DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

May brings lovely things to New York state...Spring (and its fantastically whimsical colors) and a rickety motorhome with two dogs, two West Coasters and suitcases filled with hopes and dreams. A few days before leaving LA, zipping around town searching for packing tape, boxes and bubble wrap, I passed a film crew spray painting trees various shades of green, yellow, pink and white. Their attempts to make a smoggy, dreary Southern California day look like a foreign land far, far away brought a smile to my face...We were heading for that land of make-believe they were trying to create on Ventura Boulevard. While I adore California, the east coast has exceeded my expectations on every level. The colors, the smells (chances are if you took a deep breath in LA today it would smell like BMW exhaust; this morning, while driving Joe to the train station, the air smelled of dogwood trees and damp grass). Even the puppies can't believe how beautiful it is (actually, the passing horses, turkeys and bird-filled blue skies have them glued to the windows like football fans on Superbowl Sunday). Fantasy, however, quickly becomes reality. The dribbles of "dirt" I've seen throughout the house are actually "dribbles" from mice (if I think about it..or god forbid see one...I'll be on American Airlines in a New York minute!). So, after lighting my calm candles (Glade from Target $2.99/each) I put together my game plan. While the landscape is so beautiful it looks fake, it isn't..nor are the creatures that live in it.

SUMMER SIZE:
To prepare our home (and protect it) from the bugs of summer, I headed to Wal-Mart to prepare the dogs (and us).
1.) Purchased metal trash bin for recyclables (will keep ants and mice away)
2.) Purchased plastic bin for dog food..also to keep ants and mice away.
3.) Purchased ant traps and tiki torches (they're great for evening dining and keep bugs at bay)
TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: Two hours
COST: $35.00
STRESS LEVEL: As long as I keep creatures away, LOW