Diane Williams

Alabama Wildflowers In St Clair And Talladega Counties

Selling homes in St Clair and Talladega Counties has it perks; while regularly traveling the county roads I have seen some of the most beautiful Alabama Wildflowers that had an abundance of color this spring thru summer. The fall season is approaching, and the area is still providing a beautiful array of natural color.

I have done some research into trying to identify some of the area wildflowers. While doing this, I have found some interesting facts. Alabama ranks eighth nationally with 2,851 native plant species. The wildflowers in the state are in a steep decline. With the human population growing, so are the development of new sub divisions and they are destroying the wildflowers natural habitat. This along with other factors including the explosion of the deer population, overgrazing is also depleting the region of wild flowers.

When driving around in St Clair and Talladega Counties, I have been tempted to pick some of these beautiful Alabama Wildflowers. Had I done this I would have been part of the problem in helping to inhibit the plants from reproducing, by not seeding. When you see these beautiful Alabama Wildflowers in St Clair and Talladega County, do not remove them from their native areas. It is our responsibility to protect our natural heritage for generations to come.

The Center for Education and Performing Arts

Pell City Center~ Fall - Spring Lineup

This Season Is Exceptional

If you haven't gotten your program from the Pell City Center you better hurry. The Fall - Spring lineup is exceptional and I am sure the seats will be sold out at The Center for Education and Performing Arts. It is conveniently located on the campus of Pell City High School.

The Pell City Center starts the fall with a great lineup:

Sept 23, 2010 Sweetwater Road

Oct 9 & 10, 2010 Driving Miss Daisy

Oct 22-24, 2010 Alabama Theatre Conference

Nov 19-21, 2010 Sanders Family Christmas

Jan 29, 2011 Glenn Leonard's Temptations Review

Feb 26, 2011 Country Royalty Hank and Pasty

March 12, 201l Hooley

April 8 & 9, 2011 Mystery Dinner Theatre ~ Murder on the Nile

Now with a lineup like this, you can see why I am having a problem deciding which shows that I want to see. I have been checking my calendar and I think the season tickets are going to work for me.

I am looking forward to seeing you at The Center for Education and Performing Arts, for the Pell City Center ~ A Season to Remember.

You can contact them at www.pellcitycenter.com or 205-338-1974.

Dragonflies on Logan Martin Lake

While living on Logan Martin Lake, you will find an abundance of wildlife and insects. The one I enjoy seeing the most is the dragonfly.

Because of a set a circumstances in my past, seeing a dragonfly holds special meaning to me. I have seen some pretty photographs of dragonflies taken around Logan Martin Lake this year. Tonight I decided to look up their life cycle and what I found was fascinating.

The dragonfly's cycle of life comes in three stages, the egg, the nymph and adult.

The dragonfly mates while flying. The female will lay her eggs in the calm marshy areas of water on a plant; if she cannot locate one, she will drop them in the water.

When the dragonfly eggs hatch, they are then called nymph. They do not have wings at this stage. Nymphs live in the water while they are developing into dragonflies. This developing stage of the dragonfly's life can take up to four years to complete. If the nymph completes it cycle in the winter, it will not leave the water until the weather warms.

When the nymph has completed this cycle, and the weather has warmed, this is when the metamorphosis takes place. The dragonfly will crawl out of water, on a stem of a plant, and sheds its skin. The skin is called exuvia. After the nymph sheds its skin, a full grown adult dragonfly will emerge.

Immediately the adult dragonfly starts their search for a mate. After the female finds her mate, she starts searching the area for water so she can lay her eggs. Once she has laid her eggs, the cycle of life begins again. The life span of an adult dragonfly is only about two months.

While out enjoying fishing or walking the shores of Logan Martin Lake, you will now understand why you are seeing so many dragonflies.

This photograph was taken by Diane Williams, a real estate agent with REMAX Realty Pros in Pell City, Alabama. All rights reserved and may not be reproduced without written permission. If you would like to request permission, please contact me at Diane@LoganMartinLakeSales.com.

Sellers-Transform Your Home on a Tight Budget

Some sellers in the past have been under the impression that once the agent planted the sign, their home would sell. This is not the case; you need to have a home that presents itself as a cut above the rest in its price range. One crucial factor to getting your home sold is in the presentation. It does not have to cost you an arm and a leg; you can do a remarkable job transforming your home on a tight budget. Homes that stand out above the rest are selling. There are a number of things that can be done prior to putting your home on the market to better position your home against its competition. It is not about spending a lot of money; it is about how the home is presented to the public. With a little imagination and effort, a remarkable transformation can take place for a great presentation on a tight budget.

Today most buyers are searching the Internet for their next home. When they find one that appeals to them, they drive by it. Is your mail box rusted? Is your trash can sitting next to your driveway? Better yet, is the lawn mower sitting in the carport, with the grass overgrown? Stand at the street and look at your home with the eyes of a buyer. Cleaning it up just by removing items in the yard makes a world of difference. Spend a day cutting back all overgrown bushes and trees. Go to the local discount store and buy a can of spray paint. Paint the mailbox and light fixture on the porch if it is outdated. Do you have pine trees in your yard? Rake up the fallen needles and spread them around your flower beds after you have removed all weeds and dead plants. Use your imagination.

Your front entrance tells a lot about what the inside of your home is going to look like. Is it warm and welcoming? Pressure wash the walk and porch. Paint the door and porch rails if needed. Add a seasonal potted plant for color.

Stand at your front door and take a look inside of your home. Where did you get all that stuff? Begin with one room at a time. Make three piles, one to pack, one to have a yard sale or donate, and one to put in the trash. Make sure you pack all items that personalize your home. After you have finished packing up each room in the house now start with all the closets and cabinets. If you do not use it, get rid of it.

One mistake I see that sellers make is they pack up all their extra items and then stack all the boxes in the garage. Now the home looks as if it has limited storage. Put all boxes in the attic or rent a storage building.

Stand at the door of each room and decide on which one of the furniture pieces you do not use and put it in storage. By removing an item from each room the home will appear to be larger. Once you have done each room, step back and take a look at the extraordinary transformation that has already taken place.

Take one room at a time and do any minor repairs to the room that you see. Watch the paint sales if you need to paint a room. A neutral paint color is a must to appeal to a wider range of buyers. If you have any busy wall paper in your home, you need to remove it. Dated light fixtures, no problem it is awesome what a can of paint can do. Remove any dingy area rugs. Clean everything in that room including the windows until it shines. Continue until you have done each room in your home.

Now is the time to put your creative juices to work. Take a look around each room in your home and see if each room has a focal point or needs some additional color to an area.

Sellers, with some work and a small budget, look at how you can transform your home. Clean and well maintained properties will sell if property priced.

When a home buyer looks at your home, you want to touch their soul and spirit for them to make your house their home.

Goat Island On Logan Martin Lake

Located near Pine Harbor in Pell City, Al on Logan Martin Lake is what the locals refer to as Goat Island.

The area residents across from the island keep the goats to control the vegetation in order to maintain the view.

While out boating on Logan Martin Lake near Pine Harbor, enjoy the view of the goats on the island and please do not try to feed or play with them.