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The members of our committee has adopted the Rose bed/snail bed at the bridge that used to go between River's Edge and Victory Stadium (greenway at Wiley Drive) to maintain this season. I suppose you could just say the Rose and Snail bed at the bridge entrance on Wiley drive. We braved the elements - cold and a "touch" of sleet and spent 1-1/2 hours weeding and pruning and a general clean-up. We'll be back to periodically weed and prune throughout the growing season. We are commited to Doing One Thing (DOT campaign) to help sustain our planet on a local level.

Below is a picture of a CFL light bulb from my bathroom. I turned it on the other day and then smelled smoke after a few minutes. Four inch flames were spewing out of the side of the ballast like a blow torch! I immediately turned off the lights. But I'm sure it would have caused a fire if I was not right there. Imagine if the kids had left the lights on as usual when they were not in the room.
I took the bulb to the Fire Department to report the incident. The Fireman wasn't at all surprised and said that it was not an uncommon occurrence. Apparently, sometimes when the bulb burns out there is a chance that the ballast can start a fire. He told me that the Fire Marshall had issued reports about the dangers of these bulbs.

Upon doing some Internet research, it seems that bulbs made by“Globe” in China seem to have the lion’s share of problems. Lots of fires have been blamed on misuse of CFL bulbs, like using them in recessed lighting, pot lights, dimmers or in track lighting. Mine was installed in a normal light socket.

I bought these at Wal-Mart. I will be removing all the Globe bulbs from my house. CFL bulbs are a great energy saver but make sure you buy a name brand like Sylvania , Phillips or GEand not the ones from China .

A Note from the Conservation Committee -

Scenic Virginia is one of the Conservation Organizations that we support with a $25 gift every fall.
Among their projects, they host Virginia Vistas, an annual photography show and competition for photos of the beauty we see in Virginia. The 2011 winners were awarded last June. The competition for 2012 has been announced, with a deadline for entry March 1st, 2012. If you are interested, full information, including the Rules and Regulations, can be found online at www.scenicvirginia.org/photocontest. Below are the categories for the coming show.
* Cities and Towns/Urban Landscapes
* Costal/Chesapeake Bay
* Farms and Open Space
* Peaks and Valley/Mountains
* Rivers/Waterways
* Vistas Featuring Wildlife
* Youth (photographers under 18, choosing to enter any of the above categories.)
With such advance notice, we have two or three seasons to find just the right Virginia subjects. Happy Snapping!

For other "happenings" in this organization, visit their website at scenicvirginia.org.