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As we get closer to the end of the year, many mare owners are asking themselves if they should breed their mare next year. In today’s economy and over-breeding situation horse owners need to make sure they are making the right decisions.
Pedigree
Any mare being bred should prove her worth. Just because she has one or two nice horses in her pedigree is not a reason for her to be bred. Yes there are stories of an unknown mare and stallion creating a spectacular foal but for every one of those there are thousands of mediocre ones.
Genetic Testing
If your mare is a stock horse, have you had her tested for all of the genetic diseases. All mares should be tested/cleared for known Quarter Horse genetic defects such as HERDA, PSSM, HYPP and OWLS. When deciding on a stallion, ask for copies of their tests as well. If the stallion owner does not have results make sure that you add that to the equation – would you be fine with an N/H baby? Or a lethal white?
Physical Health
Make sure that your mare has been thoroughly checked by your vet. Make sure that you have a uterine culture so any infections can be taken care of prior to breeding.
Expenses
Breeding a horse is expensive. Stud fees range from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars. Beyond a stud fee there are collection fees, chute fees, ultra sound charges and vet farm calls. If using shipped semen don’t forget to add in shipping costs. Assume that each cycle will cost you $250-500 over and above the actual stud fee.
Veterinarian costs
Expect your vet costs to increase dramatically from your regular costs. The vet will need to examine your mare regularly. Ultrasounds will need to be done to make sure your mare is not carrying twins. There are also extra inoculations your mare will need while in foal. Assume that your extra veterinarian costs will be a minimum of a few hundred dollars.
Effort
Foals are very cute but they take lots of time. Halter training, handling, and all the other necessities need to be done on a regular basis. Once your foal has grown the cost of training needs to be added to your expenses.
Adding it all up
After going through the list of costs take a good hard look at the numbers and ask yourself = can I buy EXACTLY what I want for less than the cost of breeding it. If the answer is yes the please consider doing just that. Each year dozens of mediocre foals are born and many of them end up in low end auctions headed to the Canadian and Mexican border to be slaughtered.
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In today’s economy it is imperative that you show smart. Many people are trying to decide how to continue to show with a smaller budget.
The first thing to do is determine if you want to be a weekend warrior or point to a few prestigious shows. Make a decision and stick to it. The other determining factor is points. Do you need just a few more points to finish a Register of Merit or Superior? If your horse in enrolled in any breed or specialty incentive funds or state programs such as the Quarter Horse Incentive Fund or Kentucky Breeders Incentive Fund (KYBIF) every point your horse earns puts money in your pocket. It also increases the value of your horse should you ever wish to put it up for sale or if you own a stallion increase the stud fee.
If you enjoy showing every weekend perhaps you look at some of the local saddle club shows as they have payback classes that can help pay for expenses. You also can offer to band or braid other horses. This will not hurt your Amateur status and can help pay for your show. Y
Find other Amateurs and split a hotel room, bring a cooler full of sandwiches and drinks. If you are adventurous bring a cot and sleep in the tack stall. You can save a ton of money and stretch your dollar.
Also take some time to look at the trends of a show. If a show is 100 miles away but has cheaper fees and more horses it is probably a better show for you. Some shows are now offering discounts or free meals. Again this can help you squeeze that extra show into the schedule.
For more articles on the Quarter Horse, visit The Quarter Horse Quarterly!
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For Quarter Horse and other breed shows, Showmanship is a class where every extra bit of polish can set you apart. The current trend is to show on a drape, which means your horse is not cued by the shank or chain, but by your body language.
One of the easiest things to train your horse to do is back up. I had issues with my mare when I started her in Showmanship was a correct and energetic back. I used a modified Natural Horsemanship method to create a relaxed, correct and crisp back.
In order to achieve a good back you will need to spend at least 5 minutes a day at least 3 or 4 times a week for probably a month. At first all you are trying to achieve is to give your horse the understanding that when you are in place and move towards them that they need to match the speed that you are moving in reverse.
I use a long lead rope or a lunge line to start. DO NOT use a chain, just snap the lead under your horse’s chin and stand in front of your horse to the side of them so you are not directly in front. At first I was about 7-8 feet away when I started.
Simply wiggle the rope and start walking towards your horse, I make a ‘ssssssss’ sound. As I got closer the wiggle got bigger and if she did not move backward by the time I was within 3 feet I would throw my hands up and stomp. At this your horse should run backward. Make sure to follow the horse but then stop and give them a release by you stopping your forward motion at them and they slowly stop backing and will then stand.
Give praise and walk them forward and repeat. Soon anytime you wiggle the rope they will begin walking backward just from that cue. If they are not moving fast enough then try a simple stomp or just lift your left arm as you walk to them – the point is DO NOT allow your horse to have no consequences from not responding. Make them understand when you ask to back and they ignore you that there WILL be an action.
Until your horse is really comfortable ignore their body position, but as they get more comfortable they should begin backing straight and their body language should be quiet. Remember it is important to not jerk, pull, hit or do anything to make a back anything but a release from the pressure of your body language.
Once they get comfortable you can them start working towards backing not just in straight lines but in turns as well. Your final product will be a crisp back with a relaxed horse and no visible cue. You will definitely be adding to the difficulty of your pattern and should help elevate your overall score,
The best part of this is that the technique can be used for many purposes – I use it now for even the foals to teach them when the rope wiggles that they need to back from the pressure. It comes in handy.
Check The Quarter Horse Quarterly for more Quarter Horse articles.
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On our recent trip to Aruba my son was all excited to see a Wendy’s on our way to our timeshare. I was more intrigued by a brightly colored restaurant located right next door Sawasdee Thai Restaurant. When we got to the Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club, I asked about it and was told it was very good.
We decided to give it a try. Like most Palm Beach Restaurants it was an easy walk from the high rise resorts so we chose to walk. After that try we went again. In fact I think we would have gone their every night. WOW.
There are so many great things about Sawasdee Thai Restaurant that I am unsure how to even start. You know how you look at a menu and something reads like it should taste good and the picture looks great and then when you get it you wonder if you got what you ordered? Kind of like the Big Mac on the menu looks nothing like the squashed sideways looking burger with globs of goo? Well Sawasdee Thai Restaurant is one of those restaurants where I felt the chef took presentation to heart.
I found the service to be refreshingly simple. Meaning it was a feeling of being a guest versus waited on. Probably not the most prompt but that added to the charm. One of our orders was taking a long time so they thoughtfully brought us out an order of spring rolls.
My husband looked at them suspiciously then took a tentative bite. My acting skill are not up to par because his eyes widened and he grabbed his second one. They were absolutely delightful. They were crisply cooked and just the perfect size and when accompanied by their sauce they were heaven.
I ordered the Red Curry Adventure and Steve order the Garlic Chicken while our son ate fried rice. The Curry was spectacular - I am a huge curry fan and it was spicy and flavorful and the meat tender - it was definitely worth the wait. Steve’s Garlic Chicken was fantastic as well. well cooked, spicy and great cuts of meat.
We had enough left over for lunch the next morning are our bill was only around $50 with tip. It was the cheapest sit down meal we had in Aruba and we had leftovers. I will say that the next day the spices were even better as they had really soaked in.
A few days later we went again because my uncle had joined us and he loves Thai. He lives in Manhatten and eats at some really great Thai restaurants and wanted to get his take on it.
We had the spring rolls again - and again they were perfect. My son and husband did not deviate (they are like that!) but I ordered the Thai Pepper Chicken and my uncle ordered Pad Thai with prawns. All were at two of three stars in the heat department.
I am not a prawns lover so I have to take my uncles word for them but he said they were fabulous. My chicken was spicy hot but in a good way. Luckily they kept the water glasses full because it was hot. If you are not into burning spicy food stick with one star. I grew up in California on real Mexican food and love spicy so it worked for me.
After our meal I asked my uncle how it stacked up to the New York Thai places and he said it was better. In fact I think all three of us agreed that if we could find cheap airfaire we would fly to Aruba just to eat at Sawasdee Thai Restaurant.
Hey isn’t Jet Blue having a special? Hmmmmm The JetBlue Fall Fare Sale - fares for as little as $29 each way! Hurry, sale ends 8/5 11:59pm MT. Better get clicking!
About The Author:
Jodie is the owner and operator of the Aruba Travel Site which is dedicated to Aruba Travel including Resorts, Hotels, General Information, Restaurants and more as well as Travel Advisor Blog which is a discussion of all things travel.
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In the ultimate carrot and stick move, days after extending Free Dining, Disney has significantly raised the prices of their tickets. I have to say I am astounded that in these economic times Disney thinks that a one day one park pass is worth $84.14 - that is correct one park only. If you want to park hop it is $139.52.
I am sure the folks down the street at Universal are dancing with glee. Universal is $99.00 for a season pass.
We had planned to purchase park hoppers for our Walt Disney World Trip in October. We usually buy Annual Passes but only planned this four day trip. Well guess what the 4 Day Park Hopper is an outrageous $350.39 per person but our Disney Vacation Club Annual Pass Renewal is just $366.36.
It is amazing.
Probably another great reason to join DVC. Okay let’s say you are a family of four and you normally stay at a moderate resort and go for a week. You buy an annual pass for each person at $478.19, the DVC Discount is about $127 a person or roughly $500.
But you say timeshares are expensive. Well they are in most cases but what about this. In DVC it is not week-based system but points. The minimum points you can buy is 25 points. So I went over to a timeshare reseller and found an Old Key West 25 point contract for sale for sale for $1850.
If you bought that contract you could either stay 2 nights at Old Key West at no cost on each trip, not use the points and offer them to another member is a transfer (worth about $250 per year for the 25 points or do what we call bank and borrow and every three years get a 6 day value season trip for free. Rack rate for an Old Key West Studio is $325 per night.
The cost of maintenance for 25 points so let’s break down the various options:
Do Nothing With the Points (Worst Choice):
Maintenance Fee $100
Annual Pass Savings <$500>
Years to Break Even - Four
Use The Points For Two Nights Per Year
Maintenance Fee $100
Annual Pass Savings <$500>
Two Nights Moderate <$300>
Years To Break Even - Three
Transfer Points Yearly
Maintenance Fee $100
Annual Pass Savings <$500>
Transfer Points Sale <$250>
Years To Break Even - Three
You could even do what is called “Bank and Borrow” and turn those points into a 6 night value season trip every three years. And the best part is when you are done with your membership and want to sell, you still will have value and could probably sell them for the same or maybe even more as small contracts are premium.
You do have to purchase small contracts on the resale market. If you are interested feel free to e-mail me and I will refer you to one of the better resellers. Or hey, I am about to put two Animal Kingdom Villas contracts up for sale, both are for 50 points. If I do not have to put them out with a reseller they can go pretty cheap. Let me know.
About The Author:
Jodie is the owner and operator of the Aruba Travel Site which is dedicated to Aruba Travel including Resorts, Hotels, General Information, Restaurants and more as well as Travel Advisor Blog which is a discussion of all things travel.
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I am always talking about my issue with the major pet food companies and what they put in pet food. My parents laughed at my crusade against regular pet food until one of their cats got sick and was not able to eat dry. I gave them some good options of food and they chose Blue Buffalo Spa Select Tender Turkey & Chicken Entree. After a week my Mom called me and told me that both cat’s loved the food and their dandruff was gone.
Within a month their coats were shining and the cat that was sick had gained back some weight and their overweight cat lost weight. The sick cat had also began actually eating with enthusiasm too.
She had to admit that the healthy cat food made a difference. I did act like a good daughter and not say I told you so.
I just wish everyone would try it for themselves. I found a few books that have some great information, as always their are always two sides to the story so do your own research. These books all are discussing healthy dog food but cat owners can still get great information.
Dog Food Dangers Click Here
Dog Food Secrets Click Here
Dog Food Miracle Click Here
Canine Cancer Click Here
And as an update, the cats are all eating happily now - hopefully they will give me at least six months of peace!
About The Author:
Jodie is the owner and operator of the Organic Pet Mall and Natural Pet’s Store. After her cat - Slakk - was diagnosed with diabetes, Jodie set out to provide a better, healthier diet for him. She quickly learned that the accepted pet “foods” were really bad! Her switch to healthy cat food has controlled Slakk’s diabetes, and has given him a long healthy life!
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Today I had to take part of the four legged family in to the vet for their annual check up. I try to do it in batches so it is not too expensive and not too much for me.
So I got out the cat carriers a few days ago so they would not be suspicious of them. Well okay not Slakk, because Slakk does not care about anything, Copy on the other hand is a charter member of the tin foil hat and black helicopter crowd - so any change is a big deal to him.
I made an early morning appointment so after I put down their breakfast I shut all of the doors so Copy could not go hide. I always feel bad trapping him because he is so shy but it had to be done.
Luckily he was actually semi easy this time and I only ended up with a few claw marks. Slakk was following me around so he was easy to catch but not thrilled to go in the carrier.
I did do one thing different, for te first time I tried Bach Flower Essences Rescue Remedy Spray
 on my vet’s recommendation on both of them.
Slakk stresses out on any car ride which of course puts his blood sugar very high and can trigger his Diabetes and Copy, well he is just Feral. So between yowls and claw marks I gave them both their dose.
What a difference.
Slakk usually yowls and screams the whole time and drools and Copy shuts down. I am not going to say they were thrilled but definitely better. The vet trip went fine, Slakk is overweight and Copy is perfect but both were in excellent health. Slakk’s blood glucose was higher than at home but no where near the usual spike.
The best part was that Copy stayed out all afternoon. Usually when I have to take him to the vet he hides under the bed for at least a week. I was so happy to not have to slide food under the bed.
If you have a stressed cat or dog I highly recommend Bach Flower Essences Rescue Remedy Spray 20ml.
Oh and Sam’s Birthday Gift was ordered. With his arthritis he seems to like having his food bowl up a bit. I cannot wait for it to get here I hope he likes it as much as I do. I think I still have flashbacks from when we had our old house for sale a few years ago so ANY way I can keep it looking clean I am for it.
Wetnoz Metro Collection Pet Bowls Metro Duo 4″ Green
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Trying to decide if a timeshare is for you? Everyone hears the horror stories of people being beaten down by unsavory timeshare salesman and stuck with an over-priced flea infested rat trap. Does it happen? Yes. But on the flip side a tremendous amount of people are happy timeshare owners who find owning a wonderful way to vacation. It really is up to you to determine if owning is for you.
Here are some facts to assist you in that decision.
Timeshare ownership is not for everyone. You need to either be a compulsive planner and able to plan your vacations out months (and sometimes over a year) in advance or have incredible flexibility to make a choice within weeks of travel. Do you like to have suite-like rooms and don’t care about daily maid service? If any of these situations sound like you then continue to read.
If you rarely plan even 4-5 months ahead of time and like to vacation at peak times at popular destinations and little flexibility, you will more than likely be unhappy with timeshares. If you are perfectly happy in a hotel room and live for daily maid service, timeshares may not be for you.
We actually enjoy not having housekeeping, when we stay in regular hotels, I actually get annoyed at the daily intrusion. We love the fact we can throw our towels in the wash before we head out for the day, but for some people that is not their idea of fun. We also love 1400+ square feet versus the shoe box of a hotel room and save money by eating breakfast and lunch in the room. It is also fun to bake cookies for the crew or pop popcorn. Our timeshares literally are our second homes.
 For my family, timeshares allow us to stop doing commando vacations and actually slow down and enjoy the trip. We bring family and friends with us to share the fun. Most of the time it is great and when it is not, well that is why we have a two bedroom villa!
It also forces us to vacation. Before we owned timeshares I could always justify not vacationing. The costs add up. Now we can really budget all year long and much of the stress is gone.
So, if after all of these warnings you still think timeshares may be for you then let’s discuss costs.
There is an original buy in cost as well as yearly maintenance. Here is a good rule of thumb. Review the cost for a hotel room in the destination your are interested in and time you usually like to vacation and determine the cost. Chart out how long it will take until you break even and see if that number works for you. Also make sure that the maintenance fees are not outrageous. A good rule of thumb is to look at what other owners are renting their unit for, if your maintenance fees are higher than the rental rate that is not a good buy.
Many people get nervous about purchasing a timeshare, there are horror stories of manipulation and lies and some of them are true. Many more are exaggerated. My recommendation is for you to do research prior to going to any presentation. I highly suggest TUG - Timeshare Users Group. This group has the best information on all of the timeshares available and the members are friendly and will assist you in your decisions.
Usually resale is the best route to purchase, many timeshares can be purchased for a fraction of the cost from the timeshare company so be informed before you buy. In our case, our last purchase was straight through Marriott Vacation Club, we researched the available options on the resale market and in the end the timeshare company had a better deal.
There are many rules of thought on what to purchase. Many people say buy a “trader” and then trade in to where you want to stay. This works for many people and many times can be very affordable. If you go that route it is imperative that you buy a property with enough property “muscle” to get good trades. Don’t buy a cheap property in a ski destination that gives you a week in May and assume you can trade for Maui. You may get lucky, but more than likely you will be disappointed.
 We believe in the mantra “buy where you do not mind staying.” This way if you cannot get a trade you want, you still have a great vacation scheduled. We own at Disney Vacation Club’s Hilton Head and Bay Lake Towers at Contemporary Resort as well as Marriott Vacation Club’s Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club and Marriott St. Kitts Royal Beach Resort & Spa. I really don’t mind staying ANY of those places!
Whatever you choose, it is important to make an informed, logical deal and not an impulsive emotional purchase. Do your homework and make your own choice. Do not let anyone make the decision for you. We are so happy to be Disney and Marriott Vacation Club owners and do not regret our purchase but that does not mean they are for everyone.
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Trying to decide if a timeshare is for you? Everyone hears the horror stories of people being beaten down by unsavory timeshare salesman and stuck with an over-priced flea infested rat trap. Does it happen? Yes. But on the flip side a tremendous amount of people are happy timeshare owners who find owning a wonderful way to vacation. It really is up to you to determine if owning is for you.
Here are some facts to assist you in that decision.
Timeshare ownership is not for everyone. You need to either be a compulsive planner and able to plan your vacations out months (and sometimes over a year) in advance or have incredible flexibility to make a choice within weeks of travel. Do you like to have suite-like rooms and don’t care about daily maid service? If any of these situations sound like you then continue to read.
If you rarely plan even 4-5 months ahead of time and like to vacation at peak times at popular destinations and little flexibility, you will more than likely be unhappy with timeshares. If you are perfectly happy in a hotel room and live for daily maid service, timeshares may not be for you.
We actually enjoy not having housekeeping, when we stay in regular hotels, I actually get annoyed at the daily intrusion. We love the fact we can throw our towels in the wash before we head out for the day, but for some people that is not their idea of fun. We also love 1400+ square feet versus the shoe box of a hotel room and save money by eating breakfast and lunch in the room. It is also fun to bake cookies for the crew or pop popcorn. Our timeshares literally are our second homes.
For my family, timeshares allow us to stop doing commando vacations and actually slow down and enjoy the trip. We bring family and friends with us to share the fun. Most of the time it is great and when it is not, well that is why we have a two bedroom villa!
It also forces us to vacation. Before we owned timeshares I could always justify not vacationing. The costs add up. Now we can really budget all year long and much of the stress is gone.
So, if after all of these warnings you still think timeshares may be for you then let’s discuss costs.
There is an original buy in cost as well as yearly maintenance. Here is a good rule of thumb. Review the cost for a hotel room in the destination your are interested in and time you usually like to vacation and determine the cost. Chart out how long it will take until you break even and see if that number works for you. Also make sure that the maintenance fees are not outrageous. A good rule of thumb is to look at what other owners are renting their unit for, if your maintenance fees are higher than the rental rate that is not a good buy.
Many people get nervous about purchasing a timeshare, there are horror stories of manipulation and lies and some of them are true. Many more are exaggerated. My recommendation is for you to do research prior to going to any presentation. I highly suggest TUG - Timeshare Users Group. This group has the best information on all of the timeshares available and the members are friendly and will assist you in your decisions.
Usually resale is the best route to purchase, many timeshares can be purchased for a fraction of the cost from the timeshare company so be informed before you buy. In our case, our last purchase was straight through Marriott Vacation Club, we researched the available options on the resale market and in the end the timeshare company had a better deal.
There are many rules of thought on what to purchase. Many people say buy a “trader” and then trade in to where you want to stay. This works for many people and many times can be very affordable. If you go that route it is imperative that you buy a property with enough property “muscle” to get good trades. Don’t buy a cheap property in a ski destination that gives you a week in May and assume you can trade for Maui. You may get lucky, but more than likely you will be disappointed.
We believe in the mantra “buy where you do not mind staying.” This way if you cannot get a trade you want, you still have a great vacation scheduled. We own at Disney Vacation Club’s Hilton Head and Bay Lake Towers at Contemporary Resort as well as Marriott Vacation Club’s Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club and Marriott St. Kitts Royal Beach Resort & Spa. I really don’t mind staying ANY of those places!
Whatever you choose, it is important to make an informed, logical deal and not an impulsive emotional purchase. Do your homework and make your own choice. Do not let anyone make the decision for you. We are so happy to be Disney and Marriott Vacation Club owners and do not regret our purchase but that does not mean they are for everyone.
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In the quest to find a new food we finally picked a food. Okay I finally received a complete approval from Abbeylocks and the Three Black (and White) Bears.
I ordered three options for the trial. I was hoping that one would work and was so excited when my package got to the house. The first food we tried was Castor & Pollux Ultramix Indoor Feline Canned and the three boys (Slakk, Spudd and Copy) all liked it but Abbey refused to eat it. I decided to wait a day to try the next food choice.
Copy was still refusing to eat raw so he was VERY hungry for our next option. So we then tried
Newman’s Own Organics Canned Cat Food Chicken & Rice the good news was that all of the cat’s gobbled it up, the bad news was Mommy did not do her homework and the carbohydrate % was over 10% as fed.
With Slakk’s well documented Feline Diabetes I really try to keep him under 8% carbohydrates as fed ad for some reason I chose a can with rice in it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this food choice for a healthy cat or even some diabetic cats, but Slakk’s blood sugar will elevate.
Just to check I tested him (yes you can home test a diabetic cat just like human diabetics do) and his bloog sugar was in the 80s. His normal rate is in the 50-70 range so yes even one small can of a higher carb food will cause him issues.
In fact it is the reason Sam is not allowed any dry food because if Slakk gets into it his blood sugar skyrockets. After three years in remission and as he ages it is more important than ever to keep him in remission. His immune system is already compromised from the ravages of the disease so I have to be very careful.
So sadly we had to say no to the Newmans. I was down to my third choice, Evanger’s Canned Cat Food - Organic Chicken. I set the food down and SUCCESS!
All of the cat’s scarfed it down and then went and laid down and took a bath. In my cat world that is a great sign. So now everyone but Copy is getting their normal raw plus a tiny bit of Evanger’s and Copy got just the Evanger’s.
Our world is now at peace. Whew
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When you think of the first discovery of gold in the United States you think of 1848 and Sutter’s Mill in California, right.
Wrong. It happened in 1799 on John Reed’s Farm right here in North Carolina.
The actual real first gold rush happened in Cabarrus County North Carolina in 1799. John Reed was born in 1757, 1758 or 1759 in what is now Germany. He was in the British Army and the illiterate Hessien mercenary deserted somewhere around Savannah and finally settled down on Meadow Creek, married and had a family.
One Sunday, Conrad Reed, John’s 12 year old son, was fishing with his siblings and found a 17 pound shiny yellow rock. He picked it up and brought it home. For three years the rock was used as a doorstop. They had brought it to the local blacksmith but he was not sure what it was, it was not until a trip to Fayetteville that he discovered it was gold.
In Fayetteville, he took the rock to a jewelry who realized it was raw gold. The jeweler offered to purchase it and asked Reed to name his price. Reed thought about it and came up with what he thought was an outrageous amount $3.50. The jeweler paid him the money quickly as the true value was about $3,600. Can you imagine it’s price now? Later on the jeweler did end up paying him another $1,000 after Reed learned the value of gold.
Soon Reed began Reed Gold Mine and started a flurry of activity in North Carolina as people flocked to make their own discoveries. In fact over one million dollars in gold was found in North Carolina per year and gold mining was second only to farming in number of North Carolinians it employed. Both placer mining (panning in creeks) as well as underground mining occurred on the site of Reed’s property as well as many other areas in the state.
Until 1848 North Carolina led the nation in gold production, then gold was discovered in California and the California Gold Rush started and Reed Gold Mine and it’s discoveries faded and even faded from our American History books.
Today many of the underground tunnels have been restored for you to explore and you an pan for gold. About one of every six pans will include some gold. The visitor center has gold and silver exhibits, a movie on the history of gold at Reed Gold Mine and a tour of a restored ore-crushing stamp mill. There are picnic areas and trails as well.
It is well worth seeing. I am passionate about American History and our textbooks are losing important pieces. If you asked 100 Americans about the first Gold Rush the few that would have an answer would say California - heck until I moved here I would have too. If you come to North Carolina, visit Reed Gold Mine.
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My dog Sam is a great dog but sadly, he dangles at the bottom of the food chain.. We got Sam twelve years ago at a rescue and were told he was a Beagle cross. I think a Beagle crossed in front of him because never looked like a Beagle. He is a rare breed dog, Carolina Dog or Dixie Dingo. They are found in the southeastern United States and are actual wild dogs He is a wonderful, patient dog who never complains when the cats steal his food or lay on his beds…or on him.
As he gets older he has slowed down and gets really stiff if not using a good pet bed. His bed in my office has started to lose the firmness he needs and he has been stiff when waking up so last weekend I went online and searched for a new bed.
Since it is in a part of the house viewable to anyone who walks in, I wanted it to be not only comfortable for him, but stylish for me. We run our business out of our home so I have customers and business associates in the house and I do not want or need a smelly rumpled pet bed in my office. Some people don’t like animals – amazing I know. I like my home to be smell free and not have pet accessory eyesores. And I found it - Natural Rhino Wicker Pet Bed a great natural pet product and a great price. sweet!
I was so happy when it got here on Friday, it matches my furniture perfectly and is such high quality. Sam immediately put his claim on it as the cats circled – he is not willing to give up on it. He must really like it.
My friend Heidi was over today and walked by my office and stopped and pointed at it and said, “Where did you get THAT?” I started to laugh and told her I bought it online. She whipped out her phone and saved the information on it. Heidi is one of the top realtors in town and is always bemoaning how turned off people get by seller’s pets.
She was really impressed with the style and how it looked less like a dog bed and more like a piece of furniture. In fact, she liked it so much that she is buying a few to put in with the furniture she leases to her home sellers. That is about the highest seal of approval you can get.
My happiness comes from the look of my graying puppy dog, sprawled out, snoring happily (and loudly) and hopefully keeping the cats away from his bed.
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I know you think I am crazy but yes, you can grill fruit like vegetables on the grill. If you enjoy fresh fruit, you’ll love grilled fruit. Some fruits like pineapple caramelize wonderfully due to the high concentration of sugars in them.
Most fruits have enough moisture and sugar that they do not need seasoning. They should be grilled fairly quickly over medium-direct high heat until tender. You should only need to turn them once or twice.
Fruit needs to be either halved or sliced, depending on the size and thickness (you will need to hollow out the core if grilling them whole). You need to watch them carefully as they cook very fast and can go from brown to burnt in a flash. Make sure to have your grill tools close by, especially the tongs and spatula as you may have to pull them off quickly.
A few need to be grilled on indirect heat and you will end of with fruit similar to their baked counterparts.
Listed below is a great guide to the length of cooking:
Fruit
|
Grilling Time |
| Apples, sliced |
3 to 5 minutes |
| Apples, halved |
10 to 12 minutes |
| Apples, whole |
indirect heat, 40 to 60 minutes |
| Apricots |
6 to 8 minutes |
| Bananas (peeled) |
4 to 6 minutes |
| Bananas (unpeeled) |
3 to 4 minutes |
| Figs (sliced) |
2 to 3 minutes |
| Figs (whole) |
6 to 8 minutes |
| Grapefruit |
3 to 5 minutes |
| Grapes |
2 to 3 minutes |
| Lemons |
2 to 3 minutes |
| Limes |
2 to 3 minutes |
| Mangoes (sliced) |
6 to 8 minutes |
| Mangoes (whole) |
8 to 10 minutes |
| Nectarines |
6 to 8 minutes |
| Oranges |
3 to 5 minutes |
| Papayas (sliced) |
6 to 8 minutes |
| Papayas (halved) |
8 to 10 minutes |
| Peaches |
6 to 8 minutes |
| Pears (halved) |
10 to 12 minutes |
| Pears (whole) |
Indirect heat, 40 to 60 minutes |
| Pineapples |
6 to 8 minutes |
| Plantains (unpeeled) |
10 to 12 minutes |
| Plums |
4 to 6 minutes |
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How many times have you cooked chicken to perfection then go to cut it and make a mess? Here are some easy steps for carving a great bird into great pieces.
First you need to have proper grill tools, long-handled spatula, sharp knife and long-handled tongs.
First step is to remove the legs. You start by pulling the drumstick away from the body, make sure to do this by pulling from the tip of the drumstick. With your other hand begin cutting through the joint that holds the leg to the hip. Envision a V, you want to cut straight through the V to separate the drumstick from the hip.
Next, remove the wings. Like the drumsticks, use your knife to cut at a forty-five degree angle through the area where the wing joins the body. Try and keep your knife as close to the body as possible.
Last you need to remove the chicken breasts. Start by making a slit along the top of the breastbone and start on one side. Use your knife to slowly separate the breast from the body. Your knife is also great for assisting you in removing the breast from the ribcage. Once you have completed that side, repeat on the other side.
Depending on the size of the chicken you can cut the breasts into pieces. Arrange breast slices with the spatula and use the tongs to place the wings and drumsticks. A gorgeous presentation for a delicious meal!
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Just found these pictures uploaded that are the best and most comprehensive so far for the new WDW Bay Lake Towers. For those of you unfamiliar with Disney World, Bay Lake Towers is the newest Disney Vacation Club resort. Disney Vacation Club is the Disney version of a timeshare. You purchase points, not weeks and can stay at your “home resort” or one of the other WDW DVC resorts or trade your points for other timeshares.
Bay Lake Towers was Disney’s worst kept secret. As they demolished the North Garden Wing of Contemporary they did so without any mention of what was going in there. Kind of hard to ignore A BIG CRESCENT SHAPED BUILDING but they did there best “Building…what building?”
Due to the economy it has not sold out as quick as expected but it is very popular with many of the people clamoring for monorail access. Because of slower sales it is a wonderful opportunity for non-DVC member to try it out.
A few things though different about BLT (I know it is a sandwich too!) first is that the pool area is for BLT only. Unlike the other properties (BoardWalk, Beach Club and Animal Kingdom) where the DVC resort and the regular WDW resort share amenities, if you are staying at Contemporary you cannot use the pool at BLT. This is because of the lake of real estate to build a large pool. If the Contemporary folks were allowed in there would be crowding issues and let’s face it the Contemporary pool is not too exciting.
Here is the tricky part, DVC members CAN pool hop so a DVC person staying at BLT can pool hop to Contemporary but a non-DVC member cannot, nor a Contemporary non-DVC pool hop to BLT. Clear as mud?
The other point is the bridge between the two resorts- that is simply a walkway from the fourth floor of Bay Lake Towers to Contemporary. They actually frosted the glass and did not put in air conditioning to keep people from using it as a fireworks viewing area. You will need to use your Bay Lake Tower room key to access it. If you want to go over to Bay Lake Towers you will need to use the front entrance.
The biggest controversy is the new Top of the World Lounge. It is built on top of Bay Lake Towers and will probably have the best views of Magic Kingdom around. This lounge is for DVC members and their guests only. There is a ton of unhappiness over this by non-DVC people but think of it as the Airline Club rooms at the airport, sure you are flying that airline but just because you have a ticket does not mean you have access. The Top of The Wolrd Lounge is the same for DVC - all of us who purchased Bay Lake Towers (yes me included) paid a huge premium for that resort. Because of this DVC gave us a few perks.
I am not sure how long it will continue like this, DVC and WDW have said they may change this at any times and DVCers remember the viewing area at Boardwalk Villas that was taken away and is now used for private function. Anyone want to guess how long Top of The World will be open to anyone? My guess is it will become a huge money maker for Disney and can only imagine what it will rent out for on New Year’s Eve.
Before I forget West Marine has a special on Nuvi’s if you are interested. We just bought one (Doh!) and they are super cheap. New Low Price on Garmin Nuvi 200W - Only $119.99!
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I guess reservations must really be down because Free Dining is now ongoing through 11/24/2009 then star up after Thanksgiving and run through 12/17/2009. If you stay in a Value you get the Quick Serve Dining Plan which includes two Quick Service Meals and two snacks per day). Moderates, Deluxe and Deluxe Villas will all get the regular Dining Plan (one quick service meal, one sit down meal and one snack). It looks like the only Deluxe resorts in this are Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom and the two Deluxe Villa Resorts are Old Key West and Saratoga Springs.
All sounds great huh? Well here is the fine print. There are some blackout dates and you have to stay at RACK rate. You also have to buy a park pass too. For some people it works out, if you have an annual pass it is not so good. Run the numbers for yourself and decide.
Here is another option:
Fall Discount Rates are also up for Disney Visa holders, Annual Pass Holders (code JYF) and anyone who has the codes (use KHP). 35% off selected resorts with availability. No dining plan or tickets included in this one. They do not say anywhere the list of hotels involved but I am going to guess the list is similar to the Free Dining Hotels.
I hate the WDW reservation system, all of the codes are given to Expedia so I use them Book your dream Disney vacation at Expedia.com!
Personally I would choose Saratoga Springs - one of my favorite resorts at WDW. We are going for Food and Wine and staying at the new Bay Lake Towers. I am so excited, we have been waiting for that Magic Kingdom view for a long time. No Free Dining or Discouts for us - DVC members are not eligible but hey I will be sitting on my balcony watching Wishes so it is a great trade off!
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How many times have you cooked chicken to perfection then go to cut it and make a mess? Here are some easy steps for carving a great bird into great pieces.
First you need to have proper grill tools, long-handled spatula, sharp knife and long-handled tongs.
First step is to remove the legs. You start by pulling the drumstick away from the body, make sure to do this by pulling from the tip of the drumstick. With your other hand begin cutting through the joint that holds the leg to the hip. Envision a V, you want to cut straight through the V to separate the drumstick from the hip.
Next, remove the wings. Like the drumsticks, use your knife to cut at a forty-five degree angle through the area where the wing joins the body. Try and keep your knife as close to the body as possible.
Last you need to remove the chicken breasts. Start by making a slit along the top of the breastbone and start on one side. Use your knife to slowly separate the breast from the body. Your knife is also great for assisting you in removing the breast from the ribcage. Once you have completed that side, repeat on the other side.
Depending on the size of the chicken you can cut the breasts into pieces. Arrange breast slices with the spatula and use the tongs to place the wings and drumsticks. A gorgeous presentation for a delicious meal!
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Sounds simple huh? The biggest reason for grill failures and repairs are because their owners do not regularly clean them. I don’t mean shine them up like they are new but keep them from having encrusted burn remnants from the past two years.
Here are some tips on keeping your grill healthy.
After Every Use
If at all possible you should clean your grill before you put food on as well. Again it is easier to clean it when it is hot so turn it on, wait a few minutes and then give it a quick scrub. If you do this before and after, your grill will be in great shape.
At minimum clean your grill after use. It is easy to get it clean when it is hot so this is the best time to do so. If you have a stainless steel grill be sure to only use a brass bristled brush as the others may scratch the surface. If your grill grates are iron than you can use any brush.
Optional but Highly Suggested
- Check the grease/ash catcher and empty it when needed.
- Clean off the side tables so stains do not set in and bugs are not attracted.
- After you grill is dry, cover it. This will keep it from rusting. We sell some great grill covers so no excuses.
The Once a Year Thorough Cleaning
- Give the grill a thorough cleaning, check the heat diffuser for buildup of food debris. Clean the lid and firebox, if you have a large amount of buildup you can use a heavy-duty cleaner. If you see what looks like paint peeling that is just baked on grease, simply remove it with a damp paper towel.
- Check for corrosion and scrub away any white spots.
- If the outside is looking dingy you can repaint it with a heat resistant grill paint (exterior only!)
- If Grilling season is over, store your grill in a dry spot.
If you have a gas grill:
- Check the burner tubes. If your flame is more yellow than blue you may have cracks
- Check the controls and lubricate any sticky controls
- Check the igniter and if it is not working then you may need to clean the tip of the electrode.
If you do these steps your grill will stay in better shape and you will get more years out of them. Make sure to check your manufacturer’s directions as well.
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