It was a sad week here at the homestead. It started when my most beloved three-year-old rooster, T. Boone Chickens, developed a serious abscess on his big chicken foot.

I hauled him off to the veterinarian who anesthetized him and examined him more closely. According to the vet, because chickens don’t have significant blood circulation in their feet, it’s difficult for a major foot wound to heal.

“Robin, you need to put T. Boone to sleep,” advised the vet. “He’s not going to get better. In fact, he’s going to get a lot worse. And he is in pain.”

Now, if you haven’t ever had pet chickens, you might find it odd that I was reduced to a puddle of tears at hearing this news. Even some people who have pet chickens might consider the fact that I spent the better part of the afternoon weeping an overreaction.

But I raised T. Boone from the time he was a baby fuzz ball in my palm. I bought him and two other baby chicks from an Amish farmers market.

I was assured that all three chicks would grow up to be fine hens. So we called him Olivia—for a while anyway. Two of the three chicks survived and both were roosters. (So much for the chick sexing skills of the guy at the farmers market.)

T. Boone was second rooster around here for a long time. In fact, he was at the bottom of the pecking order and the hens never hesitated to shoo him away or punish him by pecking at  him. The big chicken on campus at that time was Johnny Cash.

T. Boone cheated death once before.

Two years ago he, Johnny Cash and the hens were on walkabout, searching for bugs, stretching their legs and enjoying the unseasonably warm February day. I didn’t see what happened, but it appeared that the roosters fought off an attack by one—or possibly two—hawks or eagles. Johnny Cash was carried off and never seen again.  There were two huge pools of T. Boone’s white feathers about 200 yards apart. Could T. Boone have been attacked, dropped and attacked again?

When we finally found T. Boone in the woods it was clear that he was gravely injured. He was dazed and couldn’t walk. He let me pick him up to examine him and I found he had huge puncture wounds on both sides of his body under his wings.

I was certain that he wouldn’t live until morning. I didn’t know of any veterinarian at the time who would even euthanize a chicken but I didn’t have the heart (or the nerve) to break his neck—even to put him out of his misery. Neither my husband nor my son would take on the job.

We put him into the coop where he crawled into one of the nest boxes to hide. Well, he thought he was hiding, but as you can see, he didn’t fit. T. Boone was a very big chicken.

Days went by and T. Boone kept hanging on. I gave him water, put salve on his wounds and prepared myself to find him dead every morning I went into the coop to greet the chickens for the day.

Instead of dying,  T. Boone crawled out of the nest box and tried to stand! At first he couldn’t hold his head up or walk. He did a lot of standing around. I positioned him near the food and water so he could help himself whenever he was thirsty or hungry. After a month or so, he could stand upright again, but he walked. With a limp.

Without Johnny Cash in the role of leading chicken, T. Boone stepped into the job. Whenever the hens were on walkabout, T. Boone would be standing guard. He knew full well what dangers the hens faced outside the safety of their coop and chicken run. The chickens would hunt and peck for bugs. T. Boone would stand nearby warily eyeing the sky and the nearby woods. Any time there was a sense of danger, T. would begin honking in alarm, sending the hens scrambling under the shrubs and into the trees.

He fulfilled all of his roosterly duties (if you know what I mean).

Some people have had bad experiences with aggressive or mean roosters. I have seen both sides of the rooster behavior spectrum and T. Boone was definitely one of the kinder, gentler roosters. He always greeted us and would follow me around begging for treats. His favorites were corn, pizza and any kind of baked good—cake, muffins, biscuits, bread. He would even show up at the back door to peer in and beg.

“Is this where you keep the cans of corn?”

I love my hens, but they don’t have the bold personality, the larger-than-life appearance or the endearingly quirky habits that T. Boone had. If you can love a chicken, I loved T. Boone.

Rest in peace, T. Boone. You were a good and brave rooster. I hope you’re in chicken heaven where the sun is shining and where there is an endless supply of corn, pizza and baked goods.

Robin

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Filed in: Chickens

Tags: Chickens, hens, Johnny Cash, rooster, T. Boone Chickens

Article source: http://www.bumblebeeblog.com/2012/01/13/good-bye-t-boone-chickens/

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Pollinators In The Neighborhood or Pain In The Neck?

Monarda and a gentle giant carpenter bee~

There’s probably no other bee that arouses irritation quite like this gentle giant. Just search ‘carpenter bee’ and you will get hundreds of thousands of ‘results’ and almost all are about how to get rid of them.

I can hear you now! You’re wondering if I am going to tell you let these creatures bee. Let them tunnel into your outdoor furniture, your decks or the eaves of your house!

Proof is in the pollen covered bee on chive flowers!

No, I’m not going to tell you that. What I will say is that these big beautiful, noisy bees are excellent pollinators. In fact, they are being studied across the globe for pollinating green house crops like passionflower, blueberries, greenhouse tomatoes and greenhouse melons.

I will tell you that they are generalist foragers and are known to pollinate garden crops and garden plants. Carpenter bees are known to pollinate eggplant (Solanum melongena), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) and other species in that genus, cucurbits (Cucurbita spp.), cassias (Cassia spp.), Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), cigar orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum), bee balm (Monarda spp.), aromatic sumac (Rhus aromatica), and wild lupine (Lupinus perennis).

Robbing the nectar on salvia

I will tell you that they are buzz pollinators - meaning they use vibrations, or sonication, to release pollen grains from the flower’s anthers. The most efficient pollination is accomplished by a few species who specialize in sonication or buzz pollination. In order to release the pollen, bumblebees and carpenter bees are able to grab onto the flower and move their flight muscles rapidly, causing the flower and anthers to vibrate, dislodging pollen. About 8% of the flowers of the world are primarily pollinated using buzz pollination. Wildflower gardeners~all Dodecatheon are buzz pollinated! Eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes, blueberries and cranberries are also buzz pollinated.

I will tell you that they typically visit flowers that are large, open-faced with abundant nectar and pollen, day-bloomers, pale or saturated in color, and that have a fresh odor, anthers specialized for pollen collection by bees, and corollas with strong walls.

I will tell you that they cheat and break open the sides of flowers, like salvias to get at the nectar! So they do not pollinate salvia!

Salvia azure is in this bee’s sights

I will tell you that I never, never, never use pesticide in my garden. Ever!


I will tell you that they have bored their way into my garden and my carport! Let me be perfectly honest~I would very much appreciate them not using their powerful mandibles to create nests in my carport timber! But, I am not going to use pesticides to kill them. Instead, I’ve located benches made in one of their favorite woods, thick pieces of pine, horizontally laid tree trucks and branches to encourage them to move to a new nesting area.

Gathering strength for the coming winter

They’re in the garden today…It’s near 80F (26C). That’s the perfect warm weather to bring the males and females who over wintered in the nesting tunnels out. They are darting and buzzing madly around~ I can’t tell if these are two males ‘fighting’ over territory or a male and female courting. Soon, the females will begin boring new tunnels or excavating the old tunnels. Inside their rounded branched galleries, they’ll form pollen/nectar loaves upon which they lay their giant eggs (up to 15 mm long). The female forms partitions between each egg cell by mixing sawdust and her saliva together. (source) The female will seal the tunnels and soon die~In a few months the new generation of males and females will emerge, forage the rest of the growing season; then they’ll hunker down in the old tunnels all winter long; and, wake up next year on a warm spring day and start it all over again.

I will tell you~ that I sure hope they like the redwood benches or the thick untreated pine board or the dead tree branches!

xxoogail

PS It bears repeating~ If you want to attract pollinators~Never, never, never, ever, use pesticides in your garden.

This post is part of a series on native pollinators in the garden~ Earlier posts and their links are listed below for your convenience.

Part I~Now Is The Time To Bee-gin Thinking About Bees ( here)
This Is The Place To Bee ( here)
If You Could Plant Only One Plant In Your Garden~Don’t (here)
Must Bee The Season of The Witch (here)
Go Bare In Your Garden (here)
We can’t All be pretty Pollinators (here)
Eye, Eye Skipper, Big Eyed Pollinators (here)
What’s In Your Garden (here)

Other bee posts you might want to read~
Count Yourself Lucky To Have Hoverflies (here)
Bumblebee Hotel (here)
Still Taking Care Of Bzzness (here)
My Sweet Embraceable You (here)

*Weathered woods are a common target of carpenter bees, to deter this behavior, keep exposed wood surfaces, including nail holes and saw cuts, coated with polyurethane or oil-base paint.

This post was written by Gail Eichelberger for my blog Clay and Limestone Copyright 2011.This work protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Please contact me for permission to copy, reproduce, scrape, etc.

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When going outside to work on the garden or house, I often don’t pay attention to what I’m wearing. I usually just throw on a t-shirt, shorts and either an old pair of slippers or worn out running shoes. For the first few hours, everything is fine and I’m getting all the work done without problems. However, as the day progresses and the hours spent outside start to pile up, I often notice blisters and small cuts on my feet. My feet also sometimes begin to cramp up from the many hours of being hunched or curled up. By the next morning, my feet are completely sore and any movement would result in pain. I decided that it was time for a change.

It was time to buy a pair of shoes that were designed for outdoor activity, especially for gardening. After researching online for the right pair of shoes, I came across Endless.com. Specializing in shoes, they certainly had the answer to my problem. They sell all types of shoes, but the ones that caught my attention were the outdoor shoes they had specifically for any outdoor work and gardening. There are a variety of boots to choose from that include scrub boots, steel toe boots and more. For light gardening projects, I was able to choose lighter shoes such as clogs and bogs. What’s even better is that they have a special offer that was hard to pass up.

After making online purchases, Endless is offering free overnight shipping on new styles and free return shipping. This is an ongoing offer that has no expiration date. To see this offer, take a look at our Endless coupons page.

I no longer have to worry about blisters and sore feet in the morning. These shoes are light, warm, cushioned, waterproof, and easy to slip on. Visit Endless.com and grab your pair today!

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/23307472@N08/2537189251

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Furniture shopping can be a pain. Not only can your furniture be expensive, but the transportation from the store to your home is also a headache that can cost you even more money. If you’re fortunate, then some furniture stores offer free shipping, but you can never really be certain, so you should always consider the added costs to your purchase.

Not too long ago, I went through this experience. I was planning on buying a new bed, since my old one was getting worn down and kept giving me back problems. I didn’t think I would have such a difficult time, but it was definitely a struggle to find the right bed for the right price. I went from store to store comparing and making sure I was getting a quality bed for the price I wanted. After finally choosing the bed I wanted, I knew it wouldn’t fit into my two-door car. I was charged a little extra for shipping. Overall, I spent more than I had planned, and the experience of furniture shopping left a bad taste in my mouth. Fortunately, for many of you, Target has a great offer that can save you from what I went through.

Shop at Target.com and you can take an extra $5 off orders of $50 or more on select furniture. Choose from a variety of living room, bedroom, kitchen and office furniture. The best part is that Target will also include free shipping! Just make sure you use coupon code CM5OFF50FUR when checking out. This offer is valid up to Aug. 1, 2011.

With Target, furniture shopping cannot get any easier or any more convenient. No need to drive from store to store and stress about shipping costs!

Be sure to keep checking our Target coupons page to find the latest deals and discounts!

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/doubleimagephotography/5141250962

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Green Metallic Bee, Ailanthus Webworm Moth and Hoverfly.

You’ve probably noticed that there are many small and colorful flying critters visiting your flowers during the growing season. Nature has provided us with an array of pollinating insects~ including wasps, moths, butterflies and bees.

I appreciate all the pollinators at Clay and Limestone, but, my favorite are the bees.

Occasionally honeybees visit, but, the bees that live in my garden are non-honey producing, social and solitary nest building bees. Way back in the early 90s they started referring to non-honey producing bees as pollen bees. Nowadays, we call them native bees! Pollen bees/native bees are valued for the role in pollinating our wildflowers and crops.

The Bumble Bee and the Green Metallic Bee are two of the many native bees that reside at Clay and Limestone. Both bees forage our gardens for nectar and pollen to feed themselves and their offspring. The Green Metallic Bees are solitary bees and care for their brood cells by them selves. Although, they often live in close proximity to other female bees, sharing entrance tunnels to their separate apartments. The Bumbles are social bees and live in larger colonies with many female bees caring for the Mother bee’s off-spring.

Green metallic bee on salvia leaf

The tiny, but, beautiful Metallic Green Bees captured my interest and attention when I saw them swarming all over a late blooming agastache several years ago. Their color was dazzling.

They flock to the native ex-asters, agastaches, goldenrods and other late blooming flowers. They are generalists and have never met flower pollen they didn’t like.

On the whole, generalist bees, like the Green Metallic Bee are more resilient. They aren’t dependent upon a particular flower’s pollen to survive. Even a degraded habitat with weeds and non native plants would be fine for them. Imagine the haven a well planned pollinator garden would be for generalist and specialist bees.

In the United States, honey bees, bumble bees, and approximately 4000 species of solitary bees pollinate agricultural crops, our garden plants, and plants of lawn, meadow and forest. How we garden and the habitat we create can contribute to the our native bee’s health and survival in an often hostile world.

According to conservation biologists

• “bees are “keystone organisms” in most terrestrial ecosystems. That is all of us land dwellers!
• Bees are essential for maintaining the integrity, productivity and sustainability of many types of ecosystems: the forest understory, pastures, fields, meadows, roadsides, many agricultural crops, fruit orchards, and backyard vegetable and flower gardens. That is all that we admire and love.
• Without bees, many flowering plants would eventually become extinct. Can you think of any you want to say so long to?
• Without the work of bees, many fruit- and seed-eating birds and some mammals, including people, would have a less varied and less healthy diet. We need our pollinators! (source)

Although, this family includes brightly colored metallic bees, the majority of halictids are drably colored and small like this small carpenter bee

Here’s what we gardeners can do for native bees?

• Plant more native plants~annual and perennial~known to attract bees in your garden region
• Make sure you have several different plants in bloom from early spring to late fall
• Eliminate the use of insecticides that are toxic to bees and other beneficial pollinators
• Provide shelter from the wind, rain, or cold
• Provide nesting spots~Soft and exposed soil, decaying logs, nesting boxes, research what they need.
• Don’t be in such a hurry to tidy up the garden or cover every piece of earth with mulch
• Provide water

We can do this. Together we can make a big difference. xxoogail

This is the second in a series on native bees and other pollinators in our gardens. Other posts about bees you might enjoy are also listed.

Part I~Now Is The Time To Bee-gin Thinking About Bees ( here)
This Is The Place To Bee ( here)
Bumblebee Hotel (here)
Still Taking Care Of Bzzness (here)
My Sweet Embraceable You (here)
A Splendid Creature For Your Garden (here)

*The Green Metallic Bee is also known as a Sweat Bee. And, yes, they are attracted to the gardener’s salty sweat and, yes, they can sting. In case you wondered: their sting is rated 1.0 on the Schmidt Sting Pain Index~making it almost painless! (1.0= Light, ephemeral, almost fruity. A tiny spark has singed a single hair on your arm.) But, pain is subjective~be careful out there. If you are allergic to bee stings even this tiny bite can be dangerous.

This post was written by Gail Eichelberger for my blog Clay and Limestone Copyright 2011. Please contact me for permission to copy, reproduce, scrape, etc.

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Being a mostly self-taught do-it-yourselfer, I discovered early that if you want things done right, then you need to have the right tool for the job.

It’s easy to forget that when you are desperately trying to get a job done and you don’t have the one size wrench or screwdriver you need, it can be a real pain.

So what do you do? If you were anything like me, then you improvised, usually to disastrous results. Let me tell you about a few instances when I didn’t have the right tool for the job and the consequences of improvising.

1. Children’s Toy: It seems like nowadays, if you want to construct a children’s toy such as a bicycle, then you need to have an engineering degree, which is funny since I studied physics and still can’t get this stuff together. Many times, these kits come with some cheaply built wrenches or other tools to help you build, but no such luck this time.

I needed a wrench or, at the very least, a crescent wrench, and I had them, but they were downstairs in the garage and I wasn’t feeling the walk. I surveyed the room like MacGyver, trying to ascertain what piece of mundane equipment I could use for a wrench. My wife has been into beading, and she had purchased a dainty pair of pliers to help grab the beads. I saw my opportunity and took it. The consequence was a rounded nut that wouldn’t turn even when I went downstairs and got the right wrench.

It then required a trip to the hardware store to buy a new nut (I didn’t have that size) and to buy a tool that could turn the stripped nut. Yeah, me.

2. A hammer by any other name. A hammer by definition is basically a tool to hit something. It has a few handy dandy points like the nail puller, but it’s main purpose is to hit something. We had some molding that had come loose, thanks to the added motivation of our children, and come off. There were some nails sticking out of the bare wood. I certainly did not want my kids getting hurt on it, so I decided to nail them in just to be safe.

Of course, it was about 8 p.m., and I was tired. The last thing I wanted to do was go all the way to the garage just to grab a hammer. I mean, anything can really be a hammer right? Wrong. Once again, I surveyed the room and found a heavy ceramic (what my mother would call a “pretty”), and I would call it a substitute hammer. It’s heavy, and I was sure it could take down one of those little nails.

I grabbed it and lightly tapped the nail and nothing really happened. I guess I needed a little more force. Needless to say, the “pretty” broke into about four pieces and wasn’t so pretty anymore. Add to the fact that my wife did not know I was using her “pretty” as a hammer meant I had a lot of explaining to do. The biggest consequence was 24 hours of being in the doghouse.

My advice to all you do-it-yourselfers out there is not to cut corners and to grab the right tool for the job when it needs it. Believe me, it will save you time in the end.

Image Source: flickr.com.com/photos/juniorvelo/3606555008/

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Several years ago, I had the unfortunate opportunity to help my father-in-law tile his kitchen floor and can honestly say that it was not one of my favorite experiences. Even though the tile has a beautiful end result, it can be a pain to put down.

I have linoleum in my kitchen, and I am not very fond of it myself. Honestly, though, I realized that in a battle between these two giants, I don’t know which one I would pick. They both have their fair share of pros and cons.

I think it is safe to say that the end product of tiling looks beautiful, especially if you have taken the time to pick the best color and texture for your kitchen or bathroom. When I helped my father-in-law, he had purchased several extra tiles in case of breakage, and that was a good investment.

The basic process of laying tile is simple. You start at one end of the room and place a piece of tile on the floor, putting a spacer in between the tiles to allow for the placement of the grout. The difficult part comes when you get to the other end of the room. Unless you are incredibly lucky, the final tiles at the end of the room will not be a perfect fit and will have to be cut.

There are electronic cutters that make the experience much easier, but my father-in-law used a manual cutter that was about as fun to use as an unplugged toaster. Basically, the cutter scores a line in the tile, and when the tile breaks, it does so along the score… ideally. It’s not always the case, though, and we went though many tiles because they broke every which way. Also, if you want your kitchen to look perfect, you need to be meticulous when you measure.

Once the tile has been laid, you fill in the spaces with grout to solidify the whole thing and voila! You’re done. If you don’t do a good job (and with two tiling novices such as me and my father-in-law, we did not do a good job), then the grout will eventually deteriorate and the tiles can become loose. Yeah, it doesn’t look good. This shouldn’t happen if you actually do everything correctly.

Linoleum is by far the easiest of the two to put down. There is adhesive on the back of the linoleum, and you just unpeel the protective covering and stick it down. When you get to the end of the room and need to cut it to size, a utility knife will do the trick with ease. The final product doesn’t look nearly as good as tile, but it takes you a quarter of the time. A drawback is that over time, the adhesive on the back of the tile can wear out, and it will start to curl and come up. Also, linoleum is much less expensive than the faux stone and textured tiles.

When it comes time for me to redo my floors, I would like to use tile because I love the look. Sure, it will take me longer than linoleum and it will be a pain, but I’ll make sure to buy plenty of extra tiles. I’m going to need them.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/evelynishere/3803328798

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You wake up Saturday morning with a ginormous headache and a house filled with passed out friends and neighbors and, if it got really rowdy, an ’87 Chevy Nova may or may not be parked in your living room. As the homeowner, you now have the responsibility of containing the carnage before it spreads into the outside world like some kind of drunken zombie outbreak. What do you do? What do you do?

Don’t worry, folks. I have weathered many New Year’s Eve parties and am here to give you the tools you need to not only survive, but to thrive.

1. Basic self first aid: When you first wake up on Saturday morning, you are going to need to be as close to 100 percent as possible. Given the 37 Jell-O shots you had in the night, as well as the shots of some unknown liquid that smelled like bathroom cleaner, you are probably feeling about 5 percent. Go to the kitchen or bathroom, drink a cool glass of water and take some pain relievers to help with your head. If you can walk in a straight line without falling over, then you are ready for step 2.

2. Search for survivors: Do a room-to-room search and try to wake up everyone you find. You may have to look in some strange places, like cupboards and dryers, because when people get drunk, they do some pretty off things. If anyone is naked, then make them put on clothes. Make sure to tell them that their other choice is going outside in their birthday suit, and you don’t want to explain that to your neighbor. Once everyone is awake, get them out… by car if they are sober and by cab if they aren’t. If there was a designated driver, then find him and remind him of his duty.

3. Begin domestic triage: You are now alone in your home; I will affectionately call it a war zone. You should have purchased extra boxes for recycling, because you are going to have much more glass and aluminum to recycle than normal. Pick up everything and put them in the boxes and set them out on the curb. You will likely get a few looks from your neighbors when they see the 34 boxes of recycled alcohol bottles and cans. Eh, they’ll get over it, and you’re doing a favor for the environment.

4. R&R: The house is clean, everyone is out and you have earned yourself some rest, i.e. sleeping it off. You should wake up several hours later feeling at about 50 percent. What do you expect with what you drank? I hope you have a great New Year!

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/prettyinprint/2978305256

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If you haven’t noticed, I am generally pretty one-sided about most things. I either like it or hate it, and the same goes for the gas versus electric question that plagues people every time they build a new home.

People who purchase homes that are already built don’t usually have to worry about this, because the damage has already been done. They can take the extra time and money to convert to their preferred method, but that can be a real pain.

General Gas Dislike: I will come right out and say it: I hate using gas for anything. The idea of open flames and a substance that can blow my house up is not appealing. Yet, I have been stuck with it for the last six years.

Heating: I admit that between the two, gas, forced-air heat has been the better and less expensive alternative. The main difference between using gas and electric for forced-air heat is that electric uses the current to heat coils that heat the air, and gas actually uses an open flame. In my opinion, gas worked better for this — although there can be issues of the pilot light lighting in basements with high degrees of moisture.

Cooking: Electric oven beat gas ovens, hands down. I grew up with an electric oven, and my mom still uses one to this day. It looks sleek, always works and she doesn’t have to wait for the burner to finally spark. The stove we have now has a burner that is annoying, tricky to light and has gas buildup every time you try to light it.

Dryer: When it comes to a gas versus electric dryer for clothing, I admit that I am neutral. I haven’t found much difference between the two, and with so many different kinds of dryers out there, it’s hard to get a bead on what’s the best kind. I would be more than happy to hear any comments from readers regarding this or any of the above-mentioned opinions.

If I had my choice, then everything would be electric, just because of my apprehension with open flames and gas buildup. I have seen too many fires started because of the gas being left on or catching something on fire. I know there are people out there who are adamant about using gas, and I would love to hear their opinions on the matter, as well.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/34639903@N03/3405417053

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Snow removal injuries

One of the more common causes of back injuries during the winter months is snow removal. Using the wrong body mechanics when shoveling snow can put undue stress on the spine and lead to muscle strains, falls, or more serious back injuries.

The following snow removal tips can help you to avoid low back injuries and pain during the snowy winter season.

Pick the right snow shovel
An ergonomic snow shovel can help take some of the effort out of your snow removal chores. A shovel with a curved handle or an adjustable handle length will minimize painful bending, requiring you to bend your knees only slightly and arch your back very slightly while keeping the shovel blade on the ground. In addition, a small, lightweight, plastic blade helps reduce the amount of weight that you are moving.

Warm up thoroughly
Cold, tight muscles are more prone to injury than warmed up, flexible muscles. Do your back a favor by warming up for five to ten minutes before shoveling or any strenuous activity. Get your blood moving with a brisk walk, marching in place, or another full-body activity. Then, stretch your low back and hamstrings (the large muscles in the back of the thigh) with some gentle stretching exercises. Limber up your arms and shoulders with a body hug.

Pace yourself during snow removal
Removing small amounts of snow frequently is less strenuous than removing a large pile at once. If possible, removing snow over a period of days will lessen the strain on the back and arms. In deep snow, remove a few inches at a time, rather than attempting to shovel the full depth at once. When shoveling, take a break for a minute or two every 10-15 minutes or if you feel overworked at any point. Use this opportunity to stretch your arms, shoulders, and back to keep them warm and flexible.

Use ergonomic lifting techniques
Whenever possible, push the snow to one side rather than lifting it. When lifting the snow shovel is necessary, make sure to use ergonomic lifting techniques:

• Always face towards the object you intend to lift
• Bend at the hips, not the low back, and push the chest out, pointing forward. Then, bend your knees and lift with your leg muscles, keeping your back straight
• Keep your loads light and do not lift an object that is too heavy for you
• If you must lift a shovel full, grip the shovel with one hand as close to the blade as comfortably possible and the other hand on the handle (handle and arm length will vary the technique)
• Avoid twisting the back to move your object to its new location – always pivot your whole body to face the new direction
• Keep the heaviest part of the object close to your body at your center of gravity
• Walk to the new location to deposit the item rather than reaching or tossing

When gripping the shovel, keep your hands about 12 inches apart to provide greater stability and minimize the chances of injuring your low back.

Keep your feet on the ground
Slippery conditions while shoveling can lead to slipping and/or falls and strains that can injure your back. Shoes or boots with good treads will help to minimize injuries from slipping. Spreading sand, rock salt, or kitty litter on your sidewalk or driveway will increase traction and reduce the likelihood of slipping on the ice.

If possible, stop shoveling – use a snow blower instead. When used correctly, a snow blower can put less stress on your low back than shoveling. Avoid stressing your back by using the power of your legs to push the snow blower while keeping your back straight and knees bent.

Be a good neighbor
Elderly residents or residents with health problems that prevent them from shoveling snow may need help with their snow removal. Using your new knowledge about ergonomic snow shoveling, you can help your neighbors remain active and mobile during the winter months and help prevent them from sustaining an injury from icy walkways or trying to remove the snow themselves. If low back pain, recent back injury, or another back condition makes shoveling a hazardous task for you, ask for help from your neighbors or a snow removal service rather than attempting to remove the snow yourself.

These tips can help to make snow removal less of a strain on your low back. Keeping these guidelines in mind during the winter season will lessen the chances of a new back injury or worsening your low back pain while shoveling, and hopefully make your winter a healthier and more enjoyable experience.

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