Bob Boyington

Change homes:go green is a common practice today. Starting new should influence starting fresh. Available on the market today are countless cleaning products that are much more earth friendly that that industry provided not many years ago. One such product line I am particularly fond of through experience has been around for over 50 years. Imagine 50 years ago there were people thinking that far ahead. 50 years gives alot of time for research. Shakleeis the company and green products are their mission. If one wants not to breath or absorb those nasty household cleaner chemicals or expose your children to them there are alternatives. Shaklee's claim to fame is "Basic H" household cleaner. 100% biodegradable all a person has to do is mix the concentrate according to what you want to clean. Basic H comes in a concentrate that you mix in different spray bottles (bottles are also biodegradable). One bottle would be the general purpose of which you can clean counter tops, floors, pets, car's and the list goes on and on. If you want to clean something a little more challenging such as windows one has another bottle mixed with a little more concentrate to do that. They supply you with several spray bottles that are labeled accordingly to the mix of Basic H and water. I have used this stuff in enclosed environments around our home and there is no need to ventilate the area. No harm....This is as safe as it gets. I also have put a calculator to the expense of this stuff and it is mind blowing how inexpensive it is compared to any of your everyday cleaners. We have completely reorganized the cleaning products in our home and glad for it. Bleach and ammonia are things of the past. No more harmfull chemical exposure. Wish we had done this years ago. Change homes;go green...What a nice way to start a new home and a new life.

South Lake Whatcom real estate gives the resident a pristine environment laced with mega wildlife and clean water. The population is slight compared to the north end thus pollutants are minimal in relation to residential run off. Situated in the Cascades this area is so wild, but so convenient to Bellingham or Burlington that living here is easy to enjoy the features one likes to enjoy in town. Property is still reasonable. Building in the South Lake Whatcom watershed can prove challenging to obtain permits but existing homes do come available from time to time. South of the south end of the Lake lies the community of Glenhaven. A true nneighborhood with two private lakes, tennis courts, pool, clubhouse. Nicely located and close to the South Lake Whatcom boat launch. This community is within the Samish River watershed which is much easier to obtain building permits for vacant land than the South Lake Whatcom watershed. It's all here and still somewhat undiscovered it only takes roughly 20 minutes to drive to Bellingham or Burlington. When you are out checking out the countryside and you have not seen this little paradise; come see South Lake Whatcom.

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are quite a unique dog. My wife and I raise and breed Chesapeake's for high end field dogs. Our dogs on site include a retired grandmother (Cricket), her daughter (Cyndi Lou) and Cyndi Lou's daughter Chatter Box. Chatter is due to be bred this year to a top quality Chesapeake in White Rock BC. He (Fletcher) is a beautiful, very intelligent tracking intensive dog. Our Chatter is also a very beautiful hunting intensive dog. Both love to work and display many credentials of prov-en titles. This will be the eighth litter facilitated by my wife and I. With the bloodlines of Chatter and Fletcher their pups should be next to none. Not only working stock but potential show quality as well. To own a Chesapeake is to love one. Many people associate them with a Labrador but the ancestry is completely different. The Chesapeake is a mix of Irish Water Spaniel, New Foundland and a touch of hound(best guess). Bred in the United States it is a fairly young breed compared to many. Known for hard working, extreme weather durability they can make a great waterfowl or upland bird dog. My wife and I have two missions for our Chesapeake's. One is hunting and the other is family. This breed tends to make a great watchdog for the rural life. Adaptable to the weather and devoted (probably comes from the New Foundland) they can make great companions around the home. If one wants to have one, be prepared they need to work and have a lot of attention especially when they are young. Not a apartment type adaptable dog they need room to move. When interviewing potential owners of our pups it is critical they can supply these needs to them and provide a safe loving home. Children in the home are a plus as it seems they love to be family dogs as do most breeds. If any interest in this year's litter give us a call.

Bob & Denna Boyington 360-393-9484 Northwest Chesapeakes

Blackberry control is difficult but can be done. Such a horrible plant. The most common type found in NW Washington is the Himalayan Blackberry. Imported from somewhere else this specie is not indigenous to this area. They do love it here. Very prolific and durable the Himalayan is so invasive and with its thorns a very difficult plant to kill. There really only 2 ways to conquer this plant. One is spray (of which I am not a advocate of). A herbicide called Crossbow found at you local feed and seed store is known to be maybe the most effective. Very powerful it will kill this plant. If possible there is another environmental friendly way to do it. Blackberry plants hate to be cut. If one cuts them as close to the ground as possible in the fall and there is a good hard frost during the winter many times this will kill the plant. If no hard frost happens and the individual will habitually cut the blackberry patch as often as their lawn, this too will kill the plant. Remember if you spray the plant and kill it that there is millions of seeds left behind from the seasons. If one cuts often they can control this nasty plant.

Brushcutting in Island County proves to be a large area when you combine Whidbey Island and Camano Island. Both require some miles when traveling from one to another. Brushcutting is routinely needed along roads, long driveways, access's and sometimes just to reclaim grown over clearings or pastures. Brushcutting in a residential or small commercial environment usually requires a mechanical type process. Option's may include a small type agricultural tractor with a hydraulic side boom cutter used while on a level trail, road or driveway reaching out to the side and cutting the vegetation. The vegetation involved in brushcutting can include blackberries, salmon berries, snow berries, laurel, sahlal brush, small alders and many other species of plants. In our mild and oftentimes wet environment the brush just keeps growing and growing. Not until after the summer equinox does most of the vegetation stop (except blackberries). Then as the weather becomes dryer and cooler we transform to late summer and early fall most of the growth tends to stop. When hiring a brush cutter make sure the machine is a mulching type machine so any cleanup would be minimal if not at all.