Entry bubble Happy Halloween

By: Sam | October 31, 2007 | Category: Home and Family

I love Halloween.  The Great Pumpkin is on.  The stores are over-stocked with candy corn (I can’t resist).  From lattes to muffins, pumpkin is the ingredient of choice.  And no matter your age, there are so many entertaining and creative things you can do to celebrate. 

I'm celebrating by taking a ghost tour in Georgetown with my best friend.  Although it didn't make the recent list of the "10 Great Places to Get Spooked by Your Surroundings," I'm sure there will be plenty of scary stories to keep a permanent chill up my spine.  Best of all, Georgetown on Halloween night is unlike anything else in D.C.  The streets are filled with people who are dressed in some of the most inventive and unique costumes I've ever seen.  Maybe I should wear my Care Bear costume from childhood.

If ghost tours aren't your thing, then check out all the great Halloween links on USA.gov.  You can find tons of fun facts about the holiday and its history and folklore.  Here’s one I couldn’t believe-in 2006, the U.S. produced 1 billion pounds of pumpkins.  That’s a whole lot of Jack-O-Lanterns and pumpkin pies! 

If you’re like many of my friends who are attending a pumpkin carving or costume party tonight, make sure to check out the Halloween recipes on USA.gov.  The Eyeball Soup is guaranteed to win you “Best Dish.” But if you're heart is set on  “Most Original,” you should try an office favorite, Dead Man's Meatloaf.

And for the many who are taking kids out trick-or-treating, here’s some tips to ensure the evening is a fun but safe one:

Consumer Product Safety Commission-Halloween Safety

U.S. Food and Drug Administration-Safety Tips for Halloween

National Crime Prevention Council-Halloween Tips

| View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: autumn   fall   safety  

 

Entry bubble My Favorite Colors of Fall

By: Sommer | October 12, 2007 | Category: Fun

My friends and family would probably tell you the only reason I like autumn so much is because the leaves turn my favorite color – orange! While that’s partly true (I won’t lie), I also love the crispness of the weather, getting to wear warm sweaters, picking apples, and campfires. To see the leaves change from bright, vibrant greens to all shades of orange, yellow, red, and brown is just a bonus.

I have to wait a little longer for the orange of autumn here in the Washington, DC area, though, than in South Dakota where I grew up. There, we’d almost always experience ourautumn leaves first frost and sometimes even our first snow by early October. Usually in mid to late September, before settling in for the long winter, our family would pile into the car for a ride up to Spearfish Canyon. Once there, we hiked back into the woods about a mile to Roughlock Falls where the stunning waterfalls, colorful leaves and fresh air make one want to stay forever! I’ll never forget the fall foliage in the Black Hills. 

Now, since I'm a city dweller, I’d like to get back out into the country and find a way to enjoy the fall leaves and festivities once again. Jake’s post this week inspired me to go apple and pumpkin picking. And, who doesn’t love a hayride? I also checked the U.S. Forest Service’s Fall Colors site (you can also call 1-800-354-4595) to see when the leaves will be at peak color in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. (We can drive to all four states in less than 3 hours.) It looks like our best bets for early October include PA’s Allegheny National Forest and Shenandoah National Park in VA. We might just have to make a weekend trip out of it.

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: autumn   blackhills   fall   family   fun   leaves   sommer  

 

Entry bubble Apple of my Eye

By: Jake | October 08, 2007 | Category: Home and Family

Happy Columbus Day!

A basket of apples sitting by an apple treeEven though the temperature doesn't feel like it's dropping and the leaves haven't quite changed color, it's autumn. However the fruits of fall, apples and pumpkins, are ripe. I know this because after spending the weekend in the Shenandoah Valley for a wedding I made a quick detour to an apple orchard on the way home. It was very relaxing to pick fresh fruit and I would recommend it if you are looking for a fun weekend get away this month.

If you want to find an orchard near you, your best resource is your local United States Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension office. These offices can tell you where to find any agricultural product in your area and tell you what farms are certified organic. If you don't have time to go pick your own apples, USDA can help you find your closest Farmer's Market.

The University of Illinois Cooperative Extension office has created a thorough apple resource with nutritional information and fun facts. Though I haven't tried any, the Washington State Apple Commission has a great number of apple recipes. That apple strudel looks pretty tasty to me.

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: agriculture   apples   cooperative   extension   fall   farmer's   markets   usda  

 

Entry bubble Little Tiny Grasslings

By: Sommer | October 05, 2007 | Category: Home and Family

My husband struggled all summer to grow a new lawn to replace the awful clover and weeds that were growing in our 10’x 10’ front yard. He started in June, first with some regular grass seed. Faithful twice daily watering resulted in only partial success so he moved on to a more fool proof product, you know, the seed that’s covered with newspaper and fertilizer (the stuff that’s bright blue?).grasslings I guess it’s supposed to make the germination process a little easier since the newspaper keeps in the moisture and the fertilizer helps it grow. Faithful watering of this particular seed worked beautifully and there was a lush green lawn after about 3 or 4 weeks. I was so proud of him and took faithful photos of the little “grasslings” (his pet name for the baby grass sprouts) that he proudly showed me every evening. It was almost like “happily ever after” until we got to the scorching heat of August and needless to say, he’s back to a clean slate with a lot of dead grass and dirt. He just got done seeding again now that the weather’s cooler. The grasslings are starting to grow and he still loves to show them off. But, now that the grass is growing again we’re coming up on another hard season. Winter! I’m going to do everything I can to make sure the new grasslings don’t die again so here’s our plan:

  • Fertilize: Fall fertilization is key for healthy grass over winter. Use one higher in nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) and lower in phosphorous (P).
  • Rake or clean up fall leaves to prevent damage to your grass
  • Mow one final time if the grass hasn’t already gone dormant or gotten matted down. Be sure to leave the grass at least 2” high, though.
  • In winter, try to avoid packing down snow cover on your lawn and be careful when using snow melting agents on your sidewalks and driveways. If possible, shovel or plow before adding snow melters so they don’t get pushed onto the grass and damage it.

| View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: fall   grass   home   lawn   sommer   winter