Groundhog Day and the Coming Return of Lawn Season for Texas Smart Homes

Groundhog Day, that quirky celebration, arrived in the Eastern U.S. with German immigrants. In the absence of badgers, they chose groundhogs as the new weatherman for the fun tradition. This holiday comes from medieval and ancient mid-winter ceremonies marking halfway between the winter solstice and the summer equinox. Back then, farming and agriculture could still affect survival, so an earlier, gentler spring meant much more than less snow shoveling. After the birth of Christ, the Candlemas celebration started.

|| BUT TEXAS DOES NOT HAVE EASY ACCESS TO GROUNDHOGS ||

In 2010, Texas began its own lighthearted beef with the famous Pennsylvania weather prognosticator, that groundhog Punxatawney Phil. Bee Cave Bob, a trusty armadillo from the ranching town of the same name, is the Lone Star State's answer to the Teutonic tradition of the Northeasterners.

Just for good measure, an East Texas TV station consulted Longview Senior Animal Control Officer Chris Kemper. He confirmed he has never had to tangle with these squirrel cousins. "I have never had a run-in with a groundhog here in East Texas," he told KLTV.

Whether or not an animal suggests more winter, critters of all kinds will soon return to Dallas lawns as the (usually) short and tolerable winters wind down. The sun will stay out longer, making the grass thirstier, and the furry friends we keep inside will soon be scrambling again for the stick or tennis ball in the backyard.

Evolve Technologies knows that Dallas' local weather-- despite being generally warmer than much of the country--can be crazy and can affect your lawn. This post will look at the best apps to connect all your home automation and smart device needs into an easy-to-use system. With that, your lawn and your pet experience are worry-free.

|| SMART SPRINKLER CONTROLLERS ||

Voice control lawn care was not an option just twenty years ago unless you were a dad with a son: "I told you to mow the yard!" Or, "I told you to mow the meter!" In Canada. There are no other models for voice control lawn care. A novel concept trending in Texas is the on-demand style smart sprinkler controller from Irrigreen Digital Sprinkler System. Forbes Magazine compared the eight zones device to ink-jet style printers that are digitally told where to pulse ink onto a virtual grid of paper and where to skip. 

The best smart sprinkler controller is the one that knows when to water and when not to water. 

Evolve uses Control4 as its smart home foundational platform. It has software, tie-ins, and apps for smart controllers with lawns and irrigation systems. Skydrop is a Control4 sprinkler system that uses real-time weather data to adjust watering schedules. The product also features humidity and temperature sensors to determine the ideal times and amounts of water. 

|| NO KINKS IN THE HOSE OR THE SOFTWARE: SKYDROP HAS BEEN AROUND THE BLOCK ||

Whether you want to use a smartphone app or the smart home hub access, Evolve can set it up. And Skydrop is not a West-Coast experimental novelty either: it was reviewed by PCMag in 2014, getting the Editor's Choice mark and an Excellent rating. 

But, for the type of remote controller that your son won't forget in his pocket and put through the laundry, Control4's new 10-inch wall mount HD hub screen has favorites and a panoply of features. All of it with a mercifully intuitive navigation system that won't have you googling "how to reset . . . " every time you go on vacation and need to change the automatic lighting. 

And it does have voice control lawn care. Control4 can integrate with Alexa and Google Smart home. 

|| SMART HOME PET APPS ||

For the new dog owner, apps like iTrainer have dog whistle and clicker features. Rover and similar apps can pair you with a trustworthy, nearby pet sitter. For both the newer and legacy family pooches, Control4 has options to automate a doggie door and other fun ways to create a virtual dog sitter when you need some time off. 

Dog Owner Possibilities in the Control4 Suite 

• Adjustable heated kennel or outdoor canopy (complete with heated water bowl)
• Motion sensors in dining, formal or other rooms speak an audible rebuke to Rex to stay out
• Backyard gate sensors 
• Carefully-placed pressure sensors on couches and beds to keep them fur-free
• A doghouse or kennel cam for those very smart--or just very determined--canines 
• Treat dispensers

|| YEAH, HERE COMES THE ROOSTER ||

There's a joke knocking around the internet that eggs used to be so cheap we'd throw them at people's houses as a prank. Yet here we are. But even before this, some folks set up a small chicken coop in their backyard. Fresh eggs and some cool, rustic vibes? Why not? Some have even used Control4 to tweak out their own chicken shack. They've installed automated or remote-adjustable lighting to jimmy the hen's internal clock into laying some more daylight eggs. Want to keep the cluckers warm with a nice heat set-up? Yes, that can be done too. 

For the ultimate enthusiast, a Miami-area farm and equestrian center went the whole hog and set up a 10-acre facility with Control4 automation. iPhone users with tablets running a farm. 

|| NAVIGATING SMART HOME TECHNOLOGY MADE EASY ||

Evolve Technology wants to help you harness the best parts of cutting-edge smart home automation to add more homes to your house, with or without pets. Whether your home includes dog owners or a cat, whether your lawn is packed gravel, wood chips, or Kentucky bluegrass, we all use wi-fi now and can switch the awning lights on or off from the other side of the world. Call for a consultation today!