10069533
Why fall is the time to tackle invasive plant problems (ARA) — The crisp days of fall will soon be here, but a long dry summer has left many homeowners looking out on lawns and gardens overtaken with invasive weeds and vines. A yard full of these noxious plants is sure to make it difficult to enjoy the cooler outdoor temperatures. In 2012, the nation faced
one of the hottest summers on record in the last 60 years. With more than two thirds of the country experiencing severe to extreme drought, conditions were ideal for pesky weeds to flourish. Weeds, like dandelions, crabgrass and clover, easily tolerate hot temperatures and dry soil, overtaking lawns and gardens
and lingering throughout the cooler fall months. Ivy and other aggressive vines thrive in the summer heat, climbing and covering bushes and trees and ultimately killing the plants underneath with their shade. Left untreated, invasive plants can quickly become health and safety hazards. Kudzu can grow up to a
foot per day, causing tree limbs to break under its weight, damaging homes and outdoor living spac-
es. Common grass weeds ous plants like poison like nettles and thistles oak, ivy and sumac cause sting and prick the skin, See Pg. 17 — PLANT and contact with danger-
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Mrs. M to unload the gear, plan and cook our own meals, thought was a great lead- clean our own bunks, and er. The historians in the if we didn’t, we were held crowd named kings and accountable. If you burnt authors. The political sci- the scrambled eggs, we ence majors named poli- all knew it. ticians. Knowing that I Mrs. M. taught us fairwould inevitably embar- ness, that in reality we rass myself, I named a get what we deserve, person who served as a which can be great things personal leader, someone if we put forth a respectwho while may have not able amount of effort. changed the course of Girls were all treated history, changed my life. the same, given the same I named Mrs. M., the Girl opportunities, and it was Scout leader of my youth. our duty to treat each You know those humili- other with kindness and ating moments that equality. Above everystick with you? For me, thing else, we were all this was one of them. Scouts working together, At the time I felt like no matter our differmy brain was shriveling ences. up and someone put a She taught us that if we “DUH” sticker on my worked hard, we would forehead. The blank play hard. The reward looks I received spoke system is nothing new, their disbelief, but even but for everything I have to this day, I stand by my done in my life, I still answer. remember the sweet Nowadays, when our feeling of passing tent lives are inundated with inspection after sweeping the upcoming presidenand cleaning half of the tial election, I can’t help campground and being but think back to the allowed to run wild and things Mrs. M. did to get out of dish duty. define what leadership Mrs. M. taught us to means to me. do it ourselves. If you Mrs. M. taught us were faced with a chalresponsibility. Every girl lenge, whether it was has a job, and every girl knot-tying, fire-building, will do her job because puffy-paint on a T-shirt, it is her responsibility to or trying not to burn act as a part of the whole. the eggs, she made sure If you are supposed to you were given the tools do it, you do it. Or else to succeed and then you pay for it. There was were set free with the minimal hand-holding, a knowledge. And if we general intolerance for complained about how whining, and through it hard it was, we’d hear her all, a gentle reminder voice saying something that we young girls were like, “tough noogies, you quite capable of taking can do it.” (Although she care of ourselves. We had didn’t say “noogies.” She (Continued From Page 12)
was a pretty honest gal.) And finally, she taught me to dance in your underwear. At the end of the day, when camp is clean, the girls are fed and in bed, don’t forget to celebrate all you have accomplished by guiding those you care about. It just so happens that, on a day when a craft includes tie-dying underwear, putting them on and boogying through the wilderness is simply what makes a great leader absolutely human. I just wish she were running for president.
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