Warmer Days Help To Clear Snow in Placerville     The snow in Placerville has finally cleared in most areas of town thanks to some warmer temps the last two days. We have only had the one snow day, but it sure seems to last a long time when it’s cold in the Sierra foothills. Looks like the turkey are taking advantage of the open soil.  J     12/21/2013

  My TV Tipped Me Off About The Heavy Snowfall       I’m sure that many of you have seen it all when it comes to the side effects of severe weather. We in California are a bit surprised by weather of even the slightest change. It doesn’t even need to out of season. What do I mean? Cold weather, rainy days, wind gusts, hot temps and snow can affect us in many ways. People drive differently, adjust their work schedule, cancel appointments and more for no real reason other than the change in the environment; changes that seem like nothing at all to the rest of the country. I’m included in at least one small way. During the snow fall the other day, my satellite reception was lost. This was now a major snow storm! Not really, but I was inconvenienced and that made me angry. I don’t know how ... 12/08/2013

  Some Rooms Are Just Warmer Than Others in Placerville, CA       We had some snow here in Placerville yesterday; the temps have been pretty low so much of the snow is still hanging around. I was visiting a home today and noticed that on the tile roof above one of the rooms the snow was gone. When I questioned the owners, I got some answers to why the snow had melted. This is the only room in the home with vaulted ceilings which brings to warmer air closer to the tiles. Although the insulation is the same in throughout the home, this particular room has a potbelly stove that has been running for the last 48 hours. It’s pretty toasty in there right now!     12/08/2013

  Disc Golf Courses In El Dorado County   Disc Golf Courses Disc golf is played much like traditional golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, however, players use a flying disc, or Frisbee®. One of the great features disc golf shares with traditional golf is that they are both played in beautiful settings.  El Dorado is home to 4 disc golf courses. Bijou Community Park – 18 holes South Lake Tahoe (530) 542-3432http://www.cityofslt.us Finnon Lake & Recreation Area - 20 holes Placerville (530) 622-6832www.finnonlake.com Lions Park – 12 holes Placerville (530) 620-0050www.cityofplacerville.org Pioneer Park – 18 holes Somerset California (530) 620-0050www.edcgov.us     12/03/2013

  Snow in Placerville? Could be coming soon       The weather has gotten a bit colder the last few days, with a good chance of rain today in Placerville, Ca. While checking the weather for my work schedule this week, I noticed that there was a chance of snow in Eldorado County, down to the 1,000’ level. Are you prepared for snow?       View Larger Map 12/03/2013

  SIERRA MAGNIFICA CHRISTMAS TREE FARM George & Sherry Carruthers  2500 Hassler Rd. Placerville  (530) 622-0203 | (530) 409-1538  Website: www.sierramagnificatrees.com Types of Trees: Silver Tip,Douglas Fir,White Fir, Swift Silver Amenities: Fresh wreaths, packing available. Free greenery & hot drinks. Cash or check Hours: Open everyday 9 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.     Location: From Hwy 50 take Point View Drive turn left. Follow Jacquier Rd. to Carson Rd. turn right. Follow Carson Rd. to Union Ridge Rd. turn left. Turn right on Hassler Rd. at stop sign. Follow Hassler Rd. across Fruitridge Rd. to first driveway on right to top of hill. 12/02/2013

  A Bit of a Slow Day for Construction, Better Take Care of the Trucks     We finished a bunch of projects before the Thanksgiving day break, so today was a little slower than normal for a Monday. As luck would have it, I needed to get some things done with the trucks. Smog and registration was due next month on one, and one other would not turn over this morning. Turns out it was a dead battery. The original 2002 battery finally ran out of juice!     12/02/2013

  Black Friday at Home Depot in Placerville! What Are They Hiding?       Walking the isles of Home Depot in Placerville today, I noticed that there were pallets of merchandise covered in black plastic. What is Home Depot  hiding from us? They aren’t really hiding anything, it is a part of the Black Friday Sale at all of their home improvement stores. Apparently the sale is a big deal that begins at 5:00am this Friday, November 29th. Here is a list of items that will be available at Home Depot on Black Friday. You can always see these items by going to their website, and shop for Black Friday Items online at Home Depot.   View Larger Map 11/25/2013

    As we get closer to Thanksgiving, the wild turkeys in the area seem to be a bit jumpy. I find it harder to sneak up for a photo come November. Maybe they are smarter than I thought.  J   The turkeys in our community are off limits, it’s in the CC&R’s.   I wonder if they know that. 11/15/2013

  Strange bugs in the water in El Dorado County     While walking through the garage today, I notice that there was a bowl of water near the corner of the garage. As I look over I noticed that there was something in the water bowl. As I got to the bowl I could see that there was a odd looking bugs that I have not seen before. Anybody ever see something like this bug?     11/14/2013

    Pretty cool sunset tonight! Since the time change, we get to see many sunsets while driving home from work. Tonight’s sunset offered a shade that I haven’t seen too often; it really caught my attention. What about you? Have you noticed more of the sunsets because of the time change?     11/13/2013

      Well, the cats are at it again, bringing their “catches” to the front door to show their love. I’ve heard that this is a good thing; it means that the cats are happy and appreciate me. That’s pretty cool. But they have come home with a new one; it appears to be a flying squirrel. I didn’t know we had flying squirrels in El Dorado County so I looked it up. It is not uncommon the find this species in el Dorado County. Now I know and will be on the lookout in the trees to see one in action.    11/06/2013

  How do you know that there is dry rot up there? You didn’t even climb up.     Once you have some experience in identifying dry rot in the building siding and trim, you can spot it from the ground. Of course the extent of it would require some more time and effort, but you can see it from the ground many times. Having worked on many building in the Sacramento area, it is not uncommon to find dry rotted wood in the siding and trim. If it can be detected from the ground, it probably is greater than you may have expected. And even if it is not, something should be done to clean things up soon. You may ask, What can I do to have this checked out?   Consider contacting a local general contractor who has experience, and a good reputation in handling siding and trim dry rot. In Placerville, c... 11/04/2013

    So I had the opportunity to get my three sons to help me with the splitting and stacking of firewood this year. They are young adults and their muscle can help a lot get things done. We did a great amount of splitting this weekend; I think we still need to work on the staking technique.  J     11/03/2013

  In El Dorado County, we are still allowed to burn real wood in our fireplaces; many of the surrounding areas only allow this on “permissive burn days”. Just one more reason to live in El Dorado County. As the weather begins to get cooler, we are running out of time to get the firewood ready to burn. On our property we have many large trees and some of them have fallen. The boys and I will be splitting a lot of wood tomorrow to get ready for the cold winter season.   I’m probably going to be sore on Sunday. J 11/01/2013

    When we first moved to our current home, it seemed to be a ways away from the regular crowd. Trips to the store, getting a movie, or running to the gas station were a bit further than it used to be. We love our home but was it worth the extra 15-20 minutes “up the hill”? Don’t get me wrong, I love our home itself it has a lot of room for the family with many special amenities. One of the areas that I enjoy is the kitchen; we made some changes right after we bought the place. I just love the granite counters and all the cabinets. The kitchen tends to be the gathering place for the family and friends, so we spend a lot of time there.  J The home set on a hillside that makes for a great view of the valley. The local country club set down in that valley with no other homes between us. I... 10/30/2013

  Been Thinking About Contacting a General Contractor in Placerville, CA?     Many have been taking advantage of the opportunity to improve their homes and investment properties in Placerville. Perhaps you are one of those that are still on the fence about getting started, but just can’t decide. Maybe you just need some answers first. What will it cost to improve my home? What will the payback be if I make these changes? Is it worth doing these improvements? Where do I find a contractor in Placerville? How long will construction take to complete? And I’m sure you have many more…   Maybe just picking up the phone to get some feedback from a local contractor is a good place to start. Tromler Construction would be glad to answer your questions for you!   Tromler Construction Placerville Ge... 10/24/2013

      I know it may be early, but we don’t want to be late.   The winter season in El Dorado County can get a little cold. Many of the residents here enjoy burning real wood logs during the cold winter season; we don’t want to be late in getting the firewood.       10/20/2013

    Fattening Up The Thanksgiving Day Meal Guest?   We have the local turkeys that are free to roam the Community of Greenstone Country; it is one of the many wild animals that brings the special feel to this Placerville neighborhood. I watching the turkey on their morning trek, I couldn’t help but think of the upcoming holiday season. I love turkey and wonder if we could invite one to dinner. J     10/20/2013

  It’s been a week on the new diet, so far so good!       I’m not a big fan of dieting but it was time to make some changes. I try to eat healthier over time but the old habits always seem to creep in. This time we are leaning more toward the consumption of plants; we are already seeing some good results from this change. How about you? Any changes in your eating habits lately?     10/13/2013