Forget the credit squeeze, get out of town, enjoy the fresh air, buy a home in the country.

If you've been unable to buy a metropolitan area home, take a look at rural America's neighborhood of Three Rivers. The commute to work could be a real trip, but it's also an opportunity to take the glass-half-full approach, slow down and work at home.
Either way, your dream home may await in a quiet pastoral setting, far from the din of city life. The market condition is freeing up more loan money for homes in bucolic settings. Call Team Diana to set up an appointment. We can give buyers an overview of our area, prequalify buyers, and answer questions.

Individuality

Living in Three Rivers allows one to have the freedom to be who they are. There is no keeping up with the Jones' and everyone is accepted and appreciated for their uniqueness.

Having grown up and being educated in Three Rivers, my children are secure in who they are. They have recently gone into the world and are thriving and enjoying their individuality while holding dear in their hearts their small town roots.

One of my girls is glitzy and the other is earthy. Pictured is Tiffany at a photo shoot and with her Slovakian model boyfriend; Hailey with her friend playing music on the Santa Monica pier, rafting the American River and with her boyfriend. Children are a blessing and so is living in Three Rivers!

First Snow

Waking up early in Three Rivers is glorious. This morning as the darkness was turning to dawn, my husband and I bundled up to enjoy our morning coffee and quiet time alfresco. It was a thrill to step out onto our front porch and view the freshly snow dusted mountains.

Every day we are thankful to live and work in such a beautiful place!

Watch our teamdiana.com website for the four new listings acquired this week. Also, Team Diana will be posting two new sold signs this week. We are rejoiceful to be busy during this season!

Decorating Safely For The Holidays

The holidays should be merry and bright, but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns consumers that the holidays also bring the dangers associated with the improper use of decorative lighting. By avoiding such hazards as dried out Christmas trees, unsafe lights and unattended burning candles, thousands of holiday-related injuries can be prevented. By all means enjoy yourself this holiday season, but make following the fire/electrical safety tips outlined below a priority in your merrymaking so as to avoid any mishaps. Trees:
Look for the label "Fire Resistant" when buying an artificial tree. While this label does not mean the tree won't catch fire, it does signify the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.
Check for freshness when purchasing a live tree. You can do this by looking for deep green trees whose needles are hard to pull from branches and do not break when bent between your fingers. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin. When tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.
Be sure to place trees (artificial or live) away from fireplaces and radiators. Live trees dry out quickly in heated rooms so be certain to keep the tree stand full of water at all times.
Place trees out away from traffic paths and do not block doorways. Lights:
Use only lights that have been tested for safety by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or another recognized testing laboratory. A UL label indicates the lights conform to certain standards. Use only lights that have fused plugs.
Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Throw out damaged sets. Always replace burned-out bulbs promptly with the same type and wattage bulbs. Using the wrong bulbs can cause overheating.
Connect no more than three standard-size sets of lights together.
Make sure extension cords are rated for the intended use.
Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use.
When hanging light strings, stay away from the electric power lines that may run from utility poles to your home.
Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other mean of supports to protect the lights from wind damage. Use only insulated staples to hold strings in place, not nails or tacks. Or, run strings of lights through plastic hooks.
Since damage or a short-circuit could quickly start a fire, turn off all holiday lights when you go to bed or leave the house.
Use caution when removing outdoor holiday lights. Never pull or tug on lights – they could unravel.
Outdoor electric lights and decorations should be plugged into circuits protected by ground-fault circuit-interrupters (GFCIs). GFCIs have been installed on exterior circuits in new homes since the 1970s and can be added as a safety retrofit in older homes. Decorations:
Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.
Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down.
In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, keep tree trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to avoid the child swallowing or inhaling small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.
To avoid eye and skin irritation wear gloves and glasses or goggles while decorating.
When using artificial snow sprays, follow container directions carefully to avoid lung or eye irritation.
Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.
Remember, these tips are only general guidelines. Since each situation is different, contact a professional if you have questions about a specific issue. More home safety and maintenance information is available online at www.housemaster.com.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Diana Glass!

Free "Green" Money

Last month the “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008” was signed into law - a barely publicized “sweetner” to the Bill was an unlimited tax credit for installing some solar energy systems.
Solar Water Heating systems are approved for 30% of the cost of the system or up to $2,000. If you install Photovoltaic Systems (electricity via solar power) to your home you can claim up to 30% of the total cost! That’s a potential credit of around $7,500-$9,000 based on the cost of typical system.
Other items that are considered “energy efficient home improvements” are replacement windows, insulation, small wind energy systems and non-solar water heaters. The max claim amount allowed is up to $500 for these types of improvements.
How it works is if you install qualifying energy efficient products into your home from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009 you will earn tax credits. 2008 installations do not qualify for the tax credit so you’d better wait.
So now you can be rewarded for taking the time to make energy efficient improvements to your home and help save valuable resources at the same time.

New Listings

This ia a wonderful opportunity to live where you work! A breathtaking view and fine craftmanship await a new owner.

There is a great room with hardwood floors, river rock fireplace, and floor to ceiling windows looking out onto the High Sierras! In addition, this property offers a beautiful commercial kitchen.

Call for an appointment to see this property!

Looking down on the Kaweah Canyon in Three Rivers.

I just love to hike up above Three Rivers and look down on our town - you almost do not see a thing.

Our community has done a good job nestling development into the beautiful Oaks, Sycamore and Buckeye that blanket our hills and canyons.

We like to joke that there are 3 houses behind every tree in Three Rivers.

Where in the world would you ever find a place like this?

Second Time Around...

This home, once belonging to Vivian S., was in complete disrepair. Now, 50+ years later, a new owner has chosen to revive the home to it's former glory!

The knotty pine interior with natural river rock fireplace and original hardwood floors were all left intact. The wooden kitchen counter tops and cabinetry will be restored. This once delapited place will soon be called home and be filled with joy and laughter. Many wonderful family memories will be made here once again.

Larry Jules of L.M. Jules Construction says, " Being able to restore this original treasure is preserving a part of Three Rivers history."

Turkey Anyone?

My friend Shirley sent these photos to me that were taken from her deck. These turkeys have decided to call her neighborhood home. They visit her house daily and Shirley never tires of hosting the local wildlife.

Last week a client and I were viewing properties in the Alta Acres area. We parked and watched in awe as four male turkeys fluffed up, fanned their feathers and did a beautiful dance for the onlooking females.

Where in the world would you ever find a place like Three Rivers?

Another View Of My Home

Geoff Glass, who is the photographer extraordinaire for Team Diana, often delights us with new photos. This is a photo of my house from a hilltop behind us. I have not seen my place from this angle!

Each home in Three Rivers has unique and beautiful attributes. It is such a pleasure that no two properties are alike here!

This is a great time to purchase your own Three Rivers Shangri-La. Living in Three Rivers is like being on vacation every day... in your own backyard. Call Team Diana for more information (559)799-8201.

Diana's Raccoon Relocation Program - Post 3

I've Become a Relocation Specialist!

I'm 7 for 7.

I have been setting the Have-A-Heart trap every night for 7 nights and every morning there is another raccoon waiting to be relocated to the remote BLM wilderness.

I feel like a mountain woman!

In networking with my neighbors, I have learned that there were about 13 raccoons following a route from Fran's home where they drink water from her stream. They pass down the road to the giant oak along Kaweah River Drive near the Edison Power Plant where they feast on acorns and shred branches which drop in the road. From there they make their way across my neighbors footbridge and then across the fence at my home and onto my roof.

Each night I can hear the click of the trap as it closes on my next catch. In the morning before dawn I load my car with the trap and head out to the remote wilderness. Once there, I set out some food, open the trap and set them free. They do not seem to be any the worse for wear, and by now they should have quite a community going and not be lonesome at all.

I expect that I may have quite a few more relocation opportunities before the relocation project is complete. Last night was our first night of quiet with no varmints running around on the roof, yea!!!

In real estate there are offices that specialize in various kinds of real estate including "Relocation." I can now honestly say I have had more relocation experience than any other agent in Three Rivers.

First Fire

Fall is in the air! On Saturday night we returned from an outdoor dinner/murder mystery event quite chilled. As we entered our living room, our dear daughter had a welcoming, cozy, crackling fire burning. This was the first fire of the season for us.

As the night progressed our daughter, who was home from college for the weekend, regailed us with her adventurous stories. We listened wide eyed as visions danced in our heads of her hanging off of cliffs in our local mountains, exploring the ocean at the Central Coast, rafting class four rapids and basquing in the presence of the young man whom she loves.

Life is so good and peaceful in Three Rivers. It is a place to relax and enjoy! We are so thankful to have had the opportunity to raise our children in such a place. Now as empty nesters, we could not imagine being any place else!

Diana's Raccoon Relocation Program(Post 2) "Owls in our Attic"

When you live in a rural environment, you are living in nature and you will encounter wild animals.

In Three Rivers we get to see deer and bobcat, bear and snake and spiders and hawks and eagles, raccoon and skunk and more.

We are so blessed!

With that said, we do not want these wild animals to move into our homes. The following tale supports Diana's Raccoon Relocation Program.

"We've Got Bats in our Belfry and Owls in our Attic."

We returned from vacation and found that a barn owl had moved into the crawl space above our bathroom via an open air duct.

For about a minute, we were excited to think that a beautiful barn owl was nesting in our house. Then we realized that this big huge predator bird had built a nest; laid eggs and was calling this home.

What should we do? We decided to smok 'em out! I put up a ladder, donned a leather jacket, jeans, goggles and a helmet, and looking like a WW1 fighter pilot with smoke bomb in hand made my way to the entrance. My darling Geoff was hiding on the porch with his camera. I lit the bomb, threw it in the hole and ran. An owl came screeching out heading right for me just as I rounded the corner and ran into the garage. I ran up and nailed the opening closed and made it out of there just in time to miss the owl's return bombing run on the opening.

It was the male owl that came flying out and the female owl was still inside protecting her nest and screamed for two days. We had to stay in a motel. We could not get near the opening or take the chance of being killed by the male who was on guard in the oaks. When we finally could get up and take the board off the opening, we could see that the male had bloodied himself by attacking the door and it broke my heart.

Now they had won and pretty much took over. After consultation with various wild animal groups we found we were stuck with them until their young hatched and could fly. The gestation period would be 89 days and there was nothing we could do about the situation. It was awful!

First of all, owels are "up 'n at 'um" all night long! The sound of thundering hooves, clomp, clomp, clomp across the ceiling. The first time the mom and dad started moving around at night, we woke with a start and jumped out of bed to see what on earth was happening to our house. We banged on the ceiling to "scare them out". Several nights we poked at the ceiling with an umbrella which resulted in umbrella holes in our ceiling!! We were awakened many nights by the sounds of thundering hooves for the duration of their stay. We went to a motel on more than one occasion. After we closed of that side of the house we could not hear them quite so much.

Then there was the stench! Predator animals thrive on rodents, they go out early in the evening in search for food for their young. They bring their dead prey home to their loved ones. They eat their prey and then throw up their dinner for their young to eat. Kind of an owl's version of the food processor. Then of course there are the carcasses and a lot of bird poop up there too. Rotting, stinking and drawing awful bugs that prey on dead animals. I shudder to think! Our bathroom smelled so bad we could not use it, and flies came down from the crawl space through the light fixtures. We had to block the bathroom off and not use it for at least 2 months.

We pretty much got used to them. Of course we could not use half of our house for the entire time. Then one day Geoff said he thought he saw the babies flying around the yard. We gave them a little more time and then I once again donned my assault garb, climbed the ladder and stuck a spotlight in front of the entrance. They were gone in one night. They moved to the trees over our house, all five of them in a row, mom, dad and three babies, sat and screamed at us for 3 nights.

Then we got out the power nozzle for our watering hose and when they took their place on the branch of the old oak tree, I let 'em have it! I blasted 'em out of the tree with a riveting burst of water. It was a standoff for two nights and then they were seen no more. It was over.

I peeked in the hole to see what was in there and the sight was disgusting. Carcasses and encrusted bird shit two inches thick. We had to replace the entire ceiling and joists.

I still love owls, they are so beautiful and I treasure their presence. When I see them fly through the yard it takes my breath away - and then they are gone. Owl's gave me perspective on the racoons that have been trying to nest on my roof. Instead of saying how cute they are and how fun it will be to have them here, the smarter side of me said "get with the program", Diana's Raccoon Relocation Program.

Diana's Raccoon Relocation - Us or Them :-)

Aren't they just the cutest little things?

My husband and I live along the Main Fork of the Kaweah River and we have recently been bothered by Raccoon's. The pesky varmints have a path along the top of the neighbor's fence, across to our giant oak tree and up onto our roof where they make quite a racket in the middle of the night. The raccoon's get up in the oak and rip branches off the tree and eat the acorns. They drop the branches on the tin roof on our porch and our bedroom. In past years they have tried to nest on our roof and have pulled up shingles and created quite a mess.

There seems to be 3 families that visit us each night. The first family tramps around on the roof at about 9PM. The next appears at about 1AM and the third group comes at about 3AM. After a couple of years of this activity coupled with what seems to be a population explosion, we have decided either we need to relocate ourselves, or relocate the raccoon's. It's us or them!

We have put motion detector lights on the roof to see if that would scare them away. We have networked with professionals to see what they might suggest and have had no real solutions. A contractor friend suggested we install an electric fence around the roof, but we could not wrap the whole house and property with the fence so that did not seem like a solution. The most universal suggestion was to trap the raccoon's and relocate them to a wilderness area and that is our plan of attack!

We bought a "Have-a-Heart" trap at the local Mercantile and I set out to "relocate" the raccoons. This is my project as my husband is just sitting back watching to see what happens.

I am a farmers daughter from Wisconsin and these things do not faze me one bit! My father used to tell a story about pouring gasoline down the gopher holes and dropping a match in the hole and watching the gophers fly out the other end. One of my fathers friends tried that remedy and ended up burning down his garage. I hope I have better results from my endevor. I will let you know what happens.

Rain on a Hot Tin Roof in Three Rivers!

The sound of rain hitting a tin roof is one of my favorite things. Last night in the middle of the night the rain on the hot tin roof of our screened porch woke me. Ruby our Boxer was cold out in the porch and jumped in bed with us to get warm. The three of us snuggled up and listened to the welcome sounds of the first rain of the fall season.

This morning the rains had stopped and we went for a hike in the mountains. The rain started again and it just poured. It was great to smell the earth after the nights rain, to see that the moss on the rocks had already turned green and to see the earth washed clean.

It is October 4th, 2008. Mark your calendars. I pray this will be a wet season and that the snow pack in the park will be high. I pray the rivers will run full and that Kaweah Lake will fill to it's highest level. I dream of wild flowers blanketing the hills and a healthy season for the world.

TeamDiana.com would love to introduce you to Three Rivers - After all...where in the world would you ever find a place like this?

Laaaah Laaaaah Laaaaaah

The Concert on the Grass is one of the premiere events in Three Rivers. This was the 27th annual event and we had a wonderful time.

The concert is held on a grassy knoll in the shade of the giant oaks with birds soaring above lifted higher by the lofty sounds of great performances.



Concert goers bring blankets refreshments and enjoy a variety of performances including Classical Flamenco Guitar, Soprano Solo, a Quintet of Piano, Harp, Violin and Cello, Original Poems, Mezzo-Soprano and the Tulare County Symphony Brass Quintet.

Our community is steeped in arts and music. We have so much talent in Three Rivers.

Where in the world would you ever find a place like this?

NEW LISTING

Upon being called to preview a new listing, Diana and I geared up with our hiking shoes and walking stick. Selling property in Three Rivers is always an adventure. On this particular day, we did not know what to expect at the end of the mysterious trail that few had ventured on. As we reached the end of the trail, our jaws dropped open and we were speechless. Believe me, these pictures do not do this place justice. At the end of the gentle sloping trail, starring at us was a series of swimming holes and rapids like no other! Even as I type this I feel like I found a secret spot, almost sacred and am hesitant to share it with the world.

Only the new owner of this property will have the trail access through BLM property to this spot. After viewing this spot for the first time, I immediately though of bringing my love here ( with permission of property owner) for a picnic on our 24th wedding anniversary.

LOOK OUT

WATCH FOR OUR NEW LISTING ON THURSDAY!

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The bears are hungry in Three Rivers

Toady I called one of our clients to give hre a Team Diana update. She said, "Diana you will never guess what happened!" She went on to tell me that she had out of town visitors. They had borrowed their fathers car to make the cross country journey to Three Rivers. Upon their evening arrival, they enjoyed the sounds of the river and the sparkling stars above. In the morning, to their dismay, the rear bumper of their car was torn off and and all that was left was a mess and half of the unopened bag of dog food that was in their trunk.

Oh, I would be mortified if this happened to my guests. Everyone wants to see a bear when they come to Three Rivers and Sequoia National Park but certainly no one desires this kind of encounter.

Concert on the Grass weekend is a great time to visit Team Diana and to look at property

The Concert on the Grass is Saturday, September 27th.
There will be an art show proceeding the concert. The art show will feature about 10 local and out of area artists. The show will begin at 1:30 and the concert will begin at 2:30.

The Road to Mineral King

Mineral King Road leads from Three Rivers to the small mountain town of Mineral King, about 25 miles out a winding mountain road from Three Rivers. Mt. Whitney with peaks reaching a 14000 ft. elevation towers above.

Mineral King was an old silver mining community back in the 1800's. Disney discovered Mineral King back in the mid 60's and thought it was the most beautiful place in the world. It was Walt Disney's dream to turn Mineral King into a world class ski resort, but was thwarted by the first major success of the Sierra Club - Thank goodness. I cannot imagine what our foothill community would look like today if Disney had realized his dream.

Last weekend we headed to mineral King for a great hike and some homemade pie at the Silver City Resort.

About 8 miles out Mineral King Road you will drive across the old historic Oak Grove Bridge. The bridge spans the East Fork of the Kaweah River which is a series of pools and falls as the it drops in elevation from 14000 ft. to Three Rivers. The drive to MK winds along the edge of the canyon overlooking the river and is stunningly beautiful. The drive is winding and rugged and it takes about 2 hours to go 25 miles.
Mineral King is only open in the summer from about Memorial Day until mid September and closes after the first snow. This is the Silver City Resort where you can rent cabins and homemade pies are baked daily. I had rhubarb, mountain berry pie a la mode. It was tart and wonderful.
At about the 6000 ft. elevation we began to see the Giant Sequoia's which always take my breath away. The enormous size and red color make these giants stand out in the forest.
At the end of the road, the canyon opens up with Mt Whitney towering in the distance. This was early June and the wild flowers had not begun to bloom. Cabin owners were just starting to open their cabins from the winter. We hiked a small mountain trail along the stream and in no time at all we were in the snow. What a spot!

Studio Tour 8

Three Rivers has many talented artists and craftsman and biennially the Arts Alliance of Three Rivers sponsors an Artist's Studio Tour where local artists who open their studios and we get to see some wonderful creative work and the studios where the art is created.

This year 18 studios were on tour providing a great day exploring the area finding these hidden jules nestled in the Oaks.

Steeped in Arts and Music!

The 35th Annual JazzAffair sponsored by the High Sierra Jazz Club.
The Jazzaffair is a wonderful event in Three Rivers with people coming from all over the country to hear great Jazz in the foothills of the Sierra's. There are 3 venues around town with jazz playing full time for 3 days.

My favorite venue is the Lion's Roping Arena where music is played in a band shelter and we sit on the grass under the stars. I love live music of any kind as long as it is good - and this is good!

Our own High Sierra Jazz Band is famous and can be heard on cruise ships and other locations around the world.

The Jazzaffair is not the only music to be heard in Three Rivers. We have a Redbud Festival in May, performances at the Three Rivers Art Center, a Concert on the Grass in the Fall and live music at various locations every weekend.

Venture up to Three Rivers and relax along the river while enjoying some great music. We would love to see you here.