ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL

It's a big week for football in the Grande Ronde Valley and it looks like mother nature is going to give us some good weather to go along with it!  Several teams are playing in the area this week.  Do yourself a favor and go see a game. The schools in the area all have great facilities, good concessions and a wonderful atmosphere for fun!  Cove plays in Imbler Friday afternoon at 2pm in an important 1A Old Oregon League matchup. This game between old rivals could very likely determine the eventual league champion.  If you've never seen 8 man football, go see this game! The 8 man game is fast, high scoring and super fun to watch.  The La Grande Tigers are hosting Mac High Friday night at 7pm.  Come support the Tigers as they continue to improve each week.  Nothing like "Friday Night Lights" in October!  And last but not least, the EOU Mountaineers will be hosting Carroll College Saturday at 1pm. Carroll College is currently ranked 3rd in the national polls and are coming to town looking for revenge after a loss to EOU early in the season.  This will be an excited action packed game and the stands will be filled with enthusiastic fans.  Come root on the Mounties to a second victory over Carroll College this season!!!  

Fall Lawn Care

Labor Day through Halloween is your window for preparing lawns for a lush spring.  Although spring lawn care gets all the attention, fall lawn care is the make-it or break-it season for grass. Fall lawn care is no walk in the park.  It's hard work and here are four basic steps.........
1.Aeration-Aeration gives your lawn a breather in autumn and provides room for new grass to spread without competition from spring weeds. Aeration tools pull up plugs of grass and soil, breaking up compacted turf.  That allows water, oxygen, and nutrients to reach roots, and gives seeds room to sprout. If kids play frequently on your lawn, plan to aerate twice a year-if not, then aerate every year or every other year.
2. Seeding-Fall is the best time of year to seed your lawn.  Turf roots grow vigorously in fall and winter. Bags of inexpensive seed often contain annual rye grass seed, which grows until the first frost and drops dead.Splurge on the good stuff (Kentucky Blue Grass produced right here in the valley) which resists drought and disease.
3. Fertilizing-Fall fertilization helps your grass survive a harsh winter and helps it to grow in the spring. Make your last application count by choosing a product high (10-15%) in phosphorous, which is critical for root growth.
4. Mulching- Instead of raking leaves, run over them a couple times with your mower to grind them into mulch.  The shredded leaves protect grass from the winter wind........and as an added bonus..... shredded leaves decompose into organic matter to feed grass roots.

MOUNTAINEERS!!!!

We attending the home opener for the EOU Football team over the weekend. What a great time!  If you haven't been to an EOU football game for a while, I suggest you put it on the calendar for this fall. The game was exciting, the stands were full and the EOU Athletic Dept has done an outstanding job in presenting opportunities to have fun.  The tailgate area will prove to be a winner. Music,  awesome sponsors and tons of fans were all there. If you want to join in the fun, call the EOU Athletic Dept to reserve a spot.  There are big screen TVs at the concession areas so you don't miss a thing while you wait for your hot dogs, a vendor for EOU gear, outstanding areas for Boosters and, in general, an amazing way to spend a fall afternoon!!  This is NOT the Mountie games of old.  Show up, root the Mounties on and take in a wonderfully presented event next Saturday........  You won't be sorry!!!!  

The Power of Positive Thinking

I have always believed that your attitude truly does control the things that happen in your life. If you expect positive things, your life will have positive things-the opposite is also true.  I came across this article written by John Boe and thought is was worthwhile to pass along....... Hope you enjoy it!

Yes, there is magic in positive thinking! In aviation, the word attitude means the angle at which the plane meets the wind, whether the wings are level with the horizon,and whether it is climbing or descending.  The pilot who fails to take responsibility for the attitude of his aircraft is in serious trouble. Likewise, any person who has not taken charge of his or her own beliefs and attitudes runs a similar risk. The key to cultivating and maintaining a positive mental attitude is to take control of your thinking and avoid negative minded people. It's a challenging task to develop a calm, focused mind, but well worth the effort.
Every setback and failure you experience also comes with a great opportunity. When one door closes, a window of opportunity opens. The key is to look for the opportunity and avoid dwelling on the failure. Think thoughts of defeat and you are bound to be defeated. React in anger and negativity controls you. Your attitude is not determined by circumstances, but by how you respond to them. You determine your attitude; you always have the choice to respond either positively or negatively. What happens to a person is less important than what happens within them.
The great inventor, Thomas Edison, was known for his positive attitude.  In December 1914, the Edison Laboratory was almost entirely destroyed by fire. Edison lost $2 million worth of equipment and the records of much of his life's work. The morning after the fire, as the 67 yr old inventor walked among the ashes, he was anything but defeated.  Looking around, he remarked, " There is great value in disaster. All my mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew."  Yes, there is magic in a positive attitude!!!

YOU BET WE ARE EXCITED!!!!

We have recently added a new agent to the RE/MAX Real Estate Team family and we couldn't be more excited!  Patty Glaze has joined the team and is just getting settled in to her new desk, new system, new address and new work life.  She comes to us with over 25 years of real estate experience in all phases of the trade.  Her depth of knowledge includes residential as well as commercial and development projects of all sizes.  We are so happy to have her on board with her great sense of humor and unbelievable focus on the clients she serves.  Her integrity and work ethic will make her fit right in to the team here.  Come by the office and say "hi" to her and check out her new work life.  You can reach her at 541-963-1000 or on her cell at 541-786-0038.  Please help us welcome her to the family!!!

Independence Day

Don't forget to celebrate Independence Day July 4th.  This day is not just a reason to go camping, fishing, cook hotdogs and throw firecrackers in the driveway.  This day represents what makes it so you CAN do all those things in the best country in the world, the best economic system in the world and where personal freedom is still held near and dear.I think sometimes it is easy to lose sight of how great a life we have-even at its worst-when we are being bombarded by negative economic comments and constant criticism of the system and of a military made up of normal men and women like us who do the best they can to make sure we continue to be free.  Take a few minutes away from roasting hotdogs and grilling burgers this weekend and reflect on how great this country of ours truly is!  Thank someone in the military for protecting the greatness we are all able to enjoy and thank your ancestors for doing the hard work so we can live the easy life.  God Bless America!!

Flurries and Fireworks

If our office is any indication of what the general market is doing in La Grande, then the market is doing fairly well.  We have had a flurry of activity within our office since late fall 2010.  That flurry has continued through the spring and is now following us into summer-Yes it is here and is arriving painfully slow.  We are seeing a good level of buying and selling throughout most price ranges.  We have such a great group of agents in our office and it does my heart a lot of good to see everyone doing so well.  We have a fun group that works hard and does things the way they should.  Nice to know that the rules are important to this group.  It sure makes it easy to sleep at night.  Come see if you are considering a move.  We are always excited to meet new clients!

Don't forget, we have a great fireworks display in La Grande on Independence Day.  The Fireworks committee has left us a ton of tickets for a raffle they are sponsoring to raise funds to continue having this great event.  Stop by to get some tickets and/or make a donation to the committee. This is a wonderful event that we are very proud to help support.  Please join us in supporting them.  Come see us at Community Stadium.  We'll be there!!!!