At the Fence

Hey neighbors!! Today many people are working from home.  They might work for a large company or perhaps they have started a home business.  I am presently working on a home business.  I found a site GrowThink that has information that can help someone who is starting a new business of their own.  They have an article that lists 10 components to your business plans.  I read through, and although not all of them would apply to me personally there are several points I need to consider. when setting up my own plan. For example, they mention Customer Analysis.  I am presently trying to explore different ways of reaching customers of different ages.  I need to choose a target audience, and focus on products/methods that will meet their needs and appeal to them.  I think I am presently trying to reach everyone, instead of focusing on a specific group.  I don't want to narrow it too much, but at the same time I do need to set some guidelines that will keep me focused.  It will ma

German Shepherds are one of the most recognizable dogs in the world. Prized for their intelligence and loyalty, they're a popular and beloved breed. If you're brand new to the world of German Shepherds , there are more lovable things about them you might not know. If you're looking to adopt, here are four interesting traits you might see in your German Shepherd. They Love Windows As soon as you realize your German Shepherd is the prince, or princess, of your castle, you'll see that they enjoy surveying all they own. This includes keeping an eye on things happening outside your window. German Shepherds need to know exactly what's going on with passersby, the mailman and any feline that dares to set a paw on your property. You don't need to discourage this behavior as they're just doing their job, so enjoy the added security. They Want To Be Trained When you select one of many German Shepherd puppies Miami for adoption, sign them up for trainin

The older generation is often lamenting the behavior of youth. They don't act right. The kids are too self-centered. As parents, a main role, though, is helping the younger generation grow up, ready to tackle the challenges thrown at them. It's not simple, and it takes time. Therefore, in order to develop responsibility and maturity, adults should model and teach lessons about character, especially putting kindness thoughts first. Look for Opportunities To Volunteer Many in the middle class don't understand the plight of those below them. Living in a nice house and having food on the table is simply a given, yet, for other households, this doesn't hold true. This gap leads to a distorted reality. Witnessing the dearth of others hits home. Is there a soup kitchen in the area? Do you have any organizations that pairs teens with younger less privileged kids? If so, these opportunities permit interactions, possibly instilling some appreciation and humbleness. Sa

You’ve decided your family needs a pet and you’ve settled on a dog rather than a fish, goat or howler monkey. You’re confident you’ve made the right decision, but you’re also sure you’re not really prepared to bring home your newest family member…yet. Gear Who knows dogs better than the American Kennel Club ? They have a variety of resources available on their website, everything from help naming your pooch to local dog-friendly events. They also have a shop which will give you some ideas of what kind of things you’ll need to buy to be prepared to bring home your new 4-legged friend. Under their list of essentials, you’ll find items to help you feed, play with, walk and provide a restful space for your new dog. Even if you don’t buy from them, checking out those ideas before heading to your local pet store can help you prepare your list and your budget. Health It’s a great idea to check out referrals for veterinarians before you bring Fido home. You may discover tha

Whether you're a single person with a day job or a married professional with a small business, knowing how to handle your tax paperwork can be a daunting task. It's important to ensure you're following the rules as well as not paying more than you need to. Get Help A tax professional can take some of the burden off your shoulders. Look for accounting firms specializing in tax return preparation. In addition to handling the paperwork and filing, these agencies may also provide advice and help with tax planning. Freelancers and small business owners can benefit tremendously from these tips. For instance, freelancers are considered both employers and employees by the IRS. A new 2018 law allows for a significant deduction with the right type of business filing, something a tax professional can take care of for you. Choose the Right Professional Tax preparers can hold a variety of credentials. Attorneys, certified public accountants or enrolled agents may prepare taxes and a

Hey All!! All too often we experience home invaders that can damage our homes .  I am not talking thieves, although they may steal more than just your peace of mind.  I am talking those furry critters that somehow manage to find their way inside your home, or perhaps into your trash.  Since living in this home we have experienced, raccoons, mice, snakes, deer, opossums, and groundhogs.  Let me share a little bit with you. You may know we have had an ongoing battle with raccoons in our home.  It started over a year ago when we heard something scratching, clawing and fighting in the ceiling of our new addition.  After some research we decided we had a raccoon problem.  Everyone recommended humane traps and relocating the cute little pests.  We caught 2 and 1 random opossum that investigated the trap.  My husband relocated them to a nice wooded area about 5 miles from our home.  Guess what? 5 miles is not far enough.  Within days we had noises above us again.  We set up the traps, b

  Mercy: Can you all share a little bit about yourselves? Bubba:   Growing up, my family worked in the nursery business, and  I spent my childhood working with cattle, planting plants and riding horseback through the orange groves.  Now,  I am  a full-time carpenter and work with cattle in the afternoon.  I am also a proud husband to my wife,  Kaley and father to  my daughter,  Andie and  son,  Ripp.  Booger:  My family has been working with horses and cattle since the 1800’s, so I have been a cowboy my whole life. I have always loved working with cattle, and I am particularly passionate about training horses. I  am  s o fortunate to live the cowbo y way of life  alongside my wonderful  wife, Jaclyn and son, Matthew .  Cody:   I grew up doing rodeo and went to college on  a  full-ride rodeo scholarship. However, I knew college wasn’t for me, so I came home and continued to pursue rodeo. Once I met my wife, Misty, I decided to quit  competing , and we started a fencing company, which is

Hey neighbors!! Until I had teenage boys, I had never ever shopped at Nordstrom Rack.  You would think it would be girls that  brought the store to my attention, but... it was definitely the boys.  I will admit, that it was an older gentleman friend of my husbands that first introduced the family to Nordstrom.  He is a bit older and came from that generation that always wears button-up dress clothes no matter where he is going or what he is doing.  That includes doing the yard work. He told the boys that it is better to spend a little more to get a higher quality, well made piece of clothing.  My boys quickly followed and became clothing experts!!  A little difficult at times, but definitely nice to have them interested in good clothing. So, I had to start searching for ways to cut corners a bit when it came to clothing shopping.  Of course we signed up with our email so we would be notified of any specials or sales.  Clearance became one of my favorite tabs on their website, and

Ticks are disease carriers and can pass illnesses on to humans and animals. There are a number of types of ticks that live in Florida . It is important to be aware of ticks and to control their presence in your environment. Florida Tick Types and the Diseases They Carry The University of Florida IFAS Extension recognizes several species of ticks in Florida . They include: Brown Dog Tick American Dog Tick Lone Star Tick Gulf Coast Tick, and Black-legged Tick Ticks can carry several harmful diseases including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever , the most severe tick-borne disease in the United States, Lyme Disease , which is much more common in the Northeast United States, Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis, carried by the lone star tick and the black-legged tick, respectively, Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI), carried by the lone star tick, and Rickettsia parkeri, transmitted by the gulf coast tick. If you are bitten by a tick and become sick, seek medical help. If possible, col

Hey all!! During this time of quarantine and mask wearing I have taken some time to look back on my experiences with At the Fence and the changes that have come over the years.  When I started out I had 6 children all at home with the oldest being 24.  My youngest is now 19!!  With that being said, I started out my site with the intent of reviewing products and sharing my opinions with my neighbors (followers).  I chose At the Fence because that is where neighbors have shared information over the years.  When I first began it was reasonably easy to review things for children and teens.  I also homeschooled, so that was part of the products I reviewed. Then, the children grew up.  I was no longer reviewing as many toys and games.  We managed to continue receiving books, cooking and baking items, jewelry, sporting goods, and clothing.  I also had seasonal themes where I did different Gift Guides.  Things sort of leveled out for awhile. I also received paid posts.  This is wher

Hey all, Found this really neat website called Pigly .  I am pretty excited about it, because as a homeschooling parent, I have realized over the years that we do not do enough teaching in school about handling finances.  My son who was a loan officer at a local credit union said he was amazed at how many people had no clue how to fill out a check, figure what they could afford for a loan, and how to do a simple budget.  All of my children were taught about finances before they graduated.  Mainly the simple stuff like creating a budget, saving towards a larger item, managing a savings or checking account, was required knowledge for my children. I went to public school and definitely was not taught any of these skills necessary for daily life and learned many of them by trial and error. I was an A/B Honor Roll student, yet there were no courses on day to day finances. So, back to Pigly, this is a really informative website with many different calculators designed to help you wit

Hey neighbors!! I understand right now many of us are experiencing a lot of turmoil and unsettling experiences.  If on top of all this you are moving to Chicago for a new job, to be closer to family or for college, you may find yourself stressing trying to find a place to live in an unfamiliar town or city that you are feel totally lost in.  I want to share a few tips with you on ways to find that new apartment that will help relieve some of the stress. 1. If at all possible, visit the Chicago area or surrounding suburbs ahead of time.  Drive around and get a feel for just what the new location has to offer.  Do you prefer to live close to downtown near the loop, or are you wanting to be out in the suburbs? You should take time to check out the nearest gym, library, or the local shops. If you have children be sure to locate the schools.  Make sure you choose an area you and your family will be comfortable living in. 2. Once you figure out which areas of Chicago will be most

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (August 4, 2020) – The NQC Board of Directors announced today plans for NQC 2020, and provisional plans if NQC 2020 is not allowed to take place as scheduled due to state and government orders.    If state orders allow, NQC 2020 will occur as scheduled. However, if state orders for September include any kind of social distancing, it will mean that NQC 2020 will have to be suspended.   If NQC 2020 is suspended, due to state orders, NQC will move forward with an alternative event on the same dates. This event will be the NQC Fall Festival.     Further information about the event and logistics are as follows: The NQC Fall Festival will take place September 27 – October 3, 2020 if social distancing orders prevent NQC 2020 from occurring The LeConte Center will be set with 1,500 chairs socially distanced 6’ apart by pairs The main stage of the Fall Festival will be set up at one end instead of in the round. Admission for the NQC Fall Festival wi