The Solar Attic

A Continuing Publication in Solaridge Cluster

March 31, 2000

Spring has truly arrived. The trees and daffodils were out early this year, hurrah! The witch hazel blossomed in early January. Perhaps global warming isn’t all downside?! Now, if we could just get a few weeks of good, soaking rains!

The wood-boring bees were out right at the solstice, hovering about the cluster, preparing to mate and drill new nests in our cedar homes. Please talk to your favorite painter and ask that the back sides of your fascia boards be heavily coated with stain. That’s the boarding from which our gutters are hung.

The painters often don’t paint these surfaces, since they face back against the house. And the bare wood surface is a magnet for the bees, which then tunnel the boards out like a honeycomb. After having an exterminator plug the nests, and getting my painter to coat these surfaces, my bee problem diminished dramatically. Please be kind to your neighbor – it only takes one heavily infested house to spread the problem up and down the block!

I’ve found a source for the candelabra wiring harnesses used in our pole lamps, and I’ve helped two neighbors rewire their units and install a photosensor. Ask me for details – it’s wonderful to see the welcoming glow of pole lamps along our streets at night.

Another harbinger of spring: The annual members business meeting will be held at 7:30 PM, April 13, in meeting room 1 at the Reston Regional Library. See you there? The Board has raised the assessment to $760, after holding the line for a number of years. This money will fund cluster expenses which have crept up, including our continuing tree and grounds maintenance, and allow us to sock away a bit more into reserves. Members who maintain current accounts may pay quarterly, so the April dues will be $190, which is $15 higher.

I’ve had my wheelbarrow out the last couple of weekends, starting my spring chores. Cleaning up debris, planting new stuff, etc. A request from the Board: Please make sure not to encroach the common area as you do your landscaping – thanks.

And the attics – they look pretty good, overall! Wander around back, take a look at yours from the vantage point of your neighbors, and see how it survived the last summer and winter. Is it still a credit to the community? Yes? Great!

Happy Summer!

Lynn Devore

President, Solaridge Cluster Association