A New Toy, YouTube and Start the Fall Season Right with Five Maintenance Tips

Sony Handycam
It’s been at least 20 years since I’ve shopped for a video camera, and nearly that long since I’ve used one. I’ll admit I wasn’t looking forward to shopping for—and learning to use—a new video camera. Not knowing how much time the process was going to take, what electronic glitches would come along with the computer, and trying to get the videos to a finished product on YouTube had me a little stressed.

I couldn’t have been more surprised when the video camera shopping, learning to use it, setting up an account on YouTube and posting to it only took about four stress-free hours! Best Buy had an awesome educational display with a well-trained associate to walk me through my wants and needs. The camera is smaller than a 12-ounce drink can, and is packed full of features that make it very easy to use in many different ways. This is a far cry from 20-year-old memories of a suitcase-size box sitting on my shoulder producing films on VHS tapes.

We are now figuring out the best way to edit and present videos on YouTube. We are fortunate that we just started a whole-house remodel, so very soon we’ll have a lot of content to work with. We will let you know when we launch our YouTube channel, and you can watch the progression of our projects.

Hello Fall!

The weather the past two weeks has been awesome. It’s nice to be able to do projects around the house without running the risk of a heat stroke. Here are five maintenance tips to prepare your home for the fall and winter seasons:

  1. Clean the gutters, downspouts and the roof. There is a lot of dirt and dust in the summer air that lands on your house, and it will fortify debris dams. Cleaning the dirt from the roof and gutters now helps keep the fall leaves from sticking in the gutters and on the roof.
  2. Check out the landscape. Bugs and rodents will soon be looking for warm, cozy places like grass and overgrown landscape against the house. If the grass or landscape plants are touching the house, trim them back.
  3. Prepare the fireplace. If the flue hasn’t been swept in a few years, have it professionally cleaned. Make sure the damper is working properly. If you have a masonry fireplace, look the external brick over for cracks from shifting. If cracks are evident, have them sealed—not doing so can create major and costly problems down the road.
  4. Check your doors for drafts. House foundations have moved a bunch the last couple of years due to the drought. If you see light, or feel air around a door, having the door adjusted or adding weather strip will save on the heating bill and make your home more comfortable.
  5. Fertilize the yard and be sure it is watered properly. Establishing a good root system before the winter will ensure a healthier and better looking lawn next spring!

Have a great fall season,
Mike





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