@home On Cape Cod Newsletter - August 2012

Dogs on the Job

I am a life-long dog lover, so it's always a pleasure to meet different dogs when we're working on our client's homes and meeting the many different dog personalities.

The first one that comes to mind was Baxter of Marston's Mills, a lovable and beautiful Golden Retriever that greeted me everyday with his tail wagging madly while leaning in against my legs. His owner Wendy, said that Baxter was so friendly, that if a burglar broke in, Baxter would greeting them with lots of body leaning and a paw out for a shake!

In Falmouth, my dog Blackie enjoyed hanging out with Woody, who is full of boundless energy and is a good soul like so many of my client's dogs. I got a big kick out of watching Woody drag his small dog bed into whichever room he was hanging out and tucking himself in. This is a big dog fitting into a small round bed!

Sabai Recently, we we're greeted over in North Falmouth by Sabai an Australian Labradoodle. Wow! what a ball of fun with a warm personality and just a great looking dog!

Recently, we we're greeted over in North Falmouth by Sabai an Australian Labradoodle. Wow! what a ball of fun with a warm personality and just a great looking dog!

And this is Blackie, our family dog and my constant presence on just about every project when it's not too hot. He's a gentle soul who is happy to hang out in the truck knowing that people are nearby. He came to us by way of a dog rescue back in 2000 and driving home with us, he sat (all 93 pounds) in my lap head hanging out the window loving it all! Whenever he hops out of the truck on the job, he invariably finds his way under the table saw and ends up covered in saw dust!

We introduced him to the Ocean and he lives to visit the beach! With the warm weather, he hangs at home with Emerald the cat, a new addition that Blackie accepted whole-heartedly and we often find them snoozing near each other!

I've found that with all my clients, their dogs reflect who they are. Good Souls! and Good folks to work for...

Around the Cape

Heritage Museums and Gardens

During our most recent vacation this past July, we took a trip to Heritage Museums and Gardens, located in Sandwich. This is a hidden gem. What was there not to like? We enjoyed visting Hidden Hollow with our daughter Katiebeth. We appreciated the efforts and craftsmanship of the carpenters from the Upper Cape Cod Technical school, that went into building the gigantic treehouse that over looks the children's play area. Quite a fun project!

We also enjoyed learning about and viewing the work of Norman Rockwell. For those that are not familiar with how he created his work, you will be in for a surprise as I was. Seeing this exhibit with some of his actual works and the stories behind them, was well worth the reasonable cost of admission. Highly recommended!

The gardens in bloom have a very cool water feature that I would love to replicate in my own garden The gardens must be truly spectacular when the rhododendrons are in bloom as they are everywhere across the grounds.

A real delight to round out our trip, was the round house that contained lots of vintage cars that were just a feast for the eyes. Definitely a worthy stop for car buffs. Did I also mention the merry-go-round that is much beloved by kids and adults?

If You Go: Heritage Museums & Gardens

Wellfleet Oyster Festival

This is an event we're hoping to make this year as we love going "down cape" especially in the off season. Be warned, as this is a very popular event so you will need to make a day of it. Event Dates are October 13th and 14th 2012

If You Go: Wellfleet Oyster Fest

@home Tip

Is your home properly protected from power surges? With Summer's onset, frequent lightning storms across Cape Cod put your TV's, computers and cellphones (when plugged in for charging) at risk.

An article at ThisOldHouse.com states that many homeowners mistakenly believe that they are protected when they plug a device into a power strip. To fully protect your electronics and the like, you should have 2 layers of protection: 1. Have an electrician install a whole house surge suppressor at your electrical panel and 2. Plug any and all electronics into a properly labeled surge suppressor.

In fact next to my desk, I have my computers and cellphones plugged into a power strip labeled Surgemaster II with phone line protection. I also have my washer and dryer plugged into a surge suppressor as they contain electronics vulnerable to power surges. And at my electrical service panel, I have a whole house surge protector installed like the one pictured to the right.

If you would like to have a whole house surge suppressor installed, feel free, to call our Electrician Richard Cook at 774.238.0899 to schedule a service visit. You can also find out more about protecting your home with a surge suppressor at the This Old House website.