Brigita's Blog: April 2008

Thought all of the women, especially the ones over 40, would enjoy reading these.  

An over 40 woman will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think.

If an over 40 woman doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do.  And it's usually something more interesting.

An over 40 woman knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants, and from whom. Few women past the age of 40 give a darn what you might think about her or what she's doing.

An over 40 woman usually has had her fill of "meaningful relationships" and 'commitment."another dopey, clingy, whiny, dependent lover.

Over 40 women are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant.  Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.

Over 40 women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.

An over 40 woman has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women. An over 40 woman couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to an over 40 woman. They already know.

An over 40 woman looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women.

Over 40 women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off you are a jerk if you are acting like one. You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise over 40 women for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coifed hot woman of 40+, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year-old waitress.

Ladies, I apologize.

On Thursday, April 24, 2008, a team from Nazareth HS competed in the Northampton County Envirothon at Louise Moore Park, located in Lower Nazareth Township and Bethlehem Township.  The team of Joe Keglovits, Morgan McGinnis, Rachel Noble, Michelle Martin and Luke Matheson, with Kathy Romano as the team advisor, won the competition.

Nazareth HS will now move on to compete in the Pennsylvania State Envirothon on May 19-20 at the Penn State University, located in State College.  They will compete against other schools from the state.

The Northampton County Conservation District runs the local competition for HS students.  The students are tested in several environmental areas, including wildlife, forestry and aquatic ecology. 

Pen Argyl Area HS had 2 teams tied for 2nd place and the Freedom HS Team 1 finished 3rd.

Spring and the nice weather has finally arrived.  We have been waiting for this moment all winter long.  I know I have.  (At least those of us without indoor riding arenas).  Let's saddle up and go!

Before heading out for that long awaited ride, there are some things you need to consider.  Neither you nor your horse are in the best of shape after a winter layup.  You are both out of condition and you need to bring yourselves back slowly.

For your first ride of spring, tack up and go out for a slow, easy walk.  Ride for a short period of time.  Enjoy the scenery and the fact that you are finally able to get out into the fresh air to ride.  Do a little bit of a trot for about 10 minutes.  Walk again and trot once more for about 10 minutes.  If the horse is huffing and puffing, you have overworked him.   

Each time you take your horse out for a ride, increase the trotting time and gradually add the canter.  As you progress in the riding, both you and your horse will begin to feel fit and be able to eventually take those rides for hours on end. 

Remember, your horse has not really gotten much exercise over the winter and has been mostly standing around enjoying his meals.  For example, it is like you racing the marathon without training for it.  You will drop before you even get started.  It's the same for a horse. 

A horse is an athlete and athletes need to get into condition.  Without conditioning, they will break down.  Rather than taking the chance of injuring the horse and being laid up for months, wouldn't you rather sacrifice that long afternoon ride until everyone is fit for it? 

Burgundy Hollow Horse Trials               

June 15, 2008: Schooling Horse Trial                
                      Levels: Starter, Beginner Novice, Novice, Training                    
                      ESDCTA  

July 27, 2008:  USEA Recognized Horse Trial                 
                      Levels: Beginner Novice, Novice, Training                                           
                      ESDCTA  

October 26, 2008:  Schooling Horse Trial                
                            Levels: Starter, Beginner Novice, Novice, Training                          
                            ESDCTA    

New Course and Jumps including WATER !!!                   

Burgundy Hollow is proud to announce that they will be hosting their first USEA Recognized event on July 27, 2008.  Two schooling horse trials will be offered on June 15 and October 26.   

Come join in the fun of Eventing:  Dressage, Cross Country, Stadium Jumping.   

Volunteers are welcome for the events in which you are not riding.  

Spectators are always welcome to see the events.

Burgundy Hollow has available Cross Country Schooling by appointment for a small fee of $25 per rider per horse.  A 2008 negative Coggins, safety helmet and vest, ground person and a signed release are required.

Pony Club:  Would your pony club like to be involved in designing or decorating a cross country jump?  They are interested in helping your members do projects and to further their knowledge.  Please contact Burgundy Hollow if you are interested.

So, come on out, volunteer or watch the exciting events.  You will enjoy every moment.

It's springtime and the pastures are turning lush and green.  It has lots of tasty new growth.  Time to cut back on feeding the hay and turn the horses out into the grass.

STOP right there!  All that lush spring grass can be fatal to the horses.

Just think.  The horses haven't seen grass for a number of months and are craving for it by now.  Yummy!  (At least to the horse it is.)  Compare it to a child in a candy store.  If they (the horse) eat the grass all day, they will end up with a tummy ache, better known as colic.  And as all of us horse people know, colic can be fatal. 

When the spring grasses start coming in, begin putting the horses out for short periods of time and gradually increase the time until their digestive systems are used to the grass.  The best way to do that is to put them out for about 1/2 an hour for a few days.  Then increase the time to maybe 1 hour for another few days and 2 hours the next few days and so on until they are out for most of the day.  The horses may be unhappy being out for such a short time, and yes it is a bit of an inconvenience, but in the long run you will be grateful for it because you will not have to call the veterinarian out for an emergency call.  Believe me, that can run into mega bucks, not to mention possibly losing your horse.

So, go ahead and put the horses out into the pasture, but remember to start out slow.  In the long run, it will save your horse's life.

WARNING TO ALL PET OWNERS!! 

I received this e-mail today concerning the new flea and tick medicine that was just recently released on the market.  Please read it.  It may save your life and your pets lives.

"This is Jo and this is a very important message to my family & friends who have dogs-cats--and to alert you to the hazard of using a new Flea & Tick Preventative called ProMeris (http://www.promeris.com/consumer)

"This is a new product designed to be a more effective product than other flea/tick treatments that was just released this year. It is available thru a vet and not currently on-line. I got ProMeris this week for my 7 dogs (6 Huskies & 1 Golden-Airedale), and the results were debilitating for nearly all of them-including me.  Since my incident this week, my vet has pulled it from distribution and alerted the manufacturer, Fort Dodge.

"Here are my results: Within less than 2 hours after applying, 4 of my dogs had vomited from 2-4 times, 3 were disoriented and stumbling, 1 was dragging his back leg, 1 was salivating. I had very similar symptoms like an allergic reaction-my lips were swollen, eyes very red, mucous membranes such as eyes, nose, and mouth were stinging. I was very disoriented- dizzy equilibrium and not able to drive. To make this a short story-all 7 of my dogs were admitted to the hospital for veterinarian care, and 3 of them remained for care, IV fluids and  observation for 24 hours. I was in the emergency room. I'm home now and so are the dogs. We're all feeling much better. Vet bills were over $2,500 and Fort Dodge is paying for these. Not only can the product cause this reaction, it has a highly noxious odor that permeated the house and is just starting to dissipate after 3 days.

"Your dogs/cats might not have the same reaction, but given my experience-I wanted to help you all become well-educated about the product."

I received this e-mail from a reputable source.  All pet owners, please take caution using this new flea and tick medicine.  It make be harmful to you and them.

Northampton County is holding a Pasture Management short course.  It is a series of "hands on" pasture management workshops for livestock and horse owners that will provide the participant with the knowledge to establish, renovate and amintain quality pastures.  It is sponsored by the Penn State Cooperative Extension.

The dates for the course are April 24, May 1, and May 8, 2008 from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM.  The course will be held at the Star Grange on Route 512 in Moorestown, PA.

Here is an outline of the 3 workshops:

April 24

Introduction to Pasture Management and Soil Fertility

• Setting realistic pasture goals
• Forage growth and development
• Taking a soil sample
• Importance of nutrients and lime
• Sources of nutrients
• Complete fertilizers - what do the ratios mean
• How to apply fertilizer and lime
• Developing a fertility program based on soil tests.

May 1

Forage Species, Pasture Rotation and Improvement

• Identifying and selecting forages
• Evaluating pasture productivity
• Developing a rotational system and stress lots
• Renovating pastures

May 8

Weed and Toxic Plant Identification

• Weeds and toxic plants biology
• Identification and management

As you can see, a lot of information will be covered.  The cost of all 3 workshops is $40 per person, which includes 1 soil test kit.  Registration is required.  Anyone interested in attending contact Donna Foulk at the Penn State Cooperative Extension of Northampton County in Nazareth, PA.

This is a great opportunity for many to learn about pasture management for your horses.  You certainly can't beat the cost. 

As we move into spring, we find that the Real Estate business is picking up in the Lehigh Valley, PA.  Take a look at the market update and see for yourself.                                                               

During March, 2008, the sales have increased by 23%, reporting 444 sales, up from 361 in February, 2008. 

Even though the sales are up, the buyers are still out looking to get a better deal in buying a home.  The average sales price for March, 2008, was $208,000, which is down from February's average sales price of $210,000.  The median sales price for March, 2008, was recorded at $185,000, while in February 2008, the median price was $193,000.

The average time on the market for properties sold in March, 2008 was 73 days, a decrease of 1 day compared to February, 2008.

As you can see, the Real Estate Market is getting better in the Lehigh Valley.  The buyers are coming out of winter hibernation and getting spring fever.  They are taking advantage of the nice weather to do some home shopping.

Buyers!  Take note,  now is a great time to purchase a home.  Take advantage of the large inventory of homes on the market, the more reasonable listing prices and the low interest rate.  You may not get this opportunity again for a while.  Remember what they say:  "When opportunity knocks, answer it." 

So, what are you waiting for?  Get out there and look for that dream home of yours.  With all that is available, I'm sure you will find one that you will love.

Here are some words of wisdom in reference to life.

1. It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return.  But what is more painful is to love someone and never find the courage to let that person know how you feel.

2. A sad thing in life is when you meet someone who means a lot to you, only to find out in the end that it was never meant to be and you just have to let go.

3. The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

4. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

5. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone - but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

6. Don't go for looks; they can deceive.  Don't go for wealth; even that fades away.  Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.

7. Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

8. Always put yourself in the other's shoes.  If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the person too.

9. A careless word may kindle strife; a cruel word may wreck a life; a timely word may level stress; a loving word may heal and bless.

10. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

11. Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, ends with a tear.  When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.  Live your life so that when you die, you're the one smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Always remember:  Life is precious.  Don't let it slip by.

Thinking of selling your home?  Not sure how to get started? 

  Here are 5 simple things you can do before you place your home on the market:

1. Get estimates from a reliable repair person on items that need to be replaced soon, such as a roof or worn carpeting, for example. In this way, buyers will have a better sense of how much these needed repairs will affect their costs.
2. Have a termite inspection to prove to buyers that the property is not infested.
3. Get a pre-sale home inspection so you'll be able to make repairs before buyers become concerned and cancel a contract.
4. Gather together warranties and guarantees on the furnace, appliances, and other items that will remain with the house.
5. Fill out a disclosure form provided by your sales associate. Take the time to be sure that you don't forget problems, however minor, that might create liability for you after the sale.