I purchased a 50 lb bag for 25$ and find it works for: reducing the baldness that comes from outside on my dog and cat. Works wonders. I am also putting it in their food for Tx for worms. I am currently using it on my horses for the same. However, it ruined my veggie garden by warding off my pollinators. How sad! I got one zuke and 3 yellow squash only. We have those japanese beetles that have so many offspring I had to try something. I had not even gotten 1 zuke in past years. The diatomaceous earth is food grade and edible. Supposidly it is pure silica, and it is good for hair, nails, and worming! It doesn't kill the ants, but makes them move. I have been herding them out of the front yard and have way less that in previous years. I bought a duster to use on the lawn, nothing is going to help with this seasons numbers of fleas. Oh yes, got 1 apple per tree, only 4 peaches on two trees? Of course I applied to the trees! It does kill the black power on my gardenia. I guess it is trial and error?

Addy, just for fun, I looked at "your page" to see where you are located. Just says 6/7. Hmmmm? Mountains of the Carolinas perhaps? Just trying to get a bead on where/what you're dealing with. When in doubt, get the invasives out I always say. That is, we-meaning any one of us-may not know exactly where we're trying to get a certain piece of land to get to, but we do at least know we don't want the whole shebang covered in invasive vining plants and shrubs, or what have you. And then again, for me, forest succession is really what it's all about. By looking at things through that paradigm, it helps get one away from the more typical "landscaping" frames of reference, even though those may still come into play. Then again, for my magnum opus, I chose wooded land in an area not particularly given over to invasive plant species (With the one exception being reed canary grass-and that only in pockets). so what I'm saying is, up in my woods, pretty much every plant species is welcome there. Sure, I am working to diminish a patch or two of sandbar willow, but that's kind of a separate thing. It's not as if this willow is invading into the shade......it could never do that. So I've got an area where I'd prefer meadow plants and very tiny volunteers of Thuja occidentalis, rather than the willow. But most of my property is great just the way it is. Then too, one of my primary goals is to increase the size of the woods I happen to own now. Therefore, it was essential that I buy land with some open area present, some farm acreage that I could convert back into forest. Hence, our planting of something like 8000 seedlings thusfar. You see-I'm not exactly fighting the same kind of battle you are. Then there's my job, wherein I do indeed get my share of battling invasive stuff. But that's a slightly different scenario. Some of the "invasives" that we fight are herbaceous, or grasses, or even aquatic. For example, up here at least, cattails will completely dominate a wetland if you let them. So even though some of the cattails we see are the native latifolia types, we do battle with them, just so that we can enjoy the benefits of a more diverse emergent-zone plant community, complete with bulrushes, irises, bur reeds, arrowheads, etc. So where ya at? I'll be spending a good chunk of Dec. down in the Fort Myers area of Florida again. So what do I tend to do down there? What else-visit nature preserves, botanical gardens, etc! In fact, some amount of volunteering is certainly in the offing. It's interesting to see somewhat similar issues in a part of the country which ostensibly would be very different from where one lives. In fact, I see a great many parallels between that state and my own-tons of water, tons of damaged wetlands and abuse of the landscape, yet still much to offer. I don't think I answered your question though! +oM

OK. I have more than a bit of a concern. I have reviewed the requirements to perform NACA home inspections. First and foremostÂÂ for an entity that seems so committed to making certain that the buyer is "protected", it appears as if the only qualifications to become a NACA HI is the ability to take digital photos, upload them, and to use a specific software (that can be downloaded at no cost) to use emailÂ...and upload all to the web. In other wordsÂÂnot much more than the ability to fog a mirror. In addition, their description of a "home inspection" appears to focus on the utilities and energy efficiency...both of which are beyond the scope of a home inspection...and, both of which few if any HI's are even remotely qualified to perform...even if they are excellent and fully experience HI's. A meaningful assessment of "utilities" and/or energy efficiency is a complex analysis...Â.requiring specialized education and trainingÂengineering capabilities in terms of load analysis, etcÂand as such generally cost around 500 to 700 dollars.... on top of the cost of a home inspection. It is not reasonable to assume that NACA HI's are getting paid $1000 a pop (give or take)....especially since they make a point of stating that the HI must have "competitive" rates, while dangling the "lots of business" carrot as the "incentive" for those "competitve" rates. As the expression goes...one invariably gets what one pays for... In addition, since the site seems geared toward those purchasing homes on the low end price range (e.g. they only give Newark NJ as a NJ location)Âit is usually a given that such homes are often the least energy efficient due to age and lack of upgrades and/or maintenanceÂ.and unless such buyers have tens of thousands to expend on serious energy upgrades (solar panels, high efficiency furnaces, etc), the very obvious need for new windows or caulking or weather stripping is hardly the result of an inspection for energy efficiencyÂitÂs merely citing visible defects. Last but not least, there seems to be zero requirements for the HI to be licensed if the state they practice in regulates the profession. That said, I am not at all optimistic that the unsuspecting buyer will have the option of obtaining a meaningful home inspectionÂand that is very troubling to say the leastÂ.in that it appears as if they may be led to believe otherwise. Which makes one wonderÂwhat else about NACA is not as it "appears" to be? I am having this researched further...I will post back with any additional info.

I was a crisis counselor for sexual assault in the past and did children's advocacy in law school. I applied for CASA training through my last employer and a program where they said they were wanting to facilitate community involvement, but when it came time for training, they wouldn't let me take the hours away from work to do it. ??? I always thought I would get back to that after the boys were grown, but I stayed busy volunteering in the schools while they were home. My dad passed at the end of my youngest's senior year in high school and I handled the estate, so I am just now starting to think about whether that is still something I want to do. I recently read that they have an advocate for every child in our county but still want volunteers for future additions, so the need would probably not be high demand. DH is about to go half-time at work and ease into retirement. We talked about possibly doing Habitat when that day came, but we haven't discussed it recently. I like to do wall finishing and painting. Not sure if I would be good at much else, but would be willing to try. I volunteer with an arts support group and will probably get involved in their children's outreach program and possibly ushering at events. Right now I have eased into the scholarship committee which only meets about half the year. I have one director who would like to try to get a fine arts and performing center in our area and has suggested that if I get bored. I know someone who might be able to help corral the right people and she's leaving another position at the end of the year. That would be a major undertaking, but I would love to see it happen. That will at least be a conversation or two to test the waters. As far as working with the elderly, I would second the comment above. You are not likely to be stuck doing things you are not comfortable with and there are many levels of elder care -- from independent senior living to assisted living and memory care. You could pick one of the more independent settings. So many of them just love having someone to talk to.