Stretching, squats, and aerobic action will prepare you for the coming season of, digging, weeding, painting, and many other chores. Gardening and simple household maintenance can be enjoyed well into the senior years. Stay in shape, rest between jobs, and drink plenty of fluids. Enjoy your life, home and garden for years to come.

Here in the East, we have experienced the visit of the Cicada for 2004. Every seventeen years they visit, so on average a person can expect to hear that constant buzz at most, 4.4 times in their lifetime. Yes there is always a big fuss, along with a recap describing their visit and why they are here. You know the drill.

Being philosophical about the incident, here is my take on the phenomenon. I remember the first time I heard that sound, along with the reference to what was known in my neighborhood as a "katydid." Other than the strange reference to a bug called a "katydid," I did not pay much attention to the first visit from this creature. I missed a few visits having lived in southern California for thirty years. They just have earthquakes, no cicadas.

Now that I'm back East again, I am experiencing possibly my next to last visit from this "bug." I don't think this will bother the Cicada much, knowing I may be a no show for that third visit. But the one thing that concerns me is how fast seventeen years go by. So don't waste precious time, get out and do things. This is the time to act on any promises you made to yourself like, taking a trip, reading books, visiting friends or relatives in Alaska. Build a deck, plant a garden, lose some weight, write a book, or just take a walk - but do something. Soon you will hear that sound again, that "buzz." And you know what that means, seventeen years have passed. The Cicada slept in a hole in the ground for his seventeen, what did you do with yours?

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Where's a plummer when you need one?

I could not resist taking this shot. On the way home one day this spring, I saw water bubbling up from the street. Obviously a water main break, a typical occurrence after an East coast winter. Directly across the street, as you can see, are the offices of the local plumbers and pipefitters - hence the platitude.

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The Good, the Better and the Stuff that Just Sucks

Recently what started out to be a bad day, turned into a good experience. I found that our front door lock had a mechanical malfunction, it would not lock. I tore into the problem with every intention of correcting the situation quickly. The lock, a Baldwin, was a lot more complicated than I expected. But nevertheless, I succeeded in taking it apart and scattering the parts over the entry floor. I thought I had found the part causing the trouble, and sent it off to Baldwin in Reading, Pa. They promptly sent me a replacement part, paid the postage and did not charge me for the part. After reassembling the lock once again, I found another piece that did not function properly. Keep in mind this lock is thirty years old. I sent that part off to Reading and Baldwin, again, sent the part back with no charge for postage or the replacement. I was duly impressed so I visited their website. This is the kind of company you think of when you used to see, "Made in America" on a product in the old days. Quality, awards, craftsmanship, see for yourself. Go visit Baldwin locks. This is unsolicited, they paid us nothing. It is just an observation of a "Better" product. They are not cheap, about twice the price of a middle grade lock. But the quality is there, and I can attest to the service.

On the other hand, I bought a Delta tablesaw a few years back, and it has had a good deal of use. But not long after I had the thing, I received a notice from the factory that there was a manufacturing flaw in the motor mounting. They sent me a replacement part. I installed it according to their instructions, used it for a very short time, and once again had problems. This time I took it to a facility that repairs construction tools and equipment. (You can view the results in the photo of the parts bin.) I was informed it would cost more to repair than it was worth. As far as I am concerned, Delta tools SUCK.

So as not to leave on a negative note, I would like to introduce to our readers a new concept in choosing a local contractor, the ACE network, on-line at www.homerepair.org. Our research indicates that most homeowners feel more confident using a contractor in their local community that comes recommended. There are many on-line service companies out there that offer to find you a prescreened contractor somewhere in range of your zip code. Sometimes this contractor will be in a bordering state. Of course this is after you provide them with a multitude of information about you and what you want to build, how soon you want to build it, and how you are going to pay for the improvement. They want lots of detailed information. Is this information entered into a database? You can be sure it is. Now what are they going to do with all of this info? Do they sell this to others, do they track the progress of your remodeling project? Then upon completion try and sell you more stuff, like furniture? There is another way, the ACE network way. We ask no questions, we don't even know who you chose. We just offer a list of local experts in your county that provide home services and have been recommended by other folks in your community. According to the Home Improvement Research Institute, most people choose a contractor based on a friend or relative's recommendation. This is what we provide along with other useful community information, such as recycling, trash collecting, and places of interest in your county. Our first local pages will be here in my neighborhood, Harford County, Maryland. Look for it soon: www.buildingharfordcounty.com.

See: Baldwin Hardware »

George's Famous Potato Salad

This is a beauty. Instead of potatoes, use cauliflower. You will need a large head of fresh cauliflower, one sweet medium onion, one bell pepper, three stalks of celery, two cups of your favorite pickle relish, celery seed, salt and pepper, a sprinkle of olive oil, and a dash of vinegar. Add mayonnaise if you wish, but it is optional.
Start by parboiling the cauliflower until it begins to change color, but is still firm. Do the same with the onion and green pepper. Coarsely cut the cauliflower into chunk size like you would a potato. Chop the onion and green pepper into smaller pieces. Place these ingredients in a large bowl adding the oil and vinegar, and let cool. After everything is room temperature, add the remaining ingredients, toss and cover. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. If you like the mayonnaise version, make two bowls adding mayo to one bowl, and a sprinkle more olive oil to the other. Now fry up the chicken and serve with this guilt free potato salad with no spuds. See the picture of the dose I made. This is good stuff, Maynard.

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