Frances Sanderson

I was telling my husband that I was tired of having ants in the house. He told me... "We need more Ant Lions." "Ant Lions?", I asked. "What are those?"

He took me outside and showed me a group of sand craters next to the foundation of our house. He said, "Watch this." He grabbed an ant and threw it into the crater. The ant struggled to crawl out of the crater. Within seconds, the sand at the bottom of the crater began to stir. A head and pinchers popped up and grabbed the ant. Although the ant struggled to get away, it was drawn down below the surface of the sand.

I was amazed. But what does an Ant Lion look like, I wondered. Does it look like an Ant? A Lion? What?

I discovered two things: An Ant Lion is an insect from the family Myrmeleontidae, that is known by several different names here in North America; Sand Dragon or Doodlebug. It has similar stages of growth to the Dragonfly: The Larva, the Pupa and the Adult. The completion of its life cycle can take up to three years.

Well, I thought. My husband does have the right idea. We do need more Ant Lions, but judging by the amount of ant holes we have in the yard, we'll need to truck them in. And then what? Could we possibly have too many Ant Lions? And if so, who takes out the Ant Lions? Hmmmm.

Perhaps I should just let Nature take its course.

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH  REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker^®

As a REALTOR®, I have been in a lot of homes that were built between the 1940's and 1980's that contain Asbestos, and I hadn't given much thought to the fact that my clients and I might be facing some possible hazards just by our brief visits to these homes. But today, I received an e-mail from Paul James, the Awareness Coordinator for Asbestos.com, asking if I would be interested in sharing information about Asbestosis and Mesolthelioma Cancer and Green Insulation Alternatives in my blog. It made me curious and I did some research. My research provided me with a better understanding of Asbestos; it's natural occurrence in the environment and it's hazards. It also provided me with some precautions that I'd like to share with you. (Bear in mind, there is a subtle Legal influence on the website I've mentioned below, but I did not find it intrusive.)

Now, please, do not panic and feel that you have to wear hazmat clothing wherever you go. Your task is to do your due diligence, like I did, and find out what asbestos is and what the possible risks might be. Then you can make an informed decision for yourself.

Here is a great Asbestos Resource to begin your own research. Credit for this article goes to the Mesothelioma Cancer Center for submitting the information in the article

What is Asbestos? 'Asbestos' is the term given to naturally occurring mineral fibers used for commercial purposes, such as the insulation of homes. The mineral fibers' innate resistence to fire and heat, as well as its reluctance to conduct electricity, are what make it popular for insulation. It's string-like fibers are easy to twist into thread and to weave into fabric for fire retardant clothing, too. It's this string-like quality, however, that has made it dangerous.

What Makes Asbestos Dangerous? The string-like fibers become unbound and float in the atmosphere. They are then inhaled. 'The shape of these fibers reacts negatively with human tissue and biological processes. When inhaled or swallowed, these fibers can become lodged in the tissues of the linings of organs, most commonly the lungs and digestive system. Over time, the lodged fibers cause inflammation and cellular damage, which can eventually lead to a variety of terminal diseases', such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, the severest form of asbestos caused cancer. (from the website, asbestos.com)

So what precautions should you take when you know you are around asbestos? First, there is no way to know for sure if you've been around asbestos. If the home or building has been abated for asbestos, there may be some record somewhere, but not always where you can see it. Here are some tips from the asbestos.com website:

• Finally, if you know you have asbestos in your home, have a professional perform an abatement.

Greener Insulation: Here are a few of TreeHugger's (Colin Dunn) Picks for Green insulation Options: (Sorry, I can't add my own just yet.)

1) Recycled paper insulation is made from 100% waste recycled newsprint and has been successfully installed in more than 1 million homes in the UK alone!
2) HempFlax insulation uses mostly hemp fiber, with a little added polyester fibre for reinforcing. Soda acts as the fire retardant, and, as the hemp is naturally resistant to moths and beetles, extra chemical application is avoided.
3) Concrete Blond's customized insulation panels create a false wall, behind which an insulating material can be placed; it's a great product for older homes with solid walls which would be difficult to insulate otherwise.
4) Recycled denim insulation is 100% recyclable, VOC-free, and formaldehyde-free.
5) Lloyd just added three new entrants in one entry to the archives, with recycled materials, LEED credits and positive air-quality features abounding.

Again, this post is not meant to alarm anyone, only to inform. Feel free to add a comment about your favorite Green Insulation while you are here

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH  REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker^®

In my Martha Stewart Living magazine, I just found this advertisement from General Electric that I just had to share with you. The Plant A Bulb promotion ends tomorrow, April 30, 2009, so please read on.

In the advertisement, the words 'The World is Your Garden. Celebrate the Earth by saving big on GE Energy Smart^® lighting... and plant a flower in the process.' ... and it ends with 'With each click, a flower blooms. GEProjectPlantABulb.com'

For every unique visitor to the site, GE will plant a bulb, up to 100,000, until April 30. All I had to do was click on this link and it stated that I had given a flower to the Earth. On this site, I could learn more about energy efficient lighting and get discount coupons as well.

So if you've got a second or two to give to the Earth between today and tomorrow, please click the above link. And Thanks from your fellow Earthling :-)

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker^®

This myth buster tale is brought to you from a little gem of a book I've owned since the Eighties. It's called Inside New England by Judson Hale, Editor of Yankee Magazine.

(photo courtesy of Dale Travis)

Joseph Allen of Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, was a New Bedford News Reporter and then he wrote for the Vineyard Gazette. He also answered Yankee readers' questions for thirty-five years in his "Sayings of the Oracle" column. This is what Judson Hale of Yankee Magazine had to say about Joseph Allen and the Covered Bridge question:

‘Because he had grown old enough to speak or write exactly what was on his mind, and because I had pledged to him that while I might not use all his answers I would never edit a published answer, there were many things Joe wrote in his final years that I could not use. I was afraid of massive subscription cancellations.'

‘Here is his last reply to the covered bridge question, written about a month before he suffered the stroke that eventually proved fatal at age eighty-nine. It's heretofore unpublished (I just didn't have the guts) and it's quoted verbatim-forgive me, Joe:

Jesus for Guard Almighty, we thought all hands knew by this time. Bridges were covered, damn fool, for the same reason women used to wear petticoats-to protect their underpinnings. Ever hear that wood rots when it gets wet? Your asinine suggestion that they were covered to keep the snow off the road is dead wrong. In fact, I recollect throwing snow inside the bridges after a snowstorm so our sleighs wouldn't grind on the wood. As to the height of covered bridges, any simpleton would know it took some height to get a full haywagon through!'

Ah, you've got to love a good Yankee storytelling! Thanks for listening J

Check out this site for info on Covered Bridges in the Northeast.

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker^®

This morning I was drinking my coffee while reading the latest AARP Bulletin (yes, I'm one of those gracefully aging individuals) when I came across an article stating that those who are behind on their mortgage payments can now be served foreclosure notices on Facebook.

What? I thought I signed a privacy notice when I financed my home through my Lender. How can this be legal? After reading through others' blog posts on the subject, I was able to locate this article from December 16, 2008, on ABCNews, by Rod McGuirk. It talks about the fact that it is not being done in the United States yet, and makes several statements about the privacy issue of being served liens on a social networking site.

Aussie Court OKs Using Facebook for Serving Lien

Pictured is the house at Wyselaskie Crt Kambah, Canberra, Australia, where a legal summons was attempted to be served to the occupant via the Facebook web site, Canberra Tue December 16, 2008.(Mark Graham/AP Photo)

'Some people are concerned that such court-approved contact with their social networks such as Facebook and MySpace could amount to a violation of privacy. "I don't think people sign up to Facebook thinking it's going to be another avenue by which a government agency or indeed a debt collector can contact them," said Colin Jacobs, vice chairman of the technology advocacy group Electronic Frontiers Australia. "If we expect that we'll only be contacted on an official basis through the phone or post or through a visitor, and now it's coming through a more personal social networking conduit, then I don't think many people will be happy with that," he added.'

Well I am certainly not happy about it. I am one who believes that creditors don't even have the right to contact my place of employment, much less post my credit status on the internet.

This deserves a lot of public comment and I for one am stating loud and clear, No Posting Lien Notices on Social Networking Websites!

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker^®