Things People Put on Facebook

The things people put on Facebook make me laugh out loud - for real, I call out to my husband Todd every night to put the TV show on pause and come look at this.

If you are not on Facebook, you're missing it. 

What are you missing? Well, how about news about water line breaks and the giant 186 foot industrial structure that went through South Tulsa from Broken Arrow or a good recommendation for someone to trim your tree.

I love the funny videos and the story with pictures of my neighbors, like Terri skydiving with her 85 year father. That was a hoot!

Another great attribute of Facebook is the GROUP feature. Some neighborhoods, like Chimney Hills Estates and Hoover Neighborhood have formed their own private Facebook group. 

That means that the only ones approved to post and view the posts are residents in the neighborhood or other invited guests of the group. 

Why just the other day, someone posted that they lost a dog and someone else posted that they found a guinea pig. Hey, we're neighbors... we watch out for each other.

The result of all this is that your neighborhood of strangers can suddenly become a neighborhood of friends. 

Just like the old days - except it's on Facebook.

$30 Rebate for getting your furnace checked...

Jerry Banker with Banker Heat & Air just told me this morning at a business networking breakfast that ONG is giving a $30 rebate to homeowners when they get a 26-Point Heating System Checkup. The check up runs about $65.

What do I know about heating? Not much.

I know when I'm cold and when I'm hot. I know that I have to bug my husband about changing the filters. That's about it. I also know that the furnace is in the attic... and that's creepy. So we just call Jerry.

Just look at that picture! Who would want to mess with that unless you know what you're doing.

Jerry advertises in the Chimney Hills Estates neighborhood newsletter. (Thanks Jerry!)

If you have a heat and air guy that advertises in your neighborhood newsletter or any other professional, let me know. I'll make sure that we support them in this blog.

We thank all the advertisers that support our neighborhoods! If you want a check up from Jerry, call 918-695-3118. He will fill you in on the details.

A proactive natural gas furnace checkup could save money and energy, reduce carbon emissions and promote a safe and comfortable living environment.

ONG information can be found at: https://www.oklahomanaturalgas.com/en/SaveEnergyAndMoney/EnergyEfficiencyProgram/HeatingSystemCheckup.aspx

Crepe Myrtle Murder

Hi South Tulsa,

Here is a wonderful article from Southern Living. 

What concerns people most in the country right now? Losing their jobs? Losing their retirements? Nope. It’s how to properly prune their crepe myrtles Here’s a step-by-step guide showing how the Grumps prunes his.

Why do you need my advice? Because a lot of you take guidance from your ignorant neighbors neighbors, who prune their crepe myrtles to look like this.

This is what I call “crepe murder.” I didn’t invent the term. I think it was coined by Byers Nursery, a big wholesale grower of crepe myrtles in Huntsville, Alabama. I just did what we Americans have always done so well — pass off other’s good ideas as your own.

Crepe murder is bad for several reasons.

1. It turns beautiful trees into ugly stumps.

2. It prevents the formation of pretty, mottled bark on maturing trunks.

3. A forest of skinny, whip-like shoots sprouts from the end of each ugly stump. These whips are too weak to hold up the flowers, so the branches often bend to the ground, like a drunk who’s about to lose his lunch.

Another reason people butcher crepe myrtles is because they say their plants get too big. All that this means is that these cretins chose the wrong plant for the wrong spot. Most popular crepe myrtle varieties (‘Natchez,’ ‘Miami,’ ‘Sioux,’ ‘Dynamite,’ Muskogee,’ ‘Watermelon Red’) grow at least 25-30 feet tall. So plant them out in the yard — not in front of your bay windows. Or go for compact, lower-growing kinds, like ‘Acoma,’ ‘Centennial,’ ‘Hopi,’ ‘Prairie Lace,’ ‘Victor,’ ‘Zuni,’ of the Petite Seriesfrom Monrovia.

The crepe myrtle you see above is deep-pink ‘Miami.’ I planted it in my front yard from a 3-gallon pot 15 years ago. I never pruned it much, because I strung it with tiny Xmas lights that I never took down. Leaving them on the tree reduced my Xmas decorating each year to 10 seconds. All I had to do was plug in the lights before Xmas and unplug them after. You could learn from this.

However, not being able to prune without cutting the light cords meant my crepe myrtle grew too dense and spread too wide. So last week, I took off the lights. Then, aided by my lovely unseen wife who agreed to take pictures, I finally pruned it to show you how it’s done and how a mature crepe myrtle is supposed to look. Murderers, take note!

Here is the crepe myrtle before I started. It doesn’t look too bad, but needs thinning. The tool leaning up against it is my trusty pole pruner. I like it because you can extend the pole to cut branches more than 15 feet from the ground.

Crepe Myrtle — Your Questions Answered

Objectives

Before you prune anything, it’s a good idea to know what you’re trying to accomplish. After all, you can always go back and cut more. You can’t go back and cut less. My objective was to maintain well-spaced, main trunks with handsome bark and to thin out out the center to permit easy penetration of sunlight and air. I always say if a bird can easily fly through the center of your crepe myrtle, the branches are spaced about right. If a bird can easily fly through the center of your house, you’re probably missing some windows.

Pruning Tools

To properly prune a mature crepe myrtle, you need 3 tools.

1. Hand pruners to clip twigs and branches less than 1/2-inch thick.

2. Loppers to cut branches 1/2-inch to 1-1/2 inches thick

3. Pole pruners or a pruning saw to cut branches more than 1-1/2 inches thick.

When to Cut
Late winter is the best time to prune a crepe myrtle, because it’s leafless and you can easily see all of the branches. It also blooms on new growth, so pruning now won’t reduce blooming. In fact, it may increase it.

What to Cut

Remove branches in the following order.

1. Suckers coming up from the base.

2. All side branches growing from the main trunks up to a height of at least 4 feet.

3. All higher branches growing inward towards the center of the tree.

4. All crossing, rubbing, and dead branches.

5. Branches growing at awkward angles that detract from the tree’s appearance.

Always cut back to a larger branch of the trunk. Don’t leave stubs. Removing seedheads on the end of branches is optional. Leaving them doesn’t reduce blooming. I leave mine.

The Finished Product
Below is the result of this year’s pruning. Isn’t it purty? The crepe myrtle is still a little denser than I would like, but I can prune it again next winter. Every year, the job gets easier.

More Crepe Myrtle Stuff

If your appetite for all things crepe myrtle still isn’t sated, you can read more brilliant commentary from the Grump about crepe myrtle care.

Reprinted from: http://thedailysouth.southernliving.com/2009/02/24/what-concerns-p/

Fall is the time to plant trees

Plant a tree with the family.

Submitted by Guest Blogger, Matt Silkey with Tiger Tree Service. 918-288-7835

I am often asked when is the best time in Tulsa to plant a tree. There is a lot of information on how-to plant a tree and much of it depends on where you're planting it and what kind of tree it is. But let me specifically address when to plant trees in Oklahoma.

Essentially, any time of year except summer is a good time for planting (the heat in the summer presents too great a threat to young vulnerable trees).

However, I have seen that the best time, especially for amateurs, for planting trees in Oklahoma is in the fall. Why? Summer is a bad choice, because the weather is too hot and dry. Intense heat is a major enemy of trees. Winter is too unpredictable and can cause the ground to freeze, which could damage a young tree and it's root system. For some areas of the United States, experts would say that Spring is a good time... but they don't live in Oklahoma, where we can go from snow to hot to drought in 30 days.

WHEN TO PLANT...
I like the Fall, as soon as it starts to cool down. Then when our winter kicks in YOU MUST CONTINUE TO WATER your new tree.  Water your new tree as long as the air and soil temperature is above 40 degrees and I suggest that you water at mid-day so it will have plenty of time to soak in before possible freezing at night. Newly planted trees are most susceptible to winter drought because people forget to water in the winter. It's best to allow the water to soak into the soil slowly to a depth of 12 inches. It will need moisture to prevent root damage.

Make it a fun experience for your whole family this Fall. If you need help or advice just call me, Matt Silkey, Tiger Tree Service. 918-288-7835

_____________________________________________________________

This article was submitted by Guest Blogger, Matt Silkey of Tiger Tree Service.

8 Back-to-School-Family-Traditions

I'm no spring chicken, but I still get a wonderful feeling when school starts.

I remember the special one-on-one time with Mom to go buy new shoes and clothes. When we got home, I would spread out all my new mix and match clothing on my bed and wait for Dad to come home.

When Dad walked in the kitchen door, I would rush at him talking a hundred miles an hour about everything we bought. At dinner time, I could barely eat. I was so excited, because after dinner the fashion show started.

As soon as Dad finished and was settled into his chair, I modeled all my new clothes for him and he told me that I was beautiful.

Your experience might not be anything like mine, but think about
what made this time of year special for you and use those memories to create fun "Back-to-School-Traditions" for your kids. Start the school year off on a positive note.

In the picture, you see my grandson, Oscar, meeting his new teacher. His mom always takes special pictures on the first day of school. (Isn't he adorable?)

Here are some fun "School is starting" traditions to start:

1. Have special one-on-one shopping time with your child.
2. Take everyone out for ice cream after the first day of school.
3. Take pictures by a favorite tree, so you can see how much the kids grow.
4. Buy a new lunch box every year.
5. Write your child a note of encouragement and love.
6. Write "I love you." on their hand, so they feel loved all day.
7. Have a special breakfast, like blueberry pancakes, on the first day of school.
8. When your child comes home from the first day, record a goofy video of her telling you about her first day. 

Children will remember special back-to-school family traditions forever. I know, because I do and my first day at kindergarten was 59 years ago.

What Makes For a Good Neighbor?

What makes a neighbor more than just the guy next door? I like to think that a GOOD neighbor is someone who cares and who has your best interests at heart.

Here is a short list of characteristics of a good neighbor.

THIS IS A BAD NEIGHBOR!

Good Neighbors...

1. Introduce themselves. Whether your neighbors are new or have been there awhile, walk over and introduce yourself. It's nice to know who lives next door.
2. Consider their neighbor's lifestyle. Get to know your neighbors. Are they retired? Do they go to bed early? Are there young children that might throw a ball in your yard? Or teenagers that are new drivers? Consider how you can be a better neighbor to them. 
3. Control pets. If you take care of your pets, they might take care of theirs. Pick up after your dogs and keep them on a leash when walking. Be considerate. Is there a young child or a baby next door that is sleeping? Don't let your dogs bark.
4. Practice parking etiquette. When you park your vehicle on the street, consider where your neighbors driveway is and their mailbox. Park in front of your home and not theirs. Avoid slamming doors late at night.
5. Alert neighbors to events & parties. Are you having a baby shower? Let your neighbors know that there will be extra cars on the street and thank them for any inconvenience that the extra cars may cause. Having a swim party in the pool in the back yard? Again, let your neighbors know and be careful about loud music out doors. Better yet, invite the neighbors!
6. Keep their yards tidy. Your weeds are not only unsightly, but they can spread to your neighbor's yard. Mow your lawn and work on keeping the weeds under control. Keep your bushes trimmed,  even if you'll never win Yard-Of-The-Month.  When spraying pesticides, be aware of your neighbor's gardens, their children and pets.
7. Control fires and grills. Of course, you don't want to set the neighborhood on fire, but also, be mindful of which way the smoke from your fire is blowing. Are your neighbors outside getting all the smoke while you roast marshmallows with the kids?
8. Put trash cans out on the right day. Only put the trash cans out on collection day and try to contain it well. Garbage can attract insects and animals. Then, bring it back onto your property as soon as you can. 
9. Talk to their neighbors. Communication is the solution to most problems. You can short-circuit many mis-understandings by periodically talking to your neighbors. Let them know that if you or your family do anything that disturbs them to let you know. Exchange phone numbers and email addresses.
10. Stay alert to suspicious behavior and strangers. Even if you don't have a "neighborhood watch", you can still keep an eye open for suspicious behavior in your neighborhood. But don't be a hero. Your best weapon is your phone. Dial 911.
11. Are nice. Give assistance when needed. Nice neighbors enhance everyone's lifestyle. Consider picking up your neighbor's newspaper when they travel or help them shovel snow from the drive in the winter. Offer them some ice-cold lemonade on a hot day.

This Good Neighbor article was sponsored by Nichtech roofing. Call and ask for Charles for all your roofing needs. He's a great guy and I highly recommend him. We also want to thank Nichtech Roofing for advertising in the Chimney Hills Estates newsletter.