Category: Outdoors

Guard Your Mail Carrier: Tips to Keep Your Postal Person Safe

It’s time to keep your mail carrier safe! You see them every day, but you may not realize that they are just as susceptible to attacks and crimes in the neighborhood. Let’s explore some tips for making your mail carrier stay safe on their route.

1) Make sure you have a good lock on your mailbox.

This is the first and most important step in keeping your mail carrier safe. If you don’t have a lock on your mailbox, get one! It’s an easy way to deter criminals from targeting your mail carrier.

If you already have a lock on your mailbox, make sure it is in good condition and that the key is not worn out.

The post office will not deliver your mail if they can’t get into your mailbox! So, be sure to keep that key in a safe place away from the criminals who are looking for an easy target.

2) Make sure the postal worker is aware of any dogs or other animals who might be present when he delivers the mail.

Dogs can be especially dangerous to mail carriers, as they often bark and run towards them. If you have a dog who likes to greet the postal worker, make sure he knows how to handle the animal safely.

You can also put up a sign or post something in your yard letting the postal worker know about any dogs that may be on the property.

It’s always a good idea to keep your dog inside when mail is being delivered, just in case they get excited and try jumping out of an open window or door.

In some cases you can have a neighbor come over while the postal worker delivers so he doesn’t feel threatened by any possible animals.

And finally, if you know your mail carrier well and they feel comfortable with it, you can have them pet your dog! Just be sure to warn the postal worker about any aggressive tendencies your pet may have.

You can visit Gloucester City News for this article for more tips.

If there are other animals on the property that could potentially harm the mail carrier, make sure those animals are kept in a fenced-in area or inside the home.

It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on any wild animals that could be in the vicinity while the mail carrier is present.

3) Be careful about where you put packages near the door – make sure it is out of reach from any windows so no one can grab them.

You want to make sure that the mail carrier is safe while he’s on your property. If someone were able to snatch a package right out of his hands, it could be very dangerous for him and you!

Don’t put any packages or other items near windows where they can easily be taken by criminals. Make sure all incoming parcels are placed in an area that is out of reach.

If you’re expecting a large package, be sure to let your mail carrier know so he can take precautions when delivering it. He may need to leave the package at the door instead of bringing it inside.

These are just a few tips for keeping your mail carrier safe while on your property. Be sure to visit your local post office for more information on how you can help keep your mail carrier safe!

Helpful Tools To Have Around The Yard

One of the best things about having your own home is having your own yard. There are many possible ways you can put a yard to good use, especially during the summer season. You can host your parties in it like get-togethers and barbecues. You can set up inflatable pools for your kids or sprinklers and tarp for a splash pad. If you have a green thumb and love gardening, you can grow your own vegetables or plant different kinds of trees and flowers. The possibilities are endless.

With all those activities, it is necessary for you to maintain your yard. For you to do so, you will have to have on hand tools that are necessary and helpful for getting the job done. Here some that will help with your yard work.

1. Lawn Mower

To protect your yard from pests and keep it healthy, it is important for your yard to be mowed. At the same time, your yard will look very pleasing. Having a lawn mower will help you with that.

2. String Trimmer

This is the tool you will use in places a lawn mower cannot reach like mailboxes, fences, trees, and decks.

3. Shears

There are different kinds of shears and they are useful for different kinds of work. Does your yard have a lot of trees? If the problem is that the branches are always growing, one solution to that is to cut them, and it will be handy to have gardening shears in that case. If you love gardening and making your yard look pretty, a pruning shear will be great for that. For shrubs, a hedge shear will be more fitting.

4. Rake

A common problem with people that have yards is not only the growing grass but also the dried leaves. It is a problem especially when fall comes but it is also common during the other seasons. That is why having a rake is really important. Rakes are also used for grass clippings and many other types of debris. If you are looking for a rake used for gardening, it is different. They are rigid and are usually made of iron unlike the ones used for gathering that are usually made of plastic or aluminum alloys so it will be more flexible.

5. Air Compressor

An air compressor is very useful for powering up your air tools and is also great for inflating things. So if you love playing ball or you are planning to set up an inflated pool with some floaters, this will be a helpful tool to have. Some even use it as a leaf blower, so you will be saving a lot by having one.

6. Wheelbarrow

This is a tool that is great for transporting bulky stuff around your yard, especially for those who are into gardening. But it is also useful for other activities such as landscaping and mulching.

7. Leaf Blower

Another tool that is great for gathering leaves. It can also be handy with cleaning up dust not only in your yard but also in your garage.

How A Pressure Washer Can Help Keep Your Landscaping Clean

There are many uses for a pressure washer. The pressure washer can help keep the cement and stone landscape we have clean. This is to say, you can clean your driveway, walkway, and anything in the yard that is cement or stone. The only question one should be is to rent a machine or buy one. 

Do You Rent or Buy? 

If you are going to use the machine once per year, it would make more sense to rent the machine. To rent a power wash machine will cost around $75 for one day use. This will permit you to have an industrial level machine for one day to do all the power washing you can. On the other hand, if you plan to use the machine for more than one time per year, even twice, you should buy the machine. The machine will give eventually pay for itself. However, it should be noted, you should look to pay around $500 for a good machine. 

What to Look for When You Buy a Machine 

You should always take the make and model into consideration. By this we mean you should look at the maker of the engine. Is it from a reputable company, such as Greenworks or Sun Joe? When was it manufactured? Is there a warranty on it? What is the warranty on? Should you buy because of a name? Probably, the answer is yes. If you are not familiar with the name on the engine of the power washer, you might not want to buy the machine. 

How to Use a Power Washer 

You will need a garden hose, nozzle, gas, and oil. You will also need a tip for the nozzle. The first thing you want to do is connect the garden hose to the machine. When connecting the garden hose, you will take one end of the hose and twist it onto the provided end on the machine. You will next take the other end of the hose and twist it onto the spout at the house. This will provide the water supply for the machine. You will want to turn the water spout on. 

Select the proper tip for the nozzle. When you are selecting a tip for the nozzle make sure you are reading the tip. Sometimes there are manufacturers that will put soap in black, and other manufacturers that will make a black tip for rinsing. Make sure you have the correct tip for the job you are thinking of doing. 

Screw the tip onto the nozzle. After doing so, you will want to squeeze the trigger on the nozzle. This will elapse any air that is in the hose. You will not want any air in the hose while you are trying to power wash whatever it is you are trying to power wash. 

Of course, you will need to check that there is enough gas an oil in the machine. When you have done so, and determined there is enough gas and oil, power on the machine. You power on the machine by pulling the cord provided on the engine. That is it, you simply begin your cleaning with the power washer. 

Safety 

Safety should always be a top priority when it comes to anything you are doing. With a power washer, the safety measures are no different than if you were working with a lawn mower. You simply use the machine with extra caution. Do not point the nozzle directly at anyone else. This might cause an accidental trigger of the water. The water is at high pressure. Someone could get injured.

Beginner’s Guide to Growing Beautiful Lilacs

A favorite of many gardeners, the lovely, sweet-smelling lilac is often planted by the back door, so the family can enjoy its scent just as they step out to the backyard. While not a particularly fickle plant, the lilac does need the right kind of care for it to flourish.

About Lilacs

The lilac is related to the olive and can grow between 12 and 20 feet tall, with a spread of 8 to 14 feet. Its branches are thick with flowers in the spring, and the flowers can be white, purple, yellow or deep red can grow in 10 inch long clusters. Even the big, heart-shaped leaves are attractive when the flowers fade. Old shrubs are tough enough to serve as supports for flowering vines such as clematis. The lilac attracts butterflies and hummingbirds and can tolerate rabbits and deer.

The Soil

Lilacs can grow in nearly any type of soil as long as it is not waterlogged. However, it prefers rich, fertile, well-drained soil that is either neutral or more on the alkaline side. This means a pH of 7.0 or a little higher. If the soil is a bit too acidic, it can be amended by adding lime. A gardener can find out the composition of their soil by sending a sample to their nearest cooperative extension. A report not only lets the gardener know the soil’s pH but the levels of nutrients such as calcium, nitrogen and phosphorus.

Exposure

A lilac bush needs at least six hours of sun a day for glorious bloom, though some can flourish in dappled shade. They do best in hardiness zones 3 to 7.

Planting

Lilacs can be grown from seeds that are sown in early spring right after the date of the last frost. They are best grown from cuttings from green wood, old wood or the roots. Some lilacs are grown by budding or grafting. The easiest way to grow a lilac is to buy one from a nursery. These plants can come in containers or in burlap.

Dig a hole about 18 inches deep and wide. Some gardeners add a handful of fertilizer, but make sure this is covered with soil before adding the plant so not to burn the roots. Mound some soil in the center, and spread the roots of a container grown plant over it. If the roots are in burlap, gently cut away the burlap. Make sure that there are no roots encircling the ball, and cut away roots that look dried up or dead. It’s best to place the plant about 3 inches deeper than it was in the pot. Fill the hole in, water, tamp down the soil with hands to fill in air pockets then water thoroughly again.

Place the plants at least five feet apart. One good idea is to plant lilacs with different bloom times so that the garden has a display of lilac blossoms for most of the growing season.

Add mulch to keep the soil hydrated, keep the roots cool and discourage weeds. The mulch shouldn’t touch the crown of the plant, which is where the stem connects to the root. Water the plant about twice a week until it is established.

Care

Once it’s established, the lilac doesn’t need special care, but it should be pruned immediately after flowering. Older, larger plants can tolerate hard pruning.