I'm so glad you could stop by. This is my personal blog of daily life and my journey through life. You will find a strong emphasis on family and friends as well as finding my ancestors through genealogy. Unlike my other blogs this blog is more of a catch-all so any topic is fair game.

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Friday, December 08, 2006

Natural Wetlands

natural wetlands

Natural Wetlands

It would so much more pleasant enjoying this view than today's weather. This photo was taken in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) right in the middle of urban sprawl. The owners intend to keep this portion of their property as natural wetland. What is not shown in the photo is the diverse water fowl we enjoyed. It is truly wonderful seeing these little pockets of natural areas!

The sun is shining brightly today but after last evening's dropping temperatures coupled with snow it is anything but mild out. The ground is not frozen enough for the snow to last so despite the nasty road conditions last night, they are now dry. There's a hint of snow in sunnier spots with heavier coverage in shaded areas. Those in the GTA having had considerably more snow than we did last night would likely scoff at our little amount. However, it was enough to cause slippery roads and cold enough temperatures to have everyone talking about it.

The wind was just perfect last night and this morning to help identify a corner by my desk that needed caulking. This presented the problem of having to empty a large bookshelf, move the bookshelf, do the caulking, wait for it to dry then do the touch-up painting. I've been caulking on and off since October trying to do at least fifteen minutes of winterizing daily. Sometimes that may mean a fifteen minute detection walk marking locations that need attention but most times it is actual winterizing of some type. This is an ongoing sealing project due to the age and design of the house as well as location. It helps that we are into energy conservation so are always looking for ways to lower our energy usage.

I don't mind caulking as it is an easy to do, low cost maintenance that results in greater indoor comfort with good energy savings paybacks. It also seals out insects and other small pests. The only problem with caulking is sometimes you have to wait for the right wind conditions. Another trick that works at detecting drafts is locating cobwebs. Spiders spin their webs where drafts are so that's a sure sign that area needs to be sealed. Of course the old cold air blowing on the feet is always a good sign of drafts but thankfully after a few years of persistence, we are beyond that. With the wind died down this afternoon I may be able to finish up a bit of winterizing outside. I'm using spray expansion foam to seal between the foundation and sill. A couple of spots needed just a bit more so I had to do a walk around to see if there were any more spots before opening a new can. The foam can be tricky to use and I've found the best results with not trying to keep partially opened cans.

Well, back to my winterizing projects for today,


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