August 2024 Newsletter

Summer is winding down, and school will be starting again soon. Before you do your back-to-school shopping, take some time to clean out closets and get rid of items that have been outgrown or will no longer be worn. Doing this will help you make a list of what you need to buy.

Now is also a good time to tidy up perennials in the yard and prune any dead wood. This will make your yard look better, and you’ll get a jump start next summer by knowing your plants’ health.

Late summer is when wasp activity peaks. They’re more aggressive and more likely to sting, so take precautions. You can find where wasps are living by keeping an eye out for any activity close to the ground.

If you didn’t have your HVAC unit tuned up this summer, maybe fall is the time for your next tune-up. Furnaces typically fail during the coldest days of the year, so you still have time to schedule maintenance.

Once you’re done with summer activities, it’s time to store the summer gear and get ready for fall. Clean your summer belongings before you put them away so they’re ready for next year. Get rid of items that have outlived their usefulness so you aren’t wasting valuable storage space.

If you have an abundance of garden produce from summer, check with a local food pantry to see if you can donate.

And when you have some quiet time, sit down and go through your summer photos to organize them. You can make an album or book to commemorate special moments or get a start on your annual family letter.

August Featured Project: Downtown Condo

This 30-year-old condo had not been updated since it was first built. The owner decided it was time for an update, so we worked our magic on almost every surface.

Design Corner

Our design focus this month is on Transitional design. It falls between traditional and modern, using traditional elements like crown molding combined with modern furniture, art, or lighting. It straddles the past, present, and future.

Fun Fact

August 14, 1948 — 76 beavers were dropped by parachute into a protected roadless forest by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Prior to this, beavers who were deemed bad neighbors by locals were relocated by horseback, which wasn’t enjoyable for the horse or the beaver. The beavers regularly didn’t survive the trip.

A beaver named Geronimo was the test pilot for this endeavor. Specially built crates were constructed for the beavers and attached to surplus parachutes left over from WWII. This effort was deemed a success a year later when researchers checked on the critters, finding them safe and thriving.