Maine lobster trap rope finds new use as doormats
Apr 5, 2009
ROCKLAND, Maine (AP) - Rope once used to connect lobster traps on the ocean floor soon will grace the entryways of people's houses.
At a warehouse in this commercial fishing port, a steady stream of lobstermen arrived last week with pickup trucks and trailers loaded with millions of feet of colorful rope — blue, orange, white, green, red, purple, pink.
All of it will be used to manufacture multicolored hand-woven doormats.
A new federal regulation, designed to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales, prohibits lobstermen from using the floating rope to connect their traps because the whales can become entangled. So lobstermen are selling the rope to a nonprofit foundation.
The Maine Float-Rope Co., in Waldoboro, plans to sell the Down East Doormats through its Web site and to stores across New England.
Owner Penny Johnston is promoting the product as helping whales, helping Maine lobstermen and helping the environment by recycling the rope.
The 18-by-30-inch doormat has a suggested retail price of $49.95, with the 24-by-36-inch model selling for $79.95.
David Bird, owner of manufacturer Custom Cordage LLC, said he's made more than 700 of the mats so far and has enough rope to make another 30,000.
Sources from: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/
article/ALeqM5h6-c9jKQJE0z_iFaOyWpYkrsccdAD97BPOV80
Area rugs give new look for less
Mar 21, 2009
How can we make our homes look good without spending money we don’t have? Interior designer and columnist Rosemary Sadez Friedmann suggests using area rugs. Instead of recarpeting, throw an area rug over the rough spots. First get the old carpet cleaned, then get an attractive rug to put over part of it. You will not only cover the messy, overused parts, but will also add newness to the room. An area rug can also define a room. If you have tile or marble that spans two or more rooms, an area rug can visually separate the rooms.
All too often, unseasonably warm temperatures in late winter and early spring can cause problems in our gardens and landscapes, writes Joe Lamp’l, host of “GardenSMART” on PBS. These spring-like temps result in many plants and trees breaking dormancy prematurely. A sudden drop to below freezing can wreak havoc on tender new growth. So what should you do if this happens? That depends.
Shrubs: Besides the potential season-ending loss of flowers that bloom before June (i.e., azaleas, hydrangeas and rhododendrons), the plants themselves usually fare much better. You may choose to remove dead flower buds (they’re gone for the year) for cosmetic purposes. Otherwise, they’ll fall off on their own eventually.
Newly emerging leaves on deciduous shrubs may appear burned or blackened or as though they have turned to mush after a late-season freeze. Fortunately, in many cases (and depending on the severity and duration of the freeze) damage is often confined only to the foliage. In a matter of weeks, these leaves will be shed as new growth emerges.
Newer branch growth and tips are also subject to damage. Once several weeks have passed and potential new foliage growth has emerged, you will be able to see any stem dieback. Working from the top down, prune dead stems and tips back to the first set of healthy leaf buds.
Trees: Trees respond similarly to shrubs. Although the foliage on your prized trees might look terrible at the time, trees must have leaves to survive. When a late-season cold snap fries the foliage, new leaves will emerge to take their place. In the event tree branches suffer dieback, you may cut them back to healthy growth to improve appearance.
Perennials and bulbs: Some perennials and bulb foliage may take a hit as well. In the case of hostas, go ahead and remove the damaged foliage right away, allowing the new foliage to come on unencumbered. If the foliage has turned to mush all the way to the ground, go ahead and remove it. New growth should emerge.
Tender annuals: Annuals and warm-season vegetable plants that appear to have melted away will not be coming back. Consider this a valuable lesson learned. There is a reason why you don’t put these plants in your garden until after the risk of the last frost has passed.
Sources from: http://www.patriotledger.com/lifestyle/x296940929/
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