Home and Garden 09/16/17

HOME & GARDEN • SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2017

Fresh roasted YEAR ROUND GARDENING: Houseplants for the holidays How to fend off fruit flies KEN MOON: Bat infestation in the attic

Look inside for these specials and many others.

YEAR ROUND GARDENING

Houseplants for the holidays

T

BY EILEEN TULLY, COLORADO MASTER GARDENER

his is the time to begin conditioning poinsettias, Christmas kalanchoe and Christmas cactus to get them ready for the upcoming holiday season.

They are all shortday plants needing long hours in total darkness. They eventually bloom at their own pace, but if you want them in flower for the holidays prepare them for at least six weeks beginning in midto late-September.

These are the basic instructions to stimulate flowering: Place the potted plant in a closet or unlighted room, or cover the plant with black cloth over a frame or a cardboard box for 14 hours.

The plant must then be returned to the light each day for at least eight to ten hours. The more you know about each plants’ natural habitat, the more successful you’ll be in helping the plant thrive in your household conditions.

Poinsettias are the most popular flowering plant sold in the United States.

Red is still the favorite color, but you can find poinsettias in white, pink, peach, yellow as well as marbled and speckled.

They are native to Mexico where the plant is a perennial and grows 10 to 15 feet. The flowers are modified leaves called bracts; the “true” flowers are the small clusters of yellow blooms in the center of the bract.

Poinsettias should be given an application of a high-phosphorous fertilizer this month and again next month to help encourage the development of flower buds. Feed your Poinsettia every two weeks with a high nitrogen fertilizer once color has begun to show.

Kalanchoe is a colorful, long-lived plant that should be treated as a succulent. It has thick fleshy leaves and bright flowers. Kalanchoes normally

bloom in January, but they can be forced into bloom at any time of the year by controlling their exposure to darkness.

Kalanchoes are now available in many colors: red, pink, yellow and orange.

Be careful not to overwater or overfeed your kalanchoe. They bloom for a long period, 10-12 weeks. As each flower cluster fades remove it and its stem. Once the plant is done blooming, you still have an attractive green foliage plant that will continue to grow. If the plant becomes too large, either repot or cut back the plant to its original size or smaller, and watch it grow again.

Christmas cactus have become a favorite of mine because they perform well year-round. When in bloom the colorful tubular flowers at the tip of each branch are a cheerful sight on dark winter days. It’s easy to start a new plant. Simply break off a branch and place it in a vermiculite medium.

They like tight spaces and thrive in pot-bound conditions. So, transplant carefully. In summer, they can be placed outdoors in a shady spot. To encourage blooms, it needs the same general care as poinsettias and kalanchoe with the exception that they must have cooler evening temperatures of about 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. To grow them successfully, it’s important to remember they are not sun-loving, drought-tolerant desert cacti. In their native habitat, the rainforest in the Organ Mountains of Brazil, they receive as much as 17 inches of rain each month from December to March.

When you have questions, Colorado State University Extension has research-based answers. Get answers to your horticulture questions by visiting ask.extension.org any time day or night. You can also visit or call the help desk 719-520-7684 Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., or email CSUmg2@elpasoco. com. The help desk will be staffed with volunteers during those hours through the end of September.

Courtesy of Cottage Gardens Nursery

HG 2 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, SEP 16, 2017

AROUND THE HOUSE

Bat infestation in the attic

BY KEN MOON, SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE

Dear Ken: I have a 60-year-old toilet that I don’t want to replace, but I can’t get the flapper valve to quit leaking. Can you help me?

— Dan

can cause flu-like symptoms. Clean up is a little complicated, but usually involves bagging up the droppings and affected insulation and then disinfecting the entire space. The good news is that the attic air and interior household air masses are separate, so if the technician misses a little contamination, it’s no big deal.

This is a classic symptom in older toilet tanks. The edges of that big hole under the flapper get scarred and chipped over the years by sediment in the water supply. So, instead of just the rubber flapper, you need a kit that also contains a new valve seat — the part that the flapper valve settles into. My favorite is the FluidMaster brand. You’ll see a shrink card that contains a flapper and a ring.

The rest is easy. You turn the water off and dry out the tank with a big sponge.

Then clean around the rim of the hole and let it dry for an hour or so. It’s tempting to use a hair dryer, but I wouldn’t take that risk as it might end up cracking the tank.

Then you simply press the valve and seat (the metal ring) in place with the putty ring included in the kit. Once you’re done, you can test the installation by adding some food coloring in to the tank.

If, after a half hour or so, the bowl water is clear, then give yourself a pat on the back.

You should research this enough yourself so you become an “expert” in the lingo and procedures. Google has hundreds of entries for “bat infestation,” but I like to start at colostate.edu. Scroll down until you reach the household pest section.

Many homeowners have bats in their belfries, but don’t even know it. However, now that you do, it’s important to get this done, since you will have to disclose it anyway if you sell the house.

KEN MOON

Dear Ken: I have a bat infestation in the attic. I’ve been given a $3,100 quote to remove the dirty insulation and sanitize the attic. Does that sound right?

– Karen It sounds high, so I would get a couple more estimates. The first thing, of course, is to plug up the hole through which they are intruding. Keep in mind that bats can collapse themselves to creep in through incredibly small holes. The most likely place to look is around the air vents. If the screens are torn, there’s you problem.

Make sure the animal control technician searches for babies before he repairs the holes.

The smell of bat guano, if there’s enough of it, can creep inside your bedrooms; especially if the droppings have slid down inside interior walls cavities. They can contain histoplasmosis — a fungal infection which is usually not fatal — that

How to fend off a

Dear Ken: I had a contractor tell me that it’s okay to vent the bath fan into the attic and not through the roof. Do you agree?

– Chris In most building department jurisdictions, new rules require them to be vented directly outdoors. But not that long ago, you were allowed to run that three-inch metal duct vertically and point it directly at the underside of a roof vent. That way the moist air can quickly escape. It’s a good system, because it doesn’t require poking a hole through the roof, which can leak.

To avoid drip-back into the bathroom, use insulated ducting and create a flat spot in the ducting just after it leaves the fan. That will trap condensed moisture and let it evaporate before it can do any damage.

Keep in mind that this scheme applies only to bath fans. Kitchen vents, because of their high grease and smoke output, must be vented outside. Ditto for dryers.

Their lint and moisture can induce mold and plug up the furnace.

Ken Moon is a home inspector in the Pikes Peak region. His radio show airs at 9 a.m. Saturday and is carried on KRDO, AM 1240 and FM 105.5. Visit AroundTheHouse.com.

fruit fly invasion

H METRO SERVICES

omeowners who have dealt with insect infestations know that even the smallest critters can make for formidable foes. A single insect might not seem like a substantial problem, but such uninvited guests have a tendency to multiply, quickly becoming a problem for less proactive homeowners.

Such is the case with fruit flies. Though small in stature, fruit flies can prove a pesky, food-contaminating nuisance.

As their name implies, fruit flies are attracted to ripening fruits, which serve as a food source and a breeding ground.

Fruit flies also breed around garbage disposals, drains and garbage cans while facilitating the transmission of bacteria that can prove harmful to human health.

Fortunately, homeowners can employ a combination of strategies to fend off fruit fly infestations before they take root.

LOCATE AND ELIMINATE POTENTIAL BREEDING GROUNDS Fruit flies are seen swarming around trash cans and areas where food has been left out. Fruit fly populations tend to be greatest during the summer and fall months, when they infest fruits during the harvest season. Pay particular attention to trash containers during these times of year, discarding trash more frequently if necessary and making sure all trash can lids are tightly closed. In addition, place ripened fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator during these times of year.

TRAP FLIES BEFORE THEY CAN BREED AND MULTIPLY Fermenting fruit or moist organic CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

SATURDAY, SEP 16, 2017 I THE GAZETTE I HG 3

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t’s harvest time, when all the fruits of our early season labors begin to pay off. Squash and tomatoes are plentiful, onions and beets are ready, melons and eggplants are ripening. And of course, so are chiles, from sweet bell and banana peppers, to jalapenos and the classic favorite, the green chile pepper.

Roasting green chile peppers has become as synonymous with fall as pumpkins and golden leaves. From the crackling sound of the peppers turning under the fire to the smoky aroma of them roasting, it’s time to make your way to the roaster. If you’re not familiar with this whole spectacle, it’s time you discover it.

Your taste buds will thank you.

In an effort to preserve peppers as they all ripen at once, roasting not only imparts great flavor into the green chiles, but it allows the inedible skins to be peeled off easily so they then can be frozen or canned. People unfamiliar with

green chiles often ask what to do with them, and the best reply is, put them in everything. If you’re not going to make the traditional green chile enchilada sauce or chile verde stew, chiles can be added to omelets and scrambled eggs, casseroles, beans, hamburgers, pizza, soups, salsas, chicken, meat and basically anything you want to add a dash of velvety flavor and, if you choose the hotter varieties, spice.

Check out some recipes on our webpage, summerlandgardens.com As the chiles ripen throughout the summer, they will start turning red and need to be treated a little differently. Red chiles can be picked, then hung to dry, as in the familiar Ristras. Once dried they can be ground into chile powder or soaked in water and reconstituted to make red chile.

The most popular varieties of chiles here are either from Hatch, NM or Pueblo. Chile aficionados have their favorite region, and surprisingly, you can taste a difference.

It’s an addictive food and once you start tasting the difference, you’ll have your favorite too.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

HG 4 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, SEP 16, 2017

CHILE FACTS

CHILE PEPPERS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Hatch chile refers to the varieties of chiles grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico.

There isn’t a chile pepper variety named Hatch, it’s the region south of Albuquerque, north of Las Cruses. The soil, climate and fresh water from the Rio Grande river all combine to create a deep flavored, rich, smoky chile, with lots of meat, which make them perfect for roasting. New Mexico State University has worked over the last 130 years, to breed and develop chiles for not only flavor and size, but to also be grown in the conditions of the Hatch valley. This has resulted in the smoky, fruity, fleshy chile that is hard to beat in flavor and has earned Hatch the nickname Chile Capital of the World! Popular varieties are Big Jim, Parkers, Sandias, and even the Anaheim which was developed in New Mexico but then became more widely grown in California. We ship up and roast fresh Hatch chiles daily and are never disappointed in their taste. As far as spiciness, varieties can be mild, medium, or hot depending on your preference.

Giving Hatch a run for the chile money is the Pueblo, Colorado chile. Michael Bartolo, a researcher with Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, worked for 25 years to develop a mirasol chile (one that grows upward towards the sun), that is uniquely Pueblo.

Through the years he grew and selected for the best plants and developed the Mosco chile. This Pueblo chile is large, meaty, and a little spicy. Like the Hatch valley, the Arkansas River Valley endows Pueblo chiles with their own unique taste. Chiles grown at higher elevation, combined with long summers and big temperature swings between day and night help produce a thick, meaty chile.

Pueblo chiles are also known for their spicy heat. If you’re looking for the super hot, Pueblo chiles offer Dynamite and, not kidding here, one called Chile From Hell. These are known more for their heat than for their flavor and should probably be eaten under doctor’s supervision.

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• Chile peppers originally came from Brazil. According to the Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University, their distribution from there was assisted by birds. Because birds lack receptors in their mouths to feel the spicy heat of a pepper, and because seeds pass through their digestive systems unharmed, chile seeds were distributed throughout Mexico and the American Southwest.

They were then cultivated by indigenous people and hybridization began.

• It’s said that Christopher Columbus ate chiles when he visited the New World and called them “peppers” because they produced the same sensation in his mouth as black pepper. He returned to Spain with some pods to grow and from there spread throughout Europe and Asia.

• Chiles are hot because they contain a chemical called Capsaicin. It’s concentrated in the membranes surrounding the seeds and down the veins of the pepper. If you remove the seeds and the veins you can reduce the heat of the pepper.

• Capsaicin is the primary ingredient in the pain relief gels we use to reduce muscle soreness and aches and pains.

• How do you spell chile, chili, chilly? It is agreed among chile aficionados that chile is the plant or the green pod of the plant, and some say even the green chile sauce produced by the peppers, chili is the red, beefy soup, and chilly is just cold.

• One chile contains as much vitamin C as six oranges.

• Hot chile peppers burn calories by triggering a themodynamic burn in the body, which increases metabolism.

• Chiles are high in antioxidant carotenes and flavonoids, as well as antiinflammatory properties.

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SATURDAY, SEP 16, 2017 I THE GAZETTE I HG 5

FRUIT FLIES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

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KEEP A CLEAN HOME Clean homes, and tidy kitchens in particular, are less likely to be overcome with fruit fly infestations. After cooking meals, be sure to clean all surfaces with which food has come in contact. Clean any spilled drinks, since sweet and sticky beverages like soda and wine lure fruit flies. It’s also important to keep cleaning materials, such as mops and drains, clean, since fruit flies can continue to breed in soiled mops and dirty drains.

Though small in stature, fruit flies can prove harmful to human health, spreading bacteria while also serving as a pesky nuisance. But while many might see fruit flies as an inevitable side effect of warmer weather, these uninvited guests can be quickly and easily eliminated.

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debris is necessary to complete the fruit fly life cycle. TERRO Fruit Fly Traps, which last 30 days, employ a non-toxic, food-based liquid lure to attract and trap fruit flies. Once inside, fruit flies cannot escape, eliminating their chance to breed and multiply. Before placing traps, pay attention to where fruit flies tend to be most problematic and place the appleshaped traps in those areas.

“The key to successful elimination of fruit flies is to locate their breeding source and place the trap nearby,” said TERRO Director of Research Stew Clark.

“Look for fruit fly sources in areas where unrefrigerated fruits and vegetables are stored, near garbage cans and recycling bins.”

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WITH BOB JONES ©2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

weekly bridge quiz q 1 - Neither vulnerable, as South, you hold:

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HG 6 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, SEP 16, 2017

♠ q 6 3 ♥ q J 9 5 ♦ A q 7 ♣ 10 8 5 NOrTH eAST SOuTH weST Pass 1♣ Pass 1♥ 2♥ Pass ?

What call would you make? q 3 - East-West vulnerable, as South, you hold: ♠Aq953♥4♦qJ952♣J8

q 5 - East-West vulnerable, as South, you hold: ♠8♥5♦975♣Aq987543 As dealer, what call would you make? q 6 - North-South vulnerable, as South, you hold: ♠863♥9753♦q♣AJ984 NOrTH eAST SOuTH weST Pass 1♥ Pass 1♦ 1♠ Pass ?

What call would you make?

Look for answers on Monday.

NOrTH eAST SOuTH weST Pass 1♠ 2♥ 1♦ 2♠ Pass ?

What call would you make? q 4 - Both vulnerable, as South, you hold:

(Bob Jones welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency, LLC., 16650 Westgrove Dr., Suite 175, Addison, TX 75001.

E-mail: tcaeditors@tribpub.com)

denniS The menaCe

The Family CirCuS

by hank ketcham

Sherman’S lagoon

PiCkleS

by Brian Crane

mr BoFFo

by Joe martin

by J. P. Toomey

by Bil keane

rhymeS wiTh orange by hilary Price

marmaduke

by Brad and Paul anderson

Baldo

by hector Cantu and Carlos Castellanos

SATURDAY, SEP 16, 2017 I THE GAZETTE I HG 7

Blondie

by dean young and John marshall

muTTS

by Patrick mcdonnell

Funky winkerBean

luann

by greg evans

PeanuTS

by Charles Schulz

by Tom Batiuk

HG 8 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, SEP 16, 2017

loS angeleS TimeS CroSSword

non SequiTur

by wiley

edited by rich norris and Joyce lewis

lola

by Todd Clark

BeeTle Bailey across 5 Cheese town 1 Directions home 6 Upscale tiers 4 Slow 7 Standard procedure 9 Key of Elgar’s 8 Japanese cabbage?

“Symphony No. 1” 9 Quartz type 14 San Antonio Spurs’ 1993-2002 10 Afrobeat star __ Kuti home 11 Mouths 16 Employer of a lizard and a pig 12 Realize 17 Author of the 2011 memoir 13 Pleasantly warm “My Father at 100” 15 “Harry Potter” father figure 18 Greek leader?

21 Parachute 19 “I __ it!”

23 Arabian Peninsula veil 20 National League athlete 25 “Hello” singer 21 Equilibrium 28 City in central Switzerland 22 Dale relative 30 Alive 24 Weapon in some supernatural 32 LeBron’s birth city movies 33 Turn away 26 Thus far 34 Schwinn component 27 Ship mover 35 Redwood City locale 29 Joseph of ice cream fame 36 Door-to-door offerings 30 One of the deadly sins 39 First to fall in most strikes 31 Event with a caller 41 Elizabeth who plays the 34 Fruit on a veggie pizza Scarlet Witch in Marvel 35 Justin case? movies 36 Undesirable descriptor for 42 Legal orders makeup 44 Wrest 37 ___-A-Fella Records 46 “Meh” 38 Thus 48 Concerning 40 “Correct, cap’n” 50 Turndowns from 41 Currently airing the tartan-clad 43 Hamilton notes 52 Iberian land, to the IOC 45 Fight like sticks figures?

53 Batter of balls?

47 Sch. with a Providence campus Friday’s Puzzle Solved 49 __ Vogue 51 Thins, e.g.

52 Three-book Newton work 54 Paper for a letter?

55 Shun 56 Tried to contain 57 Zero out 58 1980s gaming release down 1 Annotate 2 Onward 3 Symposium groups 4 Big name in anonymity

by mort, greg, and Brian walker

hagar The horriBle

moTher gooSe

Tundra

by Chris Browne

by mike Peters

by Chad Carpenter

SATURDAY, SEP 16, 2017 I THE GAZETTE I HG 9

Bizarro

by dan Piraro

argyle SweaTer

by Scott hilburn

CeleBriTy CiPher by luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

B.C.

by hart

ziTS

by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

JumP STarT

Frazz

by robb armstrong

by Jef mallett

HG 10 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, SEP 16, 2017

dilBerT

by Scott adams

Sally ForTh

by Francesco marciuliano and Jim keefe

BaBy BlueS

by Jerry Scott and rick kirkman

PearlS BeFore Swine by Stephan Pastis

PooCh CaFe

by Paul gilligan

SATURDAY, SEP 16, 2017 I THE GAZETTE I HG 11

TAKE OUR ADVICE ADVICE

Dear Amy: I recently hosted my sibling and their spouse at my home for three days. It had been several years since we’d seen each other. Because I live in Hawaii, we get a lot of, “Hey, I’m coming out there on vacation” AMY from family and friends, with the DICKINSON unspoken hope of staying with us.

My sibling and spouse had come as part of a package tour, which had three “unscheduled” days at the end, and they didn’t want to spend the money to stay in a motel, without a car, when there is so much to see and do here. They had booked their trip last year, so it wasn’t a spur-ofthe-moment thing.

They were very good guests, but I find that as I get older I’ve grown intolerant of anyone but my spouse in my home. I’ve become set in my ways. I can’t sleep when someone is snoring. I don’t want to have to turn the television up loud for my hardof-hearing guests. I don’t want to have to explain why I don’t have cable or a dishwasher.

I am a gracious host, and invited them to stay.

But behind their backs I was gritting my teeth and seething with unwarranted resentment.

How do I politely and gently tell my family, inlaws, and friends coming from far away that I do not want to host them or let them stay here? I am more than willing to pay for their motel room and shuttle them around in my car, but how do I say that? — Khutulan

ADVICE

Question: I bought a compression vest for working out.

The guy who sold it to me said it’ll help me lose weight DR. OZ AND DR. ROIZEN and make me stronger. Did I just fall for a dumb sales pitch, or do these things really help? — Matt M., Shaker Heights, Ohio

Dear Khutulan: The minute you start being honest and clear about your limitations and your willingness to host, your life will start to change.

When you are conveying your point, don’t make the mistake of piling on lots of explanations regarding your own capabilities. Simply say, “I will love to see you while you’re here, but unfortunately I cannot host people in my home. Here is the name of the closest motel, and of course I will enjoy showing you the sights and shuttling you around while you’re here.”

Your offer to pay for a stay in a motel is a generous one. If you tack that on to your statement, I assume people would love to take you up on it.

Answer: Good question. A recent German study asked the same thing when scientists explored how 78 postgraduate college students working out on stationary bicycles would react to being given clothing that claimed to make the exercise “less arduous.”

Students who were low-active to sedentary and thought of themselves as exercise-challenged did a workout wearing a compression garment that they were told would make the workout easier.

Shazam! They reported that the workout was a lot easier than expected, and more effective. (The researchers’ promise that the vest would make the workout easier was not backed up with any science.)

So, were you duped, Matt? Well, yes and no. If your compression vest makes you feel like it’s easier to do your workout, and you’re more likely to stick with an exercise routine when you’re wearing it, that’s a winner! Just make sure it doesn’t cause muscle cramping, dehydration or discomfort. There are a lot of so-called workout-boosting garments and techniques that can do more harm than good. For example: • Plastic workout suits cause you to sweat profusely; you may lose too much liquid too quickly.

That can cause everything from cramping to rapid heartbeat, even fainting.

• Weighted vests can increase your calorie burn, but they can cause injuries to your neck, knees and back, and make already existing aches and pains worse.

• Walking or running with weights slotted into clothing or fastened to your arms, wrists or hands can cause rotator cuff tears.

Send questions to askamy@tribune.com or to Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.

Email your health and wellness questions to youdocsdaily@ sharecare.com.

—

—

ADVICE

Dear readers: “Heatworm” — the word itself is scary, but prevention and treatment are possible.

Heartworm disease can result in lung damage and heart failure in dogs and cats. Symptoms?

HINTS Coughing, tiredness, trouble FROM breathing and weight loss.

HELOISE Prevention of heartworm is the cheaper, safer alternative to treatment. If you adopt a dog or cat from the shelter, have the animal tested for heartworm; lots of stray animals contract heartworm. The worms are spread through the bite of a mosquito.

Prevention is either a shot that’s good for several months, a topical liquid applied to the skin or a monthly chew. Talk to your veterinarian about what’s best for your pet.

Treatment is effective, but painful and expensive. Your vet will give a series of tests first to make sure your pet is healthy enough to start treatment. Multiple doctor visits likely will be required.

People cannot contract heartworm disease.

The worms don’t establish themselves in human hearts.

For more information, visit heartwormsociety. org. — Heloise Dear Heloise: When ordering online, it’s important to check the company’s return policy. We neglected to do that recently, and even though the company sent the wrong size, we were not only responsible for return shipping, but the company has a 20 percent restocking fee. It was an expensive lesson to learn. — Janet B., via email Call and speak to a representative or supervisor. They should be willing to work with you to resolve the issue. But yes, read the fine print first.

— Heloise Dear Heloise: My wife takes four different white pills of the same size every day. In order to tell the difference, I put a small dot of food coloring on each one with a toothpick. — Ken C., Harrison, Ark. —

Send hints via email to heloise@heloise.com or via post to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio TX 78279-5001.

TODAY’S HOROSCOPES BY JERALDINE SAUNDERS ARIES (March 21-April 19) You carry a great deal of responsibility but won’t find it taxes your strength. As a matter of fact, your efforts serve to make you stronger.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Your happiest hours might be honed in on home and family. This could be a good day to prepare a romantic dinner for two or a potluck supper with friends.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Be considerate even if you compete. You may be surprised to find that your adversaries value your opinion and are willing to listen to what you say.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Your inner antenna will spot the trends. You have a soft spot for the latest gadgets and gizmos. You may be wise to reserve some additional time to explore something new that captures your interest.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Enjoy an abundance of delightful experiences.

You may attract amorous glances and receive invitations.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) If you try too hard, you may begin to try someone’s patience. You may hope that someone will prove their loyalty, but you may not receive exactly what you expect.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Be a true nature child. Plant some herbs, tie-dye a T-shirt or walk in the woods to break away from the rat race.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) A shrewd and businesslike attitude toward money and possessions will help you clear your life of debris. A special someone might have something special planned to please you.

HG 12 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, SEP 16, 2017

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Concentrate on being organized and self-disciplined. You can bulldoze over obstacles with ease through sheer persistence.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Be practical. You can lay out successful strategies that make almost any project or idea a win-win situation for everyone involved. Ignore the tantalizing lure of get-rich schemes or attractive strangers.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) People will like you much better if you leave the sugary coating off the compliments and simply engage in some plain talking.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) People find you to be sympathetic. You might lend an ear or a shoulder to a needy friend. Take a timeout from a busy schedule to engage in loving moments with a favorite playmate.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sept. 16 Enjoy enhanced popularity during the next two weeks. If you interview for a new job, you will probably beat out the competition or a new romantic partner might be ready to make a commitment. Your ambitions seem to know no limits, but this is not the time to make new starts. Nothing will be handed to you on a silver platter in October without a great deal of effort on your part. If you make a promise, be sure to keep it.