Brigita's Blog: August 2007

Take a stroll down beautiful, Historic Downtown Nazareth and enjoy the special entertainment, demonstrations, delicious food and refreshments and stop in and visit the 21 shops and organizations on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2007, from 4:00PM until 9:00PM.  (The raindate is Sunday, Sept. 9, 2007, 1:00PM - 5:00PM.)  The activities are open to everyone and are free.  

Center Square will be holding:

• a demonstration of "18th Century Gun Smithing" sponsored by the Jacobsburg Historical Society
• Art Exhibit
• Boy Scout Troop 78 will have a rope bridge for everyone to try out and dutch oven cooking
• Flag retirement ceremony, where the public can retire their own flags
• Cub Scout Pack 88 will have a "Rain Gutter Ragata".  Public is invited to race the wooden sailboats made by the scouts.
• Karate Demonstration
• Nazareth Big Swing Band

Main Street wil have:

• YMCA Karate
• Ideas will be shared of Downtown Revitalization presented by the Nazareth Downtown Association

Main & Belvidere Streets will be holding:

• Acoustic Entertainment sponsored by the Nazareth News Agency/Java Lounge
• A performance by "Dream Kids".  They are a group of young people who raise funds for the Dream Come True Foundation.  The youth are mostly from the Lehigh Valley area.
• A dancing presentation given by "Pure Country Dancers"

Belvidere Street will have:

• An antique & Classic Car show.  This year's car show is dedicated to the memory of Nazareth Police Chief Bruce Ruch.
• "Spinning the Oldies" music with Diane Lee

The roving entertainment will be "Bandaids and Stitches", a Christian clowning for worship services, Sunday schools, banquets, etc.  You will also be able to purchase T-shirts.

Come join in the fun and enjoy Nazareth's hospitality.

A buyer calls you.  He tells you that he and his wife will be in town for a few days the following week and will be able to look at some homes one day during that time.  You agree to meet the one day and pencil him in, and he promises to call that week with a time.  He calls the following week and says that they have arrived and will be in touch to set appointments to see some of the homes.  The day before the agreed upon date, he calls again, but to tell you that he has been called away on emergency business, but his wife will be staying a couple of extra days.  Therefore, they will not be able to look at any homes.  What would you do in this scenario? 

This happened to me recently, but I was not going to lose this buyer.  Since his wife was staying the extra days, I offered to take her for a tour of the areas they were interested in searching for a home.  She explained that she was not interested in looking at homes, but I told her it was only a drive around to see the area.  She agreed. 

So, at the appointed time, off we went.  As we were driving around, we were able to chit chat about different things.  I was able to find out a little more about the couple and what specifically they were looking for.  Not only that, I was able to see what areas appealed to her most as we were driving.  She in turn asked many specific questions about the areas (about parks, recreation, things to do, etc.)  After the 2 hour tour, I dropped her off at her car and she was so thankful for taking the time out to show her the areas of interest.  When mentioning the name of the area, she was now able to visualize it.  She mentioned that she and her husband would be out in a couple of weeks, at which point they will then look at a few of the homes on the market and will be in touch when they come back out.

This example shows that if you take the extra steps, the clients will remember it.  So, who do you think they will call when they come back to town?  Once you show them that you are there to help them, NO MATTER WHAT, they will come back to YOU.  They will trust you and your name will stick in their minds like glue. 

Have you ever seen an Alpaca up close?  Did you know that you can still buy  fresh milk straight from the cow in Northampton County?  How about checking out the local vineyard or greenhouse?  

You can come see all of this and more during the Open Gate Farm Tour, sponsored by the Northampton County Cooperative Extension.  Come and enjoy the sights, sounds, smells and feel of farming.  Great way for the family to learn about the local agriculture and there is no fee to visit.   You can even bring your cameras.  This annual event will be held Sat., Sept. 29 & Sun., Sept. 30, from noon until 4:00PM, rain or shine.  Dress casually.

The farms that will open their gates for you are as follows:

• Amore Farms, Greenhouses, Vineyard and Winery, Route 512 south of Bath
• Burnside Plantation, 1461 Schoenersville Rd., Bethlehem
• Buzas Greenhouse, 3927 Newburg Rd., Easton
• Clear Springs Farm, 306 Garr Rd., Easton
• Faust Family Produce, 523 Nazareth Pike, Nazareth
• Graver Farms, 2791 W. Scenic Dr., Danielsville
• Juniperdale Farms & Produce Crib, 1015 Browntown Rd., Nazareth
• Klein Farms Dairy & Creamery, 410 Klein Rd., Easton
• Northampton County 4H Center, Bushkill Center Rd., Nazareth (there will be a small fun horse show for the youth and barbequed chicken for everyone) OPEN SUNDAY ONLY
• Purple Haze Alpacas, 790 Slate Belt Blvd., Bangor
• Reeder Farms, 4450 Richmond Rd., Easton
• Seiple Farms LLC, 5761 Nor-Bath Blvd., Bath
• Smith KREKK Alpacas, 7525 Hahn Rd., Bangor
• Unangst Tree Farm, 7317 Bethlehem-Bath Pike, Bath
• Upper Edelman School House, Route 191 in Edelmans OPEN SUNDAY ONLY

If you would like more information on the event, please call Duane Stevenson at the Northampton County Extension Office at 610-746-1970 Ext. 2.

For those of you interested in honing your skills at cross country riding, Burgundy Hollow Farm will be holding a cross country clinic with Jane Cory on September 15, 2007. 

Many of you may be familiar with Jane Cory.  For those of you who are not, Jane Cory used to own and run Pleasant Hollow Farm in Coopersburg, PA.  Back in the 1960's she was short listed for the US Eventing Team.  She taught lessons, gave clinics, taught at Delaware Valley College in PA.  She hosted many recognized events at Pleasant Hollow Farm in addition to many shows (jumper and dressage).  Jane also helped out with the local US Pony Club at her facility for many years.  Pleasant Hollow Farm included the CORT Center, which was a handicapped riding program.  Pleasant Hollow Farm was well known in the area and Jane was known to be honest and very helpful.  She still teaches lessons and clinics, and is a dressage judge. 

If you would like to get more information on the clinic, visit www.burgundyhollow.com

It is a gorgeous, sunny day.  Perfect weather to go riding.  You head over to the barn and straight towards your horse's stall.  As you approach the stall, you sense something is wrong.  Your friend and partner is not looking over his stall door and nickering at your arrival.  You look into his stall and he is just standing there with his head hung down low, with no interest in his surroundings.  He is not even interested in eating his hay.  Alarms are going off in your head.  You enter his stall and check his vitals and listen to his gut.  There are no gut sounds and his vitals are abnormal.  OH, NO!!!!  It can't be!!  Is it possible that he has .........

This is the scenario that horse owner's dread.  The horse is totally disinterested in his surroundings and has absolutely no interest in food, which is very unusual for a horse.  (A horse eats and grazes for most of the day.)  The animal will start to sweat and keep looking at his belly.  From time to time, he may start kicking at his belly.  His breathing is labored, pulse has increased and his temperature is rising.  You listen to the gut and there are no sounds at all or too many sounds.  He may want to go down and roll.  All these are signs of .... COLIC. 

Colic is basically a tummy ache for a horse, but it can be fatal.  Now, you may ask, why?  The horse has a very sensitive digestive system and a small stomach.  Horses are unable to throw up.  What goes in one end, must come out the other.  If anything gets stuck in between, immediate action must be taken.

Once you have determined that your horse has colic, CALL THE VETERINARIAN IMMEDIATELY!!!!!  The sooner he gets medical attention, the better.  If you wait too long, it may be fatal.  If your horse wants to go down and roll, DO NOT let him.  Doing so (rolling) may twist his gut and surgery will be a must and he may not make it through.  Instead, walk him around and try to keep him calm and as comfortable as possible.  If he wants to just lay down, allow him to, so that he can rest.  But, keep a constant eye on him.  Do not offer him food.  (Would you want to eat when your tummy hurts?)  You may try to offer some water, but that is it.  Once the vet arrives, he will determine the type of colic your horse has and will treat him for it.  After treatment, if surgery is not required, keep a close eye on him for the next 24 hours.  Eventually he should start munching on his hay and drinking water.  Under no circumstances feed him grain until you are sure he is out of the woods.

Many of us who own horses have gone through this at least once.  No horse owner wants to go through this, knowing what may happen down the line if not caught in time.  It doesn't mean that the horse has not been well cared for.  There are many reasons why a horse may colic.  The best thing we can do is catch it in it's early stages and call for medical help the minute you suspect it.  It is better to be safe than sorry.

You finished moving into your new home and your horses have also settled into their new surroundings.  You are taking a break from moving and just relaxing and watching your horses graze in the field.  Just listening to them munching away is soothing.  Many of you are probably asking "What's so soothing about that?"  Those of us that are "horse crazy" know the answer to that.

I've been into horses ever since I can remember.  My room was covered with horse pictures and I collected horsey stuff.  My parents kept saying that I'll grow out of it.  Well, here I am over 30 years later and I still like horses.  I even have owned several over the years, plus my kids grew up with them and I volunteer in different horse organizations.  It doesn't seem like I've grown out of it. 

Whenever I feel down, or angry, I go and visit my horse.  Grooming him, or just spending time with him, seems to cheer me up.  I can also tell him my troubles and somehow, I get answers to my problems.  Just think, a horse will never tell anybody your secrets.  Believe me, my horse has a lot of them. 

The horse has a very calming effect.  This is one of the reasons why horses are used in therapy and in handicapped riding.  In addition to that, horses also teach responsibility and respect.  Nobody really wants to bully a 1200 lb. animal.  Guess who will win?  And the horse knows it, but will respect you if you do the same. 

Horses love to please, but only if you ask of it, not force it.  The horses that are treated this way end up being nice, well trained animals with good attitudes.  If a horse is forced to do something, it will get very aggravated and can turn mean.  When training horses, you must think like a horse and be one step ahead.  This way you are considered the leader of the herd.  (Horses have a pecking order in a herd and need a leader.  If you don't show them that you are the leader, they will walk all over you.  Personally, I would not want that much weight walking all over me.)

Team work is what the horses will teach you.  If you think of your horse as your partner, both of you will be able to work together.  If you help your horse, in turn your horse will help you out.  This is a great combination if you are competing.  That's why my son and his horse were so successful.  They competed in Show Jumping and made it to the National Level because of team work. 

Owning a horse also teaches you about finances.  Yes, horse ownership is costly, but if you budget yourself and just purchase what you need, and not the bells and whistles, it is not as bad.  Trust me.  I had a horse and both my children had one, too, so I know first hand.  No need to buy every gadget you see.

I enjoy just watching the horses buck, run and play in the field.  Let me rephrase that, I like watching the horses do anything.  They can be very funny at times and very peaceful other times.  They show no worries and live for today and enjoy life.  We should all take a lesson from them.

I specialize in horse properties and I have buyers interested in purchasing farms, farmettes and properties for themselves and their equine friends.  What is really frustrating is when I check the MLS for properties, which are "zoned for horses", end up being quite the opposite. 

I had a situation where an older home was on the market and it included a barn, shed and a fenced in area for animals on about 3 acres.  It was advertised as  "zoned for horses".  I checked into zoning for my buyer (habit I guess) and it turned out that that particular township required a minimum of 10 acres in order to keep horses on your property.  They told me that they have 10 acres as a minimum because of development in the township and anything less would not provide an area for manure disposal.  Now, some townships do allow horses on 3 acres, but limit the number you can have (which is understandable).  Imagine what would have happened if the buyer did purchase the property and put their horses on it.  The township would have told them to remove them and your buyers would be very upset with, you guessed it, YOU, for not disclosing information.  All because you relied on the information the other agent supplied.

The moral of this real life situation: ALWAYS check information before you present it to your buyer.  Going the extra mile will prevent any major catastrophes and your buyers will trust you even more and thank you for it.  Just because the property has a barn on it does not mean it is a farm nor does it mean that horses or any other farm animal is allowed.

Thought I would update everyone on the current status of the abandoned barn cats I blogged about back in  June.

I am happy to say that the 3 have found a new home at a fellow real estate agent's farm.  (She also happens to be a volunteer with the Animal Response Team and one of the volunteers that helped round up these cats.)  They have been nursed to health and their illnesses are being taken care of.  All are looking so much better and you can't even tell that these are the same cats.  They are extremely friendly.  The one even follows you around when you walk around the farm.  They even started doing their job of catching mice. 

A big thank you to Carinna Vretmann for taking in these homeless cats. 

460 Longacre Dr., Cherryville, PA 18035 (Lehigh County) EXPIRED 11/1/07

Located within minutes to major routes, Blue Mountain Ski area and shopping on a quiet street.  Property has privacy and seclusion, yet close to neighbors.  Boasts spacious rooms and pristine views.  Zoned for horses.

       Home has 5 BR, 2 finished Baths and 3 Baths with rough plumbing waiting to be completed to your own specs.  Home was built in 1985 and has 3463 sq. ft. of living space, including a loft.  An entertainer's heaven.  Home has hardwood floors and tile floors throughout.  Well insulated with savings in utility bills.  Home includes 2 oversized 2 car garages, one attached and the other detached.  The detached has running water and electric and may be converted into a barn or an apartment.  Home includes a brick patio with brick BBQ pit.  Too many ammenities to list.  Property has many possibilities.  Priced at $850,00.  Owner anxious to sell.  For more information visit my website.

Come join in the fun at the Burgundy Hollow Farm Horse Trials as a participant or an observer.  The unrecognized event is being held on August 25th, rain or shine.  The levels will be Starter, Beginner and Novice. 

For those of you that are not familiar with Combined Training (also known as Three Day Eventing), it is quite exciting to watch.  Combined Training originated in the days of the Calvary.  It was used to test the endurance and strength of horse and rider. 

The event consists of 3 phases of riding.  The first phase is Dressage.  This is where the horse is tested for obedience, and horse and rider do a specific test according to their level.  Penalty points are given for any sort of disobediences.  The next phase is the Cross Country, where horse and rider ride the countryside and jump natural obstacles (such as logs, chicken coops, fallen trees, etc.) within a specified time, in a controlled manner.  The horse and rider are penalized with points for any refusals of a jump.  The third and last phase is Stadium Jumping.  Here the horse and rider jump a pattern of a certain number of jumps in a controlled area.  The jumps are not to be knocked down, nor are the horse and rider to refuse any.  Penalty points are given if there are any refusals or rails knocked down.  In the end, the horse and rider team that have the least amount of penalty points win.                      

It is truly a worthwhile event to watch or ride.  It gets your adrenaline going.  For more information you can click onto http://www.burgundyhollow.com