Swimming with Manatees? Why not! Swimming with the manatees is one of the most incredible things to do in Florida. Manatees also known as Sea Cows are very playful aquatic mammals that visit the springs in Citrus County year round. The average adult manatee is roughly 10 feet long and weighs somewhere in between 800-1,200 pounds! The springs in Citrus County maintain a 72 degree temperature which gives the manatees a perfect place for swimming. Citrus County is the only legal place that you can swim with these magnificient creatures, so if you have never seen a manatee up close, nows your chance!

Florida’s Nature Coast Charter Co. is one place that offers year round manatee tours as well as other great ways to spend a hot day in West Central Florida. It is conveniently located on West Fort Island Trail in Crystal River, Florida. Swimming with these ‘gentle giants’ could be a once in a lifetime opportunity, take advantage of it!

When adding curb appeal to your new Hernando or Citrus County, Florida home, why not add some medicinal herbs to the bunch? Many people grow herbs to add flavor and enhance the taste of cooking, however, herbs are also used for medicinal purposes as well. Adding herbs to your garden will bring beautiful flowers and color to the outside of your home and if you plant them by the front door they add a wonderful aroma as well. You can also plant them in between vegetables and other plants to repel certain insects and pests from the rest of your garden. A few amazing herbs that grow well in the sunny climate of West Central Florida are listed below with just a couple of their medicinal properties.

Catnip - Catnip tea has been used for thousands of years. It can be used to help as a sleep aid, ease menstrual pain and also when applied directly to the skin, makes for a great insect repellant. Let’s not forget, your cat’s will love it, too!

Chamomile - Chamomile has the reputation of a whole-body healer. It can be used as a sleep aid, anxiety relief, digestive aid, menstrual pain, diarrhea, fever, colds, congestion, headaches. You can also grind up some Chamomile flowers, add some water and oatmeal and use it to treat skin irritations such as ulcers, infections, rashes, and burns.

Garlic - Garlic is referred to as the ‘miracle food’ and for good reason, there is not much that this herb can’t do. Garlic has been proven to fight infection, thin the blood, alleviate high blood pressure, lower cholesterol, stimulate the immune system and ear aches. Garlic contains a substance called Allicin, which has anti-bacterial properties that are equivalent to a weak penicillin. However, cooked garlic seems to lessen these effects. So, it seems that taking this herb raw is the way to go. The lingering odors that are associated with garlic is not an old wives tale, it is very, very real. I suggest making a tincture that will lessen the odor and keep your friends around! For cough, flu, and respiratory ailments, you can make a cough syrup out of garlic. Take a pound of fresh garlic, slice it and pour a quart of boiling water over it. Let it sit for 12 hours, and add sugar until you reach the a syrup-like consistency. You can add some honey for a much better taste.

Lemon Balm - Lemon Balm is one of the better tasting herbal teas. It aids in easing congestion and stuffiness when you have the cold or the flu. It’s great for fevers, respiratory infections and stomachaches, it can also calm the nerves and aid in digestion.

Enjoying the benefits of reaping what you sow in your garden can be a fun and wonderful forgotten art. Although many herbs can help us, there are also many that are harmful. Just because herbs are natural does not mean that all of them are safe. Take caution when preparing herbal remedies. Educate yourself or talk to a professional before ingesting any herbs that your body is not familiar with.

Other related articles that you may be interested in

Adding Flowers to Your new Hernando and Citrus County Home
Creating a Butterfly Garden in Hernando and Citrus County
Organic Gardening in Hernando and Citrus County

Moving can be a stressful time for the family. When you’re relocating with pets, it can be twice as stressful. Below are some tips to make things a little easier during the move.

Make sure that you visit your regular vet before moving. Your vet should be able to provide you with a certificate that would note your pets health and list all of it’s vaccinations. This will provide the vet that you choose in your new town with all the history that they will need for your pet.

When traveling by car, bring a leash and a collar for your pet, for any potty breaks that they will need on the drive. Have a tag made up to put on your pets collar, that provides the pets name, your name and a phone number where you can be reached. Bring a litter box, litter, scooper and plastic bags for your cat. Try and keep your pets on their normal schedule while traveling. Always keep a First Aid Kit with you in the vehicle.

If bringing a pet carrier or a crate (I highly recommend that you do) be sure that the carrier is big enough for your pet to stand up, turn around and lie down. The crate should be ventilated and have sturdy handles.

If your going to be staying over night somewhere during your travels, double check on the pet policies of where you will be staying. If your going to be traveling by some other means than a car. Be certain that you know all the pet policies that your means of travel enforce.

Have a recent photo taken of your pet, this will make it easier to find, just in case something goes horribly wrong.

Photo Credit: Jessica Gross

After purchasing your new home in Citrus County, Florida, you may be wondering where to start taking in all the natural beauties that surround Citrus County. Below is a list of all the boat ramps this charming little community has to offer.

CHASSAHOWITZKA RIVER CAMPGROUND & RECREATION AREA - This ramp allows acces to the Chasohowitzka River and the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. Take US Hwy 19 in Chassahowitzka, Florida turn west onto W. Miss Maggie Drive (CR 480). The campground is located straight ahead about 1.8 miles.

DUVALL ISLAND - This ramp allows access to Floral City Lake. Take Highway 48 from Floral City about .7 miles to South Duvall Island Drive. The boat ramp is located .1 miles ahead on left.

EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE - This ramp allows access to the Withlacoochee River. Take SR 200 west onto E. Withlacoochee Trail (CR39). Travel .1 mile along N. Oaks Way and E. Riverside Drive. The ramp is on the left of E. Riverside Drive.

MAGIC MANATEE MARINA - This ramp allows access to the Homosassa River. Take U.S. Highway 19 turn west onto Halls River Rd. travel 2.6 miles. Magic Manatee will be on the left.
If your not a boat owner, you can rent a boat or hire a guide to take you on a charter trip or just an excursion.

HERNANDO BEACH - This ramp allows access to Lake Hernando. Take U.S. Highway 41 in Hernando east onto E. Orange Drive. Travel about 1/4 mile. Hernando beach is on the left.

HOMOSASSA RIVERSIDE MARINA AND PUBLIC BOAT RAMP - This ramp allows access to Homosassa River. Take U.S Highway 19 and turn west onto Halls River Rd, a half of a mile
down, take a left onto Fishbowl Dr. travel another 2 miles down the road and the road will change to S. Cheroke Way. Take a right at stop sign to go to the Marina and the public boat
ramp is between Macraes and Riverside Marina.

FORT ISLAND GULF BEACH - This ramp allows access to Crystal River, Salt River and the Gulf of Mexico. Take U.S. 19 and turn west on W. Fort Island Trail. The park is 15 miles ahead on right.

GOLDENDALE - This ramp allows access to Lake Rousseau. Take U.S. Highway 41 N. and turn west onto CR 488. Travel 2.3 miles, take a right onto N. Goldendale Avenue. The boat ramp is .3 miles at the end of the road.

EDEN PARK - This ramp allows access to Lake Spivey. Take U.S. Highway 41, and turn east onto Eden Drive (just south of Inverness). Travel .5 miles to Park Lake Terrace and turn left.

Remember, if you don’t have a boat, many of these places will offer rentals, charters or guided tours!

The residents of Rainbow Springs in Dunnellon, Fl. are up in arms in regards to the new plan of Progress Energy’s to reactivate an old railroad spur. According to the Citrus County Chronicle, the new plan of Progress Energy’s would be used mainly during plant construction to bring in heavy components. It would connect the proposed two-unit Levy County nuclear plant with an existing railroad that is owned by Progress Energy on the east side of U.S. 41, north of Dunellon. These plants will not be up and running until 2016 or later, however, when the plants are operational they will produce enough electricity for about a quarter million homes.

The Woodland residents of Rainbow Springs that are opposing this proposed railroad have agreed to organize a formal committee called “The Rainbow River Railroad Committee”. They will be holding a public meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at the the Rainbow Springs Clubhouse.

With July being Recreation and Parks Month one of the most beautiful places to visit in Citrus County, Florida is Rainbow Springs State Park. Rainbow Springs is the fourth largest Florida spring. It welcomes all that are interested in swimming, paddling, snorkeling and those just want to lounge around. It’s a great place for a family picnics with a picnic area located at the spring that provides pavilions, tables and grills. Tubing is not allowed at the headsprings area however, a new Tubing Entrance to the park has been opened.

With admission prices being only $1 per person and the park being open from 8:00 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year, what better way to spend and afternoon of fun in the sun?

Happy Swimming!!

After purchasing your new piece of real estate in the Hernando and Citrus County Florida area, it’s time to spruce up your yard. Why not make it both beautiful and functional? When preparing to plant all of your pretty new flowers, choose some that are edible. During the hot summer months of West Central Florida try exploring a whole new source of food. Food that has been disguising itself as ‘just pretty flowers’ for years. Yes, it’s true! When picked just before your meal, you can mix them into a green salad, sprinkle them over homemade ice cream or freeze them to add to your summer ‘ade’ of choice, the choices are unlimited.

There are some rules to flower eating, however. Avoid eating flowers from florists, nurseries or picking roadside flowers, these sometimes can be sprayed with pesticides or polluted with exhaust fumes. Orgnically grown is always the best. Use only the petals and eat them in small portions at first to make sure that you don’t have any reaction to the flowers.

Calendula petals, also known as the pot marigold is great for using to accent soups and stews. Just let the petals dry out, they will still keep that orange and yellow color. Nasturtiums are good for salads with their spicy flavor. Nasturtiums grow from seed very easily and are beautiful bedding plants. Pansies are very popular for decorating desserts. With the striking color, they would be a great flower to freeze then add to summer drinks, as well. Bringing the beauty of your garden to your kitchen, somehow just makes the food taste better.

Overpricing your home can lead to not selling your home. Some sellers believe that pricing their home at a top dollar price is not harmful because they can always negotiate and lower the price at a later date. While this may be true, you may be setting yourself up for having your home listed for much longer than you had planned on. Leaving your home on the market for a long period of time will only cost you money in the long run. Home buyers are looking for a bargain. A price that is too high sends out the message that you may be out of touch with the market. Many buyers won’t be willing to start making offers if they feel like the seller is unreasonable. Another point to consider, is that a potential buyer may not want to offend the seller by making a lower offer, that it might weaken their chances of buying the property. This type of buyer will be content to sit back and wait for the seller to lower the price of the home before making an offer.

Before you put your home on the market, ask your agent to update the evaluation that was done on your home before you listed it. If the price range has changed, adjust the price before you place your home on the market. The best time to lower your price is as soon as you learn the price is too high. So, keep a close eye on the market, this will ensure that you are offering a good product at the right price.

With the summer heat of Hernando and Citrus Counties saving on your energy consumption has become a need. Becoming environmentally conscious and saving money at the same time sounds like a win-win.

A ‘green mortgage’ is a mortgage that favors the environment. These green home loans offer environmentally friendly perks. Some lenders offer free energy savings reports, carbon off-setting and cash back for energy saving home improvements. In some cases, lenders will plant a certain amount of trees for each loan, while in other cases some green mortgage lenders will make a donation to environmental causes on behalf of the borrower.

At this time, there are only a handful of green mortgage lenders that will offer a full green mortgage package. In August of 2007, Bank of America launched a “green mortgage program,” called the “energy credit mortgage program,” which will pay $1,000 back to buyers of new homes that meet Energy Star energy efficiency requirements. These types of mortgages are becoming more and more popular since homeowners are becoming more aware of the benefits of making their home environmentally friendly.

To qualify for a green mortgage, look into purchasing a new home that will meet energy efficiency guidelines. Hire a Home Energy Rater, a contractor who specializes in evaluating the
energy efficiency of your home, that will issue a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) report to you. A HERS report estimates energy savings, suggests any efficiency improvements, and gives you an estimate of the cost any improvements that need to be made. Having an environmentally friendly home will not only save you money on your day to day energy consumption but will make money for you in the future by raising your property value.

When getting your home ready to sell, take a critical look at your deck. Here in Hernando and Citrus Counties your deck is place where we gather for family funtions or just for the simple times when you want to sit back, relax and take in the beautiful nature wonderland that we call home.

Here, in West Central Florida your deck is subject to all kinds of different weather. The best thing you can do is keep your deck looking brand new by applying a heavy duty waterproofing sealant that is fade resistant and pressure clean your deck at least once a month. These few steps, will insure that your deck doesn’t get dull and dingy.

If your deck is already in trouble, fixing it up is something most people can do on thier own. Clean off your deck and check to see if any of the wood is cracked. If any wood is cracked, you’ll need to sand these areas down. After all the cleaning and sanding is done, add some stain. You have the choice to change the color at this point, or keep it the same. After the stain is dry, apply a few coats of sealant to give it a great shine. Having a beautiful deck is always a great selling point to new home buyers.