Cold Deer Here

Take these measures to prevent deer from ruining your landscape

By Tom Kahley

 

 

 

As the chill of winter fills the windows with frost, many people hunker down and become oblivious to changes outside. Or they simply wait for the spring melt to deal with the encumbrances the deep freeze inflicts upon them. With squalls, below-zero temperatures and ice rotating intermittently in a typical 10-day outlook, one of the only welcoming invariables in a Syracuse winter-weather forecast is WTVH-Channel 5 meteorologist Amber Wakefield.

 

But not all doe-eyed cuties are a delightful sight for cold eyes during the brisk season. As Jack Frost nips at their hooves, deer appear in residential neighborhoods with greater frequency than in warmer months and often damage yards as they forage and look for a warm place to take five in the winter wild.

 

David Riehlman, wildlife biologist for the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), points out a standard observation of deer behavior in the winter: If you see one, there are sure to be others not too far behind.
“Deer tend to travel in family groups and are more active during daylight hours when it is warmer out,” he says. “To conserve energy, they minimize their movements and will usually look for food near their sheltering area during the day and find shelter to lay out in by night.” Housing developments break up wind patterns and deer use the ample man-made thermal cover to protect themselves from inclement weather.

 

The main and most obvious reason that people witness deer loitering in their yard is because winter’s chill leaves their food resources exceedingly scarce. “During the warmer months, they typically graze on lush vegetation and take advantage of fruits and nuts within the confines of wooded areas,” Riehlman says. “But during the winter when that ration is depleted, they shift their prime food items out of necessity and their nutrition comes from chewing on twigs and buds anywhere they can get them.”

 

Deer find the landscape patterns of residential yards attractive because of the abundance of plants, trees and shrubs left exposed by gardeners on a winter respite. Riehlman states that if people want to minimize the negative effects of scavenging deer, they must prevent access to the vegetation they expect to re-blossom come spring. “The two most successful ways to prevent deer damage {to shrubbery} are temporary fencing and burlap wraps because they cannot see what is on the other side of the wrap,” he adds. “If they can see what’s there, they’ll go for it.”

 

Brian Underwood is a research biologist with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and an instructor in the department of Environmental and Forest Biology at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He professes skepticism about the old wives’ tales and products alleged to inhibit deer from gnawing on backyard botany. “They make repellents you can spray {on plants}, and there are also gimmicks like hanging human hair and clothing, or leaving mothballs and pungent soap around the yard which might work for a while, but people usually get tired of doing it and the deer eventually figure it out.”

 

As for the deer’s sense of adventure when it comes to sampling untried fodder, Underwood says there’s not much they won’t try once. “There are also a number of plants deer might not prefer to eat, but the main reason they are not eating them is because there is probably a plant more to their liking in a neighboring yard,” he continues. “And if there’s nothing around, they will most likely find their way back to the plants they ignored initially as a last resort.”

 

Like Riehlman, Underwood also believes that short of a fairly strong fence, there is nothing you can do to completely ward away the masticating Bambis. Another reason they turn up walking along the side streets as if taking a Sunday stroll is that unless they are harassed, deer are very tolerant of humans.

 

“Certainly within the city limits, there has been an increase in the population of deer,” says Underwood. The main reason for this, he explains, is that deer live on the fringe of our activities in the hedgerows and lowlands where there is not intensive land use. “Also, a lot of undeveloped land where deer would normally inhabit is being razed over to accommodate bedroom communities, leaving the deer with no other choice but to enter residential neighborhoods.” ❏

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Toddy Bears

 

Make winter weather tolerable with any number of spiked hot drinks

By Elizabeth Wimer

 

 

Drink it in: Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss’ book Hot Drinks is an excellent reference guide for experimenting with hot mixers.

 

This time of year, you may notice that the weather outside is way past frightful and hot cocoa stopped being delightful about a month ago. Fear not, there’s a sure-fire cure for the frigid state of affairs, and it has everything to do with spiking your cider and tipping back a hot toddy. As winter settles in, sidle up to the bar to fill your mug with a more potent mixer than milk and chocolate.

 

Actually, hot chocolate is a good place to start. When you’re ready to advance to the next level there are more sophisticated hot drinks to uncork. But until then, try a few different nips to turn a childhood classic into an adult addiction. Add 1½ounces or peppermint schnapps to 8 ounces of cocoa and you’ll immediately feel more festive. Or add a fruity flair with the same amount of Cointreau or Chambord.

 

Mulled wine makes for another easy entree to hot drink heaven, especially if your spice rack is stocked. Combine your favorite red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon) with 4 cups apple cider, ¼ cup honey, and 1 tablespoon each of cinnamon and ground cloves. Warm in a pan on the stove to fill your home with a sweet aroma and your cup with a comforting concoction. Cider cuts the strength of the wine, and stands well on its own too.

 

If the apple flavor appeals to you, try this take on hot buttered rum. A single serving is as easy as heating a 8 to 12 ounces of cider in a saucepan with ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (add more or less according to your taste). Fill the bottom of your mug with a shot (1 to 1½ ounces) of spiced rum and a tablespoon of butter. Pour the hot cider over the rum and butter and enjoy the heat of the drink and the lingering warmth of the alcohol.

 

 

 

MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO 

Hot rum in the wintertime: Malt Cider with Spiced Rum, the Southern Christmas, and the Mistletoe and Holly are a few of the warm-ups to sip down at Saratoga Steaks & Seafood on the Green.

 

Coffee lovers have been consuming their caffeine with alcohol for a long time now. Irish coffee is almost as common as regular and decaf and owes its name to the Irish whiskey that gives the java a jolt. Another familiar international flavor is Mexican cafe, combining Kahlua and cinnamon to take the beans to a whole new level. Continue experimenting with alcohol from around the world, all in a 1 ounce-to-1-cup of coffee ratio, with amaretto for an Italian flavor, dark rum and Tia Maria for a Carribean cup, or sambucca for a lip-smacking licorice taste.

 

When you warm up to the idea of hot drinks, check out a book by the same name, Hot Drinks (Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, Calif.; 112 pages/hardcover; $16.95), by Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss. Included are 50 original recipes of steaming surprises, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The spirit-infused section challenges home bartenders to such drinks as the “Hot Wasabi Red Snapper” and the “Upside-Down Provencal Panache,” a not-so-intimidating mixture of lager and lemonade. The book is certainly for the serious mixer, and will probably require a trip to your favorite liquor store to stock up for the sipping.

 

Or you can make an evening of it at any number of local bars and clubs. At Saratoga Steaks & Seafood on the Green, 200 Waring Road, DeWitt; 445-1976, you’ll find seating at the bar or at tables and booths near the cozy corner fireplace, or grab a table around the grand fireplace in the dining room.

 

Bartender John Rodriguez is warming up some classics like mulled cider with spiced rum, and experimenting with Southern-inspired hot chocolate that will involve coconut rum and peach schnapps. He’s open to your favorite hot-drink concoctions, too. “If people bring in recipes, we’ll definitely make them,” says Rodriguez, who was actually reading Hot Drinks when this reporter stopped by for lunch recently. Most of the bar’s winter warmers range between $5 and $7. The bar opens at 3:30 p.m., seven days a week. ❏

 

Café Florentine

 

From Hot Drinks.

¼ cup (2 ounces) Grand Marnier

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) amaretto

1 cup strong, freshly brewed coffee

1 generous tablespoon caramel or vanilla syrup

¼ cup light cream

4 pieces of bittersweet chocolate or 8 Florentine cookies for garnish

 

Combine liqueurs and coffee in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low simmer. Stir in the syrup, lower the heat and continue to cook at the lowest possible simmer until just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the cream and mix well. Serve in preheated demitasse cups with chocolate or cookies on the side.

 

Mulled Red Wine Sangria

 

This recipe is from www.foodnetwork.com.

1 bottle Spanish red table wine
¼ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup brandy

3 tablespoons sugar
1 orange, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced

Combine wine, juice, brandy and sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat and heat until the sugar has melted. Add the orange and lemon slices and let simmer for 5 minutes. Serve in heat-resistant glasses.

Mexican Coffee

Another treat from www.foodnetwork.com.

4 scoops of ground coffee beans, Columbian or other variety (a coffee scoop is equivalent to a rounded tablespoon)
1 scoop cocoa powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus a sprinkle for garnish
4 jiggers (1 ounce shots) coffee liqueur, Kahlua is recommended
1 canister whipped cream with spray top

Place coffee, cocoa and cinnamon in a filter for coffee brewing. Make 4 cups of brewed mocha-cinnamon coffee. Pour a shot of coffee liquor in the bottom of a coffee mug. Pour in a serving of brewed mocha-cinnamon Mexican coffee. Top off the mug with a generous swirl of whipped cream and garnish with another sprinkle of cinnamon. Repeat for desired number of mugs.

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From the Ground Up

Largely unknown, geothermal technology could be heating and cooling a neighborhood near you

By Ed Griffin-Nolan

 

MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTOS 

Golly geothermal: Heating and cooling buildings using geothermal technology has been around for 25 years but has gained a toehold recently. Kevin Anderson of Auburn had it installed in his father’s new house by John Manning of Earth Sensitive Solutions.

 

What if the answer to global warming, dependence on Middle Eastern oil and high energy costs were right under your feet? What if there was a way to heat your house for a fraction of what you pay now, and to cut your carbon emissions, slowing the rate of climate change, at the same time? Sound futuristic? Auburn engineer John Manning believes the future is now.

 

Auburn City Hall is heated and cooled using geothermal heat pumps. The same is true of buildings at Cayuga Community College. Ithaca College and the Jesuit residence at Le Moyne College use the technology. And a Syracuse developer has plans for 34 new homes and townhouses that will employ geothermal. Yet heating and cooling with geothermal energy is “one of the world’s best-kept secrets,” according to Manning, who designs systems that can save as much as 40 percent on energy costs for a home or business.

 

The American Institute of Architects headquarters also deploys geothermal technology—in the heart of Manhattan. George W. Bush himself uses geothermal to warm and cool the ranch in Crawford, Texas. Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently released a study on the potential for geothermal energy as a source of electricity. Among their findings was that geothermal now accounts for more electricity than solar and wind power combined. But geothermal electricity production on an industrial scale raises questions among environmentalists that home-based HVAC systems thus far have not had to contend with.

 

“Geothermal heating has been viable for the past 25 years,” says Manning, who runs a design consulting firm in Auburn known as Earth Sensitive Solutions. “The problem {in public awareness} has to do with the nature of what is required to get it done. Heating contractors tend to do tomorrow what they did yesterday. Most of what they do is done indoors. Putting in geothermal is mostly done outdoors, and HVAC contractors are just not comfortable out there playing in the dirt. They need to invest in the training time in order to use this stuff.”

 

The “stuff” Manning refers to is relatively simple, but it involves a significant upfront investment. To use Earth’s constant temperature to heat or cool your house requires a few things—lots of polyethylene pipe, digging down into the Earth, and a system of heat pumps to change the pressure in the system to alter the temperature of the air moving through the building and back into the Earth.

 

Geothermal works on the principle that there is a nearly inexhaustible supply of mass—the Earth—at a constant temperature—approximately 50 degrees—sitting just a few yards beneath our feet. Once the system is installed, the only costs are the electricity it takes to run the heat pumps that move fluid back and forth. The greenhouse gases emitted by heating in this way are substantially less than conventional oil or gas furnaces. If your electricity is generated by non-fossil fuels, you could be heating and cooling your house with a carbon footprint approaching zero.

 

So how much can you cool or heat a house using this technology? “Geothermal can make it as hot or as cool as you want it to be,” says Manning. “It’s no different than any other source—you just set your thermostat. The trouble is in the difficulty that people have in understanding how you take Earth that is 50 degrees and heat your house to 75.”

 

The magic, he says, is in the heat pumps. “The best analogy is to a refrigerator. If you put milk in your refrigerator at 50 degrees, and you want to cool it to 40, where does that extra 10 degrees of heat go? It’s blown out that little vent at the base of the fridge. Here we have the same thing. There is a piping network in the ground, and fluid running through it. Since heat flows from warm to cold, there is a continuous flow of heat from the earth to the fluid in the pipes.”

 

The geothermal loop uses a compressor, just like a refrigerator, to change the boiling point of the fluid. “The refrigerant boils at a temperature related to the pressure,” explains Manning. “If I change the pressure with a compressor, we change its boiling point. We compress a gas; it goes through a heat exchanger and turns back into a liquid. Then it goes through another system and creates a temperature differential. Heat from the Earth causes the liquid to boil at a lower temperature.”

 

 

 

MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTOS

“Heat from the Earth causes the liquid to boil at a lower temperature” (above): John Manning, owner of Auburn’s Earth Sensitive Solutions, has used geothermal technology for several decades; a model home from Bob Doucette’s new development going into the Outer Comstock area will use the energy-efficient heating and cooling system;

and Manning's License plate.

 

Hot Stuff

Armory Square developer Bob Doucette recently unveiled plans to build 34 homes in the Outer Comstock area of Syracuse, and he is working with Manning to implement a geothermal energy project to heat and cool them. “The first model,” says Doucette, “will be built with geothermal and a solar hot water heater. It will give you substantially reduced heating bills, and a more comfortable house.” He hopes to break ground in the spring and is working on finding buyers now. There are three different types of houses in his plan, and the least expensive will start at around $250,000.

 

The drawings for Doucette’s project depict a ring of detached homes surrounding a block of attached townhouses, which he hopes to market to people who work at Syracuse University or the hospitals nearby, and to folks he calls “empty nesters who want to stay in the city, rather than move to Clay.” There are sidewalks, and no visible garages. These are houses that look like old-style Syracuse neighborhoods, but deploy modern energy-efficient building technology.

 

Doucette calls them the “Mini-Cooper” of homes. They are between 1,700 and 2,100 square feet apiece, bucking the trend toward ever increasing home sizes. “People spend a lot of money on their homes, and I’m not convinced that they get a lot of value for it. I hope it’s a great success, not just for me, so that others will consider doing it.”
After the initial investment in geothermal, the major operating cost is the electricity to run the heat pumps and compressors, which Manning describes as a “refrigerator on steroids.” Geothermal can save as much as 40 percent over your usual National Grid bill. “If it costs you $1,500, geothermal will cost you, say, $1,000. That’s with natural gas; if you heat with propane it can save you 50 percent. The nice thing about geothermal is that it also does air conditioning.” The same system that brings you warm air from the Earth in winter sends your warm summer air down into the Earth and cools it off.

 

The system is designed to be long lasting—heat exchangers in the ground are guaranteed to last 50 years, the ones in the building, approximately 25 years. It works efficiently with a forced hot air system, though the ideal heat system, according to Manning, is in-floor radiant heat pumping warm water through pipes in the floor.

 

Manning was among 800 scientists and engineers invited to be part of what he calls “Al Gore’s army.” He went to Tennessee last January to spend two days with Gore and to get trained on the science of the threat posed by climate change. He now travels Central New York giving slide show presentations based on Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.

 

The high costs of installation (an average home system runs about $7,500) are driving people wishing to deploy geothermal toward “community loops,” which involve one geothermal field heating and cooling a number of buildings. Since much of the costs go into the ground, the benefits and expenses can be shared by several home or building owners. “Community loops are the wave of the future,” says Manning. “That’s where the action is.”

 

Manning, 54, grew up in Lyons, where his parents played bridge with Lyons’ famed native son, Jim Boeheim. Boeheim played a walk-on role in Manning’s career by helping him get into SU, where he eventually earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He spent 15 years with Carrier designing heat pumps, and has been on his own for the past 12 years.

 

New York state subsidizes geothermal through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Also through NYSERDA, installers of geothermal can receive a rebate back of about $1.25 per square foot applicable toward installation costs. NYSERDA has helped 63 projects to completion in the past eight years and has more than 40 currently under way.

 

For all the savings and environmental benefits of using geothermal, says Manning, the best way to save on heat costs is to lower your heating requirements. The first step is to reduce the thermal envelope. “Insulate—it will help reduce your energy costs, whatever system you use.”

 

For a good primer on using geothermal, go to the Web site of NSYERDA:

www.nyserda.org/programs/geothermal/default.asp. ❏

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