Tucson Real Estate Expert, Peter Deluca has 20 years Experience in Southern Arizona

Arizona’s north country is a wonderful place to enjoy the changing of the seasons and the fall colors that go with that change. Here are some places in Arizona where you can enjoy beautiful fall foliage. From Mid-September through mid-Novemeber you can even call the Fall Color Hotline at 1-800-354-4595.

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This month’s notes: November 2008: mid season and late apples are here! There may still be some corn mazes and hayrides! open. It’s time to make pumpkin pies, soup, cheesecake and pumpkin bread. At many Christmas tree farms, you can go and pre-select your tree, then come back to harvest it later! Find an apple festival, tomato festival, corn festival, peach festival or other festivals near you! Organic farms are still not common, but any that are, have the word ORGANIC by their name! Check out my easy canning instructions/recipes, canning equipment guide - and if you have tomatoes coming out your ears, see the tomatoes canning page! Also make your own ice cream - see How to make ice cream and ice cream making equipment and manuals
 

Pick Your Own Harvest Schedule>>

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When it comes to increasing the value of your home, modernizing a kitchen can return 80 percent to 130 percent of your investment, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association. But many homeowners think improving the kitchen has to come with a hefty price tag.  Not necessarily. 

Cabinets are often the first thing people notice about a kitchen. Cabinets are also one of the easiest and most affordable kitchen features to update. And in most cases, you don’t need to replace them. Just take a close look at your existing cabinet doors. Are they beyond repair, or do they still look good, but just a little outdated?   If they’re still in good shape, simply sanding and applying a fresh coat of paint can make a huge difference. Take everything out of the cabinets and scrub them with a cleaner. Lightly sand down the wax, veneer, polish or previous paint, then fix any cracks or breaks with putty. Brush on primer paint and add any paint color, pattern or stencil you’d like.

New hardware can also add flair to otherwise outdated cabinets. Cabinet knobs, pulls and hinges come in all shapes and sizes, including antique copper, iron, aged bronze, polished brass, glass, stainless steel and more. But before purchasing any new hardware, carefully measure your existing hardware. Jot down sizes and the spaces between screws, which will eliminate the need to drill new holes in the cabinets.

If replacement is the only option, modular cabinets, available at most home improvement stores, can be an affordable alternative. You can save even more money if you install them yourself.

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PIPE DREAMS…Flooded basements, frozen pipes and added expense - winter can be a homeowner’s worst time of year. Take the following precautions to prepare your plumbing before the season really hits:

• Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses. Once the hose is removed, water can drain from the pipe, preventing water from freezing inside it and bursting the pipe. This also includes swimming pool and water sprinkler supply lines. Don’t add antifreeze. It can be harmful to the pipes and the environment.
• Insulate all pipes and faucets with a pipe sleeve or heat cable, which are available at most hardware or building supply stores. Carefully wrap each pipe exposed to unheated areas, paying special attention to joints. Newspaper can even provide some protection to exposed pipes that aren’t in areas of prolonged, extreme cold.
• Seal off access doors, vents and cracks. Cold air seeping in can freeze exposed pipes and plumbing.
• Know the location of your master shutoff valve, which turns off the water for the house. In case of flooding, you can quickly shut down the water supply and prevent further damage.
• Remember to leave the heat on in your home, no lower than 55 degrees, if you travel during cold weather.

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DEUCE is a chocolate Labrador retriever who knows exactly which patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington give the best treats, said his owner, Harvey Naranjo. Both he and Deuce are part of the Military Advanced Training Center, a department at Walter Reed that cares for severely disabled veterans.

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El Tour is a fun ride attracting some over 9,000 cyclists of all ages and abilities from throughout the United States and beyond, including novice, intermediate, advanced, and professional riders. Participants often take part in El Tour and its festivities simply due to their passion for cycling, while others choose the event as part of a healthy lifestyle change or as part of their wellness program as a survivor from cancer or other life-threatening illness. Many are attracted to El Tour’s variety of fund-raising programs for charitable agencies, for which the event raised over $1.8 million dollars last year. What all riders of El Tour share is a desire to get on their bikes, meet great people and have a fun doing it!

El Tour cyclists receive an official event t-shirt, goody bag, police, route and SAG support, aid station refreshments, published results and more! And all finishers are awarded a special engraved medallion at the finish line for their accomplishment. Links to the left offer further information.

The 26th El Tour will be raising funds for Tu Nidito Children and Family Services, American Parkinson Disease Association, Ben’s Bells Project Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson, Diamond Children’s Medical Center, The Hermitage Cat Shelter, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Water for People and other Perimeter charities including Global Sports Alliance-ECO Flag Program.

As an El Tour cyclist, you, your family and friends are invited to participate in any of El Tour’s other events and activities.  EL TOUR DE TUCSON>>

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This view of the Santa Catalina Mountains looks north across the University of Arizona campus from the Computer Science offices in the Gould-Simpson building. A new image is generated once a minute.

The Recent Images page exhibits hourly images and daily time-lapse movies from the past week. The Photo Album and Video Vault display selections of older photos and movies. 

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Wanna get away for a day, an overnight trip or a weekend?  There are sooooo many places and things to do in Arizona, it’s hard to decide.  This link provided covers all the communities in Arizona from A to Z.  Arizona Communities>>

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November 05, 2008, 1:34 p.m.

The Target store at 4040 N. Oracle Road will close on Feb. 7, to be replaced by a new store next October, Target announced Wednesday.

The new SuperTarget store will include a Starbucks, Target Café, Target Pharmacy, and Target Photo along with a full assortment of groceries.

The existing store first opened in July 1983. About 130 people work at the store, and the company said it hopes to re-employ all of them at the new store or at other stores throughout the area.

The four closest Target locations to the closing store are at El Con, 3699 E. Broadway; Northwest, 3901 W. Ina Road; Tucson Spectrum, 1225 W. Irvington Road; and at 5255 E. Broadway Blvd.

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Half a million lights and luminaria, complimentary hot cider, holiday cookies and music make Holiday Nights one of the most popular activities in Tucson, Arizona! Tickets are only $8 for the general public ($5 members) and all kids are $2.   Tohono Chul Park>>

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