If H1N1 flu isn't the burning feeling on everyone's foreheads, then "how can I catch it?" is the burning question on everyone's minds.

Yesterday's report of the diagnosis of H1N1 in a cat in Iowa is just the latest in how unpredictable the virus is, and many uncertainties remain.

By now, most of us are familiar with common methods that the H1N1 virus can be transmitted and the importance of washing our hands. But can the H1N1 flu virus be spread through water in swimming pools, spas, water parks, interactive fountains, and other treated recreational water venues?

Find out what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends for people who use recreational water venues, both public and private. And remember: flu season or any other time, it's unhealthy to swallow pool or spa water.

At a farm/ranch in San Juan Capistrano, I came across this interesting arrangement of recently-picked squash and gourds. I don't think there's any symbolism going on here in this particular arrangement; whoever created this was probably just doing it for fun. What's your take on it?

Photo by Lisa Hallett Taylor

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There are some obvious and not-so-obvious reasons for getting a pool cover, if you don't already have one. When you're not using the pool, it makes sense to cover it to keep leaves and debris out, and so you don't lose heat. But that's only two reasons. Find out the other eight reasons why you should be covering your spa or swimming pool.

I suspect the creative abilities of many seasonal decorators are fueled by that last-minute rush. Especially with Halloween, which has an element of surprise and kind of depends on darkness to really enjoy its full impact. Headless monsters and killer clowns look oddly out of place on a sunny autumn afternoon in Southern California, or anywhere for that matter.

So, day-before or day-of decorating for Halloween is fairly common at our house. One thing I have become is a very seasoned Halloween outdoor decorator. One of my favorite display methods is making objects look like they're floating or are suspended in mid-air. During college at Cal Poly, Pomona, I worked at the campus art gallery and learned all kinds of display techniques. One of them, hanging lightweight objects with monofilament -- or fishing wire -- is a trick I use quite often when decorating. Besides creating an element of fun and fantasy, it shows off every angle of an object, instead of displaying it flat against a wall.

Last year, when I reviewed a trio of yard ghosts from Grandin Road to review, I saw their potential to go beyond mere yard stakes. About an hour after opening the box, my ghosts were happily hovering mid-air between my yard and my neighbor's. This weekend, they may float over the deck in the backyard for my daughter's birthday party.

Follow this simple step-by-step for purchased or homemade Halloween ghosts and you, too, can host a ghostly gathering in your yard this weekend.

Photo by Lisa Hallett Taylor