Curb Appeal

 In the blink of an eye summer will be upon us.  Here are a few tips for keeping your landscaping looking its best:

 

• For homeowners that currently have their homes on the market, remember the first thing a buyer sees is your front yard. You always want it to look its best. There is nothing like curb appeal to say “come see me”.

• Due to emphasis on water conservation, it is recommended that watering the lawn is done in the evening and early morning hours.  Three times a week is usually sufficient. If you see brown spots on your lawn,  hand water these areas. 

• Longer blades of grass help to “shade” your lawn; so do not cut it too short. You should never cut the grass more than 1/3 of the leaf blade. During the summer months, it is best to allow an extra inch of growth. Longer grass shades the soil keeping the ground cooler and reduces evaporation.

• A sharp mower is very important as this will cut the grass evenly. An evenly cut lawn will stay greener and lose less moisture. Do not mow the lawn when it is wet as  this can cause brown spots. Also, you should not cut the grass during the heat of the day or when the grass needs watering and is overly dry. Save yourself some time and work.  Only mow when it is needed. There are some grasses such as Bermuda that requires a closer cut to stay healthy.  Check to see the recommendations for the type of lawn in your yard.

• When planting flowers and greenery, use heat resistant and native plants. There are many beautiful plants that can brighten your yard and will grow nicely with minimum watering. Do not over prune during the summer months; just trim you hedges and shrubs so that they stay neat looking. There are products on the market that inhibit plant growth and yet produce a greater flowing effect.

Reno: A Bird’s Eye View

Spring is here and people who are making relocation decisions are checking out their areas of choice. If you are considering moving to the Reno area, I will give you a quick and easy way to get a birds-eye view of the city.

 

Think of your steering wheel as your compass. The center of the steering wheel is the 395/80 interchange. The middle of the wheel, up and down (north to south) is Highway 395. The bar on your steering wheel, from left to right (west to east) is Interstate 80. The wheel, itself, is McCarren Blvd. McCarren Blvd is a beltway which makes a complete “circle” around the city.  Using these “compass points” you will get a perspective of the entire City of Reno in about 45 minutes. Once you get your bearings from this easy birds-eye view, you will be able to check out the neighborhoods that appeal to you most.

 

Northwest (upper left) of McCarren Blvd lie the communities of Golden Valley, Stead, Red Rock, Cold Springs (north), Mogul and Verdi (west). The northeast (upper right) of McCarren Blvd lie the City of Sparks, Sun Valley and Spanish Springs. To the southwest of McCarren lie the Galena Estates (Mt. Rose) and South Suburban areas of the city. The southeast (lower right) section is the Virginia Hills area of Reno.  South on Highway 395, you will find the rural communities of Steamboat and Pleasant Valley.

 

For a personal guided tour, giving you all the information about the City of Reno, its communities and neighborhoods, that you would be viewing in this birds-eye tour, contact me. My personal tours take about 1 ½ – 2 hours. After this tour most people find they are ready to “zero-in” on the neighborhoods they found would best meet their lifestyle.

 

Click here for a view of the City of Reno and its outlying communities

Rolling On The River!

This weekend the Sierra Nevada Whitewater Club will be hosting the Truckee River Races (May 17th and 18tth) at the Whitewater Park at Wingfield Park in downtown Reno.  For those of you not from the Reno area, this is not a mistake.  The Whitewater Park is part of the Truckee River and Wingfield Park is the park grounds on the river bank.

 

The Truckee River Slalom and Wildwater Races bring some of the world’s best professional and Olympic kayakers to the competition.

 

A Wildwater Race, beginning at Chrissy Caughlin Park and ending at Fisherman’s Park  will be held Saturday at 3 pm. Canoes, kayaks, inner tubes, catarafts and rafts will be participating in the event. The Slalom Races will start at the south channel of the Whitewater Park at 9:30 am on Sunday. Slalom racing is when a kayak or canoe navigates through a series of hanging gates in the fastest time possible.  Wildwater racing is a paddle sport.  

 

Wingfield Park and the Whitewater Park are located right in the heart of downtown Reno, just a few minutes walk from the famed Reno Casinos and only 10 minutes from the Reno/Tahoe International Airport. Formed from the Truckee River, The Whitewater Park is a mile-long course with 11 drop pools and a slalom racing course (one for beginners and one that has been described as a river rodeo).

 

Since opening a few years ago, the residents of Reno have come to enjoy both the water sports and the fishing at Wingfield Park . Visitor, you can join in the adventure of whitewater rafting as well as excellent fishing any time of year as the Truckee River never freezes; temperatures range between 50 degrees in the winter and about 70 degrees in the summer. You can rent all types of watercraft at Wingfield Park or take kayaking lessons.

 

On Friday nights, during the summer months, there is a Rolling On The River concert series which allows you to roll on down the river while listening to great music. Along the riverbanks are smooth rocks that are perfect for picnicing and watching paddlers of various crafts pass by.

 

Wingfield Park and the Whitewater Park are just one of the many attractions for visitors and residents alike in the beautiful land of America’s Adventure Place, Reno, Nevada.

 

For The Truckee River Races information contact: Charles Albright at 324-5102 or Lynn Zonge 720-5872

 

Note: Slalom racing began in the 1940’s in Europe and is a Summer Olympics event.  The first competition was held in Switzerland in 1949. The first World Championship was held in 1979 in Quebec, Canada.

The Olympics Are Coming To Reno

I am proud to announoce that the City of Reno will be sponsoring the 2008 Special Olympics Summer Games on June 7th.

The Aquatic Games will be held at the University of Nevada – Reno . Track and Field Events will be held at the Reno High School Track Field.

The Special Olympics is a non-profit organization which serves adults and children with developmental disabilities. The Special Olympics offers opportunities for those with special needs to develop physical and social skills resulting in the enhancement of their self-esteem through sports.

I wanted to post this on my blog before the games are held because volunteers are needed to help with the events. You do not have to be sports oriented or have sports experience to be a volunteer.

To volunteer for the events just click here: https://www.cityofreno.com/index.aspx?recordid=35&page=937
To learn more about the Nevada Special Olympics Organization please call 877-417-2742 or visit their website www.sonv.org

Here is a toast to all the participants, volunteers and fans of the 2008 Summer Games