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MAY 2020
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GROWING UP CONNECTED AND CURIOUS
LIFE LESSONS FROM ROBERT’S MOM
Sylvia Plath once said, “The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” I feel blessed to have a mother that couldn’t agree more. My mother has been a writer her whole life. She’s been a professional technical writer, but she’s also a published short story fiction writer. Like most adults, I’ve been lucky to learn many lessons frommy parents, but I didn’t really realize how valuable these lessons were until later in life. This May, in celebration of Mother’s Day, I couldn’t miss an opportunity to express
spiritual and took us to church every Wednesday and Sunday. Wednesdays were more of a Bible study, while Sundays were the usual church service.
I’m grateful for all those Wednesdays and Sundays. I still go to the same church I did growing up. From an early age, she taught us to value our community and surround ourselves with people who will help us go where we want to go in life. That’s helped me tremendously, in both my business and personal life. I’m very much a self-taught business owner and learned everything along the way. Research always helps, but nothing replaces the people I’ve met and learned from too. I’m so grateful that I’ve made all those friends, and I keep in touch with many, no matter where they are now. Even frommy earliest memories, I remember my mom nurturing my curiosity for business. When I was young, if there was an estate sale nearby, my mom would help me set up a stand to sell lemonade and snacks to hungry and thirsty shoppers. Then, when I was about 10 or 11 years old, I started getting
into magic tricks. I was super passionate about it, actually. My parents bought me different kits and cards to play around
“FROM AN EARLY AGE, SHE TAUGHT US TO VALUE OUR COMMUNITY
the awesome impact my mom has on my confidence as an entrepreneur and as a person. The lessons I learned from her feel deeply encouraging still, especially during this recent national crisis. Now that I think about it, my mom’s temperament was pretty impressive for howmuch she had on her plate. My momwas always there for us while our dad was working long hours. She was the involved disciplinarian, but she also almost never lost her temper or cursed; she knew how to roll with things, and I think I picked that up too. She juggled taking us to school, parks, restaurants, friends’ houses, and anyplace else we needed to go. There weren’t video games, so we didn’t stay indoors!
with. Then, when David Copperfield got into town for a show, my parents bought me exclusive tickets —my mom and I got to meet him after the show, and it was just us. No matter how unique my inspirations were, my mom supported them. I even put on my own magic show for the neighborhood, and we charged for entry. My mother was the assistant. We dressed up accordingly, and it’s one of my favorite memories with her. Moments like that made me feel like I could do anything because the people I cared about were willing to support me.
AND SURROUND OURSELVES WITH
PEOPLE WHO WILL HELP US GO WHERE WE WANT TO GO IN LIFE.”
This May, I hope you surround yourself with your loved ones and stay connected, digitally if nothing else. I also want you to know that our team is working harder (and cleaner) than ever —we want the time you spend in your beautiful garden to always feel like a rewarding, relaxing experience. Enjoy the rest of your month, friends; stay healthy and safe!
We already relied on her a lot, but she taught by example that we shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help. These days, I realize some people are afraid of being an extra burden to others, but my mom always seemed fearless about connecting with others to seek advice and help. Whenever my momwas worried, I saw that she’d talk with her church friends or those in her writing circle. My mom is very
Robert Burns
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JUMP INTO THE FUTURE WITH A WIFI SPRINKLER SYSTEM Complete Your Smart Home With a Smart Garden!
t BLG Environmental, we’re always looking for products that serve you and your needs, and we know how hard it can be to keep your garden beautiful while we’re away. Not
all sprinklers and irrigation systems were created equally. Luckily, technology is getting smarter and
more eco-friendly — and there’s nothing more eco-friendly than the technology that keeps your garden healthy and uses less water to do it. Hunter’s Hydrawise sprinkler system uses up to 50% less water while still giving your garden all the water it needs to thrive. What’s the secret? Hydrawise uses an exclusive, free resource called the Virtual Weather Station (VWS), which is created based on the geographic location of each controller. In an impressive accomplishment for recent irrigation systems, Hydrawise uses GPS and local weather readings to predict how much it needs to water your plants. Using complex algorithms, satellite data, information from nearby physical weather stations, atmospheric data from airplanes, and pressure
readings frommobile phones, it calculates a comprehensive and sharply accurate history of your location. Best of all, there is no risk of breaking an on-site weather sensor because the VWS’s accurate rainfall data is derived frommultiple local sources.
Hello friends! Teddy here, and I can’t believe how great it’s been lately. The small humans play with me all day, every single day! I hope everybody has a playmate or keeps in touch with one; life’s a lot more fun that way. Unfortunately, for some reason, everybody has a lot more time to give me baths. I don’t get why they’re necessary. It’s just mud — being a little dirty makes my short hair even cuter! (I heard someone say that once…) TEDDY’S PAW-SPECTIVE HOW TO ESCAPE PUPPY BATHS
Anyway, I know I can’t be the only puppy in the world that feels like bath time is a hassle. I mean, you have to sit in a tub and wait for people to scrub all through your hair, your teeth, your paws … which takes an entire five minutes. It takes SO long.
That’s why I wanted to give some advice to my friends that need to make a quick, soapy escape. Because let’s be honest: By the time you realize you’re taking a bath, it’s probably too late for you. They tricked you into thinking it’s playtime or gave you a yummy treat, but surprise! It’s a bath . First, keep your eyes on the prize: freedom. Make sure you look around as rapidly as possible. Your human won’t be able to tell that you’re trying to escape because they’ll be so busy trying to hold you down. I know, my plans are foolproof.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind getting soaked! When I’m thirsty, sometimes I’ll jump in the waterfall pond in the garden for a cold drink. Then I’ll come back inside and lay down on the warm carpet. Oh my gosh, it’s the best feeling! You should really try it sometime. I keep doing it to show my family how great it is. One day, they’ll get the message.
Second, there might be more than one human there. Find the smallest human and look at them like you want a treat. Which you do. You always want a treat. Sometimes they’ll turn around or pick you up, and that’s when you run! That’s it. Two steps. Enjoy your newfound freedom. I should mention that my humans do catch me every single time somehow. But I honestly think it might work out differently for you! I’ve been doing this for a year now, and it’s definitely going to work next time!
LANDSCAPE - HARDSCAPE - IRRIGATION - OUTDOOR LIGHTING
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OUR CLIENTS SAY IT BEST! BLG Environmental Services is amazing. Their work is stellar. The landscape design perfectly matched what we requested. The crewwas extremely professional. If you are looking for a landscape company that you can count on to do the job right, then you should go with BLG Environmental Services.” –Sam Bush
You don’t even need to be in the house to change the settings or control this high-tech product. This can be done via phone, tablet, or computer, and you can view, manage, and monitor your irrigation
controller from anywhere in the world and see just howmuch water you’re using and saving with descriptive graphs.
Other cool optional features, like the flowmeter, make it easy for Hydrawise to detect and notify you if any problems occur, such as broken pipes or leaks. With a flowmeter installed, you’ll know instantly where and what the issue is. Notifying the BLG team after a leak or problem is just one more chore that Hydrawise takes care of for you. Using Hydrawise is just as easy as integrating into and completing your smart home. It’s compatible with several industry-leading smart home products like
Control4 and Amazon Alexa, so you’ll never be out of the house worrying if you watered the plants again. If you’re interested in saving water and protecting your landscape investment — call 407.702.7905 to get started!
EASY OUT
WE MAKE YOUR OUTDOOR AREAS BEAUTIFUL
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BLGENVIRONMENTAL.COM 407.702.7905
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WE MAKE YOUR OUTDOOR AREAS BEAUTIFUL
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Mother’s Day With Robert Burns
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Completing Your Smart Home With a Smart Garden Teddy’s Paw-spective: How to Escape Puppy Baths
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Hear From Our Clients Take a Break
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Bird-Watching for Beginners
BIRD-WATCHING FOR BEGINNERS Why May Is the Best Month to Start
GO EXPLORING
Bird-watching is like a lifelong scavenger hunt that you can play anywhere on Earth. The activity provides a mixture of science, travel, and beauty, and it’s a chance to get outside for feathered adventures and quiet reflection. The month of May is a great time of year to go birding because rising temperatures prompt spring migration. So if you’re eager to begin bird-watching, there’s no better time than now. Here are some tips to get started.
Purchase a field guide with pictures of each bird and maps of their range and use it to figure out where different birds live. From there, it’s easy to pick your first spotting goal. You can even get yourself extra excited by watching a few bird documentaries.
Your very first birding excursion is important because you don’t want to be overwhelmed or underwhelmed. So use your field guide to home in on a single bird and go find it. It may be local, or you can plan a trip to a specific bird’s natural habitat. Stay focused and don’t get distracted by other species. The thrill that comes with spotting your first bird will keep you coming back to find the rest. Bird-watching is a wonderful hobby because it’s easy to get started and can last a lifetime. As long as you can walk, drive, or look out a window, you can be a birder. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and find some birds!
GEAR UP
One of the best things about birding is that you don’t need a lot of equipment to do it. As long as you’ve got your field guide and comfortable walking shoes, the only other thing you’ll need is a pair of binoculars. And they don’t have to be fancy. As long as they can zoom in on faraway trees and perches, they’ll work for now. You can always upgrade later.
EDUCATE YOURSELF
Thousands of species of birds span all corners of the globe. That’s why finding them is an exciting prospect — there’s no end to the hunt! Start by researching birds that are native to your location.
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LANDSCAPE - HARDSCAPE - IRRIGATION - OUTDOOR LIGHTING
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