December
Solstice
A Continuing Publication in Solaridge Cluster
December 21st,
2000
Crisp
nights and short days are here again. Solaridge
takes on a special feel in the winter, snug homes with sparkling lights and
holiday cheer. I like the picturebook
feel of driving down the street and seeing all those pole lamps twinkling a
welcome.
The
pole lamps are especially important in the winter -- so thanks for lighting
yours each evening! I’ve helped several
neighbors install a photocell control like mine so the light comes on even if
we’re out shopping – or bicycling -- at twilight. Also, it’s eventually necessary to rewire the candelabra
sockets. Call if you need help.
Holiday
schedules:
No Trash or Recycling Pickup on Monday, December 25
and Monday, January 1. Instead trash
will be picked up on Thursday of both weeks.
You can put your recycling out those days, but my guess it will go into
the trash if you do! This is called a
“consolidated pickup.”
Holiday trees will be collected at curbside on
January 3 and 10. Be sure to remove all
tinsel and decoration, so the tree can be recycled for mulch.
Do
you know the number to call when power fails?
It’s 1-888-667-3000, and I urge you to call it whenever the electricity
goes off. Even if there’s a recorded
message noting that there are power outages in the area, stay on the line and
punch in your phone number to make sure that our Solaridge circuit is known to
be down. The rep’s there have told me
that it can make a real difference in the time needed to restore service, as
crews are sent to definite problems first, and initially in the order they’re
reported.
If
you had your driveway repaved this summer, consider waiting twelve full months
before sealing it. That’s the advice
from the asphalt engineers. An initial
coat of sealer can help even out the surface, but the best advice today is not
to seal the surface too often or too heavily.
Seems that applying a layer every year, especially of the thicker,
polymerized products, can actually shorten the life of the pavement. The added layers eventually suffer small
cracks and de-bonding, and water and contaminants are held against the asphalt
surface.
Let
me offer my periodic plea to treat our woods with respect, and not to dump
anything in them. Since we have such
small wooded areas compared to the number of homes, we’d quickly overwhelm
nature if we added our plant and lawn trimmings, and other organic debris to
the woods. Consider a composting device
on your back deck!
Also
a caution to inspect your chimney top caps.
These are the rather huge and heavy pieces of sheet metal which top each
of your chimney structures. In a bizarre
incident, the wind recently tore a cap from one of our homes, blowing it down
into the front yard and smashing the pole lamp. Better the pole lamp than a person?! Next time you’re up on that ladder…!
Anyone “connected” out there? www.ldcamera.com/Solar is the new home of the cluster website. Be sure to notice the upper case “S” in
Solar. This is a spacious new location
-- that BellAtlantic pied-à-terre was getting a bit crowded! Visit here for back issues of the
newsletter. You can read – or reread --
all the news and tips from recent years.
Our
April annual meeting date is also posted on the website as soon as we book the
room, there’s an open invitation to the monthly business meeting, a list of the
officers, and there’s even a section for you to contribute a link to your own
personal web site. So far my
photography site is the only one listed – who wants to be the second link?! Come on over and visit!
Speaking
of photography, I have three shots in the January “Sierra” magazine, the
publication of the Sierra Club. So when
you’re down at Border’s or Barnes&Noble next week, check it out! The pictures are from recent volunteer
Sierra “service” trips I participated in.
I’m teaching a class in photography in March, so if you see me dragging
a tripod around the cluster today in the snow, lol…
Take
care. You’re lookin’ good!
Lynn
Lynn
Devore, President
Solaridge
Cluster Association