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Entry bubble Landscaping with Native Species

By: Joanne | April 08, 2008 | Category: Fun

The weather is finally starting to warm up and I was so happy to spend most of my weekend outside digging in the yard and garden. I’m preparing to plant, buying seeds and considering landscape improvements I can make to our property.

When I walk into the garden center I’m always thrilled by so many beautiful plants and I want them all! Experience is teaching me though, that this isn’t always the best strategy. These days I’m trying to put more thought into what to plant and my focus now is on native species. By taking care of the lawn and garden properly, I can save money, time, and help the environment. I don’t know about you, but those are all things I’d like to do.

Native plants are the plants that occur naturally in your region. Since native species are already well suited to live in your region, you’ve already won the first battle – it wants to live in your yard and shouldn’t require a lot of attention to keep alive. Also, native species, especially those with berries, fruits and flowers will encourage the butterflies and birds to visit. butterfly on a coneflower

It takes a little research to find the plants and wildflowers suited to your area, and your state Natural Resources Department can help you identify plants native to your region.

Whatever you do, be careful not to buy an invasive species for your yard. We’ve got a lot of multiflora rose growing on our property. We didn’t put it there, but I don’t know how we’re going to get rid of it all. …maybe I need one of those landscaping flamethrowers?

| Comments [3] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: bush  flower  greenscape  invasive  joanne  native  noxious  plant  shrub  tree 

 

Entry bubble Play Ball!

By: Colleen | April 02, 2008 | Category: Fun

Monday kicked off my favorite time of the year as a sports fan. It was Opening Day at Citizens Bank Park. baseball

Although the Phils dropped the home opener, it does nothing to diminish my excitement that baseball season is here.

Baseball is my favorite sport to watch in person (followed closely by college basketball and NFL football. On TV my favs are: college basketball, NFL football, college football, and then baseball...the differences in these two lists call for a another post entirely.)

Few things in life beat sitting in the warm sunshine on a clear afternoon with your friends and a hot dog, watching your favorite player crush a home run and your team ultimately winning the game.

Baseball has long been known as our "national pastime" and plays an important role in American history.

  • Each year, the President throws out the first pitch of the World Series
  • Franklin Roosevelt urged MLB to continue play during World War II to boost the spirit of the American people and to show resiliency
  • April 15, 2004 marked the first Jackie Robinson Day. This annual tradition serves as a reminder of when Jackie broke the color barrier—not just sending a message in sports, but society as well.
  • In the spring of 2001, President Bush opened the South Lawn of the White House for kids to play t-ball, keeping in the tradition of the "people's house."

Warm up your vocals and get ready to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," baseball is back!

| Comments [3] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: baseball  colleen  national  pastime  president  series  sports  world 

 

Entry bubble March Madness

By: Colleen | March 19, 2008 | Category: Fun

bballFill in your brackets and gather 'round your office water cooler—the madness has arrived!

It's the time of year when loyalty to one's school runs especially deep, and bitterness lingers long after your team is eliminated. It is simultaneously one of the most unifying, yet dividing events of the year.

While nothing is more satisfying than seeing your favorite team move on to the next round (or winning the Big East championship) there are an amazing few minutes right before tip-off when everyone is on the same team and rivalry is forgotten.

Just after each team is announced the whole crowd stands as one and sings the National Anthem. Singing the "Star Spangled Banner" can be an emotional moment as it reminds Americans of their great country.

A memorable instance for me was the first PITT football game after 9/11. An American Flag covering the entire field was brought out as the sold-out Heinz Field all stood and sang with one voice. We lost that game, but it still remains one of my fondest college memories.

While we may be rooting for one of 65 teams as the Big Dance starts up tomorrow, there are always those few moments pre-game, that we're all on the same squad.

Who is in YOUR final 4?

| Comments [6] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: american  anthem  basketball  flag  madness  march  national  team 

 

Entry bubble EPA's 2008 Earth Day Photo Contest!

By: Jake | March 10, 2008 | Category: Fun

A Waterfall in Shenandoah National ParkWhen the weather starts to warm up and you start to itch with cabin fever, you now have a good reason to dust off your camera, put on your hiking boots and channel your inner Ansel Adams.

The Environmental Protection Agency's Earth Day 2008 Photo Contest starts today, and the winning picture will best depict EPA's mission to "protect human health and the environment." Anyone 18 and up can submit up to 3 photographs (that don't depict violence, drugs, nudity or hate) for which they own the copyright to the Flickr 2008 EPA Earth Day Photo Contest group (you will need to already have or create your own Flickr account) or by email.

Submissions are due by midnight EST on March 24 and must include the photographer's name, place where photo was taken and have up to a 3 sentence description. In April 10 finalists will be put into a special Flickr group so the public can choose a winner. Three winning photos (one from each photo entry category) will be announced on Earth Day and will be posted on the EPA homepage along with the other finalists. The winning photos may be used in EPA publications and materials in the future.

I wanted to take a few shots of my own for this post, but the weather hasn't been too conducive to photography (cold and/or rainy). Instead I looked to see if I had any photos that would fit into any of the three entry categories: Enjoying the Environment, Protecting the Environment and Nature and Wildlife. I took the waterfall picture while hiking in Shenandoah National Park. It's no Ansel Adams, but I think it would be a good entry for the Nature and Wildlife category. When the weather clears up, I plan to take more.

| Comments [3] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: earth  environment  global 

 

Entry bubble Why We Don't Celebrate George Washington's Birthday on his Birthday

By: Jake | February 18, 2008 | Category: Fun

If you turned on the TV or radio, read the paper, and/or surfed the net this weekend, you were probably exposed to ads for President's Day Weekend sales. President's Day has become the common name for today, the holiday the federal government designates as Washington's Birthday but isn't his actual birthday.George Washington

George Washington's actual birthday is February 22nd, and it was a federal holiday from 1879 until Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to "bring substantial benefits to both the spiritual and economic life of the Nation." This law designated Washington's Birthday be celebrated on the third Monday of February starting in 1971.

There are various reasons that President's Day is becoming the preferred term for Washington's Birthday. Some have said that early drafts of the bill aimed to recognize Lincoln and other presidents on the holiday, but it never made it into law. States do not have to follow federal holidays, but many do recognize the holiday as "President's Day." The term has also been popularized by retail promotions this time of year (we have free publication offers year round, by the way).

Many Americans still celebrate the holiday as if it's George Washington's birthday with parades and other fanfare like the reading Washington's farewell address in Congress. You may wonder what General Washington would have thought of his birthday being recognized on a different date, and he probably would tell you it's not the first time.

Washington's birthday date changed in his lifetime when Great Britain and all of its colonies switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1752. Not only did the date change of February 11 become the 22nd, but so did the year from 1732 to 1733.

| Comments [2] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: history  jake  washington 

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