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Windows for Dragonfly Lovers

Mar 1st, 2012
by Dragonfly Lore.
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Dragonflies move fast! And some have completely transparent wings. That makes them hard to see if visibility is not good.

For those of us who love to watch out the window for dragonflies in the garden, clean, clear windows are a must. But normal, single-pane windows are often fogged by condensation either inside or outside because of the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors—especially if you have steam heat.

What is a dragon-fly lover to do? Homeowners can install double-pane windows. The air space between the two panes of glass, inner and outer, provides insulation to prevent condensation. That prevents the mess made by water running down the window panes, pooling on sills, and dripping onto floors and furniture (which can cause not only damage but also mold, a health hazard).

Double-pane windows also save greatly on heating and cooling bills and eliminate drafts caused by heat exchanged through the window panes in winter. In some areas double-pane windows can pay for themselves in just a few years.

But how do you know where to find the best deal on double glazing cost right now? Simply shop on line. In the UK, for example, a site called All Double Gazing will provide up to four free quotes on replacing your windows.

Get that done, and then you can get back to gazing at the dragonflies in your garden—without having to constantly wipe the windows.


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Decorating Company

Feb 25th, 2012
by Guest-Blogger.
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Guest post written by Kevin Beach

When I started my decorating company I had a lot of help from my mom. She’s actually been an AVON rep for decades and she’s really, really good at it so I knew she could give me some help when it came to running my own small business. She took em to CLEARwirewimax4G.com to get internet and she showed me what I needed to do with my taxes and she was even able to hook me up with a graphic designer who helped me create the website I needed to attract new clients and it even had a portal for me to be able to pay bills and whatnot through the online functionality. I love having my own company and all the say in what happens in my little (home) office but you know, I do miss having colleagues to chat with all day. But I have to say that I’m more flexible now than I was before – I only wish I had thought to do this sooner, you know what I mean?

Dragonfly Lovers and Gorgeous Bargains

Feb 19th, 2012
by Dragonfly Lore.
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Dragonfly lovers love bargains on beautiful things. Doesn’t everyone? Are dragonfly watchers maybe a little more visually oriented than some others? Maybe so.

Most of us are busy, though. We would rather watch dragonflies than spend hours and hours shopping for great deals. Some of us would much rather be outdoors than shopping at the mall. Besides, that may not be the best way to find super special deals.

One way to find extraordinary deals is to shop on line at nomorerack.com where fabulous clothes, jewelry, accessories and electronics are offered at super prices, from 50 to 80 percent off every day. You can find dream deals on the items of your dreams, and that can be really exciting.

You can buy things you need or want anyway, and save a lot of money doing it. You can get better quality than you might otherwise have felt you could afford. Or you can save money to spend in other ways—or on other things.

There are even Insanity Deals for up to 90 percent off or more. Like an iPad2 for $42, a Louis Vuitton bag for $18, or Gucci sunglasses for $9. If you like stalking dragonflies, you will love stalking super special bargains, too.

And if all that is not enough fun, you get points for every friend you invite who signs up for a free nomorerack membership. Incredible rewards like iPhones, big-screen TVs (huge!), and Apple computers. And your friends will love you for sharing the secret with them.

What does all this have to do with dragonflies? Well, may be not a whole lot, unless you use the money you save to indulge in your pursuit of oding, the sport of watching dragonflies. There, you  see, finding fun bargains can be practical, too.

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Dragonfly Style and Aesthetics: Natural Wood Floors

Feb 17th, 2012
by Dragonfly Lore.
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What is dragonfly style? Actually it covers a wide range of styles and eras. It is always beautiful and creative, but that can be achieved in a variety of ways.

Dragonfly fanciers love beautiful, natural decor, such as natural hardwood floors. We love nature and natural materials like wood. We also love glitz and glamor, and that also goes well with hardwood flooring. Wood simply blends well with everything.

Dragonfly style decor does not have to be as obvious as dragonfly sculptures and paintings. It can be more subtle, using glowing colors that mimic the shimmer and sheen of living dragonflies: jewel colors of deep blue, red-orange, glossy black, and so on. Or it can be natural colors with lots of plants and the hint of dragonfly glimmer from shining metal and small mirrors.

Dragonfly style is rarely formal, often whimsical, sometimes frivolous but never silly. And dragonfly style is practical and comfortable as well as glamorous, like hardwood floors, which can be refinished, stained in various wood colors, or bleached to suit all kinds of decor.

While dragonflies themselves are creatures of the daylight, some dragonfly decor is at its best at night, when jewel colors glow, polished wood floors gleam, and shining metals and bits of mirror glitter in dim light, highlighted by the flickering light of candles. Dragonfly decor may be warm or cool, but it is always interesting, charming, welcoming.

Creating an environment that is both welcoming and sophisticated is easy with natural hardwood floors. From the most exotic hand-woven magic carpet to the most rustic furs or reed mats, wood floors always shine through, denoting authenticity, naturalness and comfort.

Because hardwood floors are slightly flexible, they are just a tiny bit springy, unlike concrete based floors such as marble or ceramic tile. Wood floors feel good to your feet as well as pleasing to your eyes.

Elegant, comfortable, natural and beautiful—that’s dragonfly style.


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Dragonflies and Pest Control

Feb 4th, 2012
by Dragonfly Lore.
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Dragonflies can be a form of pest control. If you have a pond or water garden that attracts dragonflies, you probably know that dragonflies eat mosquitoes and other small, annoying flying insects. You also know that even a host of dragonflies probably cannot eat all of them.

That leaves many of us in a quandary. If we want to rid our yard of mosquitoes, either for entertaining outdoors or so children can play safely, we may feel that controlling mosquitoes is not enough. We want them gone.

There are foggers and other pest control delivery systems that will kill almost all mosquitoes. The problem is that they generally will kill the dragonflies, butterflies and honey bees, too. We don’t want that.

The best solution, if you do not live in a place that currently has an outbreak of dangerous disease-carrying mosquitoes is to just live with them. If you take normal precautions (such as: do not wear flowery perfume, wear dark colors, take brewers yeast, avoid working outside at dusk or after dark) and if you do not have a specific mosquito allergy, a few mosquitos will not bother you much.

If there is a disease outbreak in your neighborhood, it is probably worth fogging—or adding fish to your water garden to eat the mosquito larvae. On the other hand, local authorities will probably be spraying anyhow, so you probably do not need to do anything.

It is always a good idea, during a mosquito outbreak, to keep children indoors as much as possible. Especially, be sure to get them inside well before dusk, when mosquitoes become more active.

As far as pest control indoors, generally it is best to simply hire a professional company at PestControl.us and let them handle it. No one needs bugs indoors.


Too Much TV

Jan 22nd, 2012
by Guest-Blogger.
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Authored by Oswaldo Blackburn

I watch a lot more TV than I would like to admit but part of it is because I recently got http://www.cabletvadvisor.com/ satellite TV and now I have way more channels than I know what to do with. I really like reality television, I don’t really like the trashy stuff like where people are fighting all the time. I’m really into that show called Gold Rush because I think it’s fascinating watching to see how people mine for gold in the modern age. I also like pretty much everything that ever comes on the Discovery Channel, especially anything that has to do with animals. I don’t really like Animal Planet for some reason though, which is really weird if you ask me. I really need to get outside more and stop spending all my time in front of the tube but it’s just so tempting when I have a long day at work to just veg out in front of the TV when I get home and collapse onto the couch… I need someone to hold me accountable.

Dragonflies, Vintage Decor, and Period Living

Jan 22nd, 2012
by Dragonfly Lore.
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Dragonflies have a rich history in art and interior decoration, both in their natural form and in stylized form as symbols. They appear worldwide in art, fabrics, ceramics, stories, sculpture, furniture and wall carvings. They appear on jewelry, lamps, carpets, clothing, and much more. Although the meaning of dragonflies as symbols varies, the symbolism is invariably positive.

Those who decorate their homes in period styles and want authentic motifs from the past that are still attractive to modern sensibilities often choose dragonflies for their mysterious beauty and natural charm. Lovely as they are, it is still important to use them correctly. At different times and in different places, the dragonfly motif has been portrayed quite differently.

If you favor vintage interior decoration, it is well worth spending some time looking at how dragonfly images have been portrayed and used over the years to prevent mistakes that can clash with the rest of your decor.

Besides showing examples of authentic period design in modern usage, Period Living magazine shows holiday homes and provides rental advertising tips. So if your vintage house with is a second home or you want to rent it for other reasons such as spending time out of the country on business, you can find appreciative and responsible renters who will be gentle with your home and furnishings.

After all, there is no reason not to make money from your second home, and beautiful, thoughtful decor can help you do that. Authentic, fanciful decor can set your home apart from others and make it especially appealing to potential tenants who are looking for a beautiful and interesting place to rent.

From Japanese paintings and the Pueblo pottery of the American Southwest to Pre-Raphaelite paintings and Art Deco furnishings, dragonfly images can enhance the decor of many eras.

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Ponds, Pools and Dragonflies

Jan 15th, 2012
by Dragonfly Lore.
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“Dragonfly ponds,” as I use the term here, are “natural” ponds, meaning they are ecosystems that have been allowed to develop naturally. They contain plants, dragonfly larvae, mosquito larvae, and other creatures. Often they also have fish, frogs, turtles or other wildlife, which may include snakes, etc. Fish eat mosquito larvae and dragonflies eat mosquitoes.

That means a dragonfly pond is not good for swimming. Fish rely on a delicate system of bacteria to break down waste and replenish oxygen. Turtles may bite. And snakes… Well, you see what I mean.

So dragonfly lovers who want to swim often have a swimming pool in addition to or instead of a natural pond or water garden. Unlike a wild pond, swimming pools require maintenance. But they generally require much less maintenance than a water garden or koi pond.

For the same reason that you do not want to swim in a natural pond that is not constantly cleansed by a clear running stream, you want your swimming pool to be sparkling clean and sanitary. That requires using the right pool filters and pool chemicals to keep the water attractive and healthful, but it is easy to do.

You can easily order pool supplies on line and add or change them according to the instructions provided. There is no need to take a lot of time away from watching dragonflies.

After all, dragonflies will generally find their own way into your yard if there are nearby ponds, puddles or slow-running steams. But if you want to swim, you need a swimming pool.

And there is no reason to choose between a pond and a pool when you can so easily have both a thriving wild pond and a sparkling, fresh swimming pool, where you can relax on a raft or a chaise and watch dragonflies while sipping a cool drink.

Ordering pool supplies and accessories on line from Doheny’s makes it easy.

Dragonfly Watchers at Home

Jan 14th, 2012
by Dragonfly Lore.
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Even the most dedicated dragonfly watchers have to go home sometime. And when they do, they want to be comfortable and visually soothed or stimulated just like everyone else. Being dragonfly lovers, though, we tend to be very visual and to care a lot about how our surroundings look.

For those who care about interior design as well as landscaping, there is an interesting site called Houzz that offers over 250,000 photos of interior decor in real homes. Houzz provides a forum for homeowners and professional designers and landscapers to share ideas and solutions. The site has gotten rave reviews from CNN, Wall Street Journal, and a host of other media.

The Houzz site is organized into categories that you can browse by

Style (type of decor: Asian, contemporary, eclectic, Mediterranean, modern, traditional, or tropical)

Space (bathroom, bedroom, closet, dining room, entry, exterior, family room, hall, home office, kids, kitchen, landscape, laundry room, living room, media room, patio, pool, porch, powder room, staircase, wine cellar)

You can also browse by Metro area (including cities in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK, plus Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv and 55,000 other metro areas). There are other categories, too, making it possible to organize the site for viewing just about any way you want to.

There are sections for asking questions, for locating products, and for finding professionals to help. The site also provides a free place for designers to display their portfolios

Houzz even provides a way to create your own personal ideabook to save your favorite photos into an online file for each home or garden renovation or decorating project you are planning. You can also upload your own photos to view with the ones you have saved from the site.

So to keep your home surroundings as fresh and appealing as a dragonfly, now there is free help and inspiration. And for planning a beautiful garden to attract dragonflies, Houzz has a Landscape section, with over 1500 landscaping photos.

What a tremendous resource!

Dragonfly Reflections and Oding Clearly

Jan 7th, 2012
by Dragonfly Lore.
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Dragonflies move fast, and their wings are often so transparent that they are hard to see unless the light is just right. So for dragonfly lovers, being able to see well is essential to enjoying our favorite nature-watching pastime, dragonfly-watching or oding.

If you wear glasses, you want to make sure your prescription is up to date, that your glasses are clean, and that they have an antiglare coating. You may need some good prescription sunglasses to really see as well as you want to on sunny days.

Some people neglect ordering prescription sunglasses or skimp on extras like anti-reflective coating, because they worry about the extra expense. If you shop at eyeglasses stores in the malls or at the opticians recommended by ophthalmologists, you can see why. Even the optometrist chain stores can be quite expensive.

But you can get exactly what you need to see well for oding—and other activities—by ordering glasses on line directly from the manufacturer, Zenni Optical. They use top quality materials and the most efficient manufacturing techniques and then sell directly to glasses-wearers, offering free shipping for orders over $50.

With no retail stores, no middlemen, and almost no advertising, they keep prices low and rely on word of mouth to spread the news. So now you know.

For the cost of one pair of expensive mall store glasses, you can buy several pairs of top-quality, stylish glasses with all the trimmings—including prescription glasses and sunglasses with antireflective (AR), oleophobic coating (to resist fingerprints), so your glasses are easy to clean and they stay cleaner. That is important when you are out in the field observing nature.

With AR coating, your glasses don’t glare in the sunlight (or in photos, by the way). So you can see better while driving—or while watching dragonflies. So you look better in photos, and nature looks better to you. Oding was never this easy before.


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