What a great week! The rain has been wonderful…especially as it held off until after the Early Iron Festival! Weren’t the cars and trucks in town absolutely beautiful? Even if you don’t like car stuff, you certainly have to appreciate all the time and love (and money) that goes into restoring these old cars.  All I want is an old Rambler, in decent shape, that I can use as a little work vehicle. I would be in heaven.

Another great event this past weekend was the Mellow Yellow Lemon Run, benefitting the Cornerstone Christian Academy and the Peyton Sanchez family. It was cool and rainy and wonderful. A bunch of tough runners showed up…from Adams State University and the community and put the race behind them in no time at all. Peyton did the race with his Dad pushing his chair. Thanks to everyone who supported both causes.

What I liked best about the Labor Day weekend was that I got some rototilling done and a LOT of planting in Mom’s Garden. I did not get the trees planted yet but am hoping for this Sunday. One of the things I hope you notice when I get the trees planted, is that I will not stake them. I have always been taught that if the tree has a properly sized root ball, it will not need staking. I know that sometimes, depending on location, there can be some pretty strong winds here in the Valley…mostly from the Southwest. If necessary, I would stake from that direction.

As I travel around town I have noticed new and old landscapes where trees are staked VERY tight. Some have wires through a garden hose, and that is wrong, and can actually kill the tree. Trees need to be staked LOOSELY. When a tree moves in the wind it helps to build a stronger root system. If a tree is staked too tight, the cambium layer of the tree can be destroyed and that layer is the lifeblood of the tree. It’s kind of like deer stripping the bark off the tree—that’s the cambium layer right under the bark and many trees have been killed this way. 

I also noticed trees staked with T posts. The worst part of that is these trees were planted three years ago and the stakes are no longer tied to the tree—they are just there. They need to be pulled. They should have been pulled two years ago. Hopefully, they will not do too much damage to the root system when they do get pulled—if they ever do.

The next few weeks look to be a perfect time to kill the weeds in your lawn—did I already say that? I don’t see a frost in the next two weeks, plants are still growing, nice afternoons. The more weeds you kill this fall means the less you will have in the spring. I find it very difficult to not say it again…make your soil/lawn as healthy as you can, because that will help make your grass healthier, and healthy grass will naturally choke out many weeds. A healthy lawn requires LESS water! 

Today, we are doing our part in the ArtWalk and featuring three owners/partners in Hemp Farms around the Valley. They all produce a CBD product(s) that we sell in the store. I call it the “Art of Hemp” and I encourage you to come by and ask those questions.

Selling CBD products is one of the most rewarding things we have ever done at the Green Spot.  I have had folks come in for the following ailments: Anxiety, arthritis (rheumatoid, too), migraines, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, trigger finger, back pain, knee surgery, eczema, diabetes, Parkinson’s and more. I have had customers who are feeding tinctures to their pet pigs, and their dogs and cats. And yes, I hate to say it, even hemorrhoids—more than I (you) wanted to know, right? I can’t say what CBD oils and/or salves and capsules might help you with, but the folks who can answer some questions will be here from 10-2 or longer to help you out. You have nothing to lose—come by for a free cup of coffee and a cookie.

Plus, if he’s feeling up to it, Peyton Sanchez will also be selling his Brailed Greeting Cards. Peyton is getting back in the swing of school—at ORTEGA Middle School, so he hasn’t had time to make a lot of cards, but hopefully he (we) will for the upcoming holidays (is it too early to talk about Christmas).  Thank you all for the ongoing support!

P.S. Do you ever wonder what would happen if no name plaques were made for public building? What if everyone paying for the buildings had their name listed—that would be fun! Just a thought. How much do those plaques cost?