Articles written by Sheila Gaquin
Showing 1-100 of 113 Articles
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Boating on the Canal du Midi FAQ
Thinking of booking a rental boat on the canals in France, but wonder about costs, mooring, shopping for food and what to bring? Many of these concerns are answered here.
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Drill a Hole Through Fiberglass Boat Topsides
Drilling holes to install equipment on boat tops can allow water to seep in and damage the core materials. Use this technique to protect the core from water damage.
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Tips for Passing Through Canal du Midi Locks
Follow these tips for negotiating rental boats through the locks on the Canal du Midi, for a trouble-free canal cruise.
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Vegetarian Quiche with Mediterranean Flavor
This vegetarian main dish has the flavor of spanakopita. Add a green salad and red wine for a complete meal at home, or pack the quiche to take to a picnic or pot luck.
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Packing for a Canal du Midi Barge Trip
Chartering a canal barge for a holiday cruise on the Canal du Midi in France? By packing these few extras, the trip will be even more rewarding and fun.
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Book of Poetry is a Tribute to Birds
In a beautiful melding of poetry and art, poet Billy Collins has edited a book of poems inspired by birds, and Illustrated by naturalist David Allen Sibley.
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A Christmas Craft Project for Elementary Kids
This Christmas tree ornament is inexpensive to make, and easy to construct, even for young children. It can be used as a holiday decoration or given as a little gift.
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How to Grow Potatoes in the Home Garden
Potatoes are a great crop for a home garden. They are easy to grow, relatively pest free, and most varieties produce a heavy crop for the amount of space they occupy.
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Websites for Improving French Language Skills
Travelers can improve French speaking and comprehension skills with free internet resources, and a good French phrase book.
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French Cheeses - a Guidebook to Regional Cheeses
French Cheeses is a comprehensive guide to more than 350 cheeses of France. A must have for foodies, connoisseurs or Francophiles.
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How to Winterize a Boat
Prepare a boat's fuel system, engine, marine batteries, toilet, water system, and exterior for winter. Simple steps in the fall can save time and money later.
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Make Sourdough Biscuits at Home or in Camp
This traditional sourdough biscuit recipe has been passed around for generations. It makes plenty of light, tasty biscuits that can be baked at home or over a campfire
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How to make Sourdough Starter
Sourdough is an ancient method for leavening bread. Mature starters are often passed from person to person, but they can be made fresh with equally good results.
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Use Homemade Starter for Sourdough Pancakes
Flapjacks, griddle cakes, or pancakes, no matter what they are called, sourdough starter adds a distinctive flavor to this favorite breakfast treat.
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Award Winning Margarita Recipe
Learn how to mix up a great tasting pitcher of Margaritas and serve them up like a pro. This prize winning recipe uses just three ingredients, tequila, beer, and limeade.
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Composting Toilets for Boats
A composting marine toilet is odor free, simple to use and maintain. It uses no water or chemicals and costs less than the holding tank and flush toilet combination.
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Learn Basic Foreign Language Phrases for Travel
By learning basic verbs and nouns in a foreign language travelers can break free of phrase books, and communicate in any language - German, Greek, Hebrew, Russian, more.
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Organize to Bake with a Wood Fired Pizza Oven
Organization on baking day is the key to producing artisan breads, pizzas, pita bread, and other baked goods in a wood fired, clay bread oven.
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Firing a Clay Pizza Oven
Built a fire in a clay bread oven so the oven reaches its optimal temperature and holds the heat for hours of baking and roasting.
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Write Successfully for Educational Journals
Numerous educational periodicals seek commentaries, lesson plans, and manuscripts from classroom teachers. Many publish first time authors.
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Why Teachers Should Write for Publication
By writing for publication teachers can share their unique view from the classroom. A view normally unavailable to pundits, policy makers, and the public.
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Breakthroughs in Literacy
Author Susan Israel uses a series of teacher essays to examine strategies to help struggling and special needs students develop as readers and writers.
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Bread and Butter Style Pickle Recipe
Use excess cucumbers from the garden to make crisp, tangy, bread and butter style pickles with this easy to follow recipe.
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Strand – An Odyssey of Pacific Ocean Debris
Bonnie Henderson's detective work has uncovered fascinating stories of debris washed up on just one mile of Oregon coastline, from rubber duckies to minkie whales.
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Mercator Off Shore 30-foot Sailboat
Built in the 1970s in Washington, Mercator sailboats are still valued today for their proven off-shore capabilities, ease of handling, and classic design features.
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Orca Whales of the Pacific Northwest
Three groups of orca (also called killer) whales frequent Puget Sound and the Straits of Georgia: the southern residents, the transients, and the off-shore orcas.
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Historic Tall Ship is an Environmental Classroom
The tall ship, The Adventuress, is a familiar sight on Puget Sound in the summer. The historic wooden ship offers a wide variety of sailing experiences for all ages.
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What to do for a Stranded Marine Mammal in Canada, US
Here are guidelines for what to do for a beached whale, porpoise, dolphin, seal, sea lion or sea otter, whether dead or alive.
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Sylvia Beach Hotel in Newport, Oregon
The Sylvia Beach Hotel is a great escape for book lovers and beach combers. There are no phones, TVs or radios, just books, the ocean, and fine dining.
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What and Where is the Salish Sea?
Puget Sound, the Straits of Georgia, and the Straits of Juan de Fuca form a single ecosystem, and may soon be known by a single name, The Salish Sea.
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Albin Vega, Small Off-Shore Yacht
At only 27 feet, the Albin Vega is a proven off-shore sailboat. Whether used for ocean cruising or family vacations, the Vega is a sturdy, easy to sail pocket cruiser.
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How to Eliminate Cloudiness and Clarify Homemade Wine
Homemade fruit wines are sometime difficult to clear. Follow these steps to clarify the wine and reduce sediment in the finished wine.
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Make Rhubarb Wine at Home
Make 5 gallons of great white wine from rhubarb, sugar and yeast. It is easier than most people imagine.
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Literature Genre Study for Middle School
Introduce students to the literary structures of various genre with picture books. There are many well-written books with upper grade reading levels to choose from.
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Tinker Inflatable can be Towed, Rowed or Sailed
The Tinker inflatable is a well-made boat that can be powered with an outboard motor, rowed, or sailed, then rolled up and taken home in the back of the car.
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Selling a Boat Without a Broker
Boats sold by brokers get a lot of exposure, but a boat owner can create the same kind of exposure for very little money using a blog and free Internet ads.
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Knitting Socks on Two Circular Needles
Knitter Cat Bordhi has developed a quicker, easier method for knitting socks that uses two sets of circular needles rather than four or five double pointed needles.
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Build a Clay Oven this Spring
A rustic European style pizza clay oven can be built out of simple, inexpensive materials, including clay from the backyard and broken concrete.
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Pickled Green Beans with Dill Flavor
Use surplus green beans from the garden to make dilly beans. These crunchy pickled beans are tangy like a good dill pickle, with just a bit of heat from the cayenne.
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Free Motion Quilting Tool
A new quilting tool makes free motion quilting easier for everyone, and far less painful for people with carpal tunnel, arthritis, or other hand and shoulder pain.
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Dairy Free and Cholesterol Free Chocolate Cake
Make a dark, moist chocolate cake without eggs, butter, or milk. This cake is economical, cholesterol free, quick and easy to make, and delicious.
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Not So Big Remodeling
Architect Sarah Susanka, author of the Not So Big House series, has just released a new book: Not So Big Remodeling: Tailoring Your Home for the Way You Really Live.
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Sarah Susanka, Revolutionary Architect
Susanka's visionary Not-So-Big-House concept features comfort, function and aesthetics over massive, often impersonal spaces. In Susanka's world, bigger is not better.
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Science Lesson on Eco-systems
Elementary and middle school students collect water samples, observe the life within, and learn to record their scientific observations in science journals.
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How to Remove a Rusty Bolt
Every do-it-yourselfer eventually faces a rusty bolt that refuses to move. Here are two methods for breaking the bonds of rust and corrosion, without breaking the bolt.
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How to Organize Personal Medical Records
Everyone can benefit from organizing their medical information. Find out what to keep and how to organize it.
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Make a Fabric Portfolio
In the film Miss Potter, Renée Zellweger played Beatrix Potter, and carried her drawings of Peter Rabbit in a lovely portfolio. Here are directions to make one like it
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The Landing Loop, a Product Review
The Landing Loop is a new and unique product for safely and easily docking a boat, even when single-handing.
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Gifts for Nursing Home Residents
Buying gifts for family or friends in nursing homes can be challenging. Here are some ideas offered by activity directors from three care facilities in Washington State.
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Decorate China, Ceramics, Crockery, Glass
Use special pens on any heat-stable surface to create dishwasher-safe items that make great gifts for grandparents, teachers or any special person.
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Make Labels for Homemade Preserves, and Wine
Homemade preserves deserve attractive labels that stick to the containers, yet come off without leaving a residue when the container is empty, and ready for reuse.
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When is Mardi Gras?
Some holidays occur on the same date each year, while others, like Easter and Mardi Gras, move around on the calendar. Find out When Mardi Gras will happen this year.
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Peanut Butter Dessert Recipes
Peanut Butter, that old lunch box standard, shines in three delicious desserts recipes: peanut butter pie, peanut butter candy and peanut butter cookies.
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How to Restore a Boat's Brass Fittings
Brass adds beauty to a boat, but over time it can be come splotched with unremovable tarnish. Learn how to clean and restore brass to its original shine.
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Shrubs For Winter Color and Birds
Provide a winter food source for birds, and add color to an otherwise drab winter landscape with these three shrubs.
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Save Money Replace Christmas Cards with a Blog
Sending holiday cards can strain tight holiday budgets. Start a new tradition, save money, paper and postage with a free holiday blog
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How to Get Along with Relatives
Difficult relatives can make family gatherings an ordeal rather than a celebration. Learn ways to make family gatherings happier and less stressful.
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Word Walls in Middle School
Word walls are common in primary classrooms as part of early literacy programs, but they are equally useful for teaching content vocabulary in upper grade classrooms.
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How To Get Rid of Mold and Mildew
Mold and mildew are a common household problem that may cause health problems in some people. Learn how to eliminate them without expensive cleaning products.
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Writing Process in Primary Grades
Primary students often resist revising their writing because handwriting is difficult for them. Learn how to help students use the writing process without a struggle.
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How to Score Science Notebooks
Science notebooks are more difficult to grade than worksheets or exams, but rubrics can help teachers look for and assess discrete skills.
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Activities for Science Notebooks
Use science notebooks to deepen student thinking and understanding of science concepts. These generic activities can be used with most science topics.
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Classroom Alternative to Halloween
Halloween can be a difficult day in many classrooms, but pumpkin math is fun, educational, and doesn't conflict with the religious or cultural values of most families.
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Teach Voice, One of The 6 Traits of Writing
Of the 6 Traits of Writing, "Voice" is the most abstract and difficult for students to grasp. This lesson helps students see the power of voice to enliven their writing.
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Osteoporosis Risk Assessment
The World Health Organization's on-line calculator, called FRAX, predicts a patient's ten-year risk for an osteoporosis-related bone fracture.
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How and Why to Sew French Seams
Sew French seams to get a neatly finished edge with no raw edges on either side of the fabric.
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Restore Featherweight 221 Finish
The collectible Singer Sewing Machines can shine like new again with help from some readily available products and a little elbow grease.
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Parent Coaching: A Resource for Parents
Parent coaches can help parents break negative parenting patterns, understand their child's developmental stages, and improve family communications.
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How to Thread a Featherweight Sewing Machine
Many old Singer Featherweight Sewing Machines no longer have their owner's manuals. Learn how to fill the bobbin and thread these popular machines.
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Three Featherweight 221 Attachments
Several useful attachments originally came with the portable Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine. Find out what they were, and how they are used.
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Wooden Boat Rendezvous in Deer Harbor, WA
Sandwiched between two of the West's biggest and best wooden boat festivals is the fun and folksy Deer Harbor Wooden Boat Rendezvous on beautiful Orcas Island.
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How the Human Brain Really Works
There are many cherished myths about how our brains work, and most of them are wrong. Two writer-researchers clear up these misconceptions
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Caffeine for Alzheimer's Prevention
Research suggests a daily dose of caffeine may reverse memory loss, and cut the risk of Alzheimer's disease as well as other forms of dementia.
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Visit ANWR in NE Alaska
The most remote and controversial of all the wildlife refuges in the US system, ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) is visited by between 1200 to 1500 people annually.
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VHF Terminology
VHF radio transmissions use specific terminology to alert mariners to a variety of circumstances. Learn when and how to use mayday, pan pan and securité broadcasts.
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Lost Crab Pots Safer with Rot Cord
One lost or abandoned crab pot can kill an estimated 75 crabs a year, but biodegradable escape cords can prevent this unnecessary waste of life.
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Marine Radio Mayday Call
No boater wants to have to send a mayday call, but everyone on board, including school-aged children, should know how to use the VHF radio and summon help.
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Marine Radio Channels
Several VHF channels are available for recreational boaters.
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Whale Watching in Puget Sound
To see orca whales and other wildlife in their natural habitat, book a tour with a whale watching company in Washington or British Columbia.
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Polar Bear Reproduction
Biologists are studying the reproductive cycle of polar bears around the world. Their findings will be important when making management decisions for Arctic resources.
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ANWR Oil to Reduce Gas Prices?
Will drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge lower the cost of gas? Government studies say ANWR oil will have little effect on prices at the pump.
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Brown Bears in ANWR
The magnificent and solitary brown bear of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is well suited to life in the far north.
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Wildlife of Alaska's ANWR
Vast herds of caribou roam the the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but the refuge is home to hundreds of other species as well.
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History of ANWR
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has been controversial since its inception, yet few know much about the refuge beyond its potential for oil production.
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Alcohol Laws in Rural Alaska
Alaska allows individual communities to regulate or prohibit the importation, sale and consumption of alcohol to help reduce alcohol abuse and its associated problems.
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Common Featherweight Problem
Owners of the Singer Featherweight 221 Sewing Machine often experience the frustrating, but easy to fix problem, of thread bunching up between fabric and feed dogs.
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Teach in the Bush in Alaska
A teaching certificate can be a ticket to a challenging cross-cultural adventure in the remote and road-less areas of the 49th State, Alaska.
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Learn French in France
There are many French Language schools in France offering language instruction for students of all ages and skill levels.
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How to Write a Memoir
Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones, has written another sure-to-be-classic for people who want to write a memoir, but don't know how to get started.
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Travel to Poitiers, France
Easily accessible, rich with Roman ruins, Medieval churches and 2000 years of art and history, Poitiers is a worthwhile destination for travelers to France.
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How to Propagate Dahlias
Divide tubers and root cuttings to increase dahlia plants and provide masses of cut flowers from late summer through to the first frost.
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Restore a Featherweight 221 Case
A sturdy case protects the highly collectible Singer Featherweight 221 Sewing Machine, and enhances its over-all value as a vintage sewing machine.
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Singer's Featherweight 221 Machine
The classic Singer Featherweight sewing machine is very popular today with quilters and collectors. Find out why.
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Dispose of Hazardous Wastes Safely
Learn how to dispose of cleaners, aerosols, corrosives, poisons, paints and solvents safely.
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How to Prune Vines
In many locations late winter is an ideal time to prune grapes, clematis, wisteria and roses. Pruning stimulates new growth, and fruit and flower production.
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Garden Jobs for February
February is the month for pruning vines, planting bare root trees, and starting seedlings. Work this month sets the stage for a glorious garden this spring and summer.
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How to Care for Pruning Shears
Pruning Shears, hand pruners or secateurs--no matter what you call them, a well maintained pair of shears makes garden clean-up easier.
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What is Mardi Gras
Unlike the media portrayal, Mardi Gras is a huge, citywide, family oriented party that residents of the Big Easy throw for themselves. every year.
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House Finch Eye Disease
Caused by a pathogen common in turkeys and chickens, this contagious disease has killed millions of birds in North American. Scientists need help monitoring its spread.
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Volunteer Vacations
Vacationers can help make the world a better place by volunteering for humanitarian, scientific and environmental projects worldwide.
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