http://www.pcwomensjournal.com en-us N/A casey@ncdbs.com Sat, 19 May 2012 14:52:13 EDT 20 false false false clean http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/blogs/16/Almost-Paradise-Or-Building-a-Back-Yard-Pond-On-a-Budget.html
It was still a little light when I came outside earlier to check on the water pump. Then, I figured maybe I’d just put up a portion of the fence and see how it looked before doing the rest tomorrow in full daylight. That changed to: Well, as long as I’m out here…might as well finish it.

This all started a couple of months ago when I began digging a trench in a semicircle around an approximately 15-by-10-foot concrete walkway next to my garage. That area and, subsequently the path to my back porch, tend to get hammered by rain from late fall to mid spring. It might be because the fence I had put in for the dogs when I moved here is messing with the drainage around the house. I live on three acres in the country (although the fenced-in part of the yard is pretty standard backyard size).

At first, the trench was maybe five or six inches across and about as deep. I expanded it as time permitted because, the more water contained in the trench, the less of a mess I had to deal with after rainfall.

In the back of my mind, I thought about creating a pond like the one my sister and her husband built in their yard in New York. Then, one sunny day a couple of weeks ago, I was outside surveying the area and thought, “Why not?”

I didn’t have much of a budget after months of unexpected drains on my finances. (Just FYI, if your clothes dryer breaks down, you can pretty much count on the washing machine doing the same soon after.) Still, it seemed it might be doable if I bought the necessities and got creative with the rest of the materials. I was also spurred on by a Google search for “backyard pond,” which led me to the extremely optimistic link, “How to build a backyard pond in just six hours.”

From there, "Operation Backyard Pond" went something like this:

Day 1: Lots of digging. Pond about two feet on one side, slightly less deep on the other. Trip to dollar store for:
--three blue, outdoor furniture covers (for use as liners),
--six butterfly-on-a-stick decorations,
--four solar-powered, flower-shaped outdoor lights,
--and a metal “Welcome” sign.
Cost: about $14.

Placed liners and covered edges with dirt. Placed flower-shaped lights and other decorations.

Day 2: Worked day job while spending day wishing I were home working on pond. Got home. Worked on pond by building up edges with dirt. Back to dollar store for:
 --four packets of seeds, including sunflower and marigold,
 --a plastic pink pelican with wings that rotate in the wind (total impulse buy but went with “tropical island theme” I envisioned).
Cost: $2.

Planted seeds. Noticed pond looked out of place in otherwise unadorned backyard. Started to create faux rocks using some of clay I had dug up (there’s a lot of clay under the layer of dirt on the land here). Started placing these “rocks” around the bottom of fence.

Days 3-5: After getting home from work, continued making and placing fake rocks around inside of fence.

On one of those days, thought it would look neat if every other row of fence planks alternated so that one was lined with rocks, the next with planted flowers, etc. Thus, started digging a new hole to obtain dirt for fence gardens. Back to store for more seed packets.

Day 6: Went to Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Bought white slate (25 cents per slate!) to make path in hopefully-soon-to-be-free-of-mud area by back door. Began to place slate. Ran out of slate.

Day 6 After Dark: Spent about three hours on eBay and elsewhere on Internet searching for small bridge within price range. Couldn’t find but did order a $45 (with free shipping!) pump/fountain/filter.

Day 7: Went back to Habitat ReStore. Bought more slate. Also bought some wood (50 cents per plank!). Placed slate. Built small, very basic bridge using wood and some “found materials” from garage (and, by found materials, I pretty much mean stuff from the house that had broken in the past). 

Day 7 After Dark: Spent about two hours online searching for a palm tree (real or fake) within price range. No luck.

Day 8: Went to home repair/garden store and bought palm plant for $7! Re-potted in larger pot I had also bought from ReStore (for 50 cents!).

Day 9: Very anxious to see actual water in pond. Could fill it with garden hose but would defeat purpose as a “rain catcher.” Where the heck is the rain? Seriously, I wrote an entire blog entry earlier this year about the constant downpours. Now, scoping out the skies for any sign of even a few drops of water. But it’s all sun, sun…and more sun.

Day 10: Yeah, rain!…Realized that one side of pond was too low. Deeper side wouldn’t fill to top while water overflowing on lower side into mud-prone spot of yard.

Day 11: Went in search of rocks (for which I refuse to pay because, come on, they’re rocks!) by driving around Stokes. Realized that, for a country town, we have a shortage of available loose rocks. Finally found some on side of road. Pulled over and put two in car. Picked up third. Saw biggest spider in entire world. Put that rock back. Drove home. Wished I had more rocks.

Day 11 After Dark: Half asleep but heard loud frog. Realized loud frog noise coming from back yard. Got up to check. Frog was indeed in pond and making surprisingly loud frog noise about every 15 seconds. All night long!

The ensuing days have involved a lot of watering, as well as continued scavenging. Mostly, I need rocks to put around the edges of the pond and I’m trying to even out the level by filling the bed with pebbles.

Oh, and, yes, occasionally, I get to sit on a lawn chair and enjoy the sound of water sprinkling from the fountain and the relaxing sight of this pleasant spot in my own back yard.

Incidentally, a couple of days after the bullfrog’s sudden disappearance (it stayed about two days), I was surprised to see tiny tadpoles swimming around. It gave me hope that, if my pond is good enough for actual nature, I must have done something right.

However, I’m also a little frightened because there are A LOT of tadpoles. Like hundreds. I seriously hope that, once they mature, they leave quickly in the middle of the night. Otherwise, I’m not quite sure what I will do with a backyard full of bullfrogs. 

And that brings us to the present: Now that the fencing is placed and I’ve taken the second shower of the day, I think the hard part is done.

In spite of what that cheerfully misleading “pond-in-six-hour” article claimed, it seems to me that there’s no such thing. Actually, this whole experience has helped teach me about the need for patience when dealing with nature. Usually, when I do a project, I like to get it done as quickly as possible and move on. My adventures with this new scheme could go on for months or even years.

Hopefully, the flowers will grow and bloom soon. It will likely be gorgeous. So, if you ever feel like stopping by to take a look, feel free. And, by all means, bring a rock, or rocks, if you have any you’re not using. I’ll be more than happy to trade, for a bullfrog or two…


]]> no@spam.com (PCWJ Online) http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/blogs/16/Almost-Paradise-Or-Building-a-Back-Yard-Pond-On-a-Budget.html http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/blogs/15/Are-You-Feeling-Lucky-A-Look-at-Pitt-County-and-the-NC-Education-Lottery.html
He won $100,000, and, according to Lottery.com, became the eighth player from Pitt County to win a prize of $100,000 or more on an N.C. Education Lottery scratch-off game.

Lottery.com reports that Pitt County players have won more than $75.9 million in prizes and local retailers have earned more than $9.9 million in commissions on ticket sales between the beginning of the lottery and June 30 of last year.

North Carolina’s Education Lottery website relates that Pitt County education programs have received more than $31.7 million in lottery funds. The money pays for teachers’ salaries, school construction, and more.

While this is all very fascinating as well as good news for students and the winners, I have to say that I haven’t bought a single North Carolina lottery ticket yet. And I’m not sure I’m ready to fork over my money.

I might be in the minority. After all, more than $2.2 billion has been raised statewide thus far. My reason for abstaining is simple. I’m just not all that lucky. I’ve purchased scratch-off tickets in other states in the past, but it’s been years since those moments of optimism that almost always ended with a lot of silver flakes on the tabletop and a lot of non-winning tickets that ended up in the garbage.

I don’t know what it is. There are friends and family members of mine who win contests, lotteries, raffles, etc. as if their whole lives have been one long lucky streak.

Once, I won $6 after spending $4 on tickets on my birthday. Now, contrast that with a family member of mine who won $200 over the past holiday season on a scratch-off ticket and acted as though someone had merely offered him a free hot dog at the county fair.

“I have probably already spent about that much money on tickets before I won,” he said at the time. Which makes me wonder, why not just hold onto the money in the first place?

There are stories that occasionally make me think about giving it a try again. In the fall of last year, a retired banker from Greenville and his two daughters claimed their half of the Sept. 30 Mega Millions jackpot worth $114 million. After taxes, the father received $20 million, and each daughter got $4.3 million.

I frequently drive by the gas station where that winning ticket was purchased. Could I, as a Greenville resident, be passing up the chance for a win?

A little research helps put things in perspective:

WRAL did an interesting story about North Carolina residents who seem to be on a winning streak. For example, Carlton Hill of Randleman has won 22 times.

The news station’s website also showed that, out of the state’s 100 counties, there are a couple that seem to be “lucky zone(s)” based on amount spent on tickets versus amount paid out. Those counties are Buncombe and Cleveland.

The least lucky? Watauga, Currituck and Gates.

According to WRAL’s site’s, which contains a chart showing dollar amounts for each county, Pitt County does well but is neither at the top nor bottom when it comes to winnings. As noted, players in Pitt have won more than $75.9 million. But, Wake County winners have received $277,600,268. The figure is $215,518,092 for Mecklenburg and $152,940,541 for Cumberland. It should be noted that more money has also been spent on tickets in those three counties than in many others.

While the figures are interesting, it really all does come down to luck. You might win. You might not. You might win an amount about equal to the amount you spent and, thus, break even. And you should certainly not play if you need the money for more important expenses in your life.

So, am I going to buy a ticket? Probably not. Unless maybe I can get one of those multiple winners to purchase it for me in one of the luckiest counties. Or at least one of my lucky friends to buy it in a Greenville store on my birthday…
 

UPDATE: (4/23/12)
Shortly after I wrote this blog, I purchased $20-worth of scratch-off tickets.
My winnings: $2.
Future plans: Not to buy anymore lottery tickets.

Better luck was had on Friday, April 20, when a Greenville Couple won the NC Education Lottery's Cash 5 drawing.
Their winnings: $109,711.
Future plans: Greg and Debbie Scheller say they will use the money to help their family and chuch.












 






]]> no@spam.com (PCWJ Online) http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/blogs/15/Are-You-Feeling-Lucky-A-Look-at-Pitt-County-and-the-NC-Education-Lottery.html http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/blogs/14/Rain-Rain-Go-AwayPlease.html
A friend of mine on Facebook posted the following question today:

“Can you describe your weekend in one word?”

I immediately clicked to post my response, which was going to be “wet.” But someone had already taken that answer. Others posted, “couch” and “soggy.”

Indeed, it has been a very rainy weekend here in Pitt County. Not exactly the weekend I’m sure most of us were hoping for. The almost constant drizzle, along with clouds and wind, have kept many indoors reading, watching TV, surfing the Internet, playing board games or otherwise killing time. My thoughts are especially with those spending the weekend with youngsters suffering from cabin fever.

If we do venture out, it’s mostly to go back indoors, i.e. spending time in restaurants or movie theaters. Speaking of movies, I’m pretty sure I would pay to see a two-hour documentary about the sun right about now, just so I don’t forget what it looks like.

Some people are letting their smiles be their umbrellas, however. A number of answers to the above Facebook question were more positive, including: “perfect,” “blessed,” “enlightening” and “winning.” It kind of makes me want to find out where these people are and what they’re doing. And whether I can join them...

It’s not all bad news. A check of the weather forecast for Pitt County reveals that this Tuesday through Thursday could bring fairly decent temps (especially Thursday, which is supposed to have a high of 70 degrees) and less of that inconvenient wet stuff (although it looks like rain will make a return on Friday and Saturday).

So what’s a person whose weekend was less than “winning” to do? I might not be the poster child for fun. I’m getting ahead on some stuff for work and then I’m going to do my taxes.

All the while though, I have a plan ready for action the second I get a spare moment and some facetime with the sun. I’ve got my hammock, which I will to tie between two trees in the backyard. And I’m going to spend hours there with a good book, my dogs and a pitcher of pina coladas for which I have the best recipe ever (it involves making ice cubes out of coconut milk instead of water). For now, the thought of this plan gets me through rain-related aggravation, such as the sloshing sound the lawn makes when I walk across it and the mud my canines track in as they scurry in from the backyard (they do not much care for the rain either).

Another thing that helps keep things in perspective is a little weather-related research. According to BestPlaces.net, Pitt County gets an average of 46.3 inches of rainfall per year. The United States average is 36.5.

However, our fair county gets an average of 216 sunny days per year. That’s 11 more days per year than the national average. What’s more, we have a snowfall average of only 3.6 inches compared with 25 inches for the U.S.

What’s more: The average temperature in the U.S. for March is 42.9 degrees (54.4 is the average high), according to weatherbase.com. Greenville, N.C., the county seat of Pitt County, has an average high of 64 degrees.

The first day of spring this year is March 20, and, even before then, it’ll likely feel like spring in Pitt County before other parts of the country experience a change. So, get your hammock (as well as your other plans for warm weather) ready. It’ll be here before we know it. In the meantime, well, that couch does look pretty cozy. 

]]> no@spam.com (Barbara Bullington) http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/blogs/14/Rain-Rain-Go-AwayPlease.html http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/blogs/13/A-Look-at-Sweet-Tea-Hospitality-and-Other-Favorites-of-Life-in-the-South.html
Previously, I wrote about how I had hadn't known what kudzu is until recently.

Several people—well, actually what seems like pretty much everyone I’ve communicated with since—has described to me their knowledge of and past experiences with the fruitful plant.

What can I say? I came to North Carolina from “up North” in the fall of 2000 with no idea that I’d still be living in Pitt County almost 12 years later. I also had no idea that I had so much to learn about my new environment.

One thing I can say for sure is that, while Long Island, N.Y. plays heavily into who I am today, I am enjoying life in the South.

Which made me wonder: If Southerners (those born and bred, and those who have “adopted” the region) had to pick their favorite thing about life here, what would they say?  

So, with a little help from the Internet (Google search and Facebook), I collected some answers to that question.

For example, in an interview with Southern Living, country music star Kellie Pickler said that her favorites are, “The hospitality and the sweet tea.”

Both of those are on the top of the list for many others as well, as are: mild winters; okra, hushpuppies, fried chicken, BBQ and other regional delicacies; and the comfortably slow pace of life.

Here are some other answers I came across on various websites specifically about living in North Carolina and/or Pitt County that are perhaps a little less regularly cited, but nonetheless noteworthy:

“Walking a park trail just about anywhere is nice.”

“There are so many gorgeous places to photograph. Lakes, mountains, rivers, waterfalls…”

“Bluebirds in my backyard.”

“I like the sound of the frogs, especially around dusk.”

“Banana pudding, Eno River State Park, the rampant use of the phrase ‘get with.’”

“During the summer, I love to take a trip for a day or weekend and explore the numerous vineyards that we have in the area.”

“Go(ing) catfishing.”

“Local coffee shops where you can sit and read a book and overhear all kinds of interesting conversations.”
 
“I like to really not have to worry about traffic.”

“Attend(ing) an ECU football game and tailgate with my friends.”

But, perhaps the most obvious yet poignant response about the South came from a Facebook friend and ECU colleague, Dr. Glen Hubbard:

“For me, it’s not so much the location on the map as the basic fact that it’s home.”

How true.

When you take time to really look around, there are probably hundreds of things we love about wherever we live; things that we might normally take for granted or not even really realize unless we move somewhere else. Of course, no place is perfect and we might also have a list of cons (I guess every region has its own “kudzu”). Long Island had great pizza, beaches, music, and so much more that I miss with a passion. It was also expensive as heck, riddled with traffic, freezing in the winter and you have to pack your own bags at the grocery store. Now, I live in a serene and scenic town. In fact, the first half of my drive to work each day often feels more like cruising the breathtaking countryside than a commute. I work with fascinating people from the South as well as from all locales over the world. And I’m constantly astonished by how much Pitt County really does have to offer in terms of small businesses, recreation and more.  

Put another way, the collection of experiences we have with friends, family and others in the community; the way we choose to unwind and have fun; and the contributions we make through work and volunteering all add up to something pretty complex.

But--if we’re lucky--we can describe the place we live in one simple word, “home.”


Got any favorites you want to add to the list? Feel free to post them in the comments section.
]]> no@spam.com (Barbara Bullington) http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/blogs/13/A-Look-at-Sweet-Tea-Hospitality-and-Other-Favorites-of-Life-in-the-South.html http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/blogs/12/Still-Adjusting-to-Life-in-the-South-Or-the-Dumb-Yankees-First-Encounter-With-Kudzu.html Having grown up in New York, I’ve experienced many of the same cultural adjustments other “Yankees” have made upon moving to the South.

I’ve learned about the differences in popular food choices, pace of life, recreational activities, vernacular and more.

Yet, I realize – that in spite of having resided in North Carolina for over 10 years now – I still have more to learn about life in the South.

In the interest of furthering relations between Northerners and Southerners, I’m graciously going to share a somewhat embarrassing anecdote to illustrate my point.

Just this morning I was working my way through my email inbox when I came across a link to a newsletter from East Carolina University’s Division of Research and Graduate Studies. One particular article headline caught my attention. It read, “Studying the Monster of Kudzu and its Sustainable Tourism Opportunities.”

It sounded intriguing. What, or Who, is the Monster of Kudzu, I wondered? Is it some kind of Southern legend similar to other “creatures” such as Bigfoot (with which I was obsessed as a kid by the way)? And, if so, what does it look like? For some reason, I imagined a greenish colored creature that lives in the swamps by day, hunting on land by night. And what’s the tie-in with tourism? Are people thinking of promoting this legend in order to attract curious travelers hoping for a sighting in the tradition of the Loch Ness monster in the Scottish Highlands?

So, imagine my embarrassment when I read the article and learned that Kudzu is actually kudzu, a plant that pretty much everyone south of the Mason-Dixon line, except for me apparently, recognizes as a menace because of its fast growth.

In fact, the article actually starts out, “Anyone who lives in the U.S. Southeast has seen the encroachment of kudzu onto the landscape.” What’s more: “Since its introduction to the region 130 years ago, kudzu has literally engulfed thousands of square miles and cost millions of dollars in eradication measures.”

To which I say, “Okay, yes, so that’s probably something I should have known. But tell me this Southerners, how do you make an egg cream?”

Anyway, the article is quite interesting even without any involvement by a mythical swamp creature stomping around on webbed feet scaring hunters and campers with its scaly skin and turtle-like claws during rare sightings.

Dr. Ashley Egan of the Department of Biology has received National Science Foundation funding to study kudzu. Egan will collect samples of kudzu from the U.S. and from its native environment in Southeast Asia in order to learn how it might be more easily eradicated in areas where it becomes problematic.

Kudzu’s potential benefits are pointed out by Egan. They include possible use as a biofuel and its role in Japan as a food source (it can even be used to make wine and jelly).

Egan’s main focus – the sustainable tourism connection – involves developing a program through which area parks teach volunteers about this member of the legume family as well as about “eradication measures.” The program could spread to other parks – a win-win situation for all involved – except the kudzu.

So, all in all, I learned yet something else about the South, its environment, agriculture and related research. And I think the article shows how, at the end of the day, Northerner or Southerner, we Americans are all about ingenuity, innovative thinking and overcoming obstacles.

But, I still think Southerners need to look into egg creams because y’all (or, as we would say in New York “you guys”) are missing out! 


]]> no@spam.com (Barbara Bullington) http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/blogs/12/Still-Adjusting-to-Life-in-the-South-Or-the-Dumb-Yankees-First-Encounter-With-Kudzu.html http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/blogs/9/How-to-set-your-small-business-advertising-budget.html There is an age-old question business owners large and small face each year.

How much should your business spend on advertising?

There are two answers to this question, one being the more traditional method, the other being the more effective. Let's see which one you choose.

Let's look at 2 home improvements centers as an example.

Business A uses the "percent of annual revenue" approach and consults with an accountant to get an idea how many dollars to allocate for advertising and marketing. So, let's suppose Business A has annual gross sales of $500,000. The account runs a few profit and loss statements, prints some balance sheet and tax returns and tells the business owner, "based on your profits, you should spend $3,500 this year on advertising."

Now, armed with this information, you begin considering which media to use, i.e., how many units of "advertising and marketing" you can buy for $3,500. You meet with the local account executives from print, radio, television, web and direct mail. You learn $3,500 doesn't go very far, but you decide "what the heck, I need to advertise anyway, so I'll just go with the guy I used last year. Didn't work well, but it's something and I'll probably get a tax write-off anyway."

During the year you're approach by reps from different companies, but you "get rid of them" by telling them "we've already budgeted for this year." Of course, it's not working but you can avoid the sales call. Unfortunately, you are also avoiding learning about new methods, opportunities and effective ways to reach you audience.

Business B skips the trip to the accountant. Instead, the smart owner sets time aside to analyze his or her business and asks "what products should I sell," "who should I sell them to" and "how do I get the word out." So Business B decides that its line of garden tillers is especially popular from February through April. Business owner B knows this based on past year's sales. In fact, Business B notices the competition really hits the airwaves each year about this time advertising garden tillers.

So Business B decides "you know, I better be ready to advertise my garden tillers if I want to hit my sales goals." So, Business B makes a plan to sell 25 garden tillers at $750 each. Business B also know that when folks come into the store, they are likely to buy other products, so each garden tiller is really a $1,000 sale. So Business B sets a goal to sell $25,000 in garden tillers and related products from February to March.

Next step: Business B calls in an advertising and marketing professional. They discuss an advertising campaign that helps the business meet its garden tiller sales goals. They agree to a $5,000 budget and set the campaign timing. Wait, isn't that a lot higher than the accountant's plan? Isn't this risky?

Well, business is risky, isn't it. I love accountants, but isn't it riskier making decisions based on someone's opinion who doesn't work in the advertising or marketing industry? But by targeting the right product, at the right time, with the right message and the right results, Business B not only sells $25,000 in garden tillers and related products, but builds repeat customers and increases sales to all products.

So Business B, now sits down and takes the next product or service and repeats the same process. Each campaign can be tested and improved upon.

Business A, meanwhile, has allocated its $3,500 and stubbornly sticks to the "accountants plan," watching Business B take its customer base away.

One day, panic sets in and Business A has to "make up lost ground," only to find it will take many more dollars spent on full page advertisements, direct mail, radio, television and the internet to catch Business B.

The moral of the story: the right plan, the right time, the right budget, the right media equals the right results.

Consult with us on how you can be more like Business B and grow your sales. Call us at 252-413-0418 or write Casey Turton at casey@ncdbs.com.


]]> no@spam.com (PCWJ Online) http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/blogs/9/How-to-set-your-small-business-advertising-budget.html http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/blogs/3/Why-articles-work-better-than-display-ads.html
Our articles are then placed in the appropriate category for you. Why write an article about home health care, only to have it appear in the Sports section next to an ad for bowling balls? Doesn't seem right, does it.

Articles are also "passed along" by the reader, who take them home or to the office and tell others "I read this in the Women's Journal."  How often have you heard someone tell you "I saw this great ad in the newspaper?"

So why are there display ads in the Pitt County Women's Journal?

Our job is to help our contributors target women and most of the time, the display ads are in conjunction with the author's article. This may be to point out a special promotion, hours, location, method of payment or other basic information to assist the reader.

Take a look for yourself next time. The Pitt County Women's Journal is distributed throughout Pitt County to 11,000+ readers.
]]> no@spam.com (PCWJ Online) http://www.pcwomensjournal.com/blogs/3/Why-articles-work-better-than-display-ads.html