Lifestyle
Nevada Travel Network wins first place press association awards
Submitted by editor on Mon, 10/05/2015 - 12:25pmIn its first entry into the Nevada Press Association‘s annual awards competition the Gold Hill-based Nevada Travel Network was awarded first place in two of the three categories it entered.
The blue ribbon for ‘Best Writing Online’ was awarded to the monthly NevadaGram and First Place in the ‘Best Feature Story Online’ category went to David Toll for “A visit to the Belmont Mill and Hamilton."
JoAnne Skelly column: Banner year for Black Widow spiders
Submitted by editor on Sun, 10/04/2015 - 6:22amI’m fairly tolerant of most insects and spiders. I try to move them outside if I find them in the house rather than kill them. However, I do kill black widow spiders. It seems as if this was a banner year for black widows. I never used to find them in the house, only in the detached garage. Lately, I have found quite a few indoors.
Airstream rally promises to return silver to the Comstock
Submitted by editor on Sat, 10/03/2015 - 9:40amRobert and Cecelia Stansbury had always planned to travel once they retired, but they had no idea where the journey would take them.
In preparation of leaving their jobs in the Bay area — he as a high school biology teacher and she as a legal assistant — they sold their share in a cabin in Hope Valley. With the proceeds, they bought an Airstream trailer.
JoAnne Skelly: Save Water and Your Landscape
Submitted by editor on Wed, 09/30/2015 - 11:59amCooperative Extension’s Dr. Heidi Kratsch is a specialist in water efficient landscaping and has written a book on the subject – Water Efficient Landscaping in the Intermountain West. In a recent class, she provided techniques to conserve water without damaging the landscape.
Sunset over Wellington, Nev
Submitted by editor on Tue, 09/29/2015 - 11:31pmCarson Now reader Kyla Foster sent us these sunset photos from Wellington.
Column: More 'Grow Your Own, Nevada' workshops this week
Submitted by editor on Mon, 09/21/2015 - 2:15amEach year in spring and fall, the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension horticulture program offers a series of classes called “Grow Your Own, Nevada.” Different topics are offered this week on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m.
JoAnne Skelly: When to Harvest Vegetables
Submitted by editor on Thu, 09/17/2015 - 4:19pmReaders often ask me when vegetables are ready for harvest. Some veggies have a long harvest window, but others may be tasty one day and bitter the next. Of course, if a freeze is expected, many of our vegetables end up being harvested early. I’ve ripened many a green tomato on the windowsill.
JoAnne Skelly: Earwigs are creepy, but are they bad?
Submitted by editor on Sat, 09/05/2015 - 1:08pmMary, a reader from Gardnerville said, “I have a terrible time with earwigs, my most dreaded pest; and the sight of them makes me cringe.” Yes, earwigs do look alarming with pincers at their hind end. They even bother seasoned gardeners who normally have an attitude of “live-and-let-live.”
Column: Elm leaf beetles common this time of year
Submitted by editor on Sat, 08/29/2015 - 10:24amLast week I wrote about root weevils eating leaves. This week’s pests are the elm leaf beetles. While elms are hardy drought tolerant trees for arid Nevada, they are plagued by elm leaf beetles every year. By this time of year, the trees look half-dead with white to brown ragged leaves.
Carson City man's passion for wine earns him coveted sommelier certification
Submitted by editor on Wed, 08/26/2015 - 10:44amAsk Steve Sanchez what inspired him to undertake the arduous road to receiving his tier two sommelier certification, and he immediately says, “because I’m a masochist.”
Desert Tortoise Adoption Presentation on Saturday
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Tue, 08/25/2015 - 12:13pmCarson City Cooperative Extension is hosting a Desert Tortoise Adoption and Care workshop, Saturday, August 29, from 10-noon at their office: 2621 Northgate Lane, Room 12. Many pet tortoises are looking for homes. For more information visit tortoisegroup.org and get started today by completing an adoption form. Call Janina at 702-372-3967 for more information.
JoAnne Skelly: Remedies for when root weevils eat your leaves
Submitted by editor on Sat, 08/22/2015 - 8:37am“Something is eating the leaves on my lilacs,” cried the caller. She wondered why the leaves looked like someone had nipped the edges with pinking shears or craft scissors. I knew immediately when she described the angular cuts on the leaves that her plants were being eaten by root weevils.
South Lake Tahoe area landscaping highlighted at annual conservation landscape tour
Submitted by editor on Wed, 08/12/2015 - 2:47pmThe public will have a chance to learn about sustainable landscaping in Lake Tahoe at the 8th Annual Conservation Landscape Tour on August 19. The tour will begin at the Lake Tahoe Community College Demonstration Garden and continue down Pioneer Trail towards Meyers Station.
JoAnne Skelly: Is it time to use a pesticide?
Submitted by editor on Sat, 08/08/2015 - 4:12amThere are many definitions of the word “pest,” and personal perceptions of pests can often be very different. A pest might be annoying (ants), damaging to plants (rabbits), a health concern (ticks) or a cause for fear (black widow spiders). However, relatively few pests cause significant injury to plants, so pesticides are rarely needed.
JoAnne Skelly: Finding drought tolerant lawn grass alternatives
Submitted by editor on Sun, 08/02/2015 - 11:14amI’m often asked, “Are there lawn grasses that are more drought-tolerant than fescue or Kentucky bluegrass?” The answer is yes, according to one reader.
Tina of Carson City wrote me this past week:
JoAnne Skelly: Is Vinegar a Safe Alternative Herbicide?
Submitted by editor on Sun, 07/26/2015 - 10:29amA reader recently asked me if a solution of vinegar, Epsom salts and a small amount of liquid dish soap, mixed and sprayed on weeds was as effective as using glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup and similar products) and safer. The reader went on to ask, “If this solution is as effective as Roundup and much cheaper, is there anything in the mixture that would/could be dangerous to humans?”
A history of Nevada and the West, told through bottles
Submitted by editor on Tue, 07/14/2015 - 1:48pmTheir first lives might have ended in a mining camp or city dump or with an unceremonious drop into the depths of an outhouse, but a century or more later, they tell a history of their own.
Symposium Thursday in Carson City to demystify transgender community
Submitted by editor on Sat, 07/11/2015 - 1:31pmKimi Cole of Gardnerville described her typical day. “I get up in the morning, shower, eat breakfast and go to work,” she said. “I do my laundry, clean my house, go to the grocery store. That’s what being transgender means to me.”
Summer Stingers: Yellowjackets pack a painful punch
Submitted by editor on Sat, 07/11/2015 - 1:12pmJust when we thought the pest season might be slowing down a bit, along come the yellowjackets. They aren’t the normal-sized wasps we usually see; they are Jurassic Park candidates this year. These aggressive nest defenders aren’t frightened one bit by humans.
JoAnne Skelly: Using Pesticides Safely
Submitted by editor on Sun, 07/05/2015 - 2:05amRecently, I saw a woman in a bucket on a crane attached to a truck spraying her elm trees. She wore no protective gear while spraying. A man, also without protective gear, stood just below her. Since he was looking up as she sprayed insecticide over his head, drift rained down onto his face and into his eyes.
DK's Sierra Mountain Comics makes donation to Carson City Library
Submitted by editor on Fri, 07/03/2015 - 8:18amAssistant Librarian Aubrey White sorts through several thousand Magic The Gathering cards at the Carson City Library in Carson City, Nev. DK's Sierra Mountain Comics donated the trading card game to the library teen group called The Game Corner.
Kids get cash for going digital-free at Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel
Submitted by editor on Wed, 07/01/2015 - 10:30pmLake Tahoe Resort Hotel has a way for parents to get their kids to look up from their screens and take in the real world at Lake Tahoe. The all-suite hotel has long been a family favorite in South Lake Tahoe and this summer’s offer is sure to please the parents. Kids, 17 and under, who turn in their digital device for a minimum of six hours a day will receive a crisp $5 bill. This offer is valid for guests who book their stay through the hotel’s website.
Summer Irrigation: Choosing the right watering system for Nevada's dry climate
Submitted by editor on Sat, 06/27/2015 - 2:50pmWithout irrigation, Nevada gardeners could not have gardens or landscapes. These life-giving watering systems need regular maintenance to operate efficiently so that plants can thrive. A well-maintained system is water efficient, which is critical this year with the drought.
Transgender panel discussion July 16 at the Brewery Arts Center
Submitted by editor on Wed, 06/24/2015 - 2:38pmA panel discussion about transgender awareness, featuring experts who will present the facts and answer questions, will be held Thursday, July 16 at the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City.
Presenters include transgender persons and healthcare professionals with specialized experience treating and supporting them. A question and answer session will follow the discussion. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.
JoAnne Skelly: Mason jar herb gardens gaining popularity
Submitted by editor on Mon, 06/22/2015 - 12:23pmA friend introduced me to a new way of growing herbs, in a canning jar. She said she had grown basil successfully in a jar. She took a quart jar and put pea gravel in it with potting mix on top. Then, she added water to where the gravel met the potting mix and planted seeds.
She placed the jar in a south window and within two weeks had basil coming up. She claimed the evaporative power of the water up through the soil kept the soil moist enough for germination and growth of the seed.
Motorcycle entries wanted for annual Show n' Shine during September's Dayton Valley Days
Submitted by editor on Mon, 06/22/2015 - 9:35amDAYTON — The Ghost Soldiers Motorcycle Club invites people to enter its 2nd Annual Motorcycle Show & Shine scheduled in conjunction with the Dayton Valley Days festival Sept. 19 and 20, 2015 in the heart of historic Old Town Dayton.
A Deja vu Airplane Ride over Carson City
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Sun, 06/14/2015 - 5:16pmAn event at the Carson City Airport had my blood running faster than usual Sunday! An old Ford Tri-Motor plane came by to visit. This plane has an interesting history with a personal touch for my family. My son-in-law Glenn Ware, grew up in Kansas where this plane was first based, and he took a ride in it when he was 15 years old. He has pictures of it in his scrapbook.
JoAnne Skelly column: Broaden your Plant Palette
Submitted by editor on Sun, 06/14/2015 - 12:14pmI visited a friend this past week who is an outstanding plant person. Peg’s landscape is filled with plant species or varieties that I have not used before. They are perennials with interesting foliage, flowers, form and often scent. They are also water-efficient and hardy for our area. I wandered around her little horticulture heaven being inspired to broaden my plant choices.
World Cowboy Fast Draw Championship
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Tue, 06/09/2015 - 11:45amCompetitors from all around the country compete in western wear with single action revolvers for the title “The Fastest Gun Alive.”at the Churchill County Fairgrounds: 325 Sheckler Road Fallon, NV.
There will be Civil War Re-enactments, Cowboy Mounted Shooting, Nevada Gunslingers gun fight re-enactment, and over 40 food, clothing and craft vendors with live music on Saturday and Sunday.
Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Admission is $5, $4 for seniors and military, $3 kids ages 13-17. Under 13 are admitted free.
Lake Tahoe Concours d'Elegance
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Tue, 06/09/2015 - 9:51amThe Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance is America’s most prestigious and spectacular wooden boat show. Experience the woodies prestigious history in Tahoe and be amazed by the elegantly crafted wooden power boards designed by Gar Wood, Hacker Craft, Riva, Chris Craft, and other classic brands. The 43rd annual Concours d’Elegance takes place at Obexer’s Boat Company August 7-8, beginning Friday at 10 a.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m.