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Winner of 'Thankfulness' Contest: A Really Good Reason to Maintain Your Hot Tub

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:58:39 +0000

I'm not the biggest fan of pool chemicals, and if there is an alternative way of at least cutting down on chemical use in pools and spas, I think that every pool or spa owner should seriously look into it.

Having said that (to borrow a line from last night's episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm), today's article from The Billings Gazette about this year's winner of the Montana newspaper's "Thankful" contest will have you double-checking to make sure your hot tub always has the correct levels of chemicals.

The recipients of the "Thankful" award, Jim and Nancy Kinsey, sound like a nice couple with positive attitudes. But with the toe infection Jim contracted from a hot tub, which turned into necrotizing fasciitis, aka "flesh-eating bacteria," I'm sure Jim would recommend that you maintain your hot tub.

Pool Chemical Safety Do's
Pool Chemical Safety Don'ts
Video: How to Test Your Pool Water
Hot Tub Do's
Hot Tub Don'ts

Winner of 'Thankfulness' Contest: A Really Good Reason to Maintain Your Hot Tub originally appeared on About.com Pool & Patio on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 16:58:39.

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Decorating This Weekend? Are You Using LED Holiday Lights?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:46:28 +0000

I have a confession to make. I just packed up my Halloween decorations that I left up a bit longer than usual because I love looking at them. And, with barely a few days in between, I'm getting ready to put up my outdoor Christmas decorations. I've been "cleaning up" my front yard and walkway with a vengeance, as the native California plants and ornamental grasses I planted a few years ago have gotten a bit wild (some were 8 feet high) since spring. Since I had the H1N1 flu in October -- when I should have tamed those native grasses -- I'm having to play catch-up real fast.

One thing I plan to do differently this season is go green with my lighting decor -- I've seen the LED light and I can't look back. After researching 10 Reasons to Make the Switch to LED Holiday Lights, I'm convinced that incandescent holiday lights are on their way out. How about it? Will you be making the switch to LED holiday lights this year?

Decorating This Weekend? Are You Using LED Holiday Lights? originally appeared on About.com Pool & Patio on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 15:46:28.

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Wordless Wednesday: Where Are They Now?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:27:56 +0000

In late September, this group of turkeys seemed to be their typical quirky selves, going for an afternoon stroll after a swim at Turkey Lurkey's ranch.

Wonder why we haven't seen them around the pool lately?

Photo by Lisa Hallett Taylor

Wordless Wednesday: Where Are They Now? originally appeared on About.com Pool & Patio on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 04:27:56.

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'Green' & Sustainable Swimming Pools Open in Australia

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:23:52 +0000

The Australian city of Toowoomba last week reopened its public swimming pools, just in time for summer.

Yes, it's remarkable to imagine that people are experiencing late-spring weather way down under in the southern hemisphere. But what's really remarkable is that the government provided the Toowoomba Regional Council with $2.6 million to improve the environmental sustainability of its nine public swimming pools. The Toowoomba Sustainable Pools Project is part of the government's Economic Stimulus Plan.

Among the sustainable improvements:

rainwater capture, storage and re-use equipment
backwash recovery systems to treat and reuse pool water
solar heating and pool blankets (covers)
energy-efficient water and light fittings
drought-tolerant landscaping
new grandstands (bleachers), decks and recreational areas

"With the town still in the midst of its worst-ever drought, this investment will help make sure its pools remain open to its 152,000 residents," said Special Minister of State and Queensland Senator Joe Ludwig, Special Minister of State and Queensland Senator Joe Ludwig, representing the Rudd Labor Government

"The pools will be truly functional and provide ideas that people can take to their own backyards."

Toowoomba has been on Level Five water restrictions for more than two years, which prohibits the use of outdoor water.

'Green' & Sustainable Swimming Pools Open in Australia originally appeared on About.com Pool & Patio on Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 23:23:52.

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Wordless Wednesday: The Savannah Bird Girl and Her Little Friend

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:09:26 +0000

The most famous of the four original "Bird Girl" statues stood over a family plot at a Savannah cemetery since the 1930s. When the statue was featured on the cover of John Berendt's bestselling novel, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, it became so popular that it had to be moved to a nearby museum for safekeeping.

I found this Bird Girl reproduction watching over the other outdoor ornaments and statuary at a garden shop in San Juan Capistrano. Not sure you want the Savannah Bird Girl taking up room in your yard? You can opt for the Mini-Me version of the Bird Girl, which will keep watch over the hummingbirds and other tiny critters in your outdoor space.

Photo by Lisa Hallett Taylor

More Wordless Wednesday on About.com

Water-Wise Landscaping: Garden Art and Statuary

Wordless Wednesday: The Savannah Bird Girl and Her Little Friend originally appeared on About.com Pool & Patio on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 04:09:26.

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Children's Swing Sets Recalled Due to Fall Hazard

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:54:44 +0000

That attractive and much-used wooden swing set in your backyard may be a hazard to anyone who plays on it.

You might want to take a closer look to find the manufacturer's name on the set. And if that name is Adventure Playsets of Amarillo, Texas, you're advised by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Health Canada and Adventure Playsets to return part of the set. There's a fall hazard involved with the swing set that has led to 16 hospital-treated injuries involving children under age 8. There are approximately 10 different models being recalled. Find out if yours is on the list.

Children's Swing Sets Recalled Due to Fall Hazard originally appeared on About.com Pool & Patio on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 05:54:44.

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Can H1N1 Flu Virus Be Spread Through Water?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:51:12 +0000

If H1N1 flu isn't the burning feeling on everyone's foreheads, then "how can I catch it?" is the burning question on everyone's minds.

Yesterday's report of the diagnosis of H1N1 in a cat in Iowa is just the latest in how unpredictable the virus is, and many uncertainties remain.

By now, most of us are familiar with common methods that the H1N1 virus can be transmitted and the importance of washing our hands. But can the�H1N1 flu virus be spread through water in swimming pools, spas, water parks, interactive fountains, and other treated recreational water venues?

Find out what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends for people who use recreational water venues, both public and private. And remember: flu season or any other time, it's unhealthy to swallow pool or spa water.

Can H1N1 Flu Virus Be Spread Through Water? originally appeared on About.com Pool & Patio on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 03:51:12.

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Wordless Wednesday: Is This Gourd Arrangement Symbolic?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:51:47 +0000

At a farm/ranch in San Juan Capistrano, I came across this interesting arrangement of recently-picked squash and gourds. I don't think there's any symbolism going on here in this particular arrangement; whoever created this was probably just doing it for fun. What's your take on it?

Photo by Lisa Hallett Taylor

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Wordless Wednesday: Is This Gourd Arrangement Symbolic? originally appeared on About.com Pool & Patio on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 01:51:47.

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10 Reasons to Use a Cover for Your Swimming Pool

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:58:38 +0000

There are some obvious and not-so-obvious reasons for getting a pool cover, if you don't already have one. When you're not using the pool, it makes sense to cover it to keep leaves and debris out, and so you don't lose heat. But that's only two reasons. Find out the other eight reasons why you should be covering your spa or swimming pool.

10 Reasons to Use a Cover for Your Swimming Pool originally appeared on About.com Pool & Patio on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 04:58:38.

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A Trick: Make Ghosts Float in Your Yard

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:33:24 +0000

I suspect the creative abilities of many seasonal decorators are fueled by that last-minute rush. Especially with Halloween, which has an element of surprise and kind of depends on darkness to really enjoy its full impact. Headless monsters and killer clowns look oddly out of place on a sunny autumn afternoon in Southern California, or anywhere for that matter.

So, day-before or day-of decorating for Halloween is fairly common at our house. One thing I have become is a very seasoned Halloween outdoor decorator. One of my favorite display methods is making objects look like they're floating or are suspended in mid-air. During college at Cal Poly, Pomona, I worked at the campus art gallery and learned all kinds of display techniques. One of them, hanging lightweight objects with monofilament -- or fishing wire -- is a trick I use quite often when decorating. Besides creating an element of fun and fantasy, it shows off every angle of an object, instead of displaying it flat against a wall.

Last year, when I reviewed a trio of yard ghosts from Grandin Road to review, I saw their potential to go beyond mere yard stakes. About an hour after opening the box, my ghosts were happily hovering mid-air between my yard and my neighbor's. This weekend, they may float over the deck in the backyard for my daughter's birthday party.

Follow this simple step-by-step for purchased or homemade Halloween ghosts and you, too, can host a ghostly gathering in your yard this weekend.

Photo by Lisa Hallett Taylor

A Trick: Make Ghosts Float in Your Yard originally appeared on About.com Pool & Patio on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 04:33:24.

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