5 Eco-Terrific Pick-Me-Ups To Keep A Kid Smiling During Cabin Fever Season!

February 28, 2013 by  
Filed under ECO-PARENTS, KIDS, & CAMPS

It’s always a challenge to keep kids from going crazy with cabin fever in the winter! Below are 5 eco-fun picks from AbesMarket.com to keep the kids entertained and their brains active while they’re stuck inside.

Glob’s Natural Paint Packets
Whether the kids want to paint-by-numbers or have more fun outside the lines, this 6-pack of natural vibrant paints will help them tap into their creative side. And they’re great for egg dying too! $12.00








bObles Multi-functional Furniture

Instead of climbing up the walls, have the kids climb on the furniture. bObles created a line of fun, whimsical and well-designed kids furniture in shapes like elephants, crocodiles and chickens that turn into steps, boats, tables, seats, balancing pieces and more. bObles encourages motor function, imagination and, most importantly, fun! From $49.00








CitiBlocs
Who doesn’t love building things? Think about how much fun kids can have with Citiblocs, eco-friendly, affordable wooden toys. They encourage your kids to spend hours at play, exercising their minds and building up cities with the 100- or 200-piece block sets. From $25.99








Box Play For Kids
Looking for ways to encourage your kid’s creativity while also teaching him about being green and eco-friendly? These adorable sticker sets are made to be used with boxes you’d normally recycle, including the numerous milk cartons, mac & cheese boxes and egg cartons you no doubt go through. So they’re having fun while you upcycle something that would normally get tossed. From $3.00








Wee Can Too Veggie Crayons
Little kids love putting things in their mouths and with these vibrant crayons made from organic fruit and vegetable powders, it’s OK! We’re not suggesting you substitute the crayons for their regular, healthy regimen of produce, but now they can color and have fun while you know the products are safe. $11.00








In my next posting, we shall take a look at eco-terrific pick-me-ups for parents!  Stay Tuned!

Agritourism: Fabulous ‘Farm Stay’ Vacations in the USA, the UK, and Italy! Part I

The popularity of American ‘Farm Stays’ has been steadily increasing over the past few years. Putting up city folk in converted barns, cabins, cottages, and platform tents is not only a good way of earning extra dollars for American farmers, it allows the public at large to learn about the way food is produced and brought from the farm to the table fork so-to-speak.  Today in America alone, there are over 1000 farm stay destinations that offer unique accommodations and experiences for both the budget-minded and the celebrity-minded.  Whether you are looking for an outdoor adventure or a quiet retreat, a ‘Farm Stay’ vacation allows both adventure-seeking guests and holiday travelers to help as little or as much as they want with hands-on farm activities such as picking fruits and vegetables, milking cows, collecting eggs, and making homemade cheese, butter, and jam – OR – by simply relaxing in the serenity of the landscape i.e. dipping in a farmhouse spa, hiking, biking, and horseback riding nature’s trails, hitching a hayride or perhaps a tractor ride, and yes –  sipping the finest pinot noir in the gardens whilst watching fireflies twinkle and the sun set over the hills.

As for ‘Farm Stay’ vacations in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – they have been around since the 1980’s.  Perhaps the biggest difference between American and British ‘Farm Stay’ vacations is the growing number of posh “Five Star Farm Stays” set in luxurious settings with romantic self-catering cottages next to stately homes, castles, and five hundred year old thatched farmhouses. In lieu of farm equipment and animal feed, one is offered a croquet lawn and a portable barbecue instead.  You might say – tourism has overtaken the working farm in these cases where saunas and hot tubs have replaced the pigsties.  Another trend is the fast-growing franchise of “Featherdown Farms” across the UK. Launched in 2006 and now up to 29 locations, these highly stylized safari-style campsites set on working farms, now offer young British parents with children the chance to live an “idealized” version of life on the farm.

Either way in America or the UK, a “Farm Stay” vacation is certainly here to stay.  In our next follow-up article, we shall look at the booming big business of ‘Farm Stay’ vacations in Italy. Ciao for now.

10 FABULOUS FARM STAYS IN THE USA

1- Liberty Hill Farm, Rochester, Vermont www.libertyhillfarm.com

2- Hull-O Farms, Durham, New Yorkwww.hull-o.com

3- Abbey Road Farm Bed & Breakfast, Carlton, Oregonwww.abbeyroadfarm.com

4- Farm Sanctuary, Watkins Glen, New York www.farmsanctuary.org

5- North Country Farms, Kilaeua, Kauai, Hawaiiwww.northcountryfarms.com

6- Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennesseewww.blackberryfarm.com

7- Pagett Farm, Palermo, Maine www.pagettfarm.com

8- Juniper Moon Farm, Palmyra, Virginiawww.fiberfarm.com

9- S&S Homestead Farm, Lopez Island, Washingtonwww.sshomestead.org

10- Philo Apple Farm, Philo, Californiawww.philoapplefarm.com

Helpful US Farm Stay Resources: www.farmstayamerica.com, www.farmstayus.com, www.pafarmstay.com, www.vtfarms.org

10 FABULOUS FARM STAYS IN THE UK

1- North Wheddon Farm, Exmoor, Somerset, England http://www.northwheddonfarm.co.uk/

2-Troytown Farm, St. Agnes, Isles of Scilly, Englandhttp://www.troytown.co.uk/

3-Yaxley Hall Home Farm, Hemingstone, Suffolk, Englandwww.yaxleyhallhomefarm.co.uk/

4-Higher Lank Farm, Bodmin, Cornwall, Englandhttp://higherlankfarm.co.uk/

5-Coldharbour Cottage, Stone-in-Oxney, Kent, Englandhttp://www.coldharbourcottage.co.uk/

6-Clyne Farm, Mayals, Swansea, Wales http://clynefarm.com/

7-Hagley Bridge Farm, Somerset, Englandhttp://hagleybridgefarm.co.uk/

8-Farnless Farm Park, Sedgefield, Durham, Englandhttp://www.farnlessfarmpark.co.uk/

9-Inchie Farm, Port of Menteith, Stirling, Scotland http://inchiefarm.co.uk/

10-Maddybenny Farmhouse, Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland http://www.ireland-guide.com/establishment/maddybenny-farmhouse.3083.html?

Helpful UK Stay Farm Resources: www.farmstay.co.uk/, www.wiltshirefarmstay.co.uk/,  www.cotswoldsfarmstay.co.uk/, http://www.visitengland.com/ee/Farm-stay/




The Gift of a “Green” Arts & Crafts Learning Vacation: Year-round U.S. Pottery & Glass-Making Workshops Inspired by Nature’s Best!

Looking for a unique gift this holiday season? How about a pottery vacation at a farmhouse retreat in the Green Mountains of Vermont or at an exclusive art village tucked within the deep canyon recesses of southern Utah? Indeed, why not take your creative “do-it-yourself-at-home” arts and crafts talents this Christmas to a higher level? And spread the seasonal joy of your artistic angel wings by enrolling in the best glass-making school in America next summer? One set against the awe-inspiring Cascade Mountains of Washington state!

Yes, this year – brighten your holiday season with a “green” arts and crafts learning vacation. Below are descriptions of some of the best pottery and glass-making workshop settings in the USA. See if you can guess their unique locations.

1-Set in the Ohio River Valley next to world class golf courses, the “Oglebay Institute” features glassblowing shows, demonstrations, workshops and classes in its “Glass Museum” – one of six facilities that offers cultural tours and educational programs in the arts, nature, and history. Classes include making charms, paperweights, and hearts. Note: The “Sweeney Punch Bowl”, the largest piece of cut glass in the world is housed here. NAME THE LOCATION – CITY AND STATE.

2- Set on a majestic island and nestled within 40 acres of quiet forest on a cliff overlooking Jericho Bay in the Atlantic Ocean, this internationally renown school – the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts – offers studio-based arts and crafts workshops ranging from beginners to advanced professionals. In addition, to glass-making and ceramics classes, there are weaving, quilting, woodworking, blacksmithing, and drawing and painting classes. NAME THE LOCATION – CITY AND STATE.

3- Set amongst the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, the Penland School of Crafts offers a wide range of workshops in glass, clay, iron, wood, metals, drawing, photography, and textiles as well as a three-year resident artists program. Classes range from one week to two weeks to eight weeks in duration during the Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons. NAME THE LOCATION – CITY AND STATE.

4- Set within the countryside of the Mad River Valley and tucked away between two legendary mountain resorts – Sugarbush and Mad River Glen – the quaint Wilder Farm Inn Bed and Breakfast is also home to “The Naked Potter Studio and Gallery”, a full-service studio of pottery classes and workshops where guests at the inn can get lessons on the unglazed method of firing ‘raku’ pots. NAME THE LOCATION – CITY AND STATE.

5- Surrounded by beautiful red sandstone cliffs, the Coyote Gulch Art Village is an arts-oriented desert community of fine art shops, galleries, artist studios, and sustainable housing serving as both an art center for teaching pottery, photography, and painting classes and as a recreational retreat filled with spa services, hiking and biking trails, yoga and equestrian classes, and fine patio dining. NAME THE LOCATION – CITY AND STATE.

6- Set amidst the dome-shaped Adirondack Mountains, in the southern Adirondack Park of over 6 million acres of protected land, the Adirondack Folk School “is the only school of its kind in the country dedicated to teaching the arts, crafts and culture of this unique Adirondack region”. Its year-round classes of 200+ range from half-day sessions to full week-long courses. The variety of classes is simply dazzling and include fly tying, jewelry making, organic gardening, papermaking, birch bark basketry, marquetry, floral arts, fiber arts, needlecraft arts, beadwork, blacksmithing, tinsmithing, woodworking, rug hooking and braiding, chair building and caning, soap making, paddle making, and pottery. The school itself is housed in an historic building that has been recycled thru the decades from its beginnings in the 1930’s as a lodge, then an elementary school in the 40’s and 50’s and then a town hall. Behind the school between the woods and the Hudson River is an outdoor amphitheater and tables for outdoor classes. Gift certificates are available and make great presents. NAME THE LOCATION – CITY AND STATE.

7- Set just a few minutes away from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a 14-acre wooded hillside, the 100-year-old Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts offers students a wide range of weekend workshops and one to two week courses for the beginner to the advanced artist from March through November. Taught by nationally and internationally renown instructors in professionally equipped studios, classes are offered in glass-making, ceramics, metals, woodturning, woodworking, painting, drawing, books and paper as well as photography and mixed media. Scholarships are in place that cover 50% to 100% of workshop fees, housing, and meals. Along with the school’s five galleries, the Artist Outfitters Store supplies students on campus and artists in the community year-round with craft materials, tools, and art-related books as well as a selection of artwork from past Artists-in-Residence. In addition to acting as a cultural education center in the surrounding community, the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is home to a host of annual art conferences and symposia. NAME THE LOCATION – CITY AND STATE.

8- Founded in 1971 and set on 54 acres in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains on a former tree farm with views of Puget Sound, the Pilchuck Glass School is the premier glass art education center in the world! Each year a series of courses in a variety of glass-working processes are offered to artists of all skill levels from May thru September. Workshops include glass blowing, hot-glass sculpting, sandcasting, kiln casting, fusing, coldworking, flameworking, glass painting, mixed-media sculpture, neon, painting with enamels and stained glass. Studio buildings, cabins, cottages, and school store, library, dormitory, and dining hall are all made of native materials in the Pacific Northwest architectural style. Scholarship residencies for both emerging and established artists are given during the Spring and Fall. NAME THE LOCATION – CITY AND STATE.

9- Set in a valley surrounded by the eastern Ozark Mountains, the Ozark Folk Center is a nationally renown showpiece of living Ozark heritage featuring American folk music and workshops in pioneer crafts and herb gardening. Classes include pottery, corn shuckery (creating artwork with corn shucks), gunsmithing, harness weaving, broom making, mandolin making, reed basket making, soapmaking, knifemaking, glass beadmaking, blacksmithing, and tinsmithing. Musical events and daily concerts offer the old-time sounds of mandolins, banjos, fiddles, dulcimers, and autoharps whilst the surrounding landscape provides special hiking and biking trails and cavern tours.  NAME THE LOCATION – CITY AND STATE.


Answers: (1) Wheeling, West Virginia (2) Deer Isle, Maine (3) Spruce Pine, North Carolina (4) Waitsfield, Vermont (5) Ivins, Utah (6) Lake Luzerne, New York (7) Gatlinburg, Tennessee (8) Stanwood, Washington  (9) Mountain View, Arkansas

Eco-Stylish Accessories & Gadgets Fit For The Next “James Bond” Movie!

November 11, 2012 by  
Filed under ECO-GEAR, GADGETS, & TRANSPORT

The latest installment of the James Bond film series – “Skyfall” – is now playing in American cinemas across the country with rapturous reviews. Having seen the movie myself and inspired by the newly appointed fictional character “Q”, here is a list of eco-stylish accessories and gadgets that now exist that might help James Bond out of tight situations in his next assignment as the world’s most stylish super spy!

1- Electric-Powered Car – Tesla – Model X — With its cool falcon wings and futuristic touchscreen dashboard, this car can go from zero to 60 miles in less than five seconds! http://www.teslamotors.com/modelx

2- Electric-Powered Motorcycle – Mission Motors – Mission One — Utilizing a lithium-ion battery pack that charges under two hours, this super stylish scooter is able to reach 150 miles per hour and 100 foot-pounds of torque at any point between 0 and 6500 RPM! http://www.treehugger.com/cars/mission-one-by-mission-motors-the-worlds-fastest-production-electric-motorcycle.html

3- Electric-Powered Seaplane – FlyNano  —   This Finnish designed single-seater carbon-fiber airplane can get over 80 miles per hour in the sky and land on any body of water with ease! http://www.flynano.com/

4- Electric & Solar-Powered Jet Board – Kymera – Kymera Bodyboard —   Shaped like an hourglass, this cool compact and lightweight looking surfboard can propel lifeguards and wave riders up to 18mph in the water! Due to be released in 2013! http://inhabitat.com/kymeras-solar-powered-jetboard-looks-like-a-surfboard-but-cruises-like-a-boat/

5- Solar-Powered Airplane – Solar Impulse — This Swiss designed monoplane is currently able to cruise at 43 miles per hour with a maximum altitude of 39,000 feet and an airborne endurance rate of 36 hours! http://solarimpulse.com/

6- Solar-Powered Pontoon Boat – Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Company – the Loon — This cool 22-foot long light-weight boat, capable of touring inland waterways, comes with a flexible interior configuration of removable side-rails made from bamboo, recycled plastic, and natural fibers and a retractable solar roof that can be lowered onto the rails. http://www.tamarackelectricboats.com/

7- Solar-Powered Luxury Yacht – LOMOcean Design – MS Turanor PlanetSolar — This German-built, New Zealand-designed catamaran is the world’s largest solar-powered ship ever built and the first sailing vessel to have circumnavigated the globe using solar energy exclusively. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tûranor_PlanetSolar

8- Solar-Powered Dirigible (aka Spy Satellite) – Lockheed Martin – HALE-D acronym for High Altitude Long Endurance-Demonstrator — Still being perfected, this 130 foot long blimp will afford the US Army a 600 mile view of the earth allowing alternative options of military reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, environmental monitoring, and communications. http://dvice.com/archives/2011/07/lockheeds-halo.php

9- Solar-Powered Necktie — Researchers at Iowa State University are busy working on photovoltaic textiles and have come up with a cool solar tie fashioned in such a way that it can be used to charge a cellphone. http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20080816/solar-powered-necktie-charges-your-gadgets-on-the-sly/

10- Motion-Powered Shoes – InStep Nanopower – Human Gait Energy Scavenger — This footwear-embedded energy harvesting device converts human locomotion (the motion of walking) into electrical power up to 20 Watts which in turn can be used to power mobile electronic devices. http://www.instepnanopower.com/

11- Electric-Powered Roller Skates — These motorized electric skates can be strapped right over shoes propelling the wearer as fast as 8 miles per hour by means of two six inch rubber wheels on each skate.  The control for these skates is a handheld wireless remote which can increase speed or bring the skates to a gradual halt. http://www.hammacher.com/Product/12158

12- Solar-Powered Sunglasses – Yanko Design – SIG ( Self-Energy Converting Sunglasses) —
The lenses of these cool sunglasses have dye solar cells which turn sunlight rays into electrical energy able to power small devices through the power jack at the back of the frame.
http://www.yankodesign.com/2008/12/17/solar-powered-solar-panel-sun-glasses/

13- Solar-Powered GPS Watch – Seiko Epson Corp. – Seiko Astron GPS Solar Watch
This cool Japanese-designed solar-powered watch can set itself to any of the 39 time zones on earth using a global network of GPS satellites and is accurate to within one second per 100,000 years.
http://www.seiko-astron.com/

14- Solar-Powered Men’s Shaver — Weighing in at only 105 grams, this sleek and portable razor with built-in solar panel and rechargeable lithium battery is perfect for the man on the go!   http://www.envirogadget.com/solar-powered/solar-powered-electric-shaver/

15- Pedal-Powered Submarine – Scubster — This sleek 11.5 foot long French-designed one-seater submersible has a twin-propeller system which can reach a speed of 5 mph and a depth of 20 feet which is great for exploration in rivers, lakes, and shallow ocean areas. http://www.scubster.org/

16- Pedal-Powered Superbike – Aston Martin – One-77 — This superbike features a “motorsport-derived data logging system” with over a hundred channels of performance feedback options accessible from its handlebar-mounted head unit including speed, temperature, rate of climb, power, respiration rate, core body temperature and electrical activity of the heart. http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/aston-martin-launches-one-77-superbike

17- Hand-Powered Pocket Chainsaw — This pocket-sized 28 inch chainsaw in a tin can contains 124 bi-directional teeth that can cut a 3” diameter limb in ten seconds! http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/ea93/

18- Invisible Bike Helmet –the Hovding — This Swedish-designed bike helmet is a folded up air bag with sensors hidden in a stylish collar which will inflate into a protective hood around the bicyclist’s head when triggered by an accident i.e. falling off the bike.   http://www.hovding.com/

Dear Sherlock Holmes – There’s A New Game Afoot in North America – Geocaching with a Haunted Twist!

What do you get when you combine a GPS receiver and online coordinates with a bit of treasure hunting and camping, hiking, walking, trekking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing activities? A new sport, founded in 2000, dear fellow – as thrilling and adrenaline-racing as any one of Sherlock Holmes unsolved mysteries. Only the whereabouts of arch-nemesis, James Moriarty, has been replaced with a hidden waterproof container that conceals a logbook, code name, pencil, stamp, and perhaps a token coin and dog tag. Indeed this detective-like game of “Geek and Seek” is an outdoor sporting activity that the whole family can enjoy – not only in state parks and luxurious resorts – but in some of the most haunted places in North America! Let’s look then at some of the spookiest geocaching spots in Canada and the USA.

1-Canada – Newfoundland – City of St. John’s – Gibbet Hill Note: St. John’s is the oldest English-founded City in North America. Gibbet Hill was the “site of the gallows during colonial times – located on a rocky cliff that has a clear view of the entire downtown…so anyone in the old city could see the gallows to deter criminal activity.”

2-Canada – New Brunswick – St. Andrews by-the-Sea The Algonquin Resort Built in 1889, this Tudor-style “Castle-by-the-sea” overlooks the Passamaquody Bay and has welcomed famous leaders, royalty, and upper class families from around the world. ”It is also a haven for the afterlife. On many occasions guests report seeing a brokenhearted bride, walking the halls of the second floor. It is not uncommon for guests to have their luggage delivered to their room only to see the young bell boy vanish into thin air.”

3- Canada – Nova Scotia – Cape Breton Island – Fortress Louisburg Constructed around a fishing port between 1720 and 1740, the Fortress of Louisburg was one of France’s key centers of trade and military strength in the New World – being the third busiest harbor behind Boston, MA and Philadelphia, PA. The fort was also built to protect France’s control on one of the richest fishing grounds in the world – the Grand Banks. Today the Fortress of Louisburg is known to house four ghosts. “One is a sea captain who is very helpful indeed. He warns people of impending danger, greets guests, and sometimes just walks by just to disappear. A nurse is said to also roam the grounds. She is said to weep. There is also a poltergeist located in this place. He is said to be violent, moves three hundred pound equipment, and damages property. He is said to haunt the King Bastion Bakery. The last known ghost on the fortress is a child screaming for his mother. Along with his screams comes the sound of cannon and gun fire with screams of a group of men.”

4-USA – Michigan – Mackinac Island Located in Lake Huron, Mackinac Island is a resort area that was formerly a giant Indian burial ground. Today there are about 100 caches hidden all over the island. Every spring there is a large gathering of folks who geocache at “The Grand Hotel”. Ghosts are most notable at nearby Fort Mackinac built in 1779. “The children of the post commander are supposed to haunt the officer’s hill quarters. The hospitals in the fort are undoubtedly haunted and are surrounded by an air of sickness to this day. A skeleton was found in the “Black Hole” of the guardhouse and now people get the usual chills along their spines in the reconstructed guardhouse. There is supposedly a phantom piper that walks on the stonework above the North Sally Port. He is only sighted on misty mornings and his music can be heard faintly.”

5-USA – Pennsylvania – Philadelphia – Fairmount Park – Laurel Hill Cemetery The Fairmount Park is the largest landscaped park in the USA occupying 10 percent of all the land in Philadelphia. Ten active geocaches are hidden throughout its 4,180 acre park system. One of them is concealed in the Laurel Hill Cemetery which features graves dating back to the 1830’s including Thomas McKean, signer of the Declaration of Independence and David Rittenhouse, a renowned 18th century American astronomer, inventor, clockmaker, mathematician, surveyor, scientific instrument craftsman and public official. Note: Laurel Hill Cemetery has the distinction of being one of the few cemeteries in America designated as a National Historic Landmark.

6-USA – Colorado – Saint Elmo – Historic Ghost Town Built in 1878 in a heavily forested area, Saint Elmo is the best preserved ghost town in Colorado with far more ghosts than its actual 8 year-round residents. All of the 24 original buildings are privately owned and a few are occupied by active businesses. The General Store now operates between May to October. This is a far cry from its heydays in the 1890’s when this small mining town had 2000 year-round residents and a telegraph office, a town hall, five hotels, saloons, dancing halls, a newspaper office and a school house. It was a time when the discovery of gold and silver brought miners from far and wide to the area with the help of the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad which ran through the town. Once, however, the last mine shut down in 1922, the business district in St. Elmo was closed down as well. But the pioneering Stark family in particular tried to keep the town alive. Today, it is the ghost of Annabelle Stark who watches over the town. Her mother, Anna, ran the general store and a small hotel that served the railroad. Visitors report that the doors to this hotel shut on their own and several have noticed a young woman in one of the windows along the second floor of the hotel. And located just before the entrance to the town is the Saint Elmo cache – hidden in a pocket of boulders and upgraded to a large container and new logbook due to its immense popularity.

7-USA – West Virginia – All of West Virginia – A State-Wide Geocaching & Ghost Hunting Treasure Trove There are so many haunted places to consider when hunting for caches in West Virginia – places made famous by its phantom creatures such as the “Flatwoods Monster” (aka the Braxton County Monster) and the “Mothman” in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. But here are five lesser known favorites :

a) Cole Mountain near Moorefield, West Virginia – An offshoot of the Appalachian mountain range, orange and red lights have been seen on the slopes of Cole Mountain ever since the 1850’s.  The strange lights are believed by local folk to be that of a ghostly lantern of a young slave looking for his master, Charles Jones, who had disappeared one year before whilst coon-hunting.

b) Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, West Virginia – Located in the Greenbrier River Valley, this site marks West Virginia’s bloodiest Civil War battle – said to be haunted by soldiers and old souls who never left the battlefield in 1863. “Among these ghostly inhabitants are a poltergeist who supposedly throws rocks at you, a headless ghost that seems to have ties to a certain local family, and an entire phantom cavalry that emits horse, buggy, and firing sounds that can be heard all over the wooded area. There are even reports of a ghostly gray horse with bright yellow eyes.”

c) Flinderation Tunnel near Salem, West Virginia – Completed in 1857, this old railroad tunnel is a popular place for ghost hunters and multi-stage geocaches because of the strange apparitions, noises, and EVP’s that have been reported over the years. According to local folklore, repairs were being made on the tunnel in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s when a high speed locomotive unexpectedly came through killing two of the three workers working on the track – one of whom was trapped under the train causing it to derail. Later on, it is said, the tunnel was used by the KKK as a lynching spot. Soon after the railroad was officially shut down and the tracks torn up in the 1990’s because of its paranormal activities that continue even to this day – phantom train whistles, phantom mists, mysterious footsteps, orbs, sobbing, screaming, train wheels screeching, metal scraping on metal, and the lights of an invisible ghost train coming thru the tunnel.

d) Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in Princeton, West Virginia – First opened in 1926, Lake Shawnee is a closed amusement park that last operated in the 1970’s. Some of the abandoned rides still standing include a small roller coaster, bumper boats, paddle boats, rotating swings, and a Ferris wheel. It is now private property but the owner gives private paranormal tours year-round. Around 1783, this site was also the terrifying scene of a bloody Indian massacre in which Native Americans scalped two Clay family children and a third burned at the stake. To this day, Native American chanting and the voices of children can be heard on summer nights. Eerie sightings include the apparition of a young girl, silhouettes on the Ferris Wheel, and long forgotten carnival rides moving on their own.

d) Wine Cellar Park in Dunbar, West Virginia
Before the Civil War, many areas in West Virginia tried their hand at the wine-making business. But by 1870, nearly all of the wine companies in West Virginia were gone. The three restored walk-in wine cellars at Dunbar were originally built to store local wine made on the premises. “After wine production stopped, it is rumored that the cellars were used as a stop on the Underground Railroad and today, all that is left are three of the rumored six stone cellars. But, something (or someone?) else remained. Witnesses have said that the Wine Cellar Park is haunted and misty figures and abnormalities commonly show up on film and pictures taken of the cellars.”

8-USA – New Mexico – Santa Fe Established in 1607 and built on an abandoned Tanoan Indian village, Santa Fe is the second oldest city in America founded by European colonists – second only to St. Augustine in Florida. And it is home to about 70 caches and many “ghost tour walks”. It’s ghostly legends cover a ten block historic area which includes a Headless Cowboy, the “Crying Witch of the Ditch”, and the Poker-Playing Ghost who threw himself down a well for losing the company money!

So Sherlock Holmes and the Sherlock Holmes’s of the World – Your Next GPS Coordinate is N 47degrees 36.371 W 122degrees 17.303– Happy Hunting!


The Pen May Be Mightier Than the Sword – But How About “Green” Eco-Friendly Stationery!

“Green” Stationery – sounds a bit like an oxymoron since ‘writing paper and envelopes’ in North America is mostly made out of timber-based pulp. But in fact, eco-friendly tree-free stationery and recycled post-consumer paper are becoming much more commonplace in the United States and around the world than one may have ever realized. But what exactly does this all mean for you and me?

It means that we don’t have to sacrifice our planet’s health with the unwarranted or unregulated wholesale destruction of forests and trees just to write letters, invitations, and good wishes to friends and family. Instead, we now have some really good environmentally-friendly lifestyle alternatives or substitutes such as renewable energy paper and chlorine-free paper and yes – paper made of used clothing and vintage textiles. But let’s begin with a look at tree-free stationery.

Some of the most well known plants used to make non-wood paper are organic hemp, cotton, coffee, mango, banana, bamboo, bean and tobacco fibers. Other lesser known plants used are bagasse and kenaf fibers. Here is a list of specialty companies where you can order such tree-free stationery.

(1) EcoSource Paper Inc. – British Columbia, Canada                                                       http://www.islandnet.com/~ecodette/ecosource.htm

(2) Vision Paper – Albuquerque, New Mexico                                                                    http://www.visionpaper.com/

(3) Green Field Paper Co. – San Diego, California                                                               http://www.greenfieldpaper.com/

(4) Costa Rica Natural Paper Co. – Costa Rica/Ventura, California                                      http://www.ecopaper.com/

(5) Crane & Co. – Dalton, Massachusetts                                                                    http://www.crane.com/

(6) Smock Paper Co. – Syracuse, New York                                                                          http://smockpaper.com/

As for post-consumer recycled stationery, recycling used waste paper, magazines, and toilet rolls is a viable way of providing new paper for consumers without cutting down trees and filling up landfills. In addition, fewer greenhouses gases are produced and less air and water pollution is created in comparison to making paper from fiber in its original condition. Here too is a list of green-minded companies known for their recycled premium quality stationery.

(1) Gumnut Hill Stationery – Windsor, Australia                                                                  http://www.gumnuthill.com.au/

(2) The Exotic Paper Company – Taunton, Somerset, England                                           http://www.elliepoopaper.co.uk/

(3) Green Stationery Co. – Gauteng, South Africa                                                                 http://greenstationery.co.za/

(4) Green Paper Company – Columbus, Ohio                                                                       http://www.greenpapercompany.com/

(5) Paper Culture Co. – Millbrae, California                                                                           http://www.paperculture.com/eco-friendly-invitations-announcements.html

For many stationery companies, utilizing wind-generated electricity to manufacture and print their greeting cards, notecards, fine writing paper and pocket journals is another way of “going green” without depleting the Earth’s fossil fuel resources. Notable companies using renewable energy for stationery products include:

(1) Borealis Press – Blue Hill, Maine                                                                                      http://www.borealispress.net/

(2) Jacki Paper Co. – Belmont, California                                                                                   http://www.jackipaper.com/

(3) 9SpotMonk Design Co. – Glen Rock, New Jersey                                                                http://www.9spotmonk.com/bio.html

Another example of stationery companies “going green” is using chlorine-free environmentally-friendly bleaching agents in brightening the final paper product. Two noteworthy companies practicing this method are:

(1) New Leaf Paper Co. – San Francisco, California                                                                       http://www.newleafpaper.com/about/mission-history

(2) Greener Printer – Berkeley, California                                                                             http://www.greenerprinter.com/grp/jsp/ourpapers.jsp

But innovation in stationery processes doesn’t stop here – Arch Paper Company in St. Louis, Missouri (http://www.archpaper.net/) creates business cards, greeting cards, letterpress, and graphics by recycling vintage textiles and used clothing.  And then there are the Benedictine Monks at ‘Abbey Press Printing’ – part of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in southern Indiana – who for the past 140 years have been making an array of cards and stationery in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.   Their Christian commitment to environmental stewardship is far-reaching — and their works — mightier than the sword!

See —                                                                                                                          http://www.snailspacepaper.com/%7Esnails/index.php?id=34&page=Our%20Purpose,%20Promise%20&%20Passion

Are You a Socially-Minded Gardener? A Master Composter at Heart? How Good is Your Recycling Strategy for Both Your Kitchen Scraps and Yard Trimmings and Yes – Your Career?

What is “Composting” you may ask? One definition is that it is the “Controlled” biological decomposition of carbon-containing matter by fungi and bacteria into a stable and useful humus material – or – fertilizer. It is a process that allows decomposed materials to be reused as a nutritious supplement for your garden, lawn, and house plants. The most common materials used for composting is leaves, grass, weeds, and kitchen scraps such as fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, tea bags, pizza crusts, bread, crackers, beans, rice, cereal, pasta, nuts, herbs, spices, and egg shells.

But “composting” is more than a process – it is a strategy – a way to manage the reduction of solid municipal waste. The same idea holds true for the recycling of one’s career – it is a strategy for overcoming professional hurdles such as company downsizing, restructuring, or mergers. I liken it to a three-pronged strategy for finding that next job, for tapping into team-building resources, and for gaining momentum up the corporate ladder. In addition, the recycling of one’s career is also a process – an individual self-assessment of one’s own unique talents and work experiences to date – broken down to its smallest components – recyclable skills such as writing, planning, researching, conceptualizing, negotiating and promoting.

So in essence, whatever recycling strategy you choose – whether it’s for your lawn or your career – the outcome is sure to enrich your life and the lives of others. Test yourself then with these trivia questions and see if you are up to the 21st century challenge of recycling both personally and professionally.

1- Which U.S. state has the oldest “Compost School” in the nation providing training experiences and interactive opportunities to farmers, businessmen, and government workers who are involved with medium and large-scale composting operations?
A) New Jersey B) Virginia C) Massachusetts D) Maine

2- Currently, in the USA, 33.8% of municipal solid waste is recovered, recycled or composted, 11.9% is burned at combustion facilities, and the remaining 54.3% is disposed of in landfills. Which U.S. island is a leader in the “Zero Waste” movement which ideally seeks to eliminate all waste being shipped to landfills by way of recycling, reusing, and composting strategies?
A) Jekyll Island B) Nantucket C) Mackinac Island D) San Juan Islands

3- Achieving the correct moisture content in a compost pile is an important factor in keeping it working efficiently. Biological activity will stop completely if the pile dries out. Thus the ideal percentage rate for measuring compost water content is which percentage – 30%, 50%, 70%, or 85%?

4- Large-scale “vermicomposting” is practiced in the USA, Canada, Japan, Italy, Malaysia, and the Philippines. What special animal expedites this process of breaking down compost materials? A) Squirrels B) Mice C) Wild Rabbits D) Worms

5- Which cool compost-heated thing has not been invented yet? A) Compost-heated greenhouse B) Compost-heated Japanese Tea Room C) Compost-heated car fuel D) Compost-heated outdoor shower E) None of the Above – All Have Been Invented

6- Recycling activity can create anywhere from 4 to 10 more jobs for every 1 job created in the waste management and disposal industries. True or False?

7- Curbside composting in large urban environments has skyrocketed over the last three years. There are now more than 90 cities with such a program. One major reason for the program is that landfills across the nation have reached their maximum capacity as Americans generate 250 million tons of garbage per year. True or False?

8- Which city is the top composting city in America? It has the largest compost collection program in the U.S. including restaurants and food-related establishments. A) Seattle B) New York City C) San Francisco D) Los Angeles

9- The demand for sustainable planning consultants is high – seven times higher than for all other industries. Their role is to provide businesses with tools and information to minimize environmental impact. Which of the following recyclable skills are essential for such a career path? A) Problem-solving skills B) Organizational skills C) Analytical skills D) Client-Oriented Service Skills E) All of the Above

10- Do you have what it takes to be a socially ‘green’ entrepreneur? Here are two examples: One is a two year old Utah-based company called “EcoScraps”. Their business model – they collect leftover food from grocery stores, Costco stores and produce wholesalers – turn it into bags of compost mix – and then sell these bags thru home improvement stores like Home Depot. The second example is a three year old Florida-based foundation called “Clean the World” which is now the largest recycler of hotel amenities in the world. Their business model – they collect leftover hotel soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and gels – recycle them for distribution to communities and countries in need of better hygiene and sanitation – and thereby help to fight the global spread of preventable diseases. In just three years of operation, they have managed to distribute more than 11 million bars of recycled soap to children and families in Haiti, Canada, the U.S. and 40 other countries worldwide.

Answers: (1) D – Maine (2) B – Nantucket (3) 50% (4) D – Worms (5) E -None of the Above-All Have Been Invented (6) True (7) True (8) C – San Francisco (9) E – All of the Above (10) I am hopeful that the answer is YES!

Camels, Bears, and Elephants – Oh My! These and Other Animal Festivals to Vacation By!

For most Americans, “Festival” is a word that conjures up a whole host of annual galas, banquets, and special events that range from film festivals to jazz festivals – from balloon festivals to food and music festivals – from marathons to parades – from fan conventions to antique and renaissance fairs. But a new breed of ‘green festivals’ has now taken hold of both the American imagination and nature-seeking enthusiasts across the globe – ‘Animal-themed Festivals’ – festivals that celebrate, educate, and offer unique field trip insights and adventures into the world of exotic and endangered species of animals.

So start planning and packing for a new kind of vacation. To help you along the way, let’s see if you can match the place of destination with the type of animal festival in the descriptions below. I’ve narrowed your choices down to just TEN Animal Festivals: a Bird, an Elephant, a Camel, a Penguin, a Platypus, a Moose, a Bat, a Whale, a Bear and a Sea Turtle Festival – and not necessarily in that order.

Now let the festivities begin!

1- Every November In the town of Surin in Thailand, these animals are rounded up and talent competitions are held – followed up by folk dances and other cultural performances. Note: This two day festival celebrates one of the most beloved animals of the Buddhist kingdom.
NAME THIS ANIMAL.

2- Every October in Simon’s Town in South Africa, the festival begins with the beach release of these rescued animals back into the wild followed by children’s competitions and games, a treasure hunt, environmental shows and displays, and lively music and good food.
NAME THIS ANIMAL.

3- Every November in the Fraser Valley in southwestern British Columbia in Canada, this multi-weekend festival features the world’s largest gathering of raptors that are attracted by the season’s large supply of spawning salmon traveling upstream alongside gravel bar flats. In addition to animal watching opportunities, the festival includes eco-river tours, walking tours, historic and aboriginal sites, and local artist souvenirs, meals, and cultural entertainment. NAME THIS ANIMAL.

4- For five days, either in late October or November in the tiny desert town of Pushkar in India, a carnival-like atmosphere of villagers, farmers, traders, pilgrims, and livestock converges together to participate in this old style traditional Indian festival. The highlight of this epic spectacle features comical beauty contests of this animal as well as the racing of this animal followed by magicians, musicians, acrobats, snake charmers and peculiar gamesmanship like the “longest moustache” competition. NAME THIS ANIMAL.

5- Every September in the quiet rural township of Gloucester in New South Wales, Australia – the place comes alive with kids’ face paintings, a Tasmanian devil show-and-tell, kayaking sessions, a farmers’ market, interactions with freshwater eels and ‘yabbies’ (a type of crayfish), and a focus on this animal with its own animal spotting workshops. NAME THIS ANIMAL.

6- For four days in October along the east coast of the Yucatan peninsula in the town of Tulum, Mexico, (famously known for its pre-Columbian Mayan ruins), a series of fun activities including live music, sandcastle competitions, kite contests, painting exhibitions, and conservation programs kicks off the celebration of this endangered animal species which loves to nest in this area. NAME THIS ANIMAL.

7- Every mid-September in the world famous Carlsbad Caverns of New Mexico in the United States, a swarm of cave-dwelling animals is celebrated with a weekend of guest lecturers, lantern tours, arts and crafts booths, a sheriff’s posse barbecue, a sunrise balloon launch, and a special pancake breakfast watching these animals return home from their insect-catching midnight marathon. NAME THIS ANIMAL.

8- This six-month long festival held from November to May in honor of this animal’s 3000 mile migration up to Alaska from its winter haven off the island waters of Maui in Hawaii is truly unique! Featured events include celebration cruises, a golf tournament, a paddle board and kayaking event, art exhibitions, free lectures, professionally guided spotting stations, photo safaris, and running and walking events. NAME THIS ANIMAL.

9- Every April this festival is held in the beautiful town of Franklin, known for its antebellum homes and majestic oak trees, located in the heart of St. Mary Parish along the banks of the Bayou Teche in south central Louisiana. The mission of this festival is to increase the awareness of its surrounding citizens of this endangered species of animal. Featured activities include frisky cajun music and home-grown food specialties, educational canoe trips and exhibits, fun-loving puppet and magic shows for children along with a stuffed animals repair clinic and a fireworks display. NAME THIS ANIMAL.

10- Every August in the heavily-forested North Country area of New Hampshire, this three-day extravaganza goes crazy over its most memorable animal resident. Festival goers can enjoy everything from helicopter rides to sidewalk sales, from raffles and square dancing to horse and wagon tours, maple syrup tastings and pie-tasting competitions. There is also a classic auto show and traditional country fair held in this animal’s honor. Best of all is the animal calling contest, cruise parade, and goofy photographers dressed in this animal costume. NAME THIS ANIMAL.

Answers: (1) Elephant (2) Penguin (3) Bird-Bald Eagle (4) Camel (5) Platypus (6) Sea Turtle (7) Bat (8) Humpback Whale (9) Black Bear (10) Moose

Planning Your Next Vacation? How About An Eco-Adventure-Themed Tour with Dinosaur Treasure Hunting for Kids?

Why wait for Halloween – one day of the year – to do something wild and weird? Why not book an eco-adventure tour with a prehistoric theme – dinosaur treasure hunting that is! Indeed this kind of vacation is perfect for active families with younger children for whom standard tours would be less entertaining and harder to accommodate to their growing needs. Better yet, plan it yourself.

It’s easy. Below is a list of dinosaur treasure trivia regarding the best dinosaur-hunting sites in the USA. Select a site and determine the best way to get there. Dependent upon the time of year you wish to go, add your favorite bit of outdoor recreational activity – hiking, biking, canoeing, birding, fishing, skiing, or horseback riding. So what are you waiting for – Tyrannosaurus Rex on snowshoes, perhaps?

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1- Whilst vacationing in 1858, which U.S. town and state did Victorian gentleman and fossil hobbyist, William Parker Foulke, discover the world’s first nearly-complete dinosaur skeleton in a local marl pit– known today as “Ground Zero” of Dinosaur Paleontology?

2- In which two neighboring U.S. states is the world-famous “Dinosaur National Monument” located? First discovered in 1909 by a paleontologist working and collecting for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, this well-visited site contains over 1,500 dinosaur fossils still embedded in the cliff face of the quarry.

3- Opened to the public in 1972 and featuring some of the world’s best preserved dinosaur tracks, this unique riverbed at “Dinosaur Valley State Park” can be visited in which U.S. state?

4- In which U.S. state can you find the #1 Dinosaur Museum in the country – located next to active dinosaur dig sites, a world-class preparation laboratory, and a fantastic gift shop?

5- Discovered accidentally in 1966 by a bulldozer operator, “Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum” is located in which U.S. state? Note this natural attraction contains one of the largest dinosaur track sites in North America and holds an annual event each year in August filled with games, films, arts and crafts, and educational programs that allow visitors to create their own track casts.

6- Which U.S. state contains the only source of Early Cretaceous dinosaur fossils along the Eastern seaboard on a stretch of land known as “Dinosaur Alley” – dating back to 115 million years ago?

7- Just last year, in which U.S. state did hikers accidentally stumble onto a two-legged dinosaur track within the “Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area” – an area aptly noted for its 3,000-foot-high sandstone cliffs perched above the Mojave desert?

8- In which U.S. state do fossil hunters continually meet together to share their “prehistoric” adventures along the creeks of the low country looking for ‘megalodon’ teeth – an extinct species of shark that lived 28 million to 1.5 million years ago which had 7 inch size teeth and the most powerful bite of any creature that ever lived?

9- In which western state does “Ghost Ranch” lie – a place associated with both American-born painter Georgia O’Keeffe and an array of great outdoor adventure activities whose large acreage hides a famous paleontological site containing over a thousand well-preserved fossilized Triassic dinosaur skeletons? Once located near the equator over 200 million years ago, this area is now better known for its red rock scenery in Hollywood-produced movies such as “Cowboys and Aliens”, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, and “No Country for Old Men” .

10- In which U.S. state can one find the internationally renown White River Badlands region – an area that is home to the world’s richest deposit of Oligocene mammals – mammals that existed 34 to 23 million years ago including the remains of fossilized rhinos, horses, and saber-toothed cats. And nearby is the “Black Hills Institute of Geological Research” a private corporation which specializes in the excavation and preparation of fossils and the sale of original fossil material and museum-quality replicas.


Answers:; (1) Haddonfield, New Jersey (2) Colorado and Utah (3) Texas (4) Wyoming (5) Connecticut (6) Maryland (7) Nevada (8) South Carolina (9) New Mexico (10) South Dakota

How Green Is Your Culinary Style? – The Rise & Resurgence of Homemade Bread-Making in the USA!

After a century of industrial bread-making, homemade bread-making is returning to the forefront of the American cooking scene in a very big way whether it be baking bread in a wood-fired oven or registering in one of a number of professional bread-baking programs across the USA – from San Francisco’s Baking Institute to New York City’s International Culinary Center. Simultaneously with the huge growth of social networking sites such as ‘Twitter’ and ‘Facebook’, bread aficionados can now order gift boxes of specialty breads online and share notes on artisanal bread-makers of all sorts ranging from Klinger’s Bread Company in Vermont to Zingerman’s in Michigan, from Erick Schat’s Bakery in California to Monks’ Bread in New York and Dave’s Killer Bread in Oregon.

This is not the first time in America history that “healthy eating” has metamorphosed into a cultural way of life but in societal terms –homemade bread is “big” – and its effects have changed even the largest supermarket chains where whole wheat bread sales have now surpassed white bread sales ever since 2009.

Let’s see then, how well you know your Bread-baking trivia in the United States of America.

1-San Francisco is nationally known for its high-quality artisanal bread but which type of durable bread put San Francisco on many a miner’s map during the California Gold Rush from 1848-1855?

2- During the American Revolutionary War, on May 3, 1777, Christopher Ludwick, a German-American confectioner in Philadelphia was given the unique responsibility of overseeing all bread production for the Continental Army.  What was his official title?

3-What Oregon-born chef and food critic said “Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts”?

4- What was the name of the “root” bread given to the Lewis & Clark expedition by the Nez Perce Indians during their 1804-06 journey to the Pacific coast?

5- During the American Civil War, citizens, mostly women, began to protest the exorbitant price of bread.  What was the name given to the events of civil unrest that took place in the Confederate capitol of Richmond, Virginia during April of 1863?

6- What bread-derived name was given to American soldiers during World War I whose origins harken back to the infantry forces during the Mexican-American of 1846-48?

7- Most American schoolchildren know Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492 – but do you know the name of the flatbread he and his men were greeted with by the Native Arawak Indians?

8- Invented in the 19th century and developed in the compact kitchen of a sleeping railroad car, what is the name of the block-shaped bread named for the eponymous inventor of this train car?

9- Sometimes called the “Gopher State” and the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”, what U.S. state is also known as the “Bread and Butter State” because of its numerous flour mills and butter-making plants?

10- First made by Native American Indian tribes, now celebrated as a national festival in Tennessee each year in April and in Thanksgiving Day stuffings every November, what is the name of this traditional quick bread?

11- A popular phrase in the American lexicon is “the greatest thing since sliced bread”. However, do you know when the first automatic bread-slicing machine was commercially used in the USA? And what state did its inventor, Otto Frederick Rohwedder, a jeweler, hail from?

12- Founded in 1993, what is the name of the non-profit coalition of farmers, millers, suppliers, educators, students, home bakers, professional bakers, and baking owners and managers – that has dedicated itself to the advancement of the artisan baking profession in America?


Answers: (1) Sourdough Bread (2) Baker General (3) James Beard (4) Camas Bread (5) The Southern Bread Riots (6) Doughboy (7) Cassava Bread (8) Pullman Loaf  (9) Minnesota  (10) Cornbread (11) 1928/Iowa (12) The Bread Bakers Guild of America

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