Remodeling House

Calliandra emarginata(Pink Powderpuff)January 10, 2009[edited to include updated information, March 2, 2009]During our vacation in central Florida I spotted this beautiful shrub. Unfortunately there was no one out and about when I took the picture so I could not ask what it was. If anyone can identify this beautiful bush could you please leave a comment? Thanks so much!Thanks to the help of

Spanish Moss(Tillandsia usneoides)Many of the trees in the resort we stayed at during our winter vacation in Florida had a lot of Spanish Moss aka Florida moss, long moss or graybeard hanging from them. I thought it was rather pretty and would have liked to bring some home. Spanish moss is not a true moss but rather an epiphytic plant which grows on other plants. Unlike parasitic plants,

Water is getting more and more expensive every year, and if you're like I am, you want you plants to be well taken care of. One way to ensure that your plants are getting the moisture they need without breaking the bank is to install a rain barrel. Rain barrels harvest free water that's relatively pure and great for watering garden plants.If you want to know more about the advantages of rain

If you read my post about Portuguese food, you may be interested in creating some simple and flavorful Portuguese dishes. I've been busy publishing a few of my Portuguese recipes around the web. One in particular, Portuguese Cod Cakes, uses an interesting ingredient, dry salted cod. You can find this dried fish in the international isle of your grocery store. You rehydrate the fish by pouring off

Paprika is the base for this smoky Creole spice blend that's hot and very flavorful. Use it to spice up your meats and vegetables. For the best results, use a quality paprika. Many of the imported varieties have either a sweet or pronounced spicy flavor, use a blend or go with the sweet.Better yet, this spring, try planting a variety of paprika peppers and dry them for your own ground paprika

Portuguese cuisine is simple and wholesome, often using the familiar and delicious trinity of garlic, onion, and olive oil in savory dishes, and the decadence of egg yolks in desserts. I grew up in a Portuguese household, and my love of food and herbs is due, in part, to those early years when there was always soup simmering on the back burner of the gas stove, and bread rising in a big covered

Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum-Graecum) is an annual indigenous to the Mediterranean and grown widely in Europe and Asia. It has a long medicinal history, and is recommended for cleansing the chest and lungs in Culpepper's Herbal of 1649.Planting FenugreekFenugreek grows to about two feet (60cm), with yellow/white flowers and long yellow seedpods. It likes full sun and well-drained, neutral to

My favorite cure for occasional tinnitus is fenugreek in a warming tea. It tastes a little like a cross between molasses and maple syrup. To make fenugreek seed tea:Make Fenugreek TeaPour boiling water over one teaspoon of fenugreek seeds.Let steep for five minutes.Discard seedsFenugreek as an Herbal RemedyA native of the Mediterranean, fenugreek's curative properties have been associated with

Tinnitus is a ringing in the ears that occurs when there is a malfunction in the way inner ear talks to the brain, causing the equivalent of white noise. It can be temporary, intermittent or constant, and can be caused by a buildup of earwax, prolonged exposure to loud noise, cold, flu, tumors, high blood pressure, and overuse of aspirin (or white willow bark). It can be exacerbated by diet too,

BrugmansiaJanuary 14, 2009Overlooking one of the grottoes in Hollis Garden (Lakeland, Florida) was an amazingly beautiful flowering shrub with huge, drooping trumpet shaped flowers. Unfortunately I could not get close enough to see if they smelled as heavenly as they looked. When we arrived home I did a little research to identify this flowering shrub. I would love to grow this pretty shrub if

Hollis GardenJanuary 14, 2009During our recent vacation to the sun and warmth of Florida our friends who vacation there for the entire winter (lucky them) took us sightseeing. One of our stops was Hollis Garden. This beautiful 1.2 acre garden that was donated to Lakeland is located on the south side of Lake Mirror Park in Lakeland. It is home to thousands of flowers, trees, shrubs, vegetables

Springtime at the Beach!
Well, it's not really here yet (one can wish!) and apparently a little gopher or groundhog or whatever he is decided to give us a few more weeks of winter. However, there are no groundhogs out here at the beach, so it doesn't count! Plus, it sure doesn't feel like winter around here as it's been sunny and warm most of the past week...

Real Estate Update

January was one of the strangest months in real estate that I've ever seen out here on the beach. Usually, in these winter months, when a buyer comes to town to look at houses or lots, usually, they're ready to buy now because it's kinda cold & windy and not many people go house shopping in the winter unless their ready to buy. This isn't really the case the right now. Sure, I've got a few deals going with some current buyers who've made offers and such, but I (and I'm hearing the same from other agents as well) have had a lot more buyers than usual for this time of year looking now and then planning on buying later this year. I'm not sure if they're waiting for prices to fall, hoped that prices had fallen more already or perhaps they're waiting for better interest rates... Either way, I think it's a sign that something's changing... A lot of people are looking... and that's a start. Here's some other news regarding the current state of real estate....

"Senate approves $15,000 tax credit for homebuyers"
The Senate voted Wednesday night to give a tax break of up to $15,000 to homebuyers in hopes of revitalizing the housing industry... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090205/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus

"Home sales show surprising strength in December!"
Sales of existing homes posted an unexpected increase last month, closing out the worst year for the U.S. real estate market in more than a decade on a surprising up note. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28856057/from/ET/

"Pending home sales post increase of 6.3 percent"
Buyers wade back into market as prices fall along with mortgage rates
An index that tracks signed contracts to purchase existing homes rebounded in December, as buyers snapped up properties at deep discounts... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28994648/
Looking for a deal? Here's a list of Sweet Deals for Sale at the Beach!
Upcoming Events

Four-day razor clam dig approved starting February 6th
Clam diggers have received the go-ahead to proceed with a razor clam dig starting Friday, Feb. 6. Three evening digs are scheduled at Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks Feb. 6-8, while Long Beach is scheduled for two digs Feb. 7-8. As with previous openers, digging will be allowed only during the hours between noon and midnight.

Harvesters are allowed to take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 they dig, regardless of size or condition. Each digger's clams must be kept in a separate container. A license is required for anyone age 15 or older. Any 2008 Washington state annual shellfish/seaweed license or combination license is still valid. Another option is a razor-clam only license available in annual or three-day only versions. Descriptions of the various licensing options are available on the WDFW website at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov. Washington's beaches, which are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, are considered state highways and all rules of the road apply.

Opening dates and evening low tides:
Friday, Feb. 6 (3:55 p.m., -0.1 ft.) Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Saturday, Feb. 7 (4:50 p.m., -0.4 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Sunday, Feb. 8 (5:39 p.m., -0.6 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks

Beaches scheduled to open are:
Long Beach, which extends from the Columbia River to Leadbetter Point.
Twin Harbors Beach, which extends from the mouth of Willapa Bay north to the south jetty at the mouth of Grays Harbor.
Copalis Beach, which extends from the Grays Harbor north jetty to the Copalis River, and includes the Copalis, Ocean Shores, Oyhut, Ocean City and Copalis areas. Mocrocks Beach, which extends from the Copalis River to the southern boundary of the Quinault Reservation near the Moclips River, including Iron Springs, Roosevelt Beach, Pacific Beach and Moclips.

Ocean Shores Antique & Collectible Show - Feb 14-15
The 7th Annual Show at the Ocean Shores Convention Center. Show hours are Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is a $2.00 donation to local charities and nonprofits. Over eighty vendors will offer a wide variety of antiques including dolls, glass, furniture, American Art pottery, vintage baseball cards, postcards, and much, much more. Hourly Door Prizes. Available on site will be food booths and Roy's Glass and Crystal Repair Service.

Beachcombers Fun Fair - March 7-8
Event features exhibits, seminars, information booths, and vendors on Saturday and Sunday; a kid's science fair Saturday morning plus beach walks on Sunday morning.

Razor Clam Festival - March 27-28
Put on by the Ocean Shores Chamber of Commerce. 360.289.2451. We'll have a lot more info next month as it's not available yet.

Shorebird Festival - April 24th - 26th
Discover the incredible variety of shorebirds that pass through Grays Harbor in April at this 14th annual event. Multiple locations for viewing around Ocean Shores include Protection Island, Damon Point and the North Jetty! Join scheduled watching tours or set your own birding agenda and enjoy the view!

News
Again, this is the beach and we don't really make news. We do have a Mayor though and he likes to talk.

Mayor & City Union at Odds
In a story titled "Unions Reject Pay Concessions" in the January 15th The Daily World, Mayor Bunkers "announced that making pay adjustments to city employees' salaries doesn't seem to be an option to help ease the city's ongoing budget crisis," he says. He goes on about how he hoped that the pay adjustments could generate $300,000 for the city. "They said no, but it's fine," Bunker's also said. "It's their prerogative." Bunker's then adds that he's not sure how he will recoup the $300,000 if it won't come through pay adjustments." Then, he adds "I'm still not comfortable with the budget as it is," Bunker's said. "I don't want to have to lay any more people off." That must be a negotiation tactic...

Mayor & State Auditor's Office at Odds
Also in TDW, an article on January 24th titled "Utility fund will have to wait," the latest audit report of the City revealed that they had not taken any action to repay the $1.9 million overcharged to the utility fund between 2001 and 2006. The State Auditor's Office has recommended that the city pay back the fund as soon as possible. "We be laying off people to do that at this stage of the game," said Mayor Bunkers. With a budget in crisis, the city recently laid off eight employees. Until the budget situation improves, Bunkers said repayment will have to be put on hold. "We'll just have wait and see how our revenues turn out," he said. Warning: traffic tickets = city revenue...

Jeff Daniel
Associate Broker
Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties
749 Point Brown Ave NW/PMB 1568, Ocean Shores, WA 98569
1.360.581.9020 (cell) - 1.888.469.3100 (toll free) - 1.360.289.3111 (fax)
PROPERTY SEARCH: http://cityofoceanshores.postlets.com/
PROPERTY SEARCH: http://www.coldwellbanker.com/local/jeffdaniel
OCEAN SHORES INFO: http://www.cityofoceanshores.com
OCEAN SHORES BLOG: http://oceanshoresrealestate.blogspot.com
OCEAN SHORES BLOG: http://activerain.com/jeffgdaniel

If you're tired of coming out of the doctor's office with an expensive prescription every time you visit, you may find some relief . . . in your kitchen cabinets. Herbal remedies have been around for centuries, and modern science is rediscovering the wisdom of many of these treatments. The three examples below will give you an idea of scope of herbal cures and show you how they can help you