To step into Shane Jewell and Emily Pruiksma’s home in Paradise Valley is to enter a world made by hand — their own hands.
Consider first where they live: Tucked behind Plum Forest Farm, past wooden gates, a chicken coop and several Scottish Highland cows, sits a pair of yurts, the couple’s home and music studio. Inside, the hand-made feel begins with the warm patina of the hand-packed earthen cob floor on up to the hand-bent poles supporting the hand-sewn cover.
Then look around: There’s the folding rocking chair Pruiksma made. Jewell’s handcrafted 17-foot umiak. The beloved hurdy-gurdy he built. A sturdy worm bin Pruiksma crafted.
They don’t own a car. A wood-fired cookstove heats the hot water tank. They power their washing machine by pedaling a stationary bicycle. Energy for their electric chainsaw and rototiller comes from the sun. Their 1920s-era treadle sewing machine — gifted to them by an Islander — is a steady workhorse.
And these days, as they ready themselves for Vashon’s 29th annual Art Studio Tour this weekend, their handcrafted lives are on display more than ever. Hand-dipped beeswax candles — made in part from beeswax they collected on Vashon — line a table. Etched-glass candle holders and pendant necklaces line another. And Pruiksma’s speciality — delicately decorated Ukrainian eggs that have begun to draw repeat visitors to their small yurt — are being readied for the tour.
Saturday and Sunday, when visitors follow the narrow path to Jewell and Pruiksma’s yurt, they’ll likely find Pruiksma bent over a blown egg, a candle to warm her kitska — or hot wax pen — glowing softly next to her, as she plies her craft.
The two enjoy the studio tour, as it’s a chance, they note, to connect with friends and neighbors. But more often than not, it’s also an opportunity for them to talk about the lifestyle they’ve chosen and the philosophy that imbues it.
“We get people who come and see the large picture of it, and it kind of fires them up. And others look a little confused by it,” Pruiksma noted. “We end up talking a lot about our space as well as our art, because so much of what we do is part of a larger picture, … part of our effort to live in a way that’s a lot lower impact.”
If anyone on Vashon could be said to piece a life together, Shane Jewell and Emily Pruiksma, both 33, could. He teaches at the Homestead School; she works two days a week at Vashon Library. He offers music lessons to a dozen or two students in 10 different instruments. She builds and sells worm bins. Together, they grow much of their own food.
Fourteen years ago, Jewell and Pruiksma never imagined they’d be living life off the grid in a hand-crafted yurt on a small organic farm. But that was before they staffed the 600-member food co-op kitchen of Oberlin College in Ohio.
The couple attended Oberlin between 1997 and 2001, where they met in the co-op kitchen. Both natives of Puget Sound, Jewell and Pruiksma bonded over nostalgia for the misty rain of the Northwest and their mutual passion for music. Pruiksma, an environmental studies major, coordinated the co-op’s local food program, buying produce from the region’s Amish farmers. Jewell, a math and music major, was the pizza chef.
Before long, Jewell joined Pruiksma on her buying trips to the country, where they visited farms and marveled at the self-sufficient lifestyle of the Amish farmers.
“They were really inspiring,” said Pruiksma. “They lived close to the land in a tight cohesive community. … There was something very attractive about their hands-on life.”
Though Pruiksma and Jewell grew up as urban dwellers, in Seattle and Bellingham respectively, they began to ponder how they, too, could be in community while living rooted to the land.
“We were studying things in school that were so theoretical — we really wanted to learn these skills connected to place,” Jewell said. “At the same time we were studying all the problems in the world, the big name issues of climate change, breakdown of communities, destruction of farmland. … We decided we’d rather be part of the solution.”
Like so many times to come for this adventurous couple, one experience led to the next. Junior year, Jewell and Pruiksma traveled the world visiting five countries as part of a global ecology program. At a collective called Timbaktu, a volunteer organization working for sustainable development in a drought-prone area of India, Jewell and Pruiksma were again inspired by what they saw. The collective had re-instituted traditional methods to retain water, transforming what had become a desert into the forest it once was.
But it wasn’t just the ecological restoration that the young couple found inspirational; it was also the way the people in the collective went about their work, using music and dance to build a community. When Jewell and Pruiksma arrived, they recalled, some of the local musicians put on a traditional dance for them.
“Music seemed like such an essential part of what they were doing,” Jewell said. “And they weren’t only trying to rebuild a place, they were trying to rebuild a community that could take care of the place.”
Returning to the Northwest after college, the duo dreamed of living life like the communities they visited, but they didn’t know where or how. That’s when serendipity intervened. A call from Amy Bogaard of Hogsback Farm brought the couple to Vashon. Bogaard is a friend of Jewell’s aunt and uncle, Joanne Jewell and Rob Pederson, owners Plum Forest Farm; she contacted them in search of interns, learned of Jewell and Pruiksma and thought they’d be ideal.
Jewell and Pruiksma accepted, and the job turned out to be an opportunity for them to learn an essential foundation for their vision: how to grow food.
When the internship ended, the couple took what looked like a detour on their path to sustainable living, choosing to walk the Pacific Crest Trail from southern Oregon to Canada. Influenced by the self-sufficient farmers back in Ohio, they sewed much of their own gear, fashioning mosquito-proof clothing, a lightweight tent and backpack.
In the middle of the preparation, Pruiksma remembered watching Jewell walk across the meadow at Plum Forest Farm, where they were living, with a bundle of sticks. An enthusiastic Jewell told Pruiksma that he’d learned how to construct a yurt and thought they should build one.
With a gentle nod towards her partner, Pruiksma noted that Jewell knows how to dream and see what’s possible while she has the slow staying power, and that makes for a very good partnership. So before leaving for the Pacific Crest Trail, together they built a small yurt — once again, with no notion of where the project would lead.
Determined to do the Pacific Crest Trail mostly by their own human power, Jewell and Pruiksma set off from Vashon on their old middle school bicycles, riding down the coast for a month and ending up in Ashland, where they shipped the bikes home and began the 1,000-mile hike.
“It was this whole process of slowing down,” Pruiksma said. “Walking is a perfect time for dreaming. We didn’t know it then, but it was really a pivotal time.”
Upon their return, in 2005, they began construction of a larger yurt. The smaller one now serves as Jewell’s music and tutoring studio.
And in 2008, again in an effort to re-create the beauty and wisdom of that collective in India, Jewell and Pruiksma decided to form the Free Range Folk Choir, an a cappella group that performs world music in four- and five-part harmony. The economic downturn was beginning to hit Vashon, the couple recalled, and they saw the choir as a way to lift spirits and foster community, just as music had in India.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
The constant gardeners
Our driver isn't at all happy about this. We are headed to Kibera, the notorious slum in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, and Mary Njenga, our guide for the visit, has just suggested that maybe it would be a good idea for the men to stay behind in the car. People in Kibera can be pretty desperate, and you never know when one of them might pull a knife or a gun on you. "If it's just the women," Njenga says, "they'll know we've come to see the farmers."
We pull into an open area on the outskirts of the shantytown and, while stripping ourselves of watches and cell phones, make a plan to reconvene here in a couple of hours. (Antonio, the photographer, isn't about to hang back, but Peter, our driver, is visibly frantic about getting himself and his treasured Toyota out of here as fast as he can.) Njenga leads us down the wide dirt road that serves as the main drag of the "informal settlement," as these places are euphemistically known, and onto a narrow path that snakes among shacks fashioned out of mud, tin, and scraps of wood and cardboard. Children poke their heads out of makeshift doorways to call "How are you?" or "Mzungu!" (Swahili for white person), as we step gingerly over shallow gullies of sewage and under drying laundry and low-hanging electric wires. The place reeks of human feces.
Njenga knows this territory well. An environmental scientist and outspoken advocate for women (and with her shaved head and vow never to marry, the most outspoken Kenyan woman I've met), the 40-year-old has been coming here regularly for the past decade, helping the locals figure out sustainable strategies for feeding themselves and their families. Estimates vary as to how many people live in Kibera — some say half a million; others, a fraction of that — but either way, at just under one square mile, the slum is among the most densely populated places on earth. And the people here are hungry. In a recent study of Kibera's residents, more than 95 percent of those surveyed reported worrying at some point in the past 12 months that they would run out of food before finding money to buy more. (Nearly 20 percent said they'd gone a whole day and night without eating.) Unlike those who live in the country and have land for farming, city dwellers generally have to pay for their food, sometimes spending as much as 80 percent of their incomes to do so.
But as Njenga is happy to show me, they're finding new ways to cope. We meet up with Catherine Wangui, a friendly 25-year-old sporting a newsboy cap, who tells us how, about four years ago, representatives of the French nongovernmental organization Solidarités International, which does emergency relief and reconstruction work around the world, came here and distributed old flour sacks to some of the women. They explained how to fill them with soil and rocks before poking holes in the sides and pushing in seeds. Wangui, who grew up in Kibera, stops in front of three of these "vertical gardens" — four-foot-tall sacks plumped out with dirt and sprouting gangly tendrils of kale and spinach. Her 5-year-old daughter, Grace, who is playing nearby in a neat dress and braids, now gets fresh vegetables every day, says Wangui, who sells some of what she grows at a little wooden kiosk that she runs. Njenga also introduces us to people who, in spaces barely the size of closets, are raising chickens and profiting from them. Not that everyone is suddenly thriving; one young woman tells us how her garden sacks have enabled her to buy sugar and cooking oil, but hits me up nonetheless for some spare shillings — to the serious chagrin of Njenga.
Three years ago, for the first time in human history, the number of people living in cities worldwide outnumbered those living in rural areas, and the United Nations projects that by 2050, up to 65 percent of the global population will be urbanized. The rate of urban migration is particularly high in sub-Saharan Africa, where 15 million people abandon the countryside every year to move to the cities. Climate change will exacerbate the trend, as extreme events — like the drought currently devastating the Horn of Africa — become more frequent and more intense. Climate models predict that in the years to come, sub-Saharan Africa's arid and semiarid areas will increase by up to 350,000 square miles, an area equal to the size of the country of Nigeria. Longer, hotter dry periods and unpredictable rainfall already are making it harder for farmers to know when to sow and harvest their crops, and in this part of the world, where high-tech irrigation is all but unheard of, the challenge is especially acute. Less arable land — and fewer farmers — also means less food: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has estimated that yields from rain-fed agriculture here could be cut in half by 2020, and the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute predicts that, as a result of climate change, output of staple crops like cassava and wheat could plunge by as much as 22 percent by 2050.
Hungry people and crowded cities, of course, make a combustible mix. Think of Paris in 1789, or St. Petersburg in 1917. As recently as 2008, the skyrocketing cost of staple foods, fueled in part by speculation in agricultural commodities markets, led to riots in no fewer than 36 countries, 21 of them in Africa.
We pull into an open area on the outskirts of the shantytown and, while stripping ourselves of watches and cell phones, make a plan to reconvene here in a couple of hours. (Antonio, the photographer, isn't about to hang back, but Peter, our driver, is visibly frantic about getting himself and his treasured Toyota out of here as fast as he can.) Njenga leads us down the wide dirt road that serves as the main drag of the "informal settlement," as these places are euphemistically known, and onto a narrow path that snakes among shacks fashioned out of mud, tin, and scraps of wood and cardboard. Children poke their heads out of makeshift doorways to call "How are you?" or "Mzungu!" (Swahili for white person), as we step gingerly over shallow gullies of sewage and under drying laundry and low-hanging electric wires. The place reeks of human feces.
Njenga knows this territory well. An environmental scientist and outspoken advocate for women (and with her shaved head and vow never to marry, the most outspoken Kenyan woman I've met), the 40-year-old has been coming here regularly for the past decade, helping the locals figure out sustainable strategies for feeding themselves and their families. Estimates vary as to how many people live in Kibera — some say half a million; others, a fraction of that — but either way, at just under one square mile, the slum is among the most densely populated places on earth. And the people here are hungry. In a recent study of Kibera's residents, more than 95 percent of those surveyed reported worrying at some point in the past 12 months that they would run out of food before finding money to buy more. (Nearly 20 percent said they'd gone a whole day and night without eating.) Unlike those who live in the country and have land for farming, city dwellers generally have to pay for their food, sometimes spending as much as 80 percent of their incomes to do so.
But as Njenga is happy to show me, they're finding new ways to cope. We meet up with Catherine Wangui, a friendly 25-year-old sporting a newsboy cap, who tells us how, about four years ago, representatives of the French nongovernmental organization Solidarités International, which does emergency relief and reconstruction work around the world, came here and distributed old flour sacks to some of the women. They explained how to fill them with soil and rocks before poking holes in the sides and pushing in seeds. Wangui, who grew up in Kibera, stops in front of three of these "vertical gardens" — four-foot-tall sacks plumped out with dirt and sprouting gangly tendrils of kale and spinach. Her 5-year-old daughter, Grace, who is playing nearby in a neat dress and braids, now gets fresh vegetables every day, says Wangui, who sells some of what she grows at a little wooden kiosk that she runs. Njenga also introduces us to people who, in spaces barely the size of closets, are raising chickens and profiting from them. Not that everyone is suddenly thriving; one young woman tells us how her garden sacks have enabled her to buy sugar and cooking oil, but hits me up nonetheless for some spare shillings — to the serious chagrin of Njenga.
Three years ago, for the first time in human history, the number of people living in cities worldwide outnumbered those living in rural areas, and the United Nations projects that by 2050, up to 65 percent of the global population will be urbanized. The rate of urban migration is particularly high in sub-Saharan Africa, where 15 million people abandon the countryside every year to move to the cities. Climate change will exacerbate the trend, as extreme events — like the drought currently devastating the Horn of Africa — become more frequent and more intense. Climate models predict that in the years to come, sub-Saharan Africa's arid and semiarid areas will increase by up to 350,000 square miles, an area equal to the size of the country of Nigeria. Longer, hotter dry periods and unpredictable rainfall already are making it harder for farmers to know when to sow and harvest their crops, and in this part of the world, where high-tech irrigation is all but unheard of, the challenge is especially acute. Less arable land — and fewer farmers — also means less food: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has estimated that yields from rain-fed agriculture here could be cut in half by 2020, and the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute predicts that, as a result of climate change, output of staple crops like cassava and wheat could plunge by as much as 22 percent by 2050.
Hungry people and crowded cities, of course, make a combustible mix. Think of Paris in 1789, or St. Petersburg in 1917. As recently as 2008, the skyrocketing cost of staple foods, fueled in part by speculation in agricultural commodities markets, led to riots in no fewer than 36 countries, 21 of them in Africa.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tour downtown's backyard chicken coops this Saturday
You’re in cluck! It’s once again time for the Food Conspiracy’s most popular event – the annual Chicken Coop Tour.
You’d be amazed how many people around town raise chickens in their backyards. Plenty of them are right in the Downtown neighborhoods.
Food Conspiracy’s self-guided tour is a great way to gather information before bringing home a brood. The tour takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 3.
See a wide variety of creative coop styles and sizes. Talk to backyard chicken keepers. Learn about raising chicks.
Food Conspiracy launched Tucson’s first urban chicken coop tour in May 2009. The event is designed to introduce people to the joys (and challenges) of urban chicken keeping.
Food Conspiracy hopes it will inform people about chicken rearing and encourage folks to raise their own chickens in order to have a regular supply of local, fresh, humanely-raised chicken eggs.
Tickets are $5 and are available at the Food Conspiracy Co-op and will be available up until the day of the tour, while supplies last.
Virtually every major American city now boasts at least one annual chicken coop tour, including Raleigh, Atlanta and Spokane. Urban chicken coops have become trendy enough in Chicago to allow Jennifer Murtoff to make a living as an urban chicken consultant.
Once you buy ticket, you will be added to a list of tour participants. All participants will receive an email with a downloadable packet that includes a map to all participating coops and descriptions/pictures of each coop. For anyone without e-mail, a hard copy of the packet can be held for pickup at the co-op.
On the day of the tour, anyone with a ticket can visit any coops they choose to visit anytime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
There is no set route. Participants can start at any coop. They do not need to visit every coop, and can spend as little or as much time at each coop as they want to.
At each participating coop there will be at least one person available throughout the tour to answer questions about their chickens and coops. Many of the coop owners also have other home sustainability features like cisterns, desert gardens, rainwater harvesting basins and solar ovens, and they’ll be happy to talk about them, too.
All money raised from ticket sales will be donated to the Watershed Management Group’s co-op to offer subsidies for installing backyard chicken coops.
You’d be amazed how many people around town raise chickens in their backyards. Plenty of them are right in the Downtown neighborhoods.
Food Conspiracy’s self-guided tour is a great way to gather information before bringing home a brood. The tour takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 3.
See a wide variety of creative coop styles and sizes. Talk to backyard chicken keepers. Learn about raising chicks.
Food Conspiracy launched Tucson’s first urban chicken coop tour in May 2009. The event is designed to introduce people to the joys (and challenges) of urban chicken keeping.
Food Conspiracy hopes it will inform people about chicken rearing and encourage folks to raise their own chickens in order to have a regular supply of local, fresh, humanely-raised chicken eggs.
Tickets are $5 and are available at the Food Conspiracy Co-op and will be available up until the day of the tour, while supplies last.
Virtually every major American city now boasts at least one annual chicken coop tour, including Raleigh, Atlanta and Spokane. Urban chicken coops have become trendy enough in Chicago to allow Jennifer Murtoff to make a living as an urban chicken consultant.
Once you buy ticket, you will be added to a list of tour participants. All participants will receive an email with a downloadable packet that includes a map to all participating coops and descriptions/pictures of each coop. For anyone without e-mail, a hard copy of the packet can be held for pickup at the co-op.
On the day of the tour, anyone with a ticket can visit any coops they choose to visit anytime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
There is no set route. Participants can start at any coop. They do not need to visit every coop, and can spend as little or as much time at each coop as they want to.
At each participating coop there will be at least one person available throughout the tour to answer questions about their chickens and coops. Many of the coop owners also have other home sustainability features like cisterns, desert gardens, rainwater harvesting basins and solar ovens, and they’ll be happy to talk about them, too.
All money raised from ticket sales will be donated to the Watershed Management Group’s co-op to offer subsidies for installing backyard chicken coops.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Getting to know snow
Snow here in the High Country is a thing of beauty, covering the landscape in a peaceful white. It is as valuable now as gold was to the miners in this area and snow is actually a mineral! The definition of a mineral is: “A naturally occurring homogeneous solid, inorganically formed, with a definite chemical composition and an ordered atomic arrangement.”
Snow is beautiful as each snowflake is unique; a slice of a six-sided crystal and every snowflake, like a quartz crystal, is vibrant and vibrating. Snow crystals form in six-sided shapes because water molecules are made of one oxygen and two hydrogen molecules. As water begins to crystallize into ice, its hydrogen molecules hook together in ways that form six-sided crystals.
Snowflakes are agglomerates of many snow crystals. Most snowflakes are less than one-half inch across. Under certain conditions, usually requiring near-freezing temperatures, light winds and unstable, convective atmospheric conditions, much larger and irregular flakes can form. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest snowflake ever measured was 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick. This was observed and recorded in 1887 at Fort Keogh, Mont.
So what is snow? It is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by external pressure.
Snowfall tends to form within regions of upward motion of air around a type of low-pressure system. In mountainous areas, heavy snow is possible where upslope flow is maximized within windward sides of the terrain at elevation if the temperature is low enough.
Why is snow white? Visible sunlight is white and most natural materials absorb some sunlight which gives them their color. Snow, however, reflects most of the sunlight. The complex structure of snow crystals results in countless tiny surfaces from which visible light is efficiently reflected. What little sunlight is absorbed by snow is absorbed uniformly over the wavelengths of visible light, thus giving snow its white appearance.
The fluffiest, lowest density snows typically fall with light winds and temperatures near 15 degrees Fahrenheit. At colder temperatures, the crystal structure and size change. At very cold temperatures near 0 degrees Fahrenheit, crystals tend to be smaller so that they pack more closely together as they accumulate, producing snow that may be denser.
Fresh snow absorbs sound, lowering ambient noise over a landscape because the trapped air between snowflakes absorbs vibration. Walking across snowfall produces a squeaking sound at low temperatures.
A layer of snow is made up of ice grains with air in between the ice grains. Because the snow layer is mostly empty air space, when you step on a layer of snow you compress that layer a little or a lot, depending on how old the snow is. As the snow compresses, the ice grains rub against each other. This creates friction or resistance; the colder the temperature, the greater the friction between the grains of ice. The sudden squishing of the snow at lower temperatures produces the creaking sound. At warmer temperatures closer to melting, this friction is reduced to the point where the sliding of the grains against each other produces little or no noise.
In a snow pack with a significant temperature gradient, large six-sided, cup shaped “depth hoar crystals” form a loosely packed layer at the bottom. Many small non-hibernating mammals depend upon these loose snow crystals for easy construction of tunnels throughout the subnivean environment. This “sugar snow” can often be the weak and unstable layer that causes avalanche hazards.
Snow cover can protect crops from extreme cold. A blanket of snow keeps the ground evenly frozen, preventing frost heaves and protecting the plants from upheaval.
Each snowflake forms around a particle of dust, which is a tiny grain of soil containing a minute amount of minerals. The minerals in snow are absorbed into the soil, and when the ground thaws, they are taken up by the plants. Minerals provide structure and allow communication in cells, plants and animals.
The water content of snow is variable. Ten inches of fresh snow can contain as little as 0.10 inches of water or as much as 5 inches, depending on crystal structure, wind speed and temperature.
One major benefit of a good snow cover is that snow is an excellent insulator of the soil. Without snow, very cold temperatures can freeze the soil deeper and deeper. Generally, temperatures underneath a layer of snow increase about 2 degrees F for each inch of accumulation. Because the soil also gives off some heat, the temperature at the soil surface can be much warmer than the air temperature.
Most skiers are familiar with the many terms referring to snow or snow conditions: boilerplate, breakable crust, powder, champagne powder, corduroy, corn, hard pack, packed powder, moguls, cornice, glacier, flurries and avalanche just to name a few. The most magical moments on the mountain are a sunny morning after a fresh snowfall when sun shining on a few stray flakes in the air look like floating diamonds or stardust against a brilliant blue sky.
Snow is beautiful as each snowflake is unique; a slice of a six-sided crystal and every snowflake, like a quartz crystal, is vibrant and vibrating. Snow crystals form in six-sided shapes because water molecules are made of one oxygen and two hydrogen molecules. As water begins to crystallize into ice, its hydrogen molecules hook together in ways that form six-sided crystals.
Snowflakes are agglomerates of many snow crystals. Most snowflakes are less than one-half inch across. Under certain conditions, usually requiring near-freezing temperatures, light winds and unstable, convective atmospheric conditions, much larger and irregular flakes can form. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest snowflake ever measured was 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick. This was observed and recorded in 1887 at Fort Keogh, Mont.
So what is snow? It is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by external pressure.
Snowfall tends to form within regions of upward motion of air around a type of low-pressure system. In mountainous areas, heavy snow is possible where upslope flow is maximized within windward sides of the terrain at elevation if the temperature is low enough.
Why is snow white? Visible sunlight is white and most natural materials absorb some sunlight which gives them their color. Snow, however, reflects most of the sunlight. The complex structure of snow crystals results in countless tiny surfaces from which visible light is efficiently reflected. What little sunlight is absorbed by snow is absorbed uniformly over the wavelengths of visible light, thus giving snow its white appearance.
The fluffiest, lowest density snows typically fall with light winds and temperatures near 15 degrees Fahrenheit. At colder temperatures, the crystal structure and size change. At very cold temperatures near 0 degrees Fahrenheit, crystals tend to be smaller so that they pack more closely together as they accumulate, producing snow that may be denser.
Fresh snow absorbs sound, lowering ambient noise over a landscape because the trapped air between snowflakes absorbs vibration. Walking across snowfall produces a squeaking sound at low temperatures.
A layer of snow is made up of ice grains with air in between the ice grains. Because the snow layer is mostly empty air space, when you step on a layer of snow you compress that layer a little or a lot, depending on how old the snow is. As the snow compresses, the ice grains rub against each other. This creates friction or resistance; the colder the temperature, the greater the friction between the grains of ice. The sudden squishing of the snow at lower temperatures produces the creaking sound. At warmer temperatures closer to melting, this friction is reduced to the point where the sliding of the grains against each other produces little or no noise.
In a snow pack with a significant temperature gradient, large six-sided, cup shaped “depth hoar crystals” form a loosely packed layer at the bottom. Many small non-hibernating mammals depend upon these loose snow crystals for easy construction of tunnels throughout the subnivean environment. This “sugar snow” can often be the weak and unstable layer that causes avalanche hazards.
Snow cover can protect crops from extreme cold. A blanket of snow keeps the ground evenly frozen, preventing frost heaves and protecting the plants from upheaval.
Each snowflake forms around a particle of dust, which is a tiny grain of soil containing a minute amount of minerals. The minerals in snow are absorbed into the soil, and when the ground thaws, they are taken up by the plants. Minerals provide structure and allow communication in cells, plants and animals.
The water content of snow is variable. Ten inches of fresh snow can contain as little as 0.10 inches of water or as much as 5 inches, depending on crystal structure, wind speed and temperature.
One major benefit of a good snow cover is that snow is an excellent insulator of the soil. Without snow, very cold temperatures can freeze the soil deeper and deeper. Generally, temperatures underneath a layer of snow increase about 2 degrees F for each inch of accumulation. Because the soil also gives off some heat, the temperature at the soil surface can be much warmer than the air temperature.
Most skiers are familiar with the many terms referring to snow or snow conditions: boilerplate, breakable crust, powder, champagne powder, corduroy, corn, hard pack, packed powder, moguls, cornice, glacier, flurries and avalanche just to name a few. The most magical moments on the mountain are a sunny morning after a fresh snowfall when sun shining on a few stray flakes in the air look like floating diamonds or stardust against a brilliant blue sky.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Acquire A Property Cure For Hemorrhoids And Get Instantaneous Relief
Do you think you’re embarrassed to confess that you have hemorrhoids? Are you currently so embarrassed because of the condition you never even wish to focus on it together with your medical doctor? Properly, you are not alone. First off, a wonderful amount of persons undergo from your itching, bleeding and soreness of hemorroids. As countless as 50% of people have experienced hemoroids because of the time they flip fifty. Some studies advise that as much as 80% of individuals may have hemroids at some time in their lives. The really good news is the fact that when you are seeking a home get rid of for hemorrhoids, there are lots of extremely powerful methods you’ll be able to consider in your own home with out talking about your condition with virtually anyone else.
A household remedy for hemeroids can normally be incredibly productive simply mainly because hemroids are frequently virility ex caused by existing routines and way of living selections. Most hemorrhoid home cures entail applying new routines and creating changes inside your lifestyle. Indeed, it’s accurate, modifying your habits and life-style could be painful, but at a minimum it isn’t going to itch and burn off like hemorrhoids.
Hemorrhoids (your grandparents perhaps described as them piles) are swollen or inflamed veins during the location of one’s anus and rectum. hemorroids will be internal or exterior. You seldom experience inner hemoroids given that nerve endings inside your rectum never transmit ache signals. Perhaps you may never comprehend you have got internal hemroids until you observe small quantities of blood to the toilet tissue or while in the bathroom drinking water. External hemorrhoids are a second story entirely. They usually lead to burning and itching sensations and may be distressing sufficient to distract you throughout the day. You can expect to without doubt value the moment relief offered by an effective enlast dwelling treatment for hemorrhoids.
The number 1 contribute to of hemorrhoids is straining through a bowel motion. The best household cure for hemroids is anything it is easy to do to promote comfortable, painless bowel actions. For many folks, this may be accomplished with plenty of fluids and fiber. Drink loads of fluids during the day, preferable drinking water. Enhance your fiber intake by consuming loads of recent fruits, veggies and entire grains. Bowel movements aren’t meant to be prolonged and tough. In case you shorten time you spend sitting within the toilet and lessen the hassle it will require to finish your bowel movement, then your hemorroids will heal immediately and foreseeable future hemorrhoid pain will probably be unlikely.
One other useful dwelling overcome for hemorrhoids is definitely the software of petroleum jelly. Use a cotton swab or even the suggestion within your finger to apply petroleum jelly roughly your rectum and about a 50 % inch into your anus. This therapy may help make your bowel movements simplier and easier as you’re adjusting your fiber and fluid consumption. 1 home get rid of that routinely gets great marks would be the software of witch hazel on the affected parts. Witch hazel leads to the blood vessels to shrink and contract. It can be specially helpful iced.
There are many over-the-counter medicines that you simply can use like a family home treatment for hemoroids, but most are actually nothing at all in excess of neighborhood discomfort killers. If you ever opt to strive them out, stick to the lotions. Suppositories are healing the incorrect vicinity for exterior hemorrhoids. And none of these topical solutions are definitely handling the root induce of hemorroids.
If you’re seeking an natural your home remedy for hemeroids, many have documented accomplishment with stoneroot. Stoneroot can generally be observed in capsule sort. The software of aloe vera gel is another natural treatment solution that some have noticed soothing.
Conventional warm baths certainly are a highly-recommended your home overcome for hemroids. The heat water decreases the soreness of your hemorrhoids and then the increased circulation of blood delivers increased healing and curative powers. It might audio backwards, but the grow blood movement from the heat bath also aids shrink the affected veins.
Ensure which you cleanse by yourself gently after a bowel motion. Despite the fact that this is not technically a property get rid of for hemorroids, it will eventually assistance ease the soreness and irritation. Use bathroom paper with out perfumes or dyes, and moisten it with some water in advance of by using. If you ever can find bathroom paper that comprises supplemental moisturizers and lotions, then acquire it and utilize it.
Hemorrhoids certainly are a popular, but embarrassing ailment. You could be reluctant to provestra discuss hemorroids along with your doctor. A your home get rid of for hemeroids can show you how to uncover relief with no will need to endure an embarrassing consultation and examination.
A household remedy for hemeroids can normally be incredibly productive simply mainly because hemroids are frequently virility ex caused by existing routines and way of living selections. Most hemorrhoid home cures entail applying new routines and creating changes inside your lifestyle. Indeed, it’s accurate, modifying your habits and life-style could be painful, but at a minimum it isn’t going to itch and burn off like hemorrhoids.
Hemorrhoids (your grandparents perhaps described as them piles) are swollen or inflamed veins during the location of one’s anus and rectum. hemorroids will be internal or exterior. You seldom experience inner hemoroids given that nerve endings inside your rectum never transmit ache signals. Perhaps you may never comprehend you have got internal hemroids until you observe small quantities of blood to the toilet tissue or while in the bathroom drinking water. External hemorrhoids are a second story entirely. They usually lead to burning and itching sensations and may be distressing sufficient to distract you throughout the day. You can expect to without doubt value the moment relief offered by an effective enlast dwelling treatment for hemorrhoids.
The number 1 contribute to of hemorrhoids is straining through a bowel motion. The best household cure for hemroids is anything it is easy to do to promote comfortable, painless bowel actions. For many folks, this may be accomplished with plenty of fluids and fiber. Drink loads of fluids during the day, preferable drinking water. Enhance your fiber intake by consuming loads of recent fruits, veggies and entire grains. Bowel movements aren’t meant to be prolonged and tough. In case you shorten time you spend sitting within the toilet and lessen the hassle it will require to finish your bowel movement, then your hemorroids will heal immediately and foreseeable future hemorrhoid pain will probably be unlikely.
One other useful dwelling overcome for hemorrhoids is definitely the software of petroleum jelly. Use a cotton swab or even the suggestion within your finger to apply petroleum jelly roughly your rectum and about a 50 % inch into your anus. This therapy may help make your bowel movements simplier and easier as you’re adjusting your fiber and fluid consumption. 1 home get rid of that routinely gets great marks would be the software of witch hazel on the affected parts. Witch hazel leads to the blood vessels to shrink and contract. It can be specially helpful iced.
There are many over-the-counter medicines that you simply can use like a family home treatment for hemoroids, but most are actually nothing at all in excess of neighborhood discomfort killers. If you ever opt to strive them out, stick to the lotions. Suppositories are healing the incorrect vicinity for exterior hemorrhoids. And none of these topical solutions are definitely handling the root induce of hemorroids.
If you’re seeking an natural your home remedy for hemeroids, many have documented accomplishment with stoneroot. Stoneroot can generally be observed in capsule sort. The software of aloe vera gel is another natural treatment solution that some have noticed soothing.
Conventional warm baths certainly are a highly-recommended your home overcome for hemroids. The heat water decreases the soreness of your hemorrhoids and then the increased circulation of blood delivers increased healing and curative powers. It might audio backwards, but the grow blood movement from the heat bath also aids shrink the affected veins.
Ensure which you cleanse by yourself gently after a bowel motion. Despite the fact that this is not technically a property get rid of for hemorroids, it will eventually assistance ease the soreness and irritation. Use bathroom paper with out perfumes or dyes, and moisten it with some water in advance of by using. If you ever can find bathroom paper that comprises supplemental moisturizers and lotions, then acquire it and utilize it.
Hemorrhoids certainly are a popular, but embarrassing ailment. You could be reluctant to provestra discuss hemorroids along with your doctor. A your home get rid of for hemeroids can show you how to uncover relief with no will need to endure an embarrassing consultation and examination.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Backyard Hens Are ‘Part Of The Family’
Sam and Dorothy Abram are members of a select group. The Bowden Street residents are among the seven families in Barrington where chickens are not relegated to the roaster pan or barbecue spit.
The Abrams took advantage of the town council’s decision earlier this year that allows residents to keep up to six hens in their backyards.
Actually, Mr. Abram was one of the key advocates for the new law. He worked hard to compile a packet for the council showing the benefits of backyard hens, built a tally of the cities and towns that had already passed laws allowing chickens, and recruited dozens of residents to sign a petition supporting the initiative.
Mr. and Mrs. Abram, whose children are now in college, have been celebrating the council’s pro-chicken vote for months. Mr. Abram built a green and white-trimmed hen house in the backyard that’s surrounded by a tall fence. Their “girls” live inside the enclosure.
“They’re really hilarious,” Mrs. Abram said. “The girls all get along.”
The Rhode Island Reds vary slightly — one has a lighter shade of auburn feathers, while another has longer tail feathers — but appear to mix comfortably with each other and the rest of the Abram family. They’re not intimidated by the two dogs, Beau and Bella, or the cats, Shiri and Ella.
“They are part of the family,” said Mr. Abram. “You would become very sorry if you lose one.”
Mr. Abram, who hails originally from Greece, said one of the hens escaped from the coop earlier this year. He said he mistakenly tried to catch the chicken, but realized quickly that there are few things more difficult that tracking down a loose chicken.
He stopped chasing the hen and watched in surprise as she returned to the coop all by herself. He said she wanted to be with the other hens.
The Abrams said there are numerous benefits to keeping backyard chickens — that was a message he preached time and again while petitioning the council to pass an ordinance allowing the hens. He said the home-grown eggs are more nutritious than store-bought eggs (see associated story), they taste better and, best of all, they are free.
He said the hens are also the world’s greatest composters. They eat all sorts of food scraps and produce a potent fertilizer for the Abrams’ garden.
Mrs. Abram said her yard has actually become a self-sustaining experiment. She said the hens churn out fertilizer that helps the Abrams’ garden yield a healthy crop of vegetables each year. Meanwhile, some of the vegetable scraps are eventually fed to the chickens, who then continue to create more fertilizer.
“They eat everything,” she said. “It makes a circle. It all ties in.”
Mr. Abram said the chickens have also led him to a popular standing among the neighbors. He said the hens lay so many eggs that he has more than enough to share with the folks next door and across the street.
“You give eggs to the boss and you’ll get a promotion,” said Mr. Abram with a smile.
The Abrams said they have not experienced any problems with predators in the area; despite having seen a fox in their backyard and heard stories of coyotes nearby, the Abrams “girls” have remained undisturbed during their days in Barrington. Mr. Abram also credits a well-constructed enclosure that sports a mesh net roof.
“They’re well-protected,” he said.
Mr. and Mrs. Abram said there was not consensus support for the new ordinance, but praised the hard work of Barrington Town Council member Kate Weymouth.
“She was great,” said Mrs. Abram. “Very helpful.”
The Abrams took advantage of the town council’s decision earlier this year that allows residents to keep up to six hens in their backyards.
Actually, Mr. Abram was one of the key advocates for the new law. He worked hard to compile a packet for the council showing the benefits of backyard hens, built a tally of the cities and towns that had already passed laws allowing chickens, and recruited dozens of residents to sign a petition supporting the initiative.
Mr. and Mrs. Abram, whose children are now in college, have been celebrating the council’s pro-chicken vote for months. Mr. Abram built a green and white-trimmed hen house in the backyard that’s surrounded by a tall fence. Their “girls” live inside the enclosure.
“They’re really hilarious,” Mrs. Abram said. “The girls all get along.”
The Rhode Island Reds vary slightly — one has a lighter shade of auburn feathers, while another has longer tail feathers — but appear to mix comfortably with each other and the rest of the Abram family. They’re not intimidated by the two dogs, Beau and Bella, or the cats, Shiri and Ella.
“They are part of the family,” said Mr. Abram. “You would become very sorry if you lose one.”
Mr. Abram, who hails originally from Greece, said one of the hens escaped from the coop earlier this year. He said he mistakenly tried to catch the chicken, but realized quickly that there are few things more difficult that tracking down a loose chicken.
He stopped chasing the hen and watched in surprise as she returned to the coop all by herself. He said she wanted to be with the other hens.
The Abrams said there are numerous benefits to keeping backyard chickens — that was a message he preached time and again while petitioning the council to pass an ordinance allowing the hens. He said the home-grown eggs are more nutritious than store-bought eggs (see associated story), they taste better and, best of all, they are free.
He said the hens are also the world’s greatest composters. They eat all sorts of food scraps and produce a potent fertilizer for the Abrams’ garden.
Mrs. Abram said her yard has actually become a self-sustaining experiment. She said the hens churn out fertilizer that helps the Abrams’ garden yield a healthy crop of vegetables each year. Meanwhile, some of the vegetable scraps are eventually fed to the chickens, who then continue to create more fertilizer.
“They eat everything,” she said. “It makes a circle. It all ties in.”
Mr. Abram said the chickens have also led him to a popular standing among the neighbors. He said the hens lay so many eggs that he has more than enough to share with the folks next door and across the street.
“You give eggs to the boss and you’ll get a promotion,” said Mr. Abram with a smile.
The Abrams said they have not experienced any problems with predators in the area; despite having seen a fox in their backyard and heard stories of coyotes nearby, the Abrams “girls” have remained undisturbed during their days in Barrington. Mr. Abram also credits a well-constructed enclosure that sports a mesh net roof.
“They’re well-protected,” he said.
Mr. and Mrs. Abram said there was not consensus support for the new ordinance, but praised the hard work of Barrington Town Council member Kate Weymouth.
“She was great,” said Mrs. Abram. “Very helpful.”
Monday, November 21, 2011
Church loses handmade chicken to fowl play
As capers go, the curious case of a church's missing plywood chickens is neither a stone-cold whodunit nor is it the crime of the century.
They were separate acts committed years apart. They were straight snatch and grab jobs, in all likelihood impromptu acts of tomfoolery perpetrated by college kids with a lot of time on their hands, a few frosty adult beverages in their bellies and ample display space in a dorm room or frat house.
They didn't rate calls to police and have generated a few jokes by the good-natured victims at Burkhead United Methodist Church, who've seen not one, but two of their promotional chickens fly the coop in the past few autumns.
Still, no matter how paltry (poultry?) the pilfering may be, it's causing some measure of heartburn and has created unnecessary hurdles for an annual fundraiser intended to help local charities.
Jerry Carter, a loyal parishioner who really took a shine to those chickens and the barbecue supper they were intended to promote, has the background.
A few years ago, somebody got the bright idea that the church would do more business with something that would grab attention along busy Silas Creek Parkway, he said.
A couple or three parishioners with creative skills (and an awesome set of tools) built a large bright yellow and red chicken from a sheet of plywood. They set it out, and though there's no spreadsheet to back it, anecdotally the chickens served their purpose by driving traffic to the church. (Why did the motorist cross the road? To get to the barbecue chicken.) "Basically they were the chicken version of Ronald McDonald," said Carter.
Aaron Shough, a woodworker who cut out the bird from a drawing made by another parishioner, threw out the first wisecrack when asked about that first chicken.
"It was a nice rooster," he said. "I guess it took wing and flew away."
That chicken was stolen, though, and the parishioners built another, smaller bird. When that one was judged to be too (chicken) little, they built a third, a 6-footer, that they still have, bringing the population of the flock up to two.
In a theft similar to the first, the smaller one was removed from the church grounds in late October, a week or so before this year's sale.
Stealing plywood chickens is not an earth-shaking event. Nobody got killed, and no one was injured. But small things do matter.
"I just assumed it was some kind of a fraternity prank or something," said Thornie Worley, a parishioner with an art studio who designed the chickens and helped paint them. "It does get a little tiresome to think about having to redo those things.
"There are so many drastic problems in the world, and this is straight out of the Andy Griffith Show. We do have a sense of humor, but it took a long time to make those things."
A Sunday school class that wanted to serve a larger purpose donated their time to do something to better their community and got fleeced. Church members raise money for small, very local charities such as food pantries, the kinds of places that don't have big PR machines or enormous budgets.
That matters, and that's why what was likely a spur-of-the-moment prank rankles.
"It bothers me that anyone would steal, and it's magnified by why anyone would steal from a church," Shough said. "It serves no purpose."
They were separate acts committed years apart. They were straight snatch and grab jobs, in all likelihood impromptu acts of tomfoolery perpetrated by college kids with a lot of time on their hands, a few frosty adult beverages in their bellies and ample display space in a dorm room or frat house.
They didn't rate calls to police and have generated a few jokes by the good-natured victims at Burkhead United Methodist Church, who've seen not one, but two of their promotional chickens fly the coop in the past few autumns.
Still, no matter how paltry (poultry?) the pilfering may be, it's causing some measure of heartburn and has created unnecessary hurdles for an annual fundraiser intended to help local charities.
Jerry Carter, a loyal parishioner who really took a shine to those chickens and the barbecue supper they were intended to promote, has the background.
A few years ago, somebody got the bright idea that the church would do more business with something that would grab attention along busy Silas Creek Parkway, he said.
A couple or three parishioners with creative skills (and an awesome set of tools) built a large bright yellow and red chicken from a sheet of plywood. They set it out, and though there's no spreadsheet to back it, anecdotally the chickens served their purpose by driving traffic to the church. (Why did the motorist cross the road? To get to the barbecue chicken.) "Basically they were the chicken version of Ronald McDonald," said Carter.
Aaron Shough, a woodworker who cut out the bird from a drawing made by another parishioner, threw out the first wisecrack when asked about that first chicken.
"It was a nice rooster," he said. "I guess it took wing and flew away."
That chicken was stolen, though, and the parishioners built another, smaller bird. When that one was judged to be too (chicken) little, they built a third, a 6-footer, that they still have, bringing the population of the flock up to two.
In a theft similar to the first, the smaller one was removed from the church grounds in late October, a week or so before this year's sale.
Stealing plywood chickens is not an earth-shaking event. Nobody got killed, and no one was injured. But small things do matter.
"I just assumed it was some kind of a fraternity prank or something," said Thornie Worley, a parishioner with an art studio who designed the chickens and helped paint them. "It does get a little tiresome to think about having to redo those things.
"There are so many drastic problems in the world, and this is straight out of the Andy Griffith Show. We do have a sense of humor, but it took a long time to make those things."
A Sunday school class that wanted to serve a larger purpose donated their time to do something to better their community and got fleeced. Church members raise money for small, very local charities such as food pantries, the kinds of places that don't have big PR machines or enormous budgets.
That matters, and that's why what was likely a spur-of-the-moment prank rankles.
"It bothers me that anyone would steal, and it's magnified by why anyone would steal from a church," Shough said. "It serves no purpose."
Friday, November 18, 2011
Tour highlights Savannah's urban chicks
As an old farm boy from Wisconsin, Jake Kawatski is matter of fact about the four hens in his urban backyard in the West Victory area of Savannah.
“I grew up having chickens,” he said.
He spouts tips as he shows off his two “Easter egg” Araucanas and two white leghorns scratching around their enclosure:
Put chicken manure back into your garden for fertilizer.
Stick to one breed so they don’t fight.
Pick up crushed shells from Tybee for a cheap way to aid digestion and egg production.
Such advice and more will be coming at visitors Sunday on the third annual Tour de Coop, a guided tour of local chicken coops sponsored by the nonprofit Savannah Urban Garden Alliance.
The tour is the brainchild of Kelly Lockamy, SUGA’s founder. It meshes well with her vision of providing “local, healthy food one garden at a time.”
“It promotes the idea of being more self-sufficient in feeding yourself,” she said. “It’s along the lines of a backyard garden but also having protein.”
Plus, the tour is a chance for chicken enthusiasts to get together.
There are plenty of such fowl friends in Savannah. A Facebook page devoted to Savannah Backyard Chickens boasts 161 members. The chickens’ popularity is part of the reason a county task force is working to re-write and clarify ordinances about keeping livestock.
Shannon Willhite, whose apple-green coop is also on the tour, is exhibit A of the group’s enthusiasm.
The Ardsley Park resident got her chickens in July. When her favorite hen, Cora, began crowing on Monday, he was renamed Carl and quickly relocated. Now she’s down to four hens who eat their oyster shells from a tea cup, dine in their own screened porch and feather their nests in what she calls the “Chick Inn.”
“I should get an egg any minute now,” she said. “I’m beyond excited.”
“I grew up having chickens,” he said.
He spouts tips as he shows off his two “Easter egg” Araucanas and two white leghorns scratching around their enclosure:
Put chicken manure back into your garden for fertilizer.
Stick to one breed so they don’t fight.
Pick up crushed shells from Tybee for a cheap way to aid digestion and egg production.
Such advice and more will be coming at visitors Sunday on the third annual Tour de Coop, a guided tour of local chicken coops sponsored by the nonprofit Savannah Urban Garden Alliance.
The tour is the brainchild of Kelly Lockamy, SUGA’s founder. It meshes well with her vision of providing “local, healthy food one garden at a time.”
“It promotes the idea of being more self-sufficient in feeding yourself,” she said. “It’s along the lines of a backyard garden but also having protein.”
Plus, the tour is a chance for chicken enthusiasts to get together.
There are plenty of such fowl friends in Savannah. A Facebook page devoted to Savannah Backyard Chickens boasts 161 members. The chickens’ popularity is part of the reason a county task force is working to re-write and clarify ordinances about keeping livestock.
Shannon Willhite, whose apple-green coop is also on the tour, is exhibit A of the group’s enthusiasm.
The Ardsley Park resident got her chickens in July. When her favorite hen, Cora, began crowing on Monday, he was renamed Carl and quickly relocated. Now she’s down to four hens who eat their oyster shells from a tea cup, dine in their own screened porch and feather their nests in what she calls the “Chick Inn.”
“I should get an egg any minute now,” she said. “I’m beyond excited.”
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Kai hansen - China Bare Projector Lamps - China Projector Lens
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Kai participated in great number of towards numerous other work. Or Even She seemed the result invitees vocalist Shutter Guardian's collections In order to the Shade then Online About Twilight Domain. Not to mention HammerFall which he saved an appliance cover kind about Helloween's I'D Like To See Inside. Kai literally component pertaining to Regrin a new dwarf back in Avantasia rock n roll firefox times Tobias Sammet.
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Monday, November 14, 2011
Artist Garry Harper bought a 1920s sandstone terrace
IT WAS the light that attracted artist Garry Harper to his current home. Light, and the fact that he could put his own stamp on the property.
The 1920s sandstone terrace house is in Glasgow’s leafy Muirend, and while it had been a well-loved family home, when Garry bought it six years ago it needed a makeover.
The three-bedroom house now reflects Garry’s artistic eye for detail – from the sanded original floorboards and hand-painted staircase to a reproduction fireplace in the living room, which was commissioned to tie in with the age of the property. The tone of paint used on each wall showcases Garry’s artwork to full effect, while he and his partner completely reworked the rear of the house to create an open-plan dining kitchen, and also added a walk-in larder and a downstairs toilet.
The hallway lost fuchsia pink walls and carpet, and found a fresh neutral palette, while the formerly dark staircase has been painted white. Upstairs, a 1960s lime green bathroom was ripped out and replaced by a modern white suite, underfloor heating, black slate floor tiles, textured pewter-coloured wall tiles and a contemporary rain shower. Most walls and ceilings in the house were replastered and the attic room was insulated for use as a studio.
When I visited Garry, he was in the throes of creating work to show at this month’s Edinburgh Art Fair. A Glasgow School of Art graduate, he was a graphic artist for STV for 20 years before taking the leap to paint full-time three years ago. “It was a great buzz working at STV, but I always painted,” says Garry. “The longing to paint full-time grew and grew.
“I love the reaction I get from some people when they see my work. I am fuelled by drawing and painting people, and always have been. Even at school, teachers would give me photographs of their children to paint and I would earn pocket money that way.”
Moving to this house gave Garry the opportunity to create a sizeable studio as well as his own framing workshop. “The minute I saw the attic room, I knew it would be a perfect studio space for me,” he says. “We raised the roof beams by a foot to give more head height and got them planed to give them life again. I also converted part of the basement so that I can do my own framing. Friends and family helped us dig the basement out, again to give greater head height.”
Nevertheless, it was on the main living rooms that Garry initially had to focus. As the original kitchen was small, a wall between it and the dining room was knocked down to make it one large open space that spans the width of the house. A new kitchen was installed, teaming white gloss units from Wickes with a worktop and double Belfast sink from Ikea. The wooden floors were sanded and relaid. “I stayed at my grandfather’s house for a while, which allowed us to come here and create the mess that we needed to, which was a lot when bringing down a wall and lifting floors,” recalls Garry. “We chose a glass splashback for the kitchen, but I want it a bit bluer so plan to replace it with one with more of an aqua tone through it.”
A reclaimed church pew borders a long wooden Habitat dining table, which has been the scene of many dinner parties. “Last Christmas we had 25 people for dinner – we did it in two sittings,” laughs Garry. “I have four sisters, so they all pile in with the kids. It is a great kitchen for entertaining, and people always mention the light in here, which I love. If I was ever to build a modern house, it would be glass-fronted with lots of natural daylight.”
The living room is also a lovely light-filled space, with plenty of wall for Garry’s art, as well as the opportunity to display decorative pieces he picks up on his travels. However, when he bought the house, the room housed an old stone fireplace that ran along the length of the main wall, with Artex on the walls and ceiling. “We took the fireplace out the day we came here,” Garry recalls.
“I had noticed through a neighbour’s window that they had an original fireplace, so they allowed me to take pictures of it and I got my joiner friend to make this fireplace in the same style for me. We put in a cast-iron inset, which I bought on eBay for 10. We had to get the walls and ceilings plastered too.
“I love finding old things and giving them a home, like old frames or pieces of driftwood. I love things that have texture, whether it be rust or something decaying. Picasso used to say if you are ever stuck, sit yourself down in front of an old wall and a world will be revealed to you. It’s a case of looking closer at things.”
The 1920s sandstone terrace house is in Glasgow’s leafy Muirend, and while it had been a well-loved family home, when Garry bought it six years ago it needed a makeover.
The three-bedroom house now reflects Garry’s artistic eye for detail – from the sanded original floorboards and hand-painted staircase to a reproduction fireplace in the living room, which was commissioned to tie in with the age of the property. The tone of paint used on each wall showcases Garry’s artwork to full effect, while he and his partner completely reworked the rear of the house to create an open-plan dining kitchen, and also added a walk-in larder and a downstairs toilet.
The hallway lost fuchsia pink walls and carpet, and found a fresh neutral palette, while the formerly dark staircase has been painted white. Upstairs, a 1960s lime green bathroom was ripped out and replaced by a modern white suite, underfloor heating, black slate floor tiles, textured pewter-coloured wall tiles and a contemporary rain shower. Most walls and ceilings in the house were replastered and the attic room was insulated for use as a studio.
When I visited Garry, he was in the throes of creating work to show at this month’s Edinburgh Art Fair. A Glasgow School of Art graduate, he was a graphic artist for STV for 20 years before taking the leap to paint full-time three years ago. “It was a great buzz working at STV, but I always painted,” says Garry. “The longing to paint full-time grew and grew.
“I love the reaction I get from some people when they see my work. I am fuelled by drawing and painting people, and always have been. Even at school, teachers would give me photographs of their children to paint and I would earn pocket money that way.”
Moving to this house gave Garry the opportunity to create a sizeable studio as well as his own framing workshop. “The minute I saw the attic room, I knew it would be a perfect studio space for me,” he says. “We raised the roof beams by a foot to give more head height and got them planed to give them life again. I also converted part of the basement so that I can do my own framing. Friends and family helped us dig the basement out, again to give greater head height.”
Nevertheless, it was on the main living rooms that Garry initially had to focus. As the original kitchen was small, a wall between it and the dining room was knocked down to make it one large open space that spans the width of the house. A new kitchen was installed, teaming white gloss units from Wickes with a worktop and double Belfast sink from Ikea. The wooden floors were sanded and relaid. “I stayed at my grandfather’s house for a while, which allowed us to come here and create the mess that we needed to, which was a lot when bringing down a wall and lifting floors,” recalls Garry. “We chose a glass splashback for the kitchen, but I want it a bit bluer so plan to replace it with one with more of an aqua tone through it.”
A reclaimed church pew borders a long wooden Habitat dining table, which has been the scene of many dinner parties. “Last Christmas we had 25 people for dinner – we did it in two sittings,” laughs Garry. “I have four sisters, so they all pile in with the kids. It is a great kitchen for entertaining, and people always mention the light in here, which I love. If I was ever to build a modern house, it would be glass-fronted with lots of natural daylight.”
The living room is also a lovely light-filled space, with plenty of wall for Garry’s art, as well as the opportunity to display decorative pieces he picks up on his travels. However, when he bought the house, the room housed an old stone fireplace that ran along the length of the main wall, with Artex on the walls and ceiling. “We took the fireplace out the day we came here,” Garry recalls.
“I had noticed through a neighbour’s window that they had an original fireplace, so they allowed me to take pictures of it and I got my joiner friend to make this fireplace in the same style for me. We put in a cast-iron inset, which I bought on eBay for 10. We had to get the walls and ceilings plastered too.
“I love finding old things and giving them a home, like old frames or pieces of driftwood. I love things that have texture, whether it be rust or something decaying. Picasso used to say if you are ever stuck, sit yourself down in front of an old wall and a world will be revealed to you. It’s a case of looking closer at things.”
Iran to Provide Pakistani Province with Assistance in Various Grounds
Iran assured Khyber Pukhtunkhwa of assistance in development of textiles industry, thermal plants, hydro power projects, carpet industry and stone refining technology.
Briefing reporters about the recent five-day visit of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti to Iran's Fars and Isfahan provinces, the provincial minister for information and transport Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that Khyber Pukhtunkhwa government has signed a memorandum of understanding under which the Iranian province of Fars will help Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province in power generation.
"On the proposal of chief minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, the Fars government has agreed to form a joint working group with our government to formulate an action plan for bilateral cooperation on power generation. The group will consist of government officials and representatives of chambers of commerce and industry from the two sides," the minister said. Mr. Iftikhar said during the visit, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Isfahan governments signed a memorandum of understanding for bilateral cooperation in different fields, especially power generation, mineral exploration and training of technical and agriculture workforce.
He said the two governments also agreed to cooperate with each other in organizing industrial and trade exhibitions to increase investment. "After the agreement, we'll be able to get support in textiles, food, manufacturing of wooden items, carpets, chemical, petrochemical, tiles, food processing, and steel rolling. Similarly, training workshops will be held for manpower involved in the making of PVC/HTP pipes used for gas supply," he said.
The minister said the two governments would share information on marble and granite exploration, and the relevant machinery and technology with each other through training courses, adding that exchange of experts from private sector would also be encouraged. Mr. Iftikhar said training courses would be arranged for development of agriculture and livestock, while visits of the students of agriculture universities would also be planned in addition to bilateral cooperation in farm management, agro-engineering and land protection. "This will help increase agriculture production and overcome problems," he said. The minister said visits of cultural groups, artists and writers would be arranged for promotion of media, culture, art, literature, training exhibitions, and traditional festivals, while development of cultural heritage and historical assets and the making of feature films on lives of important personalities of the two provinces had also been planned.
He said he would soon lead a delegation consisting of provincial secretaries of industries, sports and culture, the current and former president chamber of commerce and industry, to Iran to discuss MoU implementation. Hussain appreciated Iran's speedy economic growth and industrial development and said Pakistan could also achieve it but that needed commitment on the part of the rulers.
Briefing reporters about the recent five-day visit of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti to Iran's Fars and Isfahan provinces, the provincial minister for information and transport Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that Khyber Pukhtunkhwa government has signed a memorandum of understanding under which the Iranian province of Fars will help Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province in power generation.
"On the proposal of chief minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, the Fars government has agreed to form a joint working group with our government to formulate an action plan for bilateral cooperation on power generation. The group will consist of government officials and representatives of chambers of commerce and industry from the two sides," the minister said. Mr. Iftikhar said during the visit, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Isfahan governments signed a memorandum of understanding for bilateral cooperation in different fields, especially power generation, mineral exploration and training of technical and agriculture workforce.
He said the two governments also agreed to cooperate with each other in organizing industrial and trade exhibitions to increase investment. "After the agreement, we'll be able to get support in textiles, food, manufacturing of wooden items, carpets, chemical, petrochemical, tiles, food processing, and steel rolling. Similarly, training workshops will be held for manpower involved in the making of PVC/HTP pipes used for gas supply," he said.
The minister said the two governments would share information on marble and granite exploration, and the relevant machinery and technology with each other through training courses, adding that exchange of experts from private sector would also be encouraged. Mr. Iftikhar said training courses would be arranged for development of agriculture and livestock, while visits of the students of agriculture universities would also be planned in addition to bilateral cooperation in farm management, agro-engineering and land protection. "This will help increase agriculture production and overcome problems," he said. The minister said visits of cultural groups, artists and writers would be arranged for promotion of media, culture, art, literature, training exhibitions, and traditional festivals, while development of cultural heritage and historical assets and the making of feature films on lives of important personalities of the two provinces had also been planned.
He said he would soon lead a delegation consisting of provincial secretaries of industries, sports and culture, the current and former president chamber of commerce and industry, to Iran to discuss MoU implementation. Hussain appreciated Iran's speedy economic growth and industrial development and said Pakistan could also achieve it but that needed commitment on the part of the rulers.
Paradise Valley Community College reopens Building Q after upgrades
The project, designed by SmithGroup, involved conversion of the Maricopa County George Campbell Library into a mixed-use academic building. The facility spans 69,600 square feet and houses the math department, 23 classrooms, testing areas, offices dedicated to faculties, and support space. There is an atrium covering two floors. The building will also accommodate the Centre for Teaching and Learning and Continuing Education programmes.
The original atrium has been equipped with a mezzanine floor leading to the creation of a general study area while the North Porch incorporates the Q Cafe. The remodelled facility further features the Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Centre Charter School which encompasses 10,700 square feet with a capacity of 200.
The project involved relocating the charter school from the northwest portion of the facility to the southwest and shifting the main entrance of the building to the north side. This has made room for a north-south pedestrian axis which connects the building to the present campus. The original four-quadrant shape of the library was transformed to a square form following the facelift.
The exterior portion of the building has been wrapped up in pre-finished interlocking metal panel skin which creates interesting interplays with light and shadow. The entryways and walkways have been screened by custom perforated panels while corrugated panels have been fitted above slot windows.
Use of contemporary metal forms like furnishings and lighting donning a geometric design, patterned fabrics and carpet tiles, angles and cants showcase abstract mathematical features. There is a customised origami wall consisting of perforated metal panels in yellow tones. The signature origami element adorns the interior walls and ceiling and serves as a guidance.
The building has installed various advanced applications such as phone and data lines, audio-visual facilities, fire alarm and security systems. It has also been equipped with several solar tubes to maximise natural light penetration and has incorporated a new energy management system equipment substituting the outdated one. The facility is linked to an advanced campus central plant.
The original atrium has been equipped with a mezzanine floor leading to the creation of a general study area while the North Porch incorporates the Q Cafe. The remodelled facility further features the Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Centre Charter School which encompasses 10,700 square feet with a capacity of 200.
The project involved relocating the charter school from the northwest portion of the facility to the southwest and shifting the main entrance of the building to the north side. This has made room for a north-south pedestrian axis which connects the building to the present campus. The original four-quadrant shape of the library was transformed to a square form following the facelift.
The exterior portion of the building has been wrapped up in pre-finished interlocking metal panel skin which creates interesting interplays with light and shadow. The entryways and walkways have been screened by custom perforated panels while corrugated panels have been fitted above slot windows.
Use of contemporary metal forms like furnishings and lighting donning a geometric design, patterned fabrics and carpet tiles, angles and cants showcase abstract mathematical features. There is a customised origami wall consisting of perforated metal panels in yellow tones. The signature origami element adorns the interior walls and ceiling and serves as a guidance.
The building has installed various advanced applications such as phone and data lines, audio-visual facilities, fire alarm and security systems. It has also been equipped with several solar tubes to maximise natural light penetration and has incorporated a new energy management system equipment substituting the outdated one. The facility is linked to an advanced campus central plant.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Prospective buyers have an eye for The M at Englewood South
The Pinnacle Companies, a developer of luxury homes throughout the New York Metro Area, recently announced that it is experiencing an extremely high level of buyer interest at The M at Englewood South, a new community of elegant condominiums in the heart of Bergen County. Since unveiling the exclusive enclave in August, Pinnacle has found The M at Englewood to be highly sought-after by a diverse group of buyers, ranging young professionals to empty nesters.
The M, which presents sophisticated urban living on Route 4 - close to the George Washington Bridge and within 12 miles of Midtown Manhattan - offers 125 one-, two- and two-bedroom plus den residences priced from $274,990.
"Pinnacle's quality and high style are impressive, but it's the price and value for the location that has truly cemented the interest at the M," said Mary Boorman, senior vice president of The Pinnacle Companies. "Nowhere else in Bergen County will buyers receive such an exceptional opportunity."
To help younger buyers accumulate the necessary down payment to purchase at The M, Pinnacle recently introduced a lease-to-purchase program. The program allows renters to place a portion of their monthly payment into as escrow account to eventually be applied toward the sales price.
The M's architectural style is sleek and urban, featuring modern kitchens with maple cabinetry, under-counter lighting, granite countertops, GE Profile stainless steel appliances, and many of the two-bedroom models have center islands. Laundry areas are spacious and include GE side-by-side washers and dryers. The spacious layouts have nine-foot ceilings (10 feet on the first floor), offer entire walls of windows and many of the homes have views of either the golf course or the central courtyards.
Additional features include elegant en-suite master bathrooms with granite countertops and double-sink vanities, oak hardwood flooring in the living area, ceramic tile flooring in the entry hall and kitchen, and plush carpeting in the bedrooms. A powder room is included in almost all of the homes. One garage space is included in the price and shuttle service to NJ Transit bus stop is also provided.
The M, which presents sophisticated urban living on Route 4 - close to the George Washington Bridge and within 12 miles of Midtown Manhattan - offers 125 one-, two- and two-bedroom plus den residences priced from $274,990.
"Pinnacle's quality and high style are impressive, but it's the price and value for the location that has truly cemented the interest at the M," said Mary Boorman, senior vice president of The Pinnacle Companies. "Nowhere else in Bergen County will buyers receive such an exceptional opportunity."
To help younger buyers accumulate the necessary down payment to purchase at The M, Pinnacle recently introduced a lease-to-purchase program. The program allows renters to place a portion of their monthly payment into as escrow account to eventually be applied toward the sales price.
The M's architectural style is sleek and urban, featuring modern kitchens with maple cabinetry, under-counter lighting, granite countertops, GE Profile stainless steel appliances, and many of the two-bedroom models have center islands. Laundry areas are spacious and include GE side-by-side washers and dryers. The spacious layouts have nine-foot ceilings (10 feet on the first floor), offer entire walls of windows and many of the homes have views of either the golf course or the central courtyards.
Additional features include elegant en-suite master bathrooms with granite countertops and double-sink vanities, oak hardwood flooring in the living area, ceramic tile flooring in the entry hall and kitchen, and plush carpeting in the bedrooms. A powder room is included in almost all of the homes. One garage space is included in the price and shuttle service to NJ Transit bus stop is also provided.
Sol Republic Amps Review
We have already reviewed SOL Republic’s over-ear Tracks headphones and were quite taken with them. Now we’re putting their in-ear Amps earbuds to the test. SOL, or Soundtrack of Life, Republic have an HD version of both their Tracks and Amps headphones, we are reviewing the regular Amps.
The Amps are in-ear headphones that feature Sol Republic’s ‘i4 Sound Engine’ and an in-line button and microphone. They have a curved design with a flat back that matches the natural shape of the ear. For an all-black pair of ear-buds, the design is quite flashy. The flat circular back is glossy with a swift looking SOL logo; the inline remote also has the same glossy finish. The Amps also come in a red model, which combines red and black features.
The remote has three buttons: volume up, volume down, and a universal button. The volume buttons may not work on all Android phones or Blackberrys, but they do work well with any iOS device. Depending on the phone, the universal button will pause and play music, skip tracks, take calls, end calls, and access voice commands. On the opposite side of the controls is the microphone, which works with most any Android, Blackberry, or iOS device. The headphone cable has a right-angle connector and is of a pretty standard thickness with a rubberized finish. The cable is actually pretty good with preventing tangles.
The Amps come with four silicone ear tip options for the buds. The headphones fit quite comfortably and don’t easily fall out. The curved design allows it to sit pretty nicely in our ears. While the buds are slightly larger than your standard ear bud, they’re quite light, which also helps them stick inside the ear.
Considering they play the Soundtrack of [our] Lives, how do they sound? They honestly sound pretty darned good. I am used to headphones compensating for mediocre audio with an influx of bass, this is very much not the case. At first I thought the bass was a bit light, but then I realized it’s pretty well balanced and shines through when it needs to. Voices are clear and the mids are detailed and crisp. This is a good pair of headphones for hearing finer details in your music that you may not have heard before. The high notes are rich and balanced. There was not a genre of music that we did not enjoy soundtracking our lives with.
The inline remote is one of the best we have used. There is no question whether or not you’re pressing the button you want; the universal button is raised with a volume button above and below it. You can clearly feel the button click so even double pressing and triple pressing is a piece of cake. Siri understood everything I had to say, as did all of my callers. Phone calls worked perfectly with the built in microphone.
The SOL Republic Amps are currently on sale for $59.99 (with free shipping from Amazon). SOL makes a similarly designed HD version of the Amps which are supposed to feature even better audio quality, as well as an actual “tangle-free cord” and a carrying case, for $99.99. Considering the regular Amps sound pretty darned good, we’re not sure the HD version is worth the extra $40, though we haven’t tried them. The SOL Republic Amps come with a one-year warranty and are available in black or red. For a good set of buds that sound good and come with an inline mic and remote, the Amps will make a great gift for the holiday season without breaking the bank.
The Amps are in-ear headphones that feature Sol Republic’s ‘i4 Sound Engine’ and an in-line button and microphone. They have a curved design with a flat back that matches the natural shape of the ear. For an all-black pair of ear-buds, the design is quite flashy. The flat circular back is glossy with a swift looking SOL logo; the inline remote also has the same glossy finish. The Amps also come in a red model, which combines red and black features.
The remote has three buttons: volume up, volume down, and a universal button. The volume buttons may not work on all Android phones or Blackberrys, but they do work well with any iOS device. Depending on the phone, the universal button will pause and play music, skip tracks, take calls, end calls, and access voice commands. On the opposite side of the controls is the microphone, which works with most any Android, Blackberry, or iOS device. The headphone cable has a right-angle connector and is of a pretty standard thickness with a rubberized finish. The cable is actually pretty good with preventing tangles.
The Amps come with four silicone ear tip options for the buds. The headphones fit quite comfortably and don’t easily fall out. The curved design allows it to sit pretty nicely in our ears. While the buds are slightly larger than your standard ear bud, they’re quite light, which also helps them stick inside the ear.
Considering they play the Soundtrack of [our] Lives, how do they sound? They honestly sound pretty darned good. I am used to headphones compensating for mediocre audio with an influx of bass, this is very much not the case. At first I thought the bass was a bit light, but then I realized it’s pretty well balanced and shines through when it needs to. Voices are clear and the mids are detailed and crisp. This is a good pair of headphones for hearing finer details in your music that you may not have heard before. The high notes are rich and balanced. There was not a genre of music that we did not enjoy soundtracking our lives with.
The inline remote is one of the best we have used. There is no question whether or not you’re pressing the button you want; the universal button is raised with a volume button above and below it. You can clearly feel the button click so even double pressing and triple pressing is a piece of cake. Siri understood everything I had to say, as did all of my callers. Phone calls worked perfectly with the built in microphone.
The SOL Republic Amps are currently on sale for $59.99 (with free shipping from Amazon). SOL makes a similarly designed HD version of the Amps which are supposed to feature even better audio quality, as well as an actual “tangle-free cord” and a carrying case, for $99.99. Considering the regular Amps sound pretty darned good, we’re not sure the HD version is worth the extra $40, though we haven’t tried them. The SOL Republic Amps come with a one-year warranty and are available in black or red. For a good set of buds that sound good and come with an inline mic and remote, the Amps will make a great gift for the holiday season without breaking the bank.
Get into holiday spirit at the Victorian House Museum in Millersburg
If during the next seven weeks you find yourself craving an antidote to the stress of shopping for the latest bank-account-breaking gadgets and taking your credit cards to the limit, "Holidays at the Mansion" at the Victorian House Museum in Millersburg could be just the right medicine.
"Holidays at the Mansion" opens with a lighting ceremony and tours from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, and runs through Saturday, Dec. 31.
For the past nine years, the 28-room mansion, completed in 1902 and featured in Victorian Homes Magazine and on HGTV's "Victorian America," has been swathed in holiday splendor thanks to Millersburg-area decorators.
The original character of the mansion -- glowing hardwood floors, fanciful fireplaces and old-fashioned lighting -- gets done up to remind us of children nestled in their beds with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, figgy pudding, carolers and other romantic images associated with Christmases of old.
The event begins with a free lighting ceremony and tours, 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19. After that, the mansion is open daily for self-guided tours, 1-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 1-8 p.m. Friday and Sunday, through Saturday, Dec. 31. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Admission: $8, adults; $7, seniors 65 and older; $3, students; free; children 12 and younger.
"This started out small and has grown over the years," says Mark Boley, director of the Holmes County Historical Society. The society owns the mansion, which was built by steel industrialist L.H. Brightman, a father of 12 who had 56 patents when he passed away.
Each room will have a unique holiday flavor. The ballroom will feature the ceramic Santa collection of Greg Oswald of Millersburg. For many years Oswald's father, Marvin, hand-painted themed ceramic Santas as a hobby.
"They are very intricately painted," says the younger Oswald, who is a pharmacist. For example, he adds, the Scottish Santa wears plaid, and painting the kilt required a steady hand.
Every year his father painted custom Santas, from 7 to 12 inches tall, as gifts. There will be about 40 of them displayed in the ballroom.
"I know I'm a little prejudiced," Oswald says of the Santas painted by his father. "But everyone who sees them is impressed by them."
"Holidays at the Mansion" opens with a lighting ceremony and tours from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, and runs through Saturday, Dec. 31.
For the past nine years, the 28-room mansion, completed in 1902 and featured in Victorian Homes Magazine and on HGTV's "Victorian America," has been swathed in holiday splendor thanks to Millersburg-area decorators.
The original character of the mansion -- glowing hardwood floors, fanciful fireplaces and old-fashioned lighting -- gets done up to remind us of children nestled in their beds with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, figgy pudding, carolers and other romantic images associated with Christmases of old.
The event begins with a free lighting ceremony and tours, 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19. After that, the mansion is open daily for self-guided tours, 1-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 1-8 p.m. Friday and Sunday, through Saturday, Dec. 31. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Admission: $8, adults; $7, seniors 65 and older; $3, students; free; children 12 and younger.
"This started out small and has grown over the years," says Mark Boley, director of the Holmes County Historical Society. The society owns the mansion, which was built by steel industrialist L.H. Brightman, a father of 12 who had 56 patents when he passed away.
Each room will have a unique holiday flavor. The ballroom will feature the ceramic Santa collection of Greg Oswald of Millersburg. For many years Oswald's father, Marvin, hand-painted themed ceramic Santas as a hobby.
"They are very intricately painted," says the younger Oswald, who is a pharmacist. For example, he adds, the Scottish Santa wears plaid, and painting the kilt required a steady hand.
Every year his father painted custom Santas, from 7 to 12 inches tall, as gifts. There will be about 40 of them displayed in the ballroom.
"I know I'm a little prejudiced," Oswald says of the Santas painted by his father. "But everyone who sees them is impressed by them."
A Great Twist on a Classic
Chillingo have come to the table again and this time it’s the poker table as they release Poker Pals HD for iPad, their twist on the traditional card game of poker crossed with a scrabble type card game.
While, thanks to the in game tutorial, it’s not required for you to know the hands of poker, it can certainly help with your initial understanding of the rules of the game and the tile placement that will earn you the most points.
The game is played on a 7×7 grid and you are dealt a hand of 5 tiles that represents cards from a standard deck to start with. Taking it in turns with either one of you virtual opponents or against a live competitor you take it in turns to place up to five tiles to make the best poker hands possible.
As you come to expect from a Chillingo title the game looks polished and is slick to use, while sounds are minimal yet effective. Moving the cards around the screen is easy whether it be around the board or on your tile rack.
As you place your tiles on the board the points that you will earn will be displayed on the tiles, this will enable you to decide on the best placement for your tiles to maximize your score. The key to your success will be the successful completion of multiple hands at the same time by combining multiple columns and rows of 5 cards.
While playing against the AI is fun enough the game comes into its own when you either use the pass-n-play option to play against a friend or via a random player via the Game Center integration. This online integration is so quick and simple it makes playing against real opponents a real pleasure and you can play against multiple opponents at the same time.
Thanks to the push notifications you also don’t need to be in the app at all times as while you are working in other applications or even away from your device you will be notified once it’s your turn again. Depending on your opponent games may last minutes, hours or even days.
Unfortunately, while their is Game Center integration that doesn’t extend to Leaderboards or Achievements, instead these are limited to the Crystal social gaming which also comes built into the game.
While the game is available for all iOS devices and is apparently the same on each of them it’s not universal meaning that if you want to play it on both an iPhone and an iPad you will need to purchase it twice. Poker Pals HD {$1.99} is an addictive game and one that will keep you entertained for quite a while.
While, thanks to the in game tutorial, it’s not required for you to know the hands of poker, it can certainly help with your initial understanding of the rules of the game and the tile placement that will earn you the most points.
The game is played on a 7×7 grid and you are dealt a hand of 5 tiles that represents cards from a standard deck to start with. Taking it in turns with either one of you virtual opponents or against a live competitor you take it in turns to place up to five tiles to make the best poker hands possible.
As you come to expect from a Chillingo title the game looks polished and is slick to use, while sounds are minimal yet effective. Moving the cards around the screen is easy whether it be around the board or on your tile rack.
As you place your tiles on the board the points that you will earn will be displayed on the tiles, this will enable you to decide on the best placement for your tiles to maximize your score. The key to your success will be the successful completion of multiple hands at the same time by combining multiple columns and rows of 5 cards.
While playing against the AI is fun enough the game comes into its own when you either use the pass-n-play option to play against a friend or via a random player via the Game Center integration. This online integration is so quick and simple it makes playing against real opponents a real pleasure and you can play against multiple opponents at the same time.
Thanks to the push notifications you also don’t need to be in the app at all times as while you are working in other applications or even away from your device you will be notified once it’s your turn again. Depending on your opponent games may last minutes, hours or even days.
Unfortunately, while their is Game Center integration that doesn’t extend to Leaderboards or Achievements, instead these are limited to the Crystal social gaming which also comes built into the game.
While the game is available for all iOS devices and is apparently the same on each of them it’s not universal meaning that if you want to play it on both an iPhone and an iPad you will need to purchase it twice. Poker Pals HD {$1.99} is an addictive game and one that will keep you entertained for quite a while.
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