Weekly Shhhout-Out

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ve probably noticed that we seem to have lost a season somewhere between fall and spring. And now it appears that we’re headed straight for summer, albeit about three months too soon. No matter what season we started on yesterday’s Vernal Equinox, your local MCPL branch can help you enjoy it or spend it productively.

 

On the productive side, spring is everyone’s favorite time to spruce up house and home. Check out the 648.5s for a selection of helpful reads on cleaning and organization.  (Clutterbugs should check out the 648.8s.) For the digitally inclined, check out an electronic copy of titles such as The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Cleaning.  EBSCOHost Masterfile is the place to look for Consumer Reports ratings of vacuums, cleaning products, and other related items. For those who would prefer to have others do their (ahem) dirty work for them, the Washington Consumers’ Checkbook online (in-branch use only) offers customer ratings for everything from air duct and carpet cleaners to power wash and housekeeping services. (And while the cleaning crew is at your house, why not take your car for a spin to one the area’s best car washes, according to the WCC.)

 

Once you’ve maxed out on productivity, take some time to enjoy the warmth and sunshine. Check out a local park or hiker/biker trail. (Rock Creek Park, Brookside Gardens, and the Capital Crescent Trail are some of my faves.) Root on your favorite local softball or baseball teams or go pro and take in a game at Nationals Park in D. C. (could this finally be the winning season Nats’ fans have been waiting for?) or Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore (now celebrating its 20^th season), both within 40-45 minutes of Montgomery County. Of course, the crown jewel of this season in our area is without a doubt the famous cherry blossoms, gifted by Japan exactly 100 years ago. It appears this week may be the best one to catch them (just as the expanded 5-week Festival kicks off). Did you know that some of those prized trees reside right here in our county? You could also take a page from Mary Poppins (not literally, please!) and go fly a kite at the Blossom Kite Festival on the National Mall.