Amy Boehm

Normally when you think of Earth Day you probably think of planting a tree and cute little kids planting flowers on a street corner. But I was thinking maybe we just continue the idea of going green.

In Fair Oaks Ranch, near Boerne there is a new subdivision that is going to be a green community. Lora and I went out there a couple of Fridays ago to take a tour of the model homes. And these are some beautiful amazing homes of course, but they also have some great green features including spray foam insulation, high efficiency glass windows, energy efficient appliances, tankless gas water heaters, radiant barrier roof decking, advanced framing to reduce amount of wood used, overhangs that shade windows, and much more. You might want to check out www.stonecreekfairoaks.com for more information.

Those of us not building homes could do some of the following items to be part of Earth Day.

Start using electronic bill paying - save a few trees

Wash your clothes in cold water - it helps your clothes retain their color longer.

Use reusable water bottles

Use resusable grocery bags

Plug appliances in a power strip that you can turn off when not in use - this will save energy

Slow down - I think we have said this time several times before.

Turn your heat down and your air conditioner up.

Oh Yeah! Go Plant a Tree!!

It's a Buyer's Market, so get out there and look, and here are some incentives to get you to start thinking about buying! Think of the tax benefits you will reap by buying a home this year.

One of the biggest tax benefits - MORTGAGE INTEREST - This is tax deductible up to a million dollars. This applies to all the homes you own under certain circumstances. (Check with your tax advisor)

As a homeowner, you will be able to deduct the local property taxes for all the properties you own as well. You no longer have to itemize to be able to claim this one, but again check with that tax advisor.

Those pesky little points that you sometimes have to pay when getting a mortgage are sometimes tax deductible.

The new tax deductions and sometimes temporary one include $8000 for first time buyers - This one you do not have to pay back as long as you keep your home for 3 years unlike the original $7500 tax credit proposed.

The mortgage insurance premium you may have to pay because you put less then 20% on your home, well its tax deductible now if it was issued between 2006 and 2010. Check the income limits on this one with your tax advisor.

Remember always go to a tax professional if you have any questions on the above or any other tax matters. Things change with taxes as often as the weather in Texas.

April 1 April Fools Tea - Go to Mary Brogan's Irish Cottage for nested bird eggs, canary sandwiches with bird bath and dirt pudding - Located 455 S. Main Street of Boerne 11:30-4:30

April 4 Cibolo Wilderness Trail Native Plant Sale - Kendall County Fair Grounds, Buy trees, shubs, wildflowers and grasses that thrive in our difficult climate and soil conditions.

April 4,11,18 Honey Creek State Area Guided Tour - Meet at Rust House at Guadalupe River State Park at 9 a.m. for a guided interpretive tour of Honey Creek State Natural Area.

April 5 JUMP In Free community wide event, lots of fun for the whole family.

April 11 2nd Saturday Art & Wine

April 11-12 Boerne Market Days

April 17-19 13th Parade of Artists - The Boerne Area Artists Association is a group of professional artists and galleries in the Boerne, Texas area.

April 18 Antique Tractor Show & Pull- Tractor Parade, Tractor Pull, Home Baked Pie Contest, live music all day.

April 18 17th Annual Texas Corvette Association Open Car Show. An Official Fiesta Event!

April 18 Cibolo Songs and Stories, Cibolo Nature Center, Boerne

April 21 Diane Fanning, mystery author and true crime writer at Boerne Public Library at Noon

April 25 Boerne Garden Club Annual Plant Sale - Gazebo, Boerne, TX 9:00 to 1:00

April 28 Venomous Snake Program - Herpetologist Peter Mimikos with visit the Boerne Public Library to present an informative program on venomous snakes from 6-8 p.m.

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

May this Irish Blessing find you in a little bit of green and thinking a little green, environmental green that is (not to many green beers). :)

• Use an aerator on your faucets to control the flow of water. You can save 16,000 gallons a year on your shower.
• Run your dishwasher only when its full. You will save about 35 percent of the water that you would have by washing them by hand. Not using the drying cycle on your dishwasher will cut your electric bill by 15%.
• Change your furnace filters several times a year to save CO2
• If your going to replace the shingles on your house, think light colored, it will reflect the sun and save your cooling costs
• Low flow toilets save 30,000 gallons of water a year.
• Unplug your eletronics when not in use.
• Set your thermostat 2 degrees warmer in the summer and 2 degrees in the cooler in the summer and you will save about $98.00 a year.
• Wash your clotes in cold water whenever possible.
• Gas dryers use emit less CO2 then electric dryers
• Plant a shade tree on the sunny side of your house and you could reduce your cooling bill 10-15%.
• Replace your single pane windows with double pane windows.
• Caulk and weatherstrip your doors and windows and save $274.00 a year on heating
• Insulate your water heater and save #$40.00 year, turn the water temperature to 120 degrees or less and you will save another $30.00.
• Add plants to help rid your home of indoor pollutants.
• Use plants that are native to your area so you have less work and less water.

There are other ways to go green in your home if you are thinking of remodeling.

• There are greener option of insulation. Find companies that are using recycled materials such as Logic's Ultra Touch Insulation.
• Replacing your carpet look for natural and organic materials.
• Redecorating the bedroom, check out bamboo bedsheets which are softer then cotton and don't require peticides to grow.
• Want to go green in your kitchen, check in to the new countertops made form recycled glass and resin.
• Consider a solar water heater, you can save an average of $90 a year.
• Replacing your flooring wood is a great idea, because it never needs to be replaced as long as you take proper care of it.

Now let's get back to that green beer!