The Mirium U. Hoover Discover Center located at the Living Desert in Palm Desert California, will officially open to the public on November 6, 2010. The $4.7 million center, near Gecko Gulch and the picnic grounds, will provide members, guest and students a wonderful and interactive experience to discover the desert in the Coachella Valley. The overall intent of the Discovery Center is to show people how the Coachella Valley has changed over time, in an interactive way. The Living Desert is going to take guests on a long journey through the Coachella Valley's past and present. With 3,600 square feet of room, the facility is a desert master piece. The center was made possible through large contributions by Miriam U. Hoover, a Living Desert supporter, and Louise and Ray Knowles, who have an exhibit in the center named for them.

(Courtesy The Living Desert)

The center will be open during Living Desert business hours - - -

The Living Desert was established in 1970 by several trustees of the Palm Springs Desert Museum who foresaw the impact that resort development would have on their local desert ecosystem. This foresight led to an interpretive nature trail and preserve in Palm Desert. Among the trustees was Philip L. Boyd who also founded the Riverside campus of the University of California and the Deep Canyon Research Station in Palm Desert. Among his first tasks was to hire a resident naturalist. This person turned out to be a young woman with energy, intelligence and ambition, as well as experience as a zoo keeper and park ranger, plus graduate work in wildlife biology. Karen Sausman is now beginning her thirty-ninth year as President and CEO. Her vision and love of the desert, shared by Philip Boyd and by our members, volunteers, staff, trustees and friends, have built The Living Desert.

Posted by stevie | OCTOBER 28, 2010
The Living Desert Mirium U. Hoover Discovery Center, Preview, Cocktails and Ribbon Cutting - - Mon., Nov. 1st 2010, 4:00PM - 6:00PM -
Members Only, RSVP Required

Posted by stevie | OCTOBER 15, 2010
Construction Jargon Terms

You might have heard such Home Builder Construction Terms such as slump, bird mouth or jitter bug and wonder how these words could refer to Home Construction.

An experienced contractor will be able to tell pretty fast if anyone is knowledgeable with Construction Terminology. As in any profession, communication is one of the most important aspects of the job. If people cannot understand what is being discussed, the likelihood of making mistakes increases and can affect the overall quality and progress of the project.

Construction Terms are used from the home foundation stage all the way through to the final finish stage. In the home foundation stage, Construction Terms such as bull float, slump, jitter bug, honey comb , grade beam, etc are a few of many home building jargon terms that will be necessary in order to communicate in the work of this stage of home construction. The house framing stage is another critical stage in the construction of a home. in the work of this stage you might hear Home Builder Jargon terms such as stud, barge rafter, bird box, hip, gable, stringer, ceiling joist, or header.

The construction method of building a home is a complicated method if looked at as a whole. However, if the total method is broken down in to categories that pertain to particular task, the method will appear a lot less complicated. i have broken the total method down in to categories that I feel generate a critical path in the construction of a home. Having a knowledge Construction Terms and each category is important but knowing how these categories relate to each other is even more important.

For example, in the framing category you might see Construction Terms such as "blocking" or "deadwood". These are extremely important Construction Terms and show the necessity for a nice Construction Dictionary or glossary. The home builder jargon term "blocking" can refer to towel bar blocking, curtain blocking, handrail blocking, or tub blocking. The home builder jargon term "deadwood" is a House Framing jargon term that refers to pieces of wood that are nailed in place in order to be able to secure something in the future. Both of these Home Construction Terms are extremely important as they must be completed before the sheet rock category. Having the knowledge of these Construction Terms and how they can affect future work is extremely critical. Without all the essential blocking completed in the framing stage, the installation of accessories and other critical items such as handrails will be impossible in the finish stage.

You should be able to see that because of the above example, that knowing some of the key Construction Terms can be an extremely important tool to have in the work of a home construction project. So learn your construction terminology; you and your contractor will be able to communicate and benefit from a job well done.

BLOG ARCHIVES

AUGUST 2011
JULY 2011
JUNE 2011
MAY 2011
APRIL 2011
MARCH 2011
FEBRUARY 2011
JANUARY 2011
DECEMBER 2010
NOVEMBER 2010
OCTOBER 2010
SEPTEMBER 2010
AUGUST 2010