Reese Payton

With winter on it’s way, my folks are looking at purchasing and having installed some snow guards (also known as, snow brackets, snow stops, snow birds, snow dogs, as well as snow retention devices) on their house’s roof. Last year there were several injuries reported in the local paper from people having snow or ice fall on them. That would really suck, death by icicle! But I know that it can happen. We have all heard the horror stories at some point in our life time of icicles doing serious damage to some one some where, right?

Snow guards help slow down the ice and snow in a controlled manner instead of a sudden avalanche that cause case damage to so many things. They are becoming a big hit with homeowners all over the country where they have snow fall and you can find some good deals on them on the Internet. Snoshield.com is who my folks are going with. A good friend and neighbor used them and now every one on the block wants them before the snow starts falling. So the street is all a buzz about all the work going on and who is getting what done and what color, etc……. It’s a nice old neighborhood that we were lucky enough to grow up on and my folks plan on staying there as long as possible and keeping the place up the best that they can in their golden years.

My folks are looking into purchasing R. H. Peterson Real Fyre Gas Logs that we have been hearing so much about. So they have been doing their research online and finding out a good deal of information that they didn’t even think about, so I’m grateful for the Internet bringing them this important information to them before they dish out their hard earned money for nothing or for something that they don’t understand. Information like whether or not they want Vented Gas Logs or Ventless Gas Logs.

At hansenwholesale.com they found a great page full of Gas Log FAQs that they found to be useful and funny. Funny enough for them to send me the link to this particular list of questions that I want to post here. Pay attention to the last two, I wasn’t expecting this from them. LOL

Introduction to Gas Logs

The first thing that you need to know about Gas Logs is that there are a lot of questions that need to be answered before you can even begin searching for the right logs. Questions such as -

Do you want vented or ventless logs?

Are you burning natural gas or propane?

Do you want a remote control?

Do you want your remote control to turn the logs on and off or to adjust the flame…or to have a thermostat?

What type of fireplace do you have…masonry, prefabricated, ventless?

What are the measurements of your fireplace (Front Width, Back Width and Depth)?

Are there any building codes you need to be aware of?

Are the gas logs you’ve seen online even legal in your city?

Do you care?

Are you having a nice day?

The point is, when most consumers begin shopping around for gas logs, they do not know what questions to ask and many people end up buying a gas log set that may not be right for their fireplace and may even be unsafe. To avoid making any mistakes, we urge you to call and talk to one of our gas log experts who will help you choose the right type of gas logs for your fireplace that will not only look the best in your fireplace, but be safe for your home and perform beyond your expectations.

Talk To a Gas Log Expert: 1-800-201-1193

The Author of this post is Herman Barry

Owning your own home is, to be honest, a lot more work than I ever thought it would be. I figured you find the right place, buy it, then move in and…live happily ever after. SO not the case. I’ve been unpacking boxes for what feels like months now and everywhere I turn there’s something that needs to be replaced or renovated or whatever. I guess that’s what you get when you buy an older place but at the end of the day I have to be able to count on the purchase I made. I love knowing this place is mine all mine but that means a lot of responsibility. From the trash to the cable I know I’ve got to be in charge and sometimes that’s hard to do after a long day at work! I’ve never imagined myself as responsible as I am now and I guess that’s a good thing…buying a house sure did make me grow up fast. My mother would be happy to hear me say that, that’s for sure!

I really miss the handheld shower heads that I grew up with at my parent’s house so I’ve been looking around online at the shower heads that are now on the market these days. It’s amazing, the variety of shower heads that are now available. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised since the Internet has the capability of bringing so much to consumers, just by taking a few moments of your time and checking out various options. Sometimes having many choices is a good thing, but sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming and I find myself wishing things were not so complicated. Weird, I know, but that is how I feel sometimes, but I guess that is the Libra in me so I really can’t help it.

I didn’t know that they even made low pressure shower heads, it makes sense though. I have taken many a showers at various places that certainly could have used one of those puppies. There is nothing worse than having a head full of shampoo, and I have been blessed with a lot of long thick hair, and then not having enough water pressure to rinse all the shampoo out. And then of course is the conditioner. If you don’t get all of the conditioner out then your hair feels funky and nasty all over, that can be a real drag I can tell you that.

So my search continues for the perfect handheld shower head to have installed in my master bathroom. I’m looking for a site that offers free shipping, no hassle returns and one that takes Pay Pal as a form of payment as well. I really don’t want to have venture out to Home Depot, Wal-Mart or Lowes, I prefer to make as many purchases at home using my trusty laptop, nice and easy like.

I did a bit of cleaning up around the place last weekend. Got rid of a ton of trash, freed up some space in my home office and the basement. It’s amazing how quickly we accumulate so much crap isn’t it? I found several years worth of phone books that I haven’t even looked at in several years. I mean if you have the Internet you really don’t need the local yellowpages for much. I can’t remember the last time I even thought of looking for something or some one in any type of paper phone book. My recycling bin got filled up quickly and is ready to be put on the curb in the morning for the city to pick up and recycle for me.

If I need to find something like one of the local restaurants all I have to do is go on a site such as local.com and they have everything that I need. The address, the phone number, directions and even reviews. Now what paper phone book can do all of that? I love how the World Wide Web has made a local search such an easy task to tackle and it can allow you to find people, places and things all over, which is just so cool.

It seems like it was just a few months ago that I found the perfect garden arbors and brought them home to put in the yard. I have always loved the look of those old fashioned wooden arbors so when I found a great “too good to be true” deal online I jumped on it and got me some real beauts.

As much as I love the autumn weather, it is a constant reminder that winter, and all that goes along with that each and every year, is right around the corner. I don’t like the cold and the wet and the wind, ugh. I like spending time outside, not being stuck inside with layers of clothing on and constantly trying to keep warm without turning up the heat since heating oil has become so darned expensive.

Waiting until next April or May to be able to spend time outside and in the yard, especially my garden, seems like light years away. I have bought some seeds for a great vine to plant next spring that I hope will grow up and down and all around the one arbor and I’m looking into finding a great flowering vine to grow on the other one.

Is it Spring yet?

I don’t know what I would do with out my slow cooking Crock Pot, now that I have figured out so many ways to use it, I find myself pulling it out from under the counter more and more as time goes by. Today was a perfect day to put it to use, they way it spills the aroma all through out the house is just wonderful and keeps everyone from wondering too far from the house come dinner time, that puts a smile on my face.

Friends may come and friends may go, be damn do they have to go so quickly. It seems that my good friend Shannon just moved back here from Texas, the Houston area, and all of a sudden she is looking at Dallas Real Estate and Dallas Homes For Sale, back down in the great state of Texas. I know that she spent the first 11 years of her life there but all of her family is up here now, so I’m not really sure what keeps taking her back that far away and has her looking at Dallas Homes for Sale. Even her kids are up around here, although they aren’t little any more, but still.

These days people are so transit, friends and family members are always having to say good bye, while watching their loved ones move away. I really think that has a lot to do with family not connecting the way that they used to. I grew up on a street that had numerous relatives living all up and down that road, it was an awesome way to grow up, it’s too bad times like that have totally changed.