Norton Accounting Services - September 2021

Norton Accounting Services - September 2021

NortonAccountingServices.com 985-640-6072 [email protected] SEPTEMBER 2021 NORTON NEWSLETTER EASE OF MIND • AVAILABILITY • FLEXIBILITY • INDIVIDUAL APPROACH • EXPERIENCE • TAX SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES THE REAL ESTATE TAX PRO ™

Wildfires Are Still a Growing Problem Fire on the Mountain

FROM THE DESK OF Bob Norton

Our animals are getting old. Sake, our mini- dachshund, is 15 and Charlie, our blind cat, is 14. Charlie isn’t totally

blind, because he can still see movement. It’s the stationary

items that give him trouble, like walls and furniture. He has the house mapped out pretty well mentally, but sometimes he gets his bearings off and runs into things, especially when he gets startled. Sake, on the other hand, is losing his sight and hearing due to old age. I think he’s getting nearsighted, because he can still detect large objects at a distance. He’s just not sure what they are. And, he can see little treats on the ground. He finds himself ending up in corners of the house. We say that he’s putting himself in “time-out.” He also gets lost under the kitchen table — too many legs to maneuver through. I’ve attached my favorite picture of Sake and Charlie wrestling when they were little. They paused for me to take their picture. Charlie is now as big as Sake.

Large wildfires are becoming more common than ever — and as western America is hit especially hard, we’re seeing new realities for many Americans across the board. You don’t have to suffer from asthma or live in the path of fire to be affected, either. Simply living downwind of a high-activity fire area is enough to change your life. In many places, winter isn’t always a respite from wildfires, as wildfires can smolder in the root system of trees or in the highly combustible beds of peat under an insulation of snow. The next spring, dry weather leads to that same fire system reappearing and burning new areas as soon as it’s able, and if a winter month is unseasonably sunny, warm, and dry, then this could happen when people are least expecting it. At the same time, the areas impacted by wildfires are growing. Is this just due to climate change? Perhaps. There’s no doubt that we’ve had a hot year, and anybody who remembers June and July may also remember wondering about how bad the fires would be in 2021. That said, there’s no exact correlation between fires and weather; at best, we know that hot, dry weather certainly doesn’t help.

One common issue is the “put it all out” mentality that dominated firefighting during much of the 20th century. People, including many scientists, argued that forest biology

–Bob Norton

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... continued from Cover went hand in hand with fire before man arrived on the scene. But when our structures faced threats to their security, the government declared war on all fire, and that allowed forests to become very overgrown — as compared to the healthy “wiping clean” of the underbrush every decade or so. Throw in the fact that an average wildfire can cause millions of dollars in damage, and it’s not hard to see how the Camp Fire in California, which destroyed entire towns, has many worried for the future of fire in this century. What happens if these fires continue to get worse? We might find an answer in the past. Back in 1910, we saw the first billion-dollar fire, burning in August of that year over a two- day period. It had been a bad season, and heat and drought made for a perfect tinderbox situation to be ignited by weather as well as by the embers floating away from the fire and across other areas. The most famous story from this fire came from Ed Pulaski, fire crew boss and designer of the Pulaski fire tool. Pulaski led his men into an old mining tunnel, the fire in hot pursuit, with Ed trailing in the back near the front of the tunnel to ensure none of his men were killed. They all survived, and though Ed lived with health

issues for the rest of his life after the incident, his story serves as an example of bravery and inspiration as we deal with wildfires in the 21st century. Will we ever see a summer without smoke? Of course. But that may be less common, and it doesn’t mean we have to stop enjoying the summertime. So, remember to be safe, drink plenty of water, and bring your mask, even if COVID-19 isn’t as much of an issue in your city. If the fires start up late in the season, you may be glad to have it!

5Ways to Fit Extra Movement Into Your Day

No. 2: Drink more water. Drinking plenty of water is healthy for flushing out bacteria in your system, but it’s also a great way of helping you get up from your desk. The more water you drink, the more times you’ll have to refill it in your kitchen or at the watercooler. And, on your way back to your workspace, take the long way around to say hi to your coworkers! No. 3: Stretch in doorways. Our shoulders and neck can quickly get sore from the amount of time we spend slouching in front of our screens. An easy way to relieve the stress is to press your hands on either side of a door frame, then lean forward as far as you can. If you don’t have a doorway to use, you can try doing shoulder shrugs or neck rolls right at your desk to ease some stress or even just clear your head. No. 4: Do more calf raises. One of the easiest exercises to do in public or at home are calf raises. Do this by simply raising your feet high off the ground one at a time. Squats and lunges are also easy to do but may require more flexible clothing than you’re wearing and a space where you can move freely. No. 5: Walk for all of your phone calls. Sometimes, people start walking naturally while they’re on a phone call. Why not make it an intentional movement every time you take a call? Studies show that walking will keep your body in high gear by encouraging energy and productivity!

If you’re restless at your desk, extra exercise and movement might be exactly what the doctor ordered. Even just a little bit of unplanned movement every day can help boost your mood and maintain good blood circulation. Here are five ways you can fit in extra movement without losing your productivity! No. 1: Park farther away. It might be more convenient to park as close to your destination as you can, but parking farther away can add some extra steps. It’s a small difference that certainly can’t replace regular cardio, but it doesn’t hurt either!

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YOU CAN SHARE WITH YOUR KIDS 2 Fun Family Card Games to Play With 1 Deck

Whether you’re hanging out at home or camping with the family, card games are a great way to relax. A single deck is versatile and easy to pack, so if you have one on hand, try these two games that go beyond the classics like War and Go Fish. 1. Slapjack (2+ Players, No Jokers): The goal of this War-style game is to win all of the cards. To start, deal all of the cards face down, then have everyone form their cards into a pile without looking at them. Each player then flips a card face up into the center. Continue doing this until one of the cards played is a jack.

When that happens, the first person to slap the jack wins it and the cards beneath! They add them to their deck, and play continues until one player has all of the cards. To keep things interesting, if you accidentally slap a card that isn’t a jack, you have to give up one of your cards to the player with that pile, and if you run out of cards, you can reenter the game by slapping the very next jack. 2. Spar (2–4 Players, No Ace of Spades or Cards Below 6): This easy game is played with just 35 cards, and the object is to win the last round (aka trick). To start, deal five cards to each player. Then, have the person to the left of the dealer lay one of their cards face up. Each person in the circle then plays a card in the same suit if they can or another suit if they can’t. Whoever has the highest card in the original suit wins the trick and starts the next one! The winner of the fifth trick wins the game. If you want to keep score, award three points if the winning card is a six, two points if it’s a seven, and one point if it’s an eight or higher. Then play again! We found these games on BicycleCards.com, but you can learn about them and dozens of others by checking out “The Ultimate Book of Family Card Games” by Oliver Ho from your local library.

Take a Break!

Easy Peach Cobbler Inspired by MyRecipes.com

Celebrate the end of summer — and peach season — with this simple and tasty peach cobbler!

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk • 4 cups peaches (fresh is best!) • 1 tbsp lemon juice • Ground cinnamon or nutmeg to taste

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter • 1 cup flour • 2 cups sugar, divided • 1 tbsp baking powder • Dash of salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, add butter and place in oven. Remove when melted. 2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then pour in milk and stir until the mixture is smooth. 3. Pour the batter over the melted butter, but don’t stir! 4. In a pot, bring peaches, lemon juice, and remaining sugar to a boil. Stir constantly. 5. Pour peaches over batter, but once again, don’t stir! 6. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg, then bake at 375 F for 45 minutes.

Labor Maple Sports Windy

Fall Golden Grandparents Harvest

Abundant Apples Cookout Crunchy

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Norton Accounting Services, LLC

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Bob PAGE 1 Wildfires Still a Growing Problem PAGE 1 5 Ways to Keep Yourself Moving PAGE 2 2 Fun Family Card Games to Play With 1 Deck PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Easy Peach Cobbler PAGE 3 Willie the Parrot: The Ultimate Danger Alarm PAGE 4

Willie the Quaker parrot was a pretty remarkable bird. Like many parrots, he had a knack for mimicking certain sounds and words, including barking dog noises, human kissing noises, and a fair share of swear words. However, what made Willie a hero one day was not just what he said, but also when he said it. Meagan Howard, Willie’s owner, brought him over to her friend Samantha Kuusk’s house while she babysat Kuusk’s little daughter, Hannah. Hannah and Willie were both in the kitchen while Meagan prepared a Pop-Tart for Hannah’s breakfast. After placing the Pop- Tart on the table, Meagan stepped away to use the bathroom. While she was away, however, Hannah got her hands on the Pop-Tart and began to scarf it down, lodging a piece in her windpipe. She started choking and was unable to signal to Meagan that something was wrong. Luckily, Willie came to the rescue. Willie began squawking and shrieking, saying the words “Mama! Baby!” over and over again. In a matter of moments, Meagan knew something was wrong. She rushed to the kitchen to find a very frantic Willie the Parrot: The Ultimate Danger Alarm

Willie and a very blue Hannah. Meagan jumped into action. She grabbed Hannah and performed the Heimlich maneuver until the Pop-Tart piece dislodged itself and shot out of her mouth. Meagan may have been the one to stop Hannah from choking, but she insists that Willie was the real hero of the story. If he hadn’t used his unique mimicking skills to get Meagan’s attention, she doesn’t know what would have happened. It’s worth noting that before that incident, Willie had never used the phrase “Mama! Baby!” before. He knew something was wrong, and he knew how to get help.

Shortly after the incident, Willie received the local Red Cross chapter’s Animal Lifesaver Award for his heroic actions.

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