Associated Press

Spring cleaning for your chimney

Many of us will soon be spending more time in the backyard than by the fireside, and now is a good time to think of giving the chimney its annual spring clean.

"Generally, if you have the chimney cleaned now, you'll avoid having the odor of the dirty chimney all through the summer -- and you're liable to forget to do it later," said Zandy Talmage, owner of the Absolute Chimney Service, Kennebunkport, Maine.

Talmage's company cleans chimneys, but they're also fireplace and chimney inspectors, and he pointed out that cleaning includes a timely inspection. "It gives you an idea of what may be wrong, and gives chimney repairers lead time to do things that need to be done, before next season."

About the damper: "If there are gusty winds, odor or ashes may blow down into your rooms, so it's best to keep it shut," he said. "But if you leave it open, it does give you some movement of air, some ventilation." Compromise by keeping it open a little, he suggested.

He mentioned a neat idea he's seen around in the stores: Tags to put on the damper handle or fireplace screen, worded with "open or "shut" -- just to remind you.

What do you do with the empty fireplace?

"What we do around here, the ones I see, people put in two or three birch logs. You can also fill it in with a fan, like a Chinese fan that you unfold in place. I've seen them in brass in this fan shape -- they look like peacock feathers."

Dave Pennell, owner of Maine Stove and Chimney Co., Sanford, Maine, also recommended spring cleaning. It's not only easier to get the job scheduled -- sweeps are not as busy as later in the year -- but you may also get a price break.

"A lot of the larger chimney sweep companies in the country do what we call 'forward scheduling,' because we can schedule a whole lot of people in the same area at the same time and do it more economically," he said.

Talmage and Pennell are Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified chimney sweeps. The CSIA is a nonprofit organization based in Plainfield, Ind., "dedicated to chimney and venting safety." The CSIA says there are some 1,800 certified chimney sweeps across the country and offers advice on how to choose a chimney sweep. You can find a local CSIA certified chimney sweep on their Web site or by calling the CSIA at 317-837-5362.

http://www.absolutechimney.com

http://www.csia.org

http://www.ncsg.org

Easy ways to give your home a spring look

It needn't cost much to give your home an instant spring feeling, said Robyn Arvedon, national spokeswoman for HomeGoods stores, speaking from company headquarters in Framingham, Mass.

"People are eager to make a change, wherever they live in the country. I think the clocks changing a little earlier this year added to this urge," she said.

So what can you do for a new spring look?

"First off, wherever you live, just look outside your own windows and use what you see there," Arvedon said. "Be inspired by what's outside and bring something of it inside."

Specifically:

* Change the color palette in your rooms, pick brighter, spring colors.

* One inexpensive idea: Put away your heavier pillows, change to covers with light fabrics and textures, perhaps in taupes and soft greens, suggesting the outdoors.

* Bring in an area rug to lay over or replace your heavier, permanent carpet. Try a light sisal rug, aim for something brighter and fresher.

* Lighting has so much to do with mood, Arvedon said. "So many houses just don't have enough light." This is a good time of year to add extra lighting or bring in a new inexpensive lamp. Change light bulbs to add wattage, or replace older bulbs, which tend to go yellow with age.

* Take a ceramic planting urn that you usually have in the garden and put it on the dining room table, filled with branches from the garden -- which may well have buds on at this time of year.

* Finally, bring in some wild life. "The big trend in decorating this season is animals -- birds, bees, butterflies," Arvedon said. Bring them into your house as designs on textiles, or as ornaments in iron, wood or ceramic.

Further suggestions for a spring look, from Target's spring home collection:

* Towels in rainbow colors or a bamboo-print shower curtain are easy ways to change the look of a bathroom.

* When it comes to the garden, small touches, such as colored glass lanterns, a market umbrella and well-chosen plant pots add up to a lot of style.

http://www.homegoods.com

http://www.target.com

Don't rush to 'save' baby wildlife

Spring is wild-animal birthing season and it's a worrying time for Laura Simon, field director of urban wildlife for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

Calls about seemingly abandoned baby animals are already coming in to the Humane Society, and she and other wildlife officials know that people's mistaken concern may prompt them to do the wrong thing -- and actually create orphans.

"They have a big heart and good intentions but when they see an adorable baby animal alone they assume it needs help and that may not be the case," she said, speaking from her Woodbridge, Conn., office, where she also runs a national wildlife hot line year-round for the Washington, D.C.-based society.

The baby season runs from March to September. Simon's advice if you see a baby animal alone is, first, caution: "Don't move it. Watch and see if it's really orphaned or can get back to mother."

For example: Fawns and baby rabbits are often left alone by the mother for long periods to avoid attracting predators -- the babies are odorless, the mothers are not.

Some of Simon's guidelines:

* The animal's vocabulary may tell you if something's really wrong, if it's vocalizing. Animals usually keep quiet.

* If there are tics and fleas on the baby, that means mom's not around.

* If a bird on the ground is a real baby, without feathers, gently put it back in the nest. A fledgling may have left the nest normally, learning to fly.

With animal families in the house: "We try to persuade people to evict rather than trap -- if they trap parents, they may orphan a whole litter."

Her remedy for pesky raccoons and squirrels in your buildings: Ruin their peace and quiet. "Radio or loud rock 'n' roll is your best weapon. Use it strategically to drive wild animals away."

More detailed guidelines to help figure out if there's a problem are offered at a Humane Society Web site, http://www.wildneighbors.org.

Finally, if you're convinced something is really wrong, get in touch with a wildlife rehabilitator. These are primarily volunteers, licensed by state wildlife or fish and game agencies through whom you can contact the rehabilitators. A local animal shelter or nature center may also be able to give you a contact.

http://www.wildneighbors.org

http://www.humanesociety.org.

National HSUS wildlife hot line: 203-389-4411.