3 Late-Summer Gardening Tips

Dead Head: No, I don’t mean the tie-dyed, dread-locked, stinky version. I’m talking popping the heads off the dead flowers. If you’re garden’s looking a little tired in this late summer heat, dead heading is a good way to keep it looking fresh. Trim off dead leaves and flowers not only for appearance sake but for the plant’s sake as well. Plants will continue to put their energy towards anything attached to them so trim it if it’s looking sad and a plant’s energy will be more wisel distributed towards more lively parts of the plant.

Fill In the Blanks: Is all the color gone from your garden? Make a mental note of the areas in your garden that could use a little late summer pop of color and go fill in those blanks.with late blooming plants. Now is a great time to start thinking about literal gaps in your garden as well. Maybe you need to spread things out or thin things out. Start  your planning now because fall is a great time to transplant with the soil still warm and the temps a little lower. Look at the height of various plants now and see where they could fit in better. Maybe even map out how you want your garden to look so once the temps start dropping you’re ready to move.  Perennials go on sale in the fall too so it’s a great time to start thinking about what you may need to boost your garden.

Cold Frame: As summer edibles start maturing and being gobbled up, it’s a good time to start thinking about what you might be able to continue growing with the aid of a cold frame. Some crops will continue to grow into the cooler season, especially greens, if they have a little extra protection from the cooler Sierra nights. Cold frames are like mini green houses that sit on top of your beds and can be lifted off. Get a head start and begin constructing your cold frame now. The can also be used in the spring to protect your starts.

What Not To Miss: Music and Other Events Aug 13- Aug 17

The carnival is back! Get your carnie fill and sketchy ride thrills in Truckee now! Apparently you can get tickets to the carnival at Safeway in Kings Beach or the Potlatch in Incline. A portion of the proceeds goes towards Tahoe’s Connection for Families, a non-profit out of incline. Carnival runs through Sunday, Aug 17.  While you’re there check out Rebelution at Music in the Park tonight (Wed) at the Truckee Ampi-theater.

Some big athletic events are this weekend:

Get ready for Tough Mudder coming to town Aug 16 & 17 at Northstar!

The X-Terra off road Sprint Triatholon and Duathalon is in Incline Village this Saturday at 7:30 am. The Big Blue Trail Run 5k and 10k are also in Incline this Sat

The Skate the Lake annual Breast Cancer Awareness fundraising event is this Saturday. Grab your long boards, roller skates, or bikes and ride this 28 Mile course in the name of fundraising. Sign ups are on Friday evening at the park next Syd’s in Tahoe City. The event starts at 64 Acres in Tahoe City at 8 am Saturday morning, goes south on the bike path to Sugar Pine State Park, circles back up to Tahoe City and then into Squaw, back to Tahoe City, up to the bottom of Dollar Hill and then ends in Tahoe City by Dave’s. This is a super fun, non-competitive event full of good vibes and appropriate for the whole family.   https://www.stayclassy.org/tahoe-city/events/skate-lake-tahoe-2014/e34426

Ta-hoe Nalu Stand-Up Paddle Board Festival kicks off on Friday at Kings Beach!                                                More info at www.tahoenalu.com/

Don’t forget to get your tickets for the Truckee Rodeo which starts next week!                                                           Check it out at truckeerodeo.org

MUSIC THIS WEEK:

Truckee Thurs: Down North in the Beer Garden in Downtown Truckee

followed by Rustler’s Moon at B of A at 8, Keyser Soze at Moody’s at 9 and  there are amazing Burning Man DJ’s at Coffeebar as well! Check out Grant Kaye, Mike Okimoto and the Savante of Idiot Savante!

 

Denim Wedding at Moody’s on Fri & Sat at 8:30

Dippin’ Sauce at B of A on Fri & Sat at 10

Free in the Red Room At Crystal Bay Club is Chum: A tribute to Phish on Fri  followed by             The Eleven (A tribute to the Grateful Dead) on Sat

Don’t forget about Tuesdays Bluesdays at the Village at Squaw, Music on the Beach in Kings Beach on Fridays; Live Music at Northstar from 5-8 on Fridays & 3-6 on Saturdays and Sundays, and Lake Tahoe Summer Fest for the Classical Music Enthusiasts  more info at tahoesummerfest.com

 

Financial World Update: You take the good, you take the bad

“You take the good, you take the bad.” That theme song from the classic television series The Facts of Life applies to the mix of news we’ve seen recently. Here are the key items you need to know.  The housing sector featured a mix of good and disappointing news. On the good side, Existing Home Sales for June rose by 2.6 percent to an annual rate of 5.04 million units. While this was above expectations, sales are below the numbers seen from a year ago. Meanwhile, New Home Sales for June unexpectedly declined by 8.1 percent from May to an annual rate of 406,000. New Home Sales are now down nearly 12 percent from June 2013.  There was good news for the labor markets, as weekly Initial Jobless Claims fell in the latest week to an eight-year low of 284,000. The four-week average of claims, which irons out seasonal abnormalities, reached its lowest level since May 2007. Jobless Claims are typically a leading indicator on the health of the labor market, and it will be important to see if the upcoming Jobs Report for July also shows improvement in that sector.  News on the inflation front was also positive, as the Consumer Price Index for June showed that inflation remains tame. However, the recent Producer Price Index for June did show that inflation at the wholesale level is heating up. This is significant because higher inflation can be bad news for Bonds, as inflation reduces the value of fixed investments like Bonds. And since home loan rates are tied to Mortgage Bonds, higher inflation can also mean higher home loan rates are ahead.  However, if upcoming economic reports disappoint or if tensions in the Ukraine and the Middle East continue, investors could opt for the safe haven of the Bond markets—and this could help home loan rates in the process. One thing is certain: All of these factors are important to monitor, as they could bring more volatility in the weeks ahead.    Courtesy of Odette Mortgage Group