Window Safety for children thisSummer in Bronxville, NY 10708 When the weather's warm early this summer, it can be tempting to open your windows and let in a fresh breeze. But did you know this is a safety risk for young kids? Help prevent tragic falls with these window safety pointers.  Window Safety Do's and Don'tsDO: Ensure all windows are closed and locked when you are not in the room. Children can push windows open. DON'T: Allow windows to open more than 4 inches. This prevents small children from being able to squeeze through. DO: Keep windows open at the top, not at the bottom, whenever possible. Kids are less likely to access the opening. DON'T: Assume that a screen makes the window safe. Screens aren't strong enough to hold even a small child. DO: Install window safety devices... 06/13/2016

 For weeks, we have been relatively rain free and New York has actually been in drought through early September.  Our horse, Krys, has been out of grass for weeks at the barn where she lives upstate...it's like a dust bowl this summer.But, now forecasters tells us we'll have a rainy week and weekend.So, check your basement as the rain moves in and hangs over us, off and on all week and through the weekend.  Most days will have a shower or two, but thunderstorms are predicted and that means a lot of water in a short period of time in Westchester County.  We need the rain and may get up to 1" this week. This Thursday looks dry and I'm heading up to ride Krys, but rain returns Friday and may last through Sunday.  Keep those sump pumps going and check your drains as the leaves start to turn... 09/28/2015

Flooding rains can damage homes and businesses in Bronxville, NY 10708 -- How is outlook for 2015 hurricane season? Hurricane Bill flooded parts of Texas last week and then came our way as a Tropical Storm.  Those damaging winds and "T-storms" this weekend were the tail end of Bill.  So, I looked at the remainder of our 2015 Hurricane Season -- that began June 1st -- to see if we need to keep our eye on the sky in Westchester County. NOAA, or the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration is calling for a normal to below - average season for the U.S. -- Hooray!  Our typical hurricane season runs from early June through November 20th.  Remember that Sandy hit our area in early November 2012.   The height of hurricane season in the U.S. is from mid-August through late October.  Here's ... 06/22/2015

RAIN & CLOUDY SKIES, FOG AND ALL AFTER THE SNOWIEST WINTER IN RECORDED HISTORY -- IS IT ALL BAD, IN BRONXVILLE, NY 10708?  Sorry to be cliche' Rainmakers, but April Showers bring May flowers.  We have a VERY old colonial home near Bronxville, NY and I long for our perrenial lilies and wild roses to begin blooming.  That's my internal memo after days of rain and cloudy skies.  By this weekend, I hope to be up and on my horse, Krystol, if the mud dries a bit and our footing is safer, in NY State.  Krys and I have been on a snow, ice and mud hiaitus since December.  It's time to get back in the saddle on a warm weekend to come.    Hang in there for spring flowers, after these gloomy rainy days and as Forrest and I help Bronxville home and business owners with their flooded basements. Only ... 04/09/2015

How to prevent & thaw Frozen Pipes that could flood your home or business in Bronxville, NY 10583               With crazy low temps that I'm calling "Bi-polar weather" -- heck with Polar Vortexes -- some of us may have the messy and often expensive issue of frozen pipes.  If it could just be normal in the mid-Atlantic without Climate Change -- extreme high and low temps --and get above freezing for days, right?!       We are now national partners with The American Red Cross (ARC), who's teams were so helpful to New Yorkers after Superstorm Sandy.  Along with the many local floods and fires that our Servpro of Scarsdale... responds to annually, we are partners in helping local home and business owners avoid the damages and trauma of a flood or fire.   Below are some of ours and the ARC'... 02/13/2015

Bronxville and Scarsdale residents may experience flooded basements from a slow moving Winter Storm that will dump heavy rain ~ 10708   ** Most parkways in the area are now flooded and closed, including the Bronx River Parkway from Scarsdale to the Sprain Parkway.  Check your radio and local traffic for accidents.  An accident on I-95 this afternoon is making travel tough, too.   Believe it or not, this is our 4th major Winter Storm in the states and it's Westchester County's 2nd big storm so far.   It IS a Nor'easter, as you'll notice by the driving winds from the direction of Maine, pelting us with freezing rain today and tonight.       It may change to snow off and on through tomorrow and Thursday.  But, the big problem is ground water and our high water table from rain and snow in t... 12/09/2014

DON'T LET AMERICA'S ENDANGERED WOLVES GET DELISTED AS ENDANGERED ~ BRONXVILLE, NY 10708   Forrest and I try to support our local wolf rescue community in our area.  Whatever your fav organization, including our local NPR broadcasters, we hope that you can reach out to them today.  For wolf and canine / dog lovers, the Wolf Conservancy in Westchester, NY has a matching grant, for anything you can give to support this endangered species...see Nikai below for details. ~ Hillary & Forrest Sheperd   Give Greater Today All Donations Will Be Matched Until Midnight Tonight (PST)!     Why is Nikai Smiling? Because it's Giving Tuesday! Today only your donation to the Wolf Conservation Center will have double the impact thanks to a generous matching grant of $15,000 from the Toscano family! Please... 12/02/2014