire Truck Parades Mark the Start of Summer!  

Did you know the parade is a competition?

As June ends and July rolls in it's time for the Fire Truck Parades from our local Volunteer Fire Departments.**   As much as it is a time for the public to enjoy the impressiveness of the equipment and the neat uniforms of our firefighters, the sounds, the colors, the sights, it is a time for local fire houses to share camaraderie with fire departments from other towns and show off their stuff.

To take pressure off local organizers, parades are judged by independent judges from the Westchester County Parade Judges Association (WCPJA), formed in 1973. Their membership consists of former Chiefs from Fire Companies and Departments in the Lower Hudson Valley.

For 42 years, they have judged Fire Department Events in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware.  It is the purpose of the WCPJA to provide fire departments and companies with an equitable means of judging parades, and other event competition, for the benefit of all, with a strong emphasis and goal of developing a closer relationship in fire service.

CLICK HERE FOR SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING WCPJA PARADES AND COMPETITIONS AND RESULTS

**LOCAL PARADES:

Friday, July 10th at 7:00 pm
Mount Kisco Parade, Mount Kisco, New York

Friday, July 24th at 7:00 pm
Bedford Village Parade, Bedford, New York

Wednesday, August 5th at 7:00 pm
South Salem Parade, South Salem, New York

Saturday, August 22nd, 4:00 pm
Carmel 100th Anniversary Parade, Carmel, New York

ALL-VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
With deepest appreciation for those who volunteer for our local Fire Departments. Please come out and show your appreciation for their hours of service!!  Cheer them on!! Check the schedule above for a Fire Department parade near you in the next few weeks.  Great family outing!! Don't forget to check the WCPJA link and see results from each parade!!

A Special Shout Out to Mount Kisco Fire Department (our fire district):
For over 100 years, the all-volunteer Mount Kisco Fire Department has provided residents of Mount Kisco, New Castle and Bedford with fire protection.  The Mount Kisco Fire Department has one Department Chief and three Assistant Chiefs.  The four member companies each have their own set of line officers and administrative officers. The four member companies: Union Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1, Mutual Engine & Hose Co. No. 1; Independent Fire Company; and Rescue Fire Police operate out of three fire stations with 200 volunteers. The Department operates with four engines, two aerials, two rescues, one utility truck and four chiefs vehicles and responds to approximately 600 fire emergencies a year.

Foreward from Katonah Fire Department Historic Movie

"From the very dawn of civilization, FIRE has been man's best friend and bitterest enemy.

In large centers of population the ravages of fire are minimized by laws requiring buildings of fire resisting construction and a paid Fire Department on duty all hours with authority to do whatever is necessary to save life and property.

In small suburban and rural communities this task falls on the Volunteer Fire Department whose record of lives saved and property salvaged from the ravages of fire is one worthy of all praise and the willing support of every citizen."

Link to view:
Historic Movie about Katonah All-Volunteer Fire Department


Images via, via and via

Window Boxes - Hudson Valley Take on Charleston Inspiration

This spring on a garden tour in Charleston, SC with local expert and author, Louisa Pringle Cameron (The Secret Gardens of Charleston), I was taken with the beautiful window boxes splashed with color adorning many of the homes.  In the photo above, window boxes facing the street dress up an otherwise simple house facade.  In our area, summer provides the perfect climate to use window boxes to add color, texture and interest to your home.

Window boxes - Hudson Valley style

Ivy provides constant greenery as blooms come in and out throughout the summer months and into fall.

 

Window boxes not only enhance the look of your home from the outside, but add to the view from within. 

Images via and Slice of Exurbia

An 'Emily Post' on Etiquette: Meeting New Neighbors

As a transplanted New Englander, perhaps my views on welcoming a new neighbor are colloquially skewed.  My mother always baked a coffee cake (Nana Bessie's secret recipe) to bring over to the new neighbors.  When we first moved to exurbia on a house set back from the road - different from my suburban upbringing, only one family came over to visit.   My husband and I were both commuting to Manhattan for work and did not yet have children. Not exactly a match for the neighborhood of young families.  It wasn't until our first child was born that the neighbors greeted us warmly and welcomed us to the neighborhood.   

Emily Post's Etiquette Guide cautions well-meaning people on meeting new neighbors,  to make a short visit and to respect the new family's busy schedule trying to get settled in. What held true over 100 years ago, holds true today. It goes on to say:  

When New Neighbors Move In
In today's highly mobile society, it's not so unusual for people to move into a neighborhood almost without being noticed.  Even so, being hospitable to newcomers is a time-honored American tradition.

Meeting New Neighbors
Calling on new neighbors is one of those rare instances when dropping by unannounced is good manners.  If you see your new neighbor in his yard, go over and say "hello" or knock on his door and introduce yourself.  You might be invited in, or not if they're not ready for "company," but either way keep the visit short.  The goal is simple: to welcome them and exchange names and perhaps telephone numbers.  If you become aware of newcomers weeks or even months after they move in, you can still knock on the door and introduce yourself, there's no statute of limitations.

Here in exurbia we live life behind gates and fences and on properties where sometimes you can't see the next house.  It is very easy to go about daily life and be caught up in our own activities.  Taking the time to extend greetings makes for a closer community and a better neighborhood.  It also feels good to do something nice for others. 

Off to bake some cookies for our new neighbors who just moved in across the street......

Figures, burned the first batch..... lol. 

Note:  My self-conscious self felt funny bringing over the cookies (like an anachronism), but the smile on my new neighbor's face made my discomfort melt away.  So glad I took the time to do it.

Images via and Slice of Exurbia

Things That Go Bump in the Night or Kaboom!

July came in with a bang with violent thunderstorms in the early morning hours. The microbursts of lightning lit up the sky with huge sound effects to follow. Our house shook from a lightning strike on a tree not far from the house and from a telephone pole on the street. The power surge blew out the ConEd transformer nearby, melted the cable pedestal from the street, fried the internet router (plugged in to surge protector) and did some damage to ancillary equipment, irrigation controls and a well pump.

What seemed like a near miss turned out to be more damaging than we first realized. As houses have become more high-tech with interconnected systems for wireless communication for lighting, AV, HVAC etc, it is even more important to protect your home from power surges. Simple surge protectors are not enough.

Even a lightning strike out on the street can impact your home.  It is important to talk with your electrician, AV company, internet provider about how they are managing surge protection at your home.  

 From IEEE Guide on How to Protect Your House and Its Contents from Lightning:

Removal of top 1/3 of tree hit by lightning

Special note: Thank you to the all-volunteer Mount Kisco Fire Department for their quick response at 5 am to help determine that the house was safe. From the booms, power loss, suspicious odors, and alarms after the lightning hit, in heavy rain, we needed to evacuate the house. We are grateful that the damage was not worse.

Images via, via, and Slice of Exurbia. 

The Wild, Wild Things in My Backyard

Life in exurbia is a shared experience. The man versus nature balance is constantly part of the dialogue.  Many a new homeowner is excited by the sight of so many deer crossing their property until they later find out that Bambi is eating their new foundation plantings. They quickly become savvy about deer netting, deer spray and deer-resistant plantings.

Last night, as I stepped into my backyard the cacophony of sounds that I've become so used to reminded me of the first time we drove up to our new home after dark and shut off the car.  As we opened the door into the pitch black night (no street lights), we we were greeted by sounds the likes of which we were unprepared for.

Listen below:

When we brought home our first golden retriever puppy, that night while out in the backyard we saw a coyote walking by in the woods just above our house. Yikes. Up went the fence to protect the pet and the kids. NIMBY Mr. Coyote! 

In our neighborhood, there is much discussion about living with coyotes - a vigilant coyote sightings and mapping group keeps tabs on roaming coyotes. How many little dogs and cats gone missing are enough to stir an organized response?  The New York Times just featured an article about the varied opinions on coexisting with coyotes vs. taking actions to remove them. 

Coyotes create dangers and divisions in NY suburbs
New York Times, June 23, 2015 

(Google topic for more information. Lots written on this.)

My pressing issue is a little more mundane than the safety of my children or pets. My critter caper has to do with resident raccoons and the battle over my garbage cans. Despite having critter proof lids that can be secured, my cagey foes work hard to rock the garbage cans and knock them over.  They use all they've got and chew on the lids to get them off, prying open the lids just enough to work to get to their easy meal. Taking a cue from Chappaqua Moms Coyote Sightings Facebook page - I'm purchasing a game camera to look straight into the eyes of the culprits.  

      Moultire, Panoramic 150 Digital Game Camera

Available on Amazon

GAME ON CRITTERS!!

Check back for video of the critter culprits in action and new options

 for storing garbage that keep the critters locked out.

Welcome to Slice of Exurbia

ex·ur·bi·a

ekˈsərbēə/

noun

1. the exurbs collectively; the region beyond the suburbs.

Slice of Exurbia:

From the general to the particular,  20+ years into the experiment of living in Northern Westchester County, New York, after life in the City.  Now with more time to share and reflect on the quirky things that happen in this neck of the woods and the things that consume time in daily life.