Be Prepared... Spring is on the way!

The temperature flucation... 60 today... 30 tomorrow... is a sure sign of one thing in beautiful Ozark Mountain Country... Spring Is On the Way!! Here and there we are seeing a few daffodils and hyacinths start to break through the soil and even a forsythia blossom or two has popped out. While we really had a very mild winter, you can still hear the collective sigh of area residents as we start to see these first signs of rebirth in these Ozark hills.
It's a great time to begin looking at properties if you're in the market for a new home, prices are still very reasonable and interest rates are great! But what if you're not in the market... what if you have a place you love... what can this sight do for you? How 'bout a few great home maintenance tips to start your spring out right. Tips that will carry you right through another Ozark Mountain Summer!!
Recently, while browsing Popular Mechanics website I found 3 great tips and now is a perfect time to pass them right on to you, so here goes... you'll love these!

 Tip #1 - Organizing Garden Hoses
 Keep the hose coiled in the garage (or outside) around a five-gallon plastic pail. Attach the base of the pail to the wall of the garage with a large-headed nail and wrap the hose around it—it’ll spin when you want to pull out the hose—or weight the pail with rocks and hide it standing up between shrubs near the spigot. When the hose is not in use, it’s wrapped around the pail. You can store garden supplies inside.

  Tip #2 - Keeping Your Mower Unclogged
 “A smooth, clean deck surface is the best way to keep the mower in top cutting shape,” says Clark Oltman, senior service representative for the Toro Company. “Make sure the underside of your deck is clean when you start. Spraying the underside of the housing with cooking spray prior to mowing can be helpful,” adds Oltman. You’ll maintain your mower better and avoid these chokes if after you’ve finished mowing, you wipe off all debris with a rag or paper towel, then spray a thin film of light lubricant on the deck surface.

  Tip #3 - Cleaning Your Gutters with Ease
  Make gutter cleaning easier—and safer (no ladder required)—with a long spray wand made from a 1/2-in.-diameter by 10-ft.-long PVC pipe. Cut two 6-in. lengths of pipe. Then use PVC cement to join these short sections and two 90-degree elbows with what is now a 9-ft.-long pipe, forming a J-shaped hook. At the short end of the hook, glue on a solid endcap. Drill three 1/8-in.- diameter holes in the cap. Glue a threaded adapter onto the opposite end of the pipe and attach a garden hose. Place the short end of the J-shaped hook inside the gutter and turn on the hose. As you walk along the house, high-pressure streams of water will rinse the gutter clean.

Here's hoping your Spring will be off to a great start and this year's home maintenance is the easiest ever!