Even the most ardent dog lovers among us become aggravated if a neighbor’s dog barks incessantly. The constant yapping can disrupt sleep, ruin your time in the yard, and generally become an ongoing nuisance. But there are some steps you can take; with effort and a little luck, you and the neighbor’s dog can peacefully coexist. For starters, don’t blame the dog;

1. The first step is to talk to your neighbors. If they’re away-from the house all-day, they may not even know about the barking. Or they may be aware of it and are already working on the problem.

While it might be tempting to just drop a note in their mailbox, meet your neighbors face-to-face. Leave the attitude at home and communicate in a friendly, neighborly way that the barking is becoming a problem for you and your family. Don’t assume, don’t accuse; just explain the problem and give them a chance to respond he’s being a dog. Several things could cause the barking

2. You can be proactive, as well. If the dog barks every time you step into your yard or venture near his property, try blocking his vision by planting a hedge or erecting a fence or privacy screen. If the dog’s barking is territorial, blocking his view of your property may remove the threat.

3. Of course, dogs don’t just sense your presence visually. Mr. Barks-A-Lot next door can also hear or smell you. If blocking his view doesn’t help, and he still perceives you
as-a- threat, maybe-ifs timeto-ma-ke friends-with 1 tit ri.-. Once-he’s used to the siglit, – — sounds, and smells of his human neighbors, they may not be such a big deal to him,
and he won’t feel the need to bark.

4. So, you’ve done all the polite neighborly things you can to stop the annoying barking, and nothing’s changed. You may have to resort to filing a formal noise complaint.

Just a reminder about the debris trailer. Please load from the back to the front. When the trailer is overloaded, we have a hard time unloading it. Please read the rules on the side of the trailer before dumping anything into it. Also, we have had landscapers putting lawn debris in Candlewood’s debris trailer. If you use a landscaper, they are to take the yard debris away with them.

Are you one of the people who tends to leave bowls of cat and dog food outdoors at all times? As strange as it sounds, this seemingly innocent act is one of the most harmful things that can happen to wild animals.

Outdoor pet food spreads disease and parasites. Just as one of many examples: have you seen those warnings about opossums carrying typhus? Opossums don’t actually carry or spread it naturally. Typhus is spread by cat fleas, which didn’t exist on opossums until the last decade or two. They caught cat fleas— and the diseases they carry— because they shared food with feral cats at outdoor feeding stations. Other diseases and parasites spread between pets and wildlife include distemper, panleukopenia, parvovirus, leptospirosis, ticks, and more.

Pet food often attracts the wrong animals. Maybe you don’t mind feeding the cute, chubby raccoon in your neighborhood, but he’s not the only one who is going to accept the freebies. Less desirable animals like rats, mice, and cockroaches will also eat pet food. When they cause an infestation at your home or nearby, someone is very likely to use rodenticides to kill them. This creates a chain of poisoning that will harm other predators.

There are several scams going around You will receive an email or message stating that your Amazon order has been delivered to the wrong area and ask you for more of your personal information to get it to the correct area. They may ask for more money or state they will refund you None of these are true. Please remember – – NEVER give out any of your personal information, reputable businesses do not contact you in this manner, Remember the crooks are able to copy logos that look like the real thing. Be aware No one should be asking for your social security, medicare number, or bank account number over the telephone or by email. Ask them for their phone number and tell them you will get back to them. They will probably hang up. Have a great day!

Top Tips for Fire Safety

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.
• Test smoke alarms every month. If they’re not working, change the batteries. If the smoke alarm is older than 10 years, it should be replaced. Talk with all family members about a fire escape plan and practice the plan twice a year.
• If a fire occurs in your home, GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL 911. Never go back inside for anything or anyone.

Did you know that if a fire starts in your home, you may have as little as two minutes to escape? During a fire, early warning from a working smoke alarm plus a fire escape plan that has been practiced regularly can save lives. Learn what else to do to keep your loved ones safe!

February holidays

These include Presidents Day (February 17), Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (February 12), and George Washington’s birthday (February 22).

One of our personal favorite national days to celebrate, Random Acts of Kindness Day, is on February 17. Other fun and important holidays in February to mark on your calendars range from National Girls and Women in Sports Day on February 1, to National Love Your Pet Day on February 20.

Why do do we celebrate Groundhog Day?

It’s the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and it’s historically been a day where we hang our hats on the forecast from a sleepy groundhog.

He’s lasted the test of time. Punxatawny Phil is the biggest celebrity in the United States on February 2nd and it all started in the mid 5th century in Europe. According to the official Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, it started as a Christian religious holiday called Candlemas Day. Candles were blessed at the church to bring a joyful second half of winter. This became a widely
celebrated tradition across Europe.

The Germans decided to introduce the hedgehog. On Candlemas Day, if the hedgehog saw its shadow, there would be a “second winter” — or six more weeks of bad weather. As Germans settled in the United States, so too did the tradition and folklore. Hedgehogs aren’t as plentiful in Pennsylvania so they
chose a similar local animal, the groundhog.

New Year

As part of your new year walk yourself (or have someone else) around your home. Is it dirty? Is the paint faded or are there bare spots? Are the shrubs grown up and rubbing against the house wall or roof? Are there weeds in your flower beds?

When you are driving up to your home, as you approach can you see the roof is discolored or black with mold? Have your had someone check under your home to look to see if anything is rusted, leaking, if the vapor barrier is in good shape or if there is anything broken under there?

Are there holes in your skirting allowing rodents under your home? Are the screws and bolts that support your carport rusted or corroded? All these things can lead to major cost to you if they are ignored? Please do yourself a favor, check your home out or have someone else check it out for you. It could save you thousands of dollars.

The cold weather brings along snow and ice storms which could cause power outages. Prepare yourselves by stocking up on batteries, canned goods, bottled water, a hand-crank can opener, (don’t forget this – it’s nearly impossible to open a can without one) flashlights, battery operated lanterns, extra blankets, etc. You should have a battery operated radio handy, to listen to emergency broadcasting, weather updates, etc.  If you know a storm is coming, fill your bathtub or five gallon buckets, with water. You can use this water to flush your toilet by dipping a pail into the water and pouring it directly into the toilet bowl.

What to do when the power goes out:

1. Keep refrigerator and / or freezer closed as much as possible.
2. Unplug all sensitive electronic equipment including TVs, stereo, VCR, microwave oven, computer, cordless telephone, and answering machine, in the event of a power surge when the power comes back on.
3. Dress in layers of loose fitting, lightweight, warm clothing.
4. If your medications require refrigeration check with your pharmacist for advice on storing medications during extended power outages.
5. If you notice any downed power lines stay away from them and contact CMP immediately. Keep kids and pets away from them too.
6. Watch for signs of hypothermia: uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. If symptoms are detected, get the victim to a warm location, remove any wet clothing, warm the center of the body first and give warm, non-alcoholic beverages if the victim is conscious. Get medical help as soon as possible.

Ready or not, here comes 2023!

Hopefully your house is winding down and recovering from a wonderful holiday season. With 2022 in the rear view mirror, here’s hoping 2023 gets off to a great start. 2023? That just sounds weird!

Christmas trees after the holidays: If you have a Christmas tree that needs to be disposed of after the holidays we ask that you do not dump it anywhere in the park. Trees can be taken to the city landfill or check with the local clubs that provide a place to drop / recycle Christmas trees as well.

Holiday park dumpster manners: During the holidays the amount of boxes and packaging going into the park dumpsters increases exponentially. Please be a good neighbor and break down / flatten any boxes before putting them into the dumpster (or better yet take them to the recycling center) and kindly do not overfill dumpsters. Remember to bag all trash so that the wind doesn’t blow it away as the dumpsters are being emptied. If you see that the wind has blown open the lids, please close them. These small measures go a long way toward not inconveniencing neighbors and keeping our community and adjoining areas clean.

As we transition to the cold season, please take some time to check you yards and porches for items that are ready to be stored or tidied up now that summer is over. It helps to tidy up before the snow flies to ensure that unused items don’t sit in the yards until springtime.

If you haven’t already, now is a good time to get a flu shot.

Leaves are falling – it is the time of the year for yard clean-up. Please help keep the leaves cleaned up in your yard. That will help with all the leaves that end up on the road.

We will be resuming the replacing the water meters on the homes in the community within the next couple of months. Some have already been changed. We will notify in advance when your street is being done. Unfortunately, they are not electronically read, so reading will still be door to door.