Driving on Ice

Have you ever considered taking a drive on an icy day? Take my advice, don't, it is not very fun. The family and I went out to a movie last Wednesday afternoon and before we made it back home we found ourselves traveling on a road coated with ice. I inched my way home for a few hours before giving in and pulling off the highway ( when your vehicle changes lanes on its on without your consent it is time to give it a rest). The thing about driving on ice is that you have very little or no control over your vehicle. You can be doing well one second and the next second find yourself sliding out of control. So my advice is that if you do not absolutely have to be out on the ice, then stay at home. If you have to be out on an icy road, then go slow, stay off brakes as much as possible, use low gear and pray. Be safe and have a  Merry Christmas.

Blue Ridge Dam- Past and Present

Blue Ridge Lake is currently drawm down in order to allow repairs to the dam. Yesterday the Tennesee Valley Authority had an open house at the dam, giving visitors an opportunity to have a close up look at the dam with lake drawn down and also an opprtunity to view pictures of the original construction of the dam.

An Update on Blue Ridge Lake 5/19/2011

The lake is beginning to fill up again. Stretches of shoreline that me and the family walked back in the winter are now covered in water. Hopefully the lake will be full before Summer arrives, which is coming up fast.

Giving Ourselves to Whom We Belong

As we get ready for church and put on our best clothes, best Christian manners, and our Jesus mask, may we be reminded that we are called to so much more than a Sunday morning extravagamza of fine suits, Sunday dresses, and parading around like we are the holiest of the holy; we are called to present ourselves daily to God as a living sacrifice. That is so much more than our standard religious activity.

in reference to: My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers (view on Google Sidewiki)

Horse Grants

Horses are used to treat and provide therapy for children who are facing various challenges. A recent study has shown that equine assisted activities have been beneficial in treating autism in children from seven to 12 years of age. In addition to treating autism, horses have been used in treating children facing other mental, physical and socio-economic challenges. There are child’s equine grants available through different associations to fund this type of therapy.


EQUUS Public Service Grants
The EQUUS Foundation is a national charitable foundation whose purpose is to increase public awareness of the many benefits that horses offer to society. The Foundation seeks to accomplish this through education programs and by providing grants to charities that: 1) utilize horses to benefit the public; 2) seek the well being and healthiness of horses; and 3) promote the equestrian sport. The EQUUS Foundation provides child equine grants in the form of Public Welfare Grants to help equine-assisted programs benefiting ill and disabled children and at-risk youth.

Equestrian Sports Welfare Grants
A part of the mission of the EQUUS Foundation is the furtherance of the equestrian sport. Sports Welfare Grants are issued for the advancement of the sport through the means of youth involvement, scholarships, awards, aid for equestrians in need, and through programs designed to educate and raise awareness.

2010 Gray and Jerry Fadden Horse Whisperer Grant
The 2010 Gray and Jerry Fadden Horse Whisperer Grant from the EQUUS Foundation was awarded to the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center (BTRC) in Buffalo, New York. The BTRC is a safe, relaxing, nonacademic facility that uses horses, volunteer workers and peers to work with children who suffer from physical and mental handicaps. Nearly 90 percent of the children who participate in the BTRC program are from economically challenging circumstances. Horse Whisperer Grants bear the name of the donor and are given to charities that promote therapeutic horse riding and to charities that promote the general welfare of horses.

Horses and Humans Research Foundation Grants
A recent study by Margaret M. Bass, Ph. D., and Maria Llabre, Ph. D., has shown equine-assisted activities to be beneficial in treating children diagnosed with autism. The study concluded that autistic children from seven to 12 years of age showed improvement in cognition, communication and motivation after taking part in equine related activities such as riding, grooming and interacting with horses. The study was funded through a grant from the Horses and Human Research Foundation. Equine grants from the foundation are made possible through donations from foundations, businesses, individual contributors and riding therapy programs across the nation.


Reference

Equine Chronicle: Research Validates that Horses Positively Impact Children With Autism

Discover Horses: Buffalo Therapeutic Gets Equus Foundation Grant

Equine Chronicle: Health Equine Care 

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The Pocono Equestrian: Home

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Making a Worm Bed for Composting

Having a worm bed is an excellent way to compost your table scraps or yard debris. A worm bed serves several purposes.
1. A natural method of food disposal that otherwise would be thrown in a landfill.
2. Provides rich soil that can be used for gardening projects.
3. For those who enjoy fishing, worms make excellent fish bait. Not only does a worm provide free fish bait, but an industrious composter might even sell worms raised in a worm bed for an additional source of income.
in reference to: Worm beds, making worm beds, backyard composting, backyard composting how to (view on Google Sidewiki)

Benefits of Composting

Composting is the process by which plants and other organic materials decompose into an earthy nutrient rich substance that makes an excellent fertilizer. As a fertilizer, compost can be used for houseplants, vegetable gardens and flower beds. Households can do their own composting by starting a compost pile or by using a compost bin. Composting is not only beneficial for those who use the compost but has environmental benefits as well.

Reduces the Amount of Waste in Landfills
It is estimated that kitchen and yard refuse comprise 30 per cent of landfill content. A compost bin is an alternative method of disposing of kitchen and yard waste as opposed to using a landfill for disposal. The utilization of compost bins or compost piles is a step towards reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills.

Reduces Methane Gas and Acidic Leachate
Yard debris deposited in a landfill takes a very long time to decompose due to a lack of oxygen. As the debris decomposes in a landfill it leads to the production of methane gas and acidic leachate, leachate is any liquid that flows through the debris in a landfill that contains particles of the debris. Both methane gas and acidic leach are not desirable for the environment
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Positive Effect on the Soil and Air
A compost bin gives kitchen waste and yard debris an opportunity to breakdown naturally. When this process takes place through natural means such as bacteria, fungi, insects, and worms it allows for nutrients to be put back into the soil and for carbon dioxide to be released back into the atmosphere.



Reference

The Compost Queen: 2 Good Reasons to Compost [http://thecompostqueen.com/]

Resource

Mass: Low Cost Compost Bins



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Cracker Barrel Going Electric

Evidently Cracker Barrel believes there could be a great demand for EV charging stations or there could be other motives behind this move. Maybe Cracker Barrel is just way out in front of the rest of the nation. Only time will tell. Personally, I would like to see free WIFI, so I could connect to the internet when I I am travelling.

in reference to: Tennessee Cracker Barrel Restaurants to Become EV Charging Stations | Transportation Nation (view on Google Sidewiki)