The best way to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus is to stay home as much as possible and do our socializing online and over the phone. While virtual gatherings are still the safest, I know that summer is here and that many of you are looking forward to hosting your first barbecue of the season or finally hanging out with friends. So, since we all know that backyard gatherings are happening more these days, let’s go over 10 ways you can practice risk reduction and make your next social gathering as safe as possible. 1. Keep the guest list small. Virtual events are still the safest, but if you really need some in-person socializing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider “smaller outdoor and in-person gatherings in which individuals from different households remain spaced at least 6 feet apart, wear cloth face coverings, do not share objects, and come from the same local area (e.g., community, town, city, or county)” as less risky than larger gatherings. 2. Send invitations. Invitations have always set the tone for a party and let your guests know what to expect, but they serve an even more important purpose now. Sending a paper or email invitation is the perfect opportunity to spell out exactly how the gathering will work and what precautions everyone will be expected to follow. This will help invitees know what to expect and to determine if they feel comfortable enough to attend. Invitations are also crucial for a social distancing party where you might be asking folks to bring their own chairs, utensils, or drinks. Give your invitees all of the information they need for your party to be a success and for everyone to feel comfortable and prepared. 3. Host the gathering outdoors. The risk of airborne transmission is lower outdoors, so that is definitely where you should host your gathering. This does not bring the risk to zero, but it is much better than sharing stagnant air indoors. 4. Designate a single entrance and exit. One option is to host the gathering in your driveway or in your front yard, which will likely mean no one needs to touch doors or gates to get to the party. If you will be hosting it in your backyard, it is better to have your guests go through an open gate than to go through the house. 5. Prepare your bathroom. Make a clear line to the bathroom to guide traffic and reduce folks touching things on their way in and out. Make sure you are well stocked on hand soap, and consider disposable guest towels. These are not the greatest option for the environment, but they may reduce the chance of exposure. Equip your bathroom with a trash can with a bag but no lid or with a no-touch trash can, which is a good thing for us all to be considering investing in at this point anyways. 6. Consider making it a BYOP (Bring Your Own Picnic) party. The less you have multiple people touching surfaces and utensils the better. One way to do this is to have everyone bring their own picnic basket or cooler with their food, drinks, utensils, napkins, and plates. You can even have them bring their own blanket or lawn chairs to set up at least six feet apart from other guests. Most importantly, do not share food or utensils. Do not serve food buffet style or family style. If you are serving food or drinks, designate one person wearing a mask and gloves to do all of the cooking, grilling, and serving. This will help avoid multiple people touching utensils or bottles. 7. Choose activities that allow for social distancing. Chatting from your respective picnic blankets is a good way to stay six feet apart at all times, but if you want to include some activities, consider those that still allow for social distancing. Horseshoes, cornhole, and bocce are examples of activities that allow you to be social while keeping your distance. Keep in mind that you will still be touching the same bean bags or horseshoes, so keep hand sanitizer on hand and wash your hands after the game. 8. Make it a theme party to make mask wearing more fun. It is absolutely essential that you and your guests wear masks at all times when you are not eating or drinking. To make this more fun, consider making it a themed mask party or asking your guests to wear masks that are funny, ugly, or fancy. 9. Have hand sanitizer readily available. Make sure you have hand sanitizer at the entrance so that your guests can sanitize their hands before entering the party space. If they might be going inside your house to use the restroom, keep hand sanitizer at that entrance as well, and ask your guests to use it before entering. 10. Make the space as safe as possible. Sanitize all surfaces, doorknobs, chairs, gate latches, handles, faucets, toilets, trash cans, and anything else your guests might touch both before the party and after your guests leave. Make signs to remind your guests to wash their hands often. Have a no-touch trash can or a trash can with a bag and no lid in the party space so that your guests can easily throw things away and you can safely dump the trash after the party. Remember -- staying home and hanging out with the folks you are isolating with is the best way to reduce transmission. So, use these tips to reduce the risk if have to get together, but stick to virtual gatherings as much as possible. Find local COVID-19 information and resources here. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a member of The Davis Group and a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
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Rats and mice are constant issues for Ojai homeowners. Regardless of how well you maintain your home and yard, there is a good chance these critters will at least stop by for a visit. This is particularly true if you live around rodent-friendly fruit or oak trees, and I can’t think of very many homes in Ojai that are not close to at least one of these. Like all animals, rats and mice are primarily focused on what they need to survive: food, water and shelter. If you have rats or mice in your yard, this means that your property is fulfilling these basic needs and providing a hospitable environment for rodents to call home. Folks who need to manage a rat population or repel mice have both lethal and non-lethal methods from which to choose. For those who want to kill them, Ojai is home to several pest control companies that will be happy to take care of this for you, or there are traps and poison for folks who want to do it themselves. Of course, there are issues that come with each of these options, so you need to be aware that your efforts to control rodents in this manner may result in the injury or death of animals you like having around, such as raptors, rabbits, pets and other wildlife. Additionally, whenever possible, it is always a good idea to try natural pest control methods that do not end in any unnecessary deaths of rodents or other animals before turning to lethal measures. For folks who want to get rid of rats or mice without killing them, there is really only one option: encouraging the rats and mice to move on by taking away the food, water and shelter they seek and making your property less hospitable. Removing water sources can be difficult, since this includes water bowls for pets, troughs and buckets used for larger animals, drip irrigation systems, and water features. So, while you may need to look at removing water sources at some point, let’s start with easier tasks, including removing food sources, limiting shelter options and making your yard less appealing to repel rats and mice naturally. Keep in mind, if you have an established colony, it is going to require a multi-prong approach that includes both eradication and prevention to avoid the establishment of future colonies. 14 Ways to Repel Rats & Mice Naturally (Without Killing Them) First, let’s work on removing food sources: 1. Move bird feeders away from outdoor living areas and regularly clean up any waste left on the ground. 2. Cover dog food and other pet food when your pets are not outside. 3. Store animal food securely. You aren’t going to be able to keep rats and mice out of your hay barn, but you can store your cat, dog, bird, chicken, goat and other animal feed in secure containers that won’t provide an easy meal for rodents. 3. Wrap flexible sheet metal around the trunks of fruit trees to prevent rats and mice from climbing the trees and eating the fruit (or making nests). You will also need to prune branches near fences or rooflines where rats and mice could gain access. 4. Always keep your trash and yard waste bins securely closed. 5. Choose a compost bin that deters rodents, since these are prime spots for rats and mice to find both food and nesting materials. I use tumblers on stands and always keep them closed. If you have a bin that sits on the ground and has an open bottom, you can place wire mesh between your bin and the ground to slow them down, but I have found that they generally find a way in anyways. If you have an open compost pile, rather than a bin, move your compost pile as far away from your house and outdoor living areas as possible. 6. Secure your chicken coop with 1/8-inch hardware cloth around the bottom of the fence. This isn’t completely rat proof, since they can still climb over the hardware cloth and get through the chicken wire above, but this can help keep rats from going after your chickens’ eggs and scratch. 7. Regularly remove pet waste from your yard. Pet poop may be gross to us, but rats recognize its nutritional value and are more than happy to dine on it. The step in getting rid of rats and mice naturally is removing shelter options, which includes blocking or removing pathways that provide cover for rodents as they traverse your yard: 8. Clear unnecessary clutter that provides shelter or pathways for rats and mice. This includes storing patio cushions when not in use and keeping areas near fences and walls as clear as possible. For example, dog houses, deck boxes and flowerpots should be kept away from walls to avoid creating a protected trail system for rodents. Wood piles should also be placed away from structures and, if possible, should be at least 18 inches above the ground to avoid creating shelter for rodents underneath. You will also want to make sure rats and mice cannot find shelter elsewhere in your yard, such as in a rarely used barbecue grill or under your potting bench. 9. Prune trees away from fences and structures and wrap the trunks in sheet metal to keep rats from making nests in the canopy. If you hate the idea of wrapping your tree trunks in metal, you can also try planting rat-repelling plants, such a lavender or mint, or placing an ultrasonic rat repeller at the base of the trunk. 10. Remove dense ground covers that provide shelter and allow rats and mice to move freely throughout your yard. 11. Block access under permanent and semi-permanent structures in your yard. Garden sheds, decks, gazebos, and other structures that rarely or never move are ideal options for rats and mice looking for a place to call home. You need to completely seal points of entry, since rats and mice can get through very small spaces, so make sure you do not already have any resident rats, mice, squirrels or other animals before sealing the area. If you block access to an area while animals are inside, they will die from starvation and dehydration, which is a crueler and slower death than poisoning or traps. And finally, let’s work on making your yard less appealing to rats and mice looking for a place to set up camp: 12. Deploy an ultrasonic rodent repeller. How well these work depends on who you ask, but if you have a significant rat population or a growing family of mice, they are worth a try. Most ultrasonic pest repellents are designed to ward off all animals, which includes animals you might like having around, such as dogs, deer, rabbits, or cats. So, if you decide to give this option a shot, make sure you purchase one that has settings for different types of animals so that you can ward off rodents without disturbing your furry friends. 13. Scare rats and mice off naturally off with predator urine. Some people swear by this method for removing unwanted rodents, which is why I’m including it on this list. However, I don’t really think it works and, therefore, is not worth having your yard smell like urine. Maybe introducing this smell could help with your rat or mice problem if you currently have no predators on your property, but most folks already have a predator or two running around. Think about it, if you have a dog or a cat that goes outside, you already have predator urine in your yard. If you live in an area where you have coyotes, bobcats or mountain lions at least occasionally on your property, you have even scarier predator urine that is not currently scaring away the rats or mice hanging out in your yard. 14. Introduce fragrances that make it difficult for rats and mice to use their sense of smell as a necessary survival mechanism. Rodents rely on smell to know when predators are around and to find food. Therefore, rats and mice generally choose to not hang out in areas where strong fragrances make it impossible to do this. You can purchase rat repellent pouches, pellets or sprays at hardware stores, feed stores and garden centers. This is a convenient option, but these can get expensive, since they will need to be regularly replaced. You can achieve the same effect of naturally repelling rats and mice with inexpensive items you likely already have around the house or can purchase at the dollar store. For example, dryer sheets and perfumed soaps work just as well, and you probably already have these on hand. Alternatively, you can plant mint or lavender near potential nesting areas or soak cotton balls or rags with peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil to place around your outdoor living areas to deter rats and mice. If you choose to use cotton balls or rags, make sure you place them in spots where you pets cannot access them. Owl Boxes: Another Way to Get Rid of Rats and Mice that is Better than Traps or Poison There is another option that lies between using traps and poison and using non-lethal, natural methods for getting rid of rats and mice. While this article focuses on natural ways to get rid of rodents without killing them, this lethal-but-natural option is worth including to make sure you are aware of all your options before turning to traps and poison. The Ojai Raptor Center sells barn owl and screech owl boxes that you can install at your home to encourage owls to nest on your property. This helps support the local raptor population while also providing you with natural rodent control, since owls are natural predators of rats and mice. The Ojai Raptor Center website also offers free barn owl box plans if you prefer to build your own. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a member of The Davis Group and a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
If you are a beginner gardener or looking to expand your existing garden, you are going to need seeds. While you could, of course, head to a local nursery or go online and purchase seed packets, there are other options for getting free seeds and cuttings for your vegetable garden or flowerbed. These options also give you the opportunity to learn from local gardeners, build community, and support seed sovereignty. So, let’s get right to it with these 11 ways to get free seeds and cuttings for your garden. 1. Save seeds from your garden. If you have a vegetable garden or flowerbeds already in place, you can save seeds from your existing plants to plant for the next growing season. If you are interested in saving seeds, check out this guide to seed saving from The Seed Ambassadors Project and this guide from HowtoSaveSeeds.com. I recommend checking out both of these guides, since The Seed Ambassadors Project guide gives a great overview of seed saving, including a glossary to help you learn the lingo, while the guide on HowtoSaveSeeds.com is great for easily looking up how to save particular types of seeds. 2. Save seeds from produce. You can also save seeds from produce you have purchased. It is best to save seeds from organic, non-GMO foods, since seeds from genetically modified produce may not germinate or may grow unpredictably. Saving seeds from local produce purchased from produce stands or the farmers market is best, since you know these seeds have already proven to thrive where you live. You are also more likely to get organic, non-GMO seeds this way. 3. Grow food plants from purchased herbs and produce. Many foods purchased at the store can be regrown from cuttings or by saving the base to replant. Celery, romaine lettuce, parsley, and basil are examples of foods that can be grown from cuttings or saving and planting the base. 4. Ask friends for cuttings of ornamental plants. Succulents are particularly easy to grow from cuttings, but you can also grow many houseplants and other ornamental plants for free by asking friends or family for small cuttings. 5. Divide your current plants. Perennials can often be divided into multiple plants to plant in your garden. To accomplish this, you can either dig up the entire plant and root system to divide, or you can use a shovel to dig up just part of the plant and root system to relocate. 6. Attend the Annual Ojai Seed & Plant Swap. Going to a local seed swap, such as the Annual Ojai Seed & Plant Swap hosted by the Ojai Valley Green Coalition, is a great way to get free seeds that grow well in your area. Aside from exchanging your surplus seeds for seeds or cuttings for your garden, local seed swaps also provide the opportunity to learn from local gardeners and farmers to take your gardening game to the next level. 7. Start your own seed swap group. If you have friends, family members or co-workers who also like to garden, consider starting your own seed swapping group to exchange seeds, cuttings and plants. If you don’t know any gardeners, this is a great opportunity to expand your social circle and connect with local gardeners in your area. 8. Join an online seed swapping group. If you missed your local seed swapping event or just prefer to do things online, look for an online seed swapping group where you can exchange seeds with other members. Your best bests are the groups available on GardenWeb and Facebook. 9. Borrow seeds from a seed library. Seed libraries are a good solution for new gardeners who do not yet have seeds to swap with other gardeners. This option allows you to get free seeds for your garden, and then save seeds when you harvest the crop so that you can return an equal or greater amount of seeds to the library to share with others. I believe the closest seed library is at the Camarillo Library, but please add a comment below if you are aware of one closer to Ojai. 10. Check the free section of websites like Craigslist. You can find all sorts of treasures in the free section on Craigslist and this sometimes includes seeds, cuttings or plants. 11. Request seeds from The Free Seed Project. Each year, The Free Seed Project sends thousands of free seed packets to folks who register on their website. To request free seeds from this non-profit organization, the group asks that you fit one of these criteria:
If you know of other ways to get free seeds for backyard gardens in Ojai and the surrounding area, please share them with us in the comments! AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a member of The Davis Group and a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
In most cases, hosting outdoor parties in Ojai in winter is not much different than entertaining outdoors in summer. It may be a little colder and it certainly gets dark earlier but, aside from that, we are fortunate to live in a temperate, near-coastal community that allows us to enjoy outdoor living any time of the year. However, Ojai’s amazing weather may decide not to cooperate that day and it might be a bit too cold for comfort -- or it might even rain (let’s hope!). Fortunately, you do not have to let a little inclement weather get in your way and, with the proper party preparations, your winter shindig is sure to go off without a hitch. To help ensure that your outdoor Christmas dinner or Chanukah party is a fun, memorable event, here are 10 tips to help you keep your guests comfortable and filled with holiday cheer. 10 Tips for Hosting Outdoor Holiday Parties in Ojai 1. Create a kids’ area. Whether you are hosting your party indoors or outdoors, if the invitations say it is an all-ages gathering, you are sure to have at least a few children there. This is particularly true if you are hosting this year’s family dinner. When there are gifts and games involved, it is definitely more fun to have the kids involved, but you will also want to be prepared to keep them entertained when the adults need a break or are partaking in other activities. Some easy ideas include setting up a temporary movie theater on your patio where you can show holiday movies, creating a kids’ space with a craft table or cookie decorating table, putting together a holiday scavenger hunt or putting one of the older kids in charge of games with fun prizes. 2. Set up a self-serve drink station. If you are hosting more than a few family members or close friends, you could find yourself running inside to the kitchen to refill drinks throughout the night. To make your hosting duties a bit less stressful and make sure your guests are well hydrated, set up a centrally located self-serve drink station. Keep in mind that if you are serving alcohol and have children in attendance, you should set up two drink stations to keep alcoholic beverages out of little hands. Since it will likely be a bit chilly outside, be sure to include at least one or two warm beverage options, such as coffee, spiced cider, hot chocolate or tea. 3. Determine how you will keep your guests warm. Patio heaters, outdoor fireplaces, fire pits or chimeneas are all great options that can create a welcoming, wintery environment while helping ward off the cold. If you have a fire feature as part of your outdoor living area, be sure it is clean, in good repair and well stocked with the appropriate fuel. If you have propane-fueled patio heaters, be sure to have extra propane tanks on hand. If you do not have any of these options already on hand, you can purchase an inexpensive, portable fire pit at Home Depot or Lowes, buy patio heaters at either of these stores, or rent patio heaters just for your party. If you will not have too many guests in attendance, another fun idea is to pass out cozy slippers and throw blankets as party favors. 4. Be prepared for rain. We don’t have that many rainy days in Ojai, but the holidays do happen right in the middle of our rainy season. You may not know the weather report when you pick the day for your party, so it is possible that this could mean some much-needed rain might coincide with your holiday gathering. If you have a covered patio, you might be okay, but if you are expecting a lot of guests, you may need to consider purchasing or renting a canopy or tent to expand your covered entertaining space. If this is your plan, look for one with curtains, since this will allow you to close one or more sides to help keep your guests warm and dry. 5. Have a back-up plan. Your heart may be set on an outdoor Christmas, but Mother Nature may have other ideas. Just in case the weather really does not cooperate and it is simply too cold or rainy for your guests to comfortably congregate outdoors, make sure you have a back-up plan. The easiest option for most folks is going to be having an indoor room ready to go in case you need to move the party inside. If possible, pick a room that is adjacent to the outdoor area you plan to use. That way, it will be easy for guests to move between the spaces. It will also make your hosting duties a bit easier if your guests are not spread all over the house. 6. Create a festive, cold-weather menu. If you are hosting a family holiday meal, tradition may dictate most of the menu. However, there is probably at least a little wiggle room for adding something fun and festive to the feast. And, of course, if it is just a party celebrating the season, you are free to plan a menu that compliments your theme. When entertaining outdoors in colder weather, comfort foods and hot beverages are always a safe bet, which means fondue, chili, warm desserts, hot apple cider or Irish coffees all work for winter menus. 7. Consider extra lighting. Depending on the time of day you choose, it may be dark before your guests even arrive. This calls for extra lighting to guide the way and create a festive ambiance. Most any lighting will do, but the holidays give you a great excuse to go a little crazy with the string lights. If you are considering solar path lights to illuminate walkways, be sure to put them in place at least a few days in advance to make sure they all work and have plenty of time to get a good charge. 8. Stock your gift closet with a few extras. If your gathering will include a white elephant gift exchange or friends and family exchanging gifts, your hosting duties include keeping a few extra gifts on hand. This ensures that everyone will have something to unwrap – just in case unexpected guests arrive or someone forgets their white elephant gift at home. You can pick up a few last-minute gifts at any of the boutiques in downtown Ojai. 9. Determine how to handle gift wrapping materials. Another consideration for parties with gift exchanges is how to manage the inevitable piles of wrapping paper, ribbons, gift bags and tissue paper. Have receptacles ready to receive trash, recycling and reusable wrapping materials and make sure they are clearly marked to make your job easier. 10. Make it memorable. Make your holiday celebration all the more special by adding an element that makes it more memorable. This could be something as simple as having an ugly sweater theme or handing out the perfect party favors. Or it can be a bit more involved, such as inviting your guests to create seasonal crafts to take home with them, playing festive party games, or helping a good cause by collecting donations of toys or food. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is the marketing director for The Davis Group and a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing.
by: Aimee Jo Davis-Varela One of the many benefits of living in the Ojai Valley is the ability to enjoy outdoor living any month of the year. Cooking outdoors is an important part of this, and most of us look forward to hosting family barbecues or grilling with our friends when the weekend rolls around. While grilling is an eco-friendlier cooking method than indoor cooking in most cases, dowsing charcoal with lighter fluid and charring meats until they are barely recognizable are not that great for the planet or your family’s health. The smoke from burning charcoal or wood is filled with carcinogens and unhealthy compounds that increase environmental pollution and can accumulate in our bodies, increasing our risk for a variety of ailments. When you use lighter fluid, you are also filling the air with harmful petrochemicals that are bad for you, your family and the planet. Top that off with some chemical-laden pest control products to keep your guests comfortable, disposable plates and cups that end up in a landfill, and even more chemicals being released into the air with every bit of fat that drops from your meat onto the grill, and you can see how conventional grilling may be a lot of fun but is not the healthiest activity. Fortunately, all you need to do is take a few simple steps to green your grilling routine and make your next al fresco dinner party an earth-conscious affair. The first step, of course, is choosing the right barbecue. Propane is better than charcoal, natural gas and electric grills are better than propane, and solar-powered grills, hydrogen-powered grills and corn-burning grills are even better. Of course, if you don’t want to part with your beloved charcoal barbecue, you can go greener with your grilling by switching to lump charcoal, natural charcoal or plant-based ethanol discs. Once you’ve found your perfect barbecue grill and are ready for your first cookout, try these simple tips to lower your carbon footprint and enjoy healthier, eco-friendlier grilling:
1. If you have to light your cooking fuel, use an electric starter or charcoal chimney, and skip the lighter fluid. 2. Avoid excess smoke by keeping your grill clean. Avoid chemical cleaners and use a paste made from baking soda and water instead. 3. Purchase local meats and produce to avoid the energy and pollution of transporting foods. 4. Purchase organic foods to avoid feeding your family and friends chemical-laden products and to help keep those chemicals out of the air, water supply and soil. 5. Make the most of your fire by preparing the entire meal on the grill and making enough for leftovers. 6. If you do not want to use your indoor dinnerware outdoors, purchase cloth napkins and tablecloths, reusable plates and glasses, and other reusable party supplies for your grill-based gatherings. 7. Use natural pest control methods, such as citronella oil candles, bay leaves tucked under chairs, rosemary or sage tossed into the fire, or marigolds, sage, mint or rosemary planted around your outdoor living areas. |
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