Now that it's cold outside, we all need to focus on our outside maintenance before it gets too cold!  I found this great article from the National Association of Realtors giving a few good tips of things to do.  If you would like to hire someone to do these things for you, I have a few good contractors that I could recommend. Drop me an email and I'll help you find one in your area!

Here's the article:  

Don't Let Clients Make These Winter Mistakes
MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2016
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As winter approaches, it’s important to make sure a home is ready for the colder months ahead. Help your clients prepare by warning them about potentially costly mistakes. HouseLogic offers the following tips of the mistakes to avoid: 
1. Not protecting the outdoor faucet.
It’ll cost about $2 to buy a protector for an outdoor faucet, and that small investment could save owners up to $15,000 in potential damages. Frozen water can cause a lot of damage, and an outdoor faucet is particularly susceptible to freezing temperatures. Remove the garden hose from the outdoor faucet, drain it, and add a faucet protector, which will prevent cold air from entering the pipes.
2. Not removing icicles immediately.
They may look pretty hanging from the edge of a home, but it’s a sign of an ice dam, a buildup of ice in a gutter or roof that is preventing snow and ice from melting and draining through the gutters. Those ice blocks, left untouched, can lead to pricey roof repairs. Also, for homes more prone to them, it may be a sign of not enough insulation in the attic, says Chris Johnson, owner of Navarre True Value in the Twin Cities area.
3. Skipping gutter cleanups.
By the same token, when it rains, water pouring from gutters like a waterfall is a sign of trouble. That water can pile up on a foundation and cause damage. Clean the gutters a few times each fall to prevent clogs.
4. Letting cold air get inside.
This can be a costly mistake to heating bills. Sealing cracks with caulk can easily be done and will keep the cooler air out. HouseLogic suggests looking for visible cracks around windowsills, baseboards, and dryer vents.
5. Not getting your furnace checked.
“Forget to service your furnace and you could easily cut five years off the life of your system,” says Danny Lipford, host of “Today’s Homeowner” television and radio shows. And those are costly: New units are around $4,000 installed. Also, don’t forget to replace furnace filters, which has been linked with trimming potentially 15 percent off your energy bill.

I ran downtown the other day to run an errand and ended up parking in the parking garage.  As I came out of the garage, I noticed these 2 murals. I have never seen them before and they are absolutely beautiful.   

We all have so many things going on in our lives, and these 2 murals just struck me because as much time as I've spent downtown, I have never seen this before.

I did a little digging on the internet, and sure enough, this mural is titled "Wings and Sails" by Maryland artist Stewart White.  It was commissioned by the Art in Public Places Commission in May 2005.

This just made me realize that there is still so much to see and learn about Annapolis, that even I can discover something new!   This mural has been here for over 10 years and this is the first time I'm seeing it. And it's gorgeous!

At times when I'm putting up information for this website, I think how big Annapolis is, and where would someone new start?  What advice would I give them?  The answer is, just go.  Just go explore, because when you do, you're bound to find something fascinating.

I stepped out my back door late one afternoon this past week, and look what was on my fence! A hawk had swept down, grabbed a bird, and was just sitting there!
He was not disturbed at all by my presence.  

People are surprised to know we have hawks here in Eastport, and birds are one of their favorite prey. People always think it's like rabbits, squirrels and things, but birds are their favorite.

I'm not an expert, but I think this may be the Northern Goshawk. I found this picture on the Department of Natural Resources website, and it does say that these hawks are endangered but making a comeback.  My hawk kept turning it's head, so my picture doesn't show his face. But the website has 14 different hawks that are native to Maryland, including the Bald Eagle!  Either way, the DNR site said most hawks are very territorial about their nest, and will defend it even with no young in it.  So if you're walking around Annapolis, please be careful about the hawks!

Does anyone know for sure what kind of hawk this is? Curiosity kills this cat, you know....  lol!

​Update:  My biologist daughter said she thinks it's a red tailed hawk, and that they definitely will eat squirrels and rabbits too!  Who knew?  Thanks Christina!

Just another reason to love Annapolis!
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