Things to Look Out for During Winter - A Forestry Experts Perspective

I know some people hate winter.  Some people don't like the cold or the snow or the short days and long nights.  I personally don't mind winter.  I think if you live in the Northeast US like I do, you should be able to handle the elements as they come.  If not, move down to Florida, like everyone else :)

I like the snow as well, dating all the way back to when I was a young lad.  The snow storms, pristine fields of unblemished white, it was all wonderful.  Every so often it would snow so much that we would get a snow day!  Nothing better than that!

But today, as I've grown up as a forestry professional, working on my own tree service in Long Island, NY, I've come to realize that snow and snow storms present unique challenges and dangers to the community.  As a tree guy, I see this stuff first hand.  So here are a few things to look out for before our next nor-easter or big snow dump in the next few weeks...

Check for Broken Branches *Before* A Storm

This is rule #1, and its something that we see neglected every year.  Make sure you do your prep work and look for brittle, broken, leaning or weak branches on your trees before storms or bad weather come through.  

It's just common sense, but people tend to either forget, neglect or ignore the possibility for damage to their home, property or family.  Take it from me, whos worked in the tree industry for over 20 years, get a tree service in your area to come around for safety checks at least once a year.  If you are in long island, you can call up my service or one of my fine competitors.  If you are elsewhere a simple Google search with surface you local companies and you can pick from them.  (I've also gone ahead a listed a few locations of my spots and some companies in surrounding areas in case my readers need help tracking people down.

Have a Generator Handy to Power Your House

If you are a new homeowner you might not have thought of this just yet, but it's very important.  Make sure you have a generator on hand that will be able to power your house (at least your heat and electricity for the refrigerator) for at least 7 days.  Going without power is all too common since our electrical grid in this country is an antiquated mess.  You don't want to be left out in the cold with your family (literally).

Have An Emergency Tree Service on Hand Just in Case

Things happen, and even with the most preparation, we can still face problems with our trees and property.  If a tree comes down and you are in the middle of a big storm, you'll need a reliable company that can take care of it ASAP.  This is not the time to be searching Google or the yellow pages for a good company, because you will like get ripped off.  Find someone that has good references and go with them if the time comes for emergency services.

As promised below are a few locations of my business and some surrounding areas, in case you need tree services:

Tree Removal Long Island
70 Comsewogue Rd
Setauket- East Setauket, NY 11733
(631) 364-2936
Website

Tree Service RI

150 Anthony Ave,
Providence, RI 02909
United States

+1(401) 213-5812
Website




Eastern Tree Experts
Guilford, Connecticut
(203) 457-1737
Website

Note to all 50 somethings, Hiking is a Great Way to Stay Active

Do you regularly view my blog? You are probably familiar with my views on homesteading. I have always been interested in growing food and being able to rely on myself for survival. Now that I have all the pieces in place, I feel better about life in general. It is not easy to grow your own food. However, it is also not as hard as people think; you do not have to be in the garden for the entire day, for example. Since I do have some free time, it seemed important to stay active. The gym is not really an option for me, so I settled instead on hiking. I recently headed to the Catskills, since it is fairly close to where I live. I'm actually surprised that I have not ventured out that way yet.

The Need for Good Walking Shoes

Plantar Fasciitis runs in my family. It is a genetic condition that causes heel pain when you have been sitting or laying for an extended period of time. Each morning when I get up, I feel a great deal of pain in my heels. It almost feels like I am standing on top of jellyfish when I first get up. The condition is quite painful, and it is nothing I would wish on anyone, even someone that was unkind to me. Once I get over the pain of getting out of bed, there is still a lingering discomfort that stays with me through the day. The condition is always there, although with proper treatment, the pain can be minimized.

It is important to buy a good pair of flexible shoes when you have this condition. In particular, the heel cup needs to be supportive. People who are overweight are often diagnosed with this condition, because their feet have a lot more pressure on them then they would if the person's frame was slimmer. However, plantar fasciitis can be treated, so it is important not to get too frustrated. When taken care of correctly, surgery is not necessary. In fact, surgery can occasionally exacerbate the problem. Instead, there are a number of exercises that can help with the condition and may make it go away altogether. These exercises can help you slim down, work out your feet, and give you the ability to rest.

Facing Obesity Head On

I am proud of the fact that I am self-sufficient and grow my own food. However, I have headed to the convenience store before and purchased a bit of junk food to eat. My husband also has a sweet tooth and doesn't always make the best choices. As a result, the two of us have gained a substantial amount of weight. Because we are homesteaders, we are very unhappy with our situation. We are not okay with the weight gain, and we have committed to slimming down this year. However, we know that we need to stay active, and that in order to do that, we need a good pair of walking shoes. My husband needs to find a pair that will support a large man. These walking shoes right here are a good option for big fellows. I need to find a pair that will be good for an overweight woman. We know that what we put on our feet will make a big difference when it comes to our eventual success. If we do not select the right type of shoes, we will not be able to maintain the level of activity necessary to lose weight.

Slimming down helps you to feel better about yourself. It is also good for your heart and your health. In addition, losing weight helps your feet. Consider how much weight your feet and ankles are holding up right now. Think about the damage that is being down to your knees. Your body simply can't support your weight gain long term. I know that is the case for me; I can feel how much my body is suffering. As a result, I am researching the right type of shoes for me. I also know that it is important to pick up a pair of good insoles. The insoles that come with the shoes that you buy in the store are simply inferior to orthotic inserts. Obviously, these sorts of high quality inserts will cost you a bit more, but they are certainly worth the price. They are generally less than twenty dollars. If you need them custom-made, however, they may be a bit more pricey. You will not need custom-made inserts unless your situation is quite serious. My husband and I feel that we will be fine purchasing orthotic inserts instead. We need those, because we both have high arches.

Walking Shoes for Overweight Individuals

If you intend to start walking, and you are overweight, you need to find a good pair of shoes. This is also true if you intend to run or jog. If you do not make this a priority, you will be hurting your body. You do not want to have mobility issues as you get older. If you do, you may not be able to stay active, which means you could pack the weight back on. That is why there is no time to lose.

Remember that it is not too late to get started on a health journey. Whether you are in your 20s or your 50s, you can change the way that you live. This is true even if you notice your knees giving you trouble. The human body is an amazing thing; it can heal even when you think all hope is lost. I have been taking supplements meant to help with cartilage repair, and I really see a difference after six months. It is definitely a slow process, so it is important to know that you are in for a long journey. It took some time for you to get to this point. It makes sense that it will take some time for you to heal. Find some walking shoes today and get active! It doesn't matter whether you walk or run; it simply matters that you commit yourself to getting some exercise each day.

A Truckers' Life - Working Man in the Transportation Industry

I know a lot of working men, heck, I'm a working man myself.  I just recently posted about my tree removal companies' new website, which sort of plays a role into this weeks post.  I took my company, which has been around for 10+ years, and started to modernize it by getting it only.  I want to tell the story of a similar situation, where a regular working guy started his own company and had to work hard to build it up, including mordernizing and scaling up, hiring employees, getting loans, all that sort of stuff. What I did wasn't nearly as complex, but it still shares some similarities.  It's still an old fashioned business working to make themselves modern and relevant in a changing economy.

The Story - It Started With a Truck

So my friend Kevin was working for at least 5 years, saving all his pennies, and he was finally able to buy his own Semi-Truck.  A big expense that put him in the hole for a pretty large sum, be he was happy about it.  He could now do his own work and make his own deliveries, keeping a bigger share of the profit.  Until then he had been working for various transportation companies and they would pay him a wage, but he was close enough to the action to know that the real money was being kept for the big-wigs in the corporate offices.

He didn't want to stay an underling forever, so he figured the first step would be to get himself his own wheels.  He could make deliveries, shipments and keep all the money for himself.  He thought it was a rather simple plan, but sadly it wasn't so simple.

After all the expenses, and taxes, and man-hours, and gas, Kevin was only bringing in a little bit more than he was making as a wage worker.  Plus he had all the extra headaches of handling with bureaucracies and payment processing, it was kind of a mess.  He started realizing that this thing would only work if he wasn't the one to do both the management and the manual labor, he needed workers of his own. 

And Then Came More Trucks...

So he was wondering what to do, because he only had the one truck but needed to quickly scale up.  He didn't want to wait around for his pennies to pile up again.  He tells me that if he would have waited, he'd still be working that one truck (this was 10 years ago)... So he asks around about companies that help to build corporate credit of a transportation company, and is eventually able to land a large loan that helps finance 3 more trucks.  He now has a fleet! 

Being in the transportation industry for the last several years he has plenty of contacts so he's able to get workers without a problem.  He also knows which ones are the slackers and which ones of the good workers, so he's able get a solid work force going.

And The Rest Is History...

Kevin still operates his trucking company and it has yet to reach global and worldwide renown,  but he is still a success story of a working man.  Hopefully I can be one just like it, take an old trade and moving it into the new age with a little bit of innovation and a whole lot of will power.  Cheers to Kevin!

 

Shameless Self Promotion - My New Site (Tree Service and Removal in Long Island)

Granted this is a little bit of shameless self promotion but I figured if I don't get to promote my own stuff on my own blog then WHY OWN ONE?? So anyway, I will make a little short and sweet (as I don't know how to be very verbose this)...

I've started to take my Tree Service and Removal company online... I've created my Google Profile as well as my Google My Business account and have started to look around for some insight on how to get some good web design on the site itself.

What is a Tree Service?

What is a Tree Service?  Well, don't mind if I do.. My company does all sort of tree trimming and pruning, as well as tree removal and tree trunk grinding... My company is based in and services all areas of Long Island, including Brooklyn and Queens.

Now, a bit more of a shameless promotion, because why not... If you live in Long Island and own a home or property, chances are you may want to have a tree removed or get some branches away from some power lines.  Storms come and can knock down the old trees in your property, and the best way to handle this is to be proactive and remove those old branches or old trees before they become a problem.  Trimming and pruning will also cost you a lot less than fixing a downed powerline or a caved in roof...

What If I Don't Live in Long Island?

Congratulations, you probably save a lot of money on property taxes.  But all joking aside, there are plenty of similar arborial services all throughot the country, it just so happens that my company only serves Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens (and we've been known to go into Manhattan on occassion).

So without further ado, here is my site: http://www.treeremovallongisland.org

We've been in business for over ten years but just recently had the wisdom to get ourselves a website.  I hope it looks good and doesn't look crappy... I hate when websites look crappy (that being said, this blog aint all the pretty, but its what Blogger gave me!).

What do you think of the image we used?

How I Converted My Van to a Minibus

A minibus is typically defined as a multi-passenger vehicle that is larger than a minivan and smaller than a bus, but did you know that there are several different types of minibus? Whether they are being used as taxis or for school transport, minibuses come in all shapes and sizes and are used around the world.

Convert it: Vans
 
Van conversions are the most basic type of minibus, and are just what they sound like: van bodies converted into larger passenger vehicles. They take all kinds of shapes and sizes, but will typically add a higher height roof, more seats, additional windows, and any other items – like a door – that will accommodate more passengers. Ford and Mercedes-Benz are two car manufacturers who produce vans often used for minibus conversions. Obviously, van conversions are great for smaller minibuses, as they do not allow for extreme changes to body or chassis size.

Build it: Body
 
If a simple van conversion won’t do enough for your minibus needs, there are many companies who prefer to do an entirely new body on an existing chassis, either from a van or truck depending on size needs. In the US, small school buses are typically designed in this way, and in parts of Europe and Asia it is not rare to see body builds that literally look like they are placed on top of existing pieces. Body built minibuses are an excellent choice for mid-range minibuses in size and price, because they are more customizable than a van conversion, but sometimes cost less than a new manufacturer-built minibus.

Born this way: Purpose Built
 
When exploring on holiday in the United Kingdom, we recommend hiring a vehicle, yes England has fantastic public transport, but being able to explore an area in your own time is much more enjoyable, we keep out news page up to date with lots of interesting road trip ideas for your rental vehicle. You may wish to rent a van, if you decide to turn your holiday into a workation!
Remember, even converted van minibuses are often held to specific laws and regulations governing how minibuses can be used and who can use them, so no type of minibus is allowed special clearance with these rules. Always be sure to check local laws, and be sure you have selected the right minibus for your needs.

Keeping My House Clean - A Guy's Perspective

The state of a house (how clean it is) speaks volume about its inhabitants, and for guys, this can sometimes not speak so kindly.  As I've grown from a bachelor to a family man I've had to evolve on my cleaning habits, and this means making some fundamental changes to my day-to-day life.

And this is an important point to make, cleaning is a daily thing, but domestic cleaning might not be something that we are very keen on following. Nevertheless, cleaning the house should be a routine that is easy. For most people (guys in particular), they dread cleaning because they at times end up doing it twice or spending twice as much time as they had initially planned. Here is where hiring a domestic cleaning company to do the cleanings chores may come in handy. I've used them in the past, and flirted with this idea even recently, but I've decided to take care of it myself.

This may sound pathetic, but I actually had to do some research and found that you can find some excellent guides on Youtube and other sites on the web. This one for example:
Knowing where to start is very important. Most cleaning experts know that the best place to begin is any that requires the most cleaning and hygiene. As such, the kitchen is often the first place, followed by the bathrooms, the bedrooms, and then the living rooms.

 • For the kitchen – cleaning will start with ensuring there are no dirty dishes. The next step is to clean the skin and wipe down the countertops and the stove using a sponge or cloth and an appropriate all-purpose cleaner. The floors will be the next issues that will need a bit of sweeping and mopping to ensure they are spotlessly clean. Once everything is clean, all the kitchen towels can be washed and hung to dry then folded and stored appropriately.

 • For the bathroom – cleaning will start will organizing the room putting everything in it right place. The next step will be to wipe the skin, scrub and wipe the bathtub, or scrub and wipe the shower glass or curtains. The toilet will be next in line; swoosh the bowl with a brush, flush the toilet, and then wipe it from the rim to the seat. You can then work on the mirrors and walls to wipe any splatters before you proceed to apply a shower mist on the shower curtains or glass.

 • For the bedroom – start with making the bed then fold and hang the clothes and put them away. Pick up all dirty clothes and take them to the laundry room and then open the windows before doing a bit vacuuming.

Don't let this be your room.

• For the living room – start with picking up any items laying around and then dust, vacuum, and tidy up the sofa. You can then concentrate on cleaning the floor and rugs, which will need a bit of sweeping and vacuuming. Once you have handled the dirt, you can shift focus to the tables and cabinets to wipe off any dust and get rid of prints and unwanted spots.

Voila!  There you have it.  For me it takes about 2-3 hours if I'm not rushing, and I do this once a week.  If I split up the tasks with my wife, it goes even quicker.  I've never been a big fan of cleaning, but making it a process that's more akin to a project task list, and less akin to "chores", makes it easier for me.

My Tips To Help You On Your Moving Out Day

I recently helped a close friend of mine move from her old apartment to a nice new house on the edge of town. The process was more involved and stressful than I would have imagined, and I figured people could learn a lot from our experience, so I decided to put a little guide together on the best way to prepare for and execute the moving/removals process. Hope you all find this helpful!
Moving out of a place can be quite hectic. This can be even worse if one is not properly prepared for the day. It can end up being messy, certain household items or even documents can get lost in the process and this can lead to utter disappointment at the end. To avoid this, one must always be prepared by the time the moving out day arrives. How to do that? Well, my first suggestion would be to do what I did when I was personally moving, and that is to utilize a removals Bournemouth company. Using a professional is so much less stressful (and back breaking) then doing it on your own. However, not everyone has the resources to hire a company, as my friend Nancy did not. These tips are applicable if you are doing it yourself, or hiring a professional.

It is always important to ensure that all of your documents are properly filed to avoid losing them. Make sure that you put the most important documents in a file and store them in a specific box. This way, when you get settled in your new place, you will have all the items in place.

Another great tip is to start packing early. Do not wait until the eve of your moving day to start packing. This will lead to confusion and some items being misplaced. When you pack early, you get enough time to ensure that all of your items are well-placed and it will also help you in getting rid of the things you don’t need.

Organization is key when moving out. The more organized you are when moving out of your old place, the better it will be for you when you start to unpack in order to arrange the items in to your new place. Mark all the boxes in order of which rooms they belong to, that is kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom and any other rooms you might have. Also ensure you label which boxes have fragile items to prevent them from getting damaged.

If you get people to help you out during your moving out day, this will very advantageous. Doing everything by yourself can prove to be pretty tedious. If you have friends or relatives who can help you out, ask them in advance.

Moreover, if you can move some of your things from the old place to a new place before the moving out day, then do so. This will help you avoid packing all the items at once and will reduce the job you have to do considerably.

Above all, always ensure that you have all documents that indicate your lease agreement in order. This way if there is any deposit that you need to collect you will not have any problems with that. Often people forget that a big portion of the moving process is not just a physical process but a legal one as well, so don't let that trip you up.

Well, that's all I have for now. Here is a helpful video that I found, see if you like it to. Until next time!