An Introduction to the Grizzly Bear

Going bear watching in Canada? Here are some basic facts about the magnificent grizzly bear to take on board before you go.

If you're heading off on a bear watching tour in Canada, you should arm yourself with as much information as possible before you go. Although an expert guide will accompany you on the bear watching tour, having some basic facts at your disposal is always a good idea. 

 Introducing the Grizzly Bear 

 The Grizzly is actually a subspecies of the Brown Bear, which populates the west of Canada and the north west of the United States. It stands as tall as 2.5 metres and a fully-grown male adult can weigh 360kg. 

 Sustenance to Live 

 These animals have very cleverly adapted to their environment, and throughout the changing seasons their behavior changes to accommodate the conditions. In the warmer months, they eat plenty to stock up their body’s supply of fat so throughout the winter, when they are hibernating, they will have enough energy to survive. A daily feed may equal up to 40kg of food and lead to a weight gain of 1kg over 24 hours. What is most interesting is that they actually get most of their nutrition not from huge amounts of meat, but from nuts, fruit, leaves, insects, and roots. Small animals, such as sheep and rodents as well as fish also make up a small part of their diet. When food is scarcer, they will dig into the ground with their long claws and make good use of their strong shoulder muscles and you may see evidence of this throughout the duration of your bear watching tours. 

 Shelter for Hibernation 

 The bears inhabit their dens during the winter months and fall into a deep sleep in order to conserve as much energy as possible to see them through. Their heart rate slows down to just eight beats per minute, and if a female is pregnant during this time, she can even give birth in her sleep. 

 Skills for Survival 

These animals have huge physical and mental strength. They are intelligent, have good memories, and their sense of smell is so good they can detect food from quite a distance away. They also run fast and can swim very well and the young can also climb trees.

Grizzly Bears are, unfortunately, on the threatened wildlife list. Despite being so powerfully equipped, they are no match for the threat incurred from humans. With increased logging encroaching on their habitat and coming into conflict with humans through no fault of their own, their survival is in jeopardy. However, much is currently being done to try to reverse these negative effects and bear watching tours are an excellent way to raise awareness and educate people with regards to their plight.


Thank you to Marissa Ellis-Snow who is a freelance nature writer. 

The Appalachian Trail

This truly is a trails amongst trails.  I have been in awe of any courageous hiker who can actually hike this entire path.  The Appalachian Trail is the nation's longest trail expanding 2,181 miles.  Of course, this trail will take you months to hike it in it's entirety but there are many entrances along the way so the traveler can choose much shorter hikes if desired. 

Here are some interesting facts about the Appalachian Trail:

The Appalachian Trail, completed in 1937:

• Is a privately managed unit of the national park system.
• Is the nation's longest marked footpath, at approximately 2,181 miles.
• Is the first completed national scenic trail, designated in 1968.
• Crosses six other units of the national park system.
• Traverses eight national forests.
• Touches 14 states. Houses more than 2,000 occurrences of rare, threatened, endangered, and sensitive plant and animal species at about 535 sites.
• Crosses numerous state and local forests and parks.
• Is maintained by 31 trail clubs and multiple partnerships.

Fun facts about the Appalachian Trail:

• Lowest elevation: 124 feet – near the Trailside Museum and Zoo at Bear Mountain, New York
• Highest elevation: 6,625 feet – on Clingmans Dome in Tennessee
• Approximately 165,000 white paint blazes mark the Trail's route.
• More than 10,000 people have reported hiking the length of the Trail.
• It takes approximately 5 million footsteps to walk the entire length of the Trail.
• More than 6,000 volunteers contribute about 200,000 hours to the Appalachian Trail every year.

Autoresponders Can Be Used For Brick and Mortar Stores Too

If you own a brick and mortar establishment such as a restaurant, retail outlet or any kind of business that depends on walk in traffic for your survival, you should be using an autoresponder system.  What is an autoresponder?  We have all gone to websites where they have asked us to fill out a short form providing your name and email address.  After you submit this information to that website, you get a response back into your email giving you the information you requested.  This is an autoresponder.  From filling out that form, you may even get a series of letters over several days or months from that company telling you about upcoming sales or giving information about a certain product.  When autoresponders are used correctly, they can be a valuable tool in not only retrieving information from customers but also sending your customers information and keeping them informed for weeks and even months or years about the products your business has to offer.

So how can an autoresponder benefit you as a store owner?  When a customer comes into your store to do business with you, set up a guest book asking them to give them their name and email address to receive information about promotions and discounts your store can offer them.  By doing this, you can keep in contact with your customers via email and with your autoresponder, you can send them a series of letters keeping them in the loop about what is going on with your business. 

You can promote things like:

*Discounts off meals such as buy one meal and get the second at half off.

*Inform your customers on close-out items in your store that are specially priced.

*Send them coupons in your letters so they are prompted to use them in your store.

These are just a few examples of what you can do with an autoresponder series of letters but there are many more ideas that can be implemented by just using your imagination.

What comes first when using an autoresponder system?   You first must purchase the system from a reputable company on the Internet.  There are several companies out there that are extremely trustworthy and reliable and charge a small monthly fee for their services.  Look around and choose the one you feel works best for you.  After your purchase, there are most likely detailed instructions that come with your autoresponder telling you how to load your letters into your system and how to enter your client’s names so they start receiving your promotions or updates on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.  This is a very inexpensive way to promote your store and I know you will find it very beneficial to increasing your customer base.

To sum this up, a good autoresponder system can:

*Engage your readers with visually stunning newsletters.

*Bring visitors back to your store with targeted follow up messages.

*Quickly build rapport, brand recognition, and customer loyalty.

*Automatically deliver product information and training.

*Quickly Create repeat visitors and repeat sales.

I hope this opens your eyes to an inexpensive highly effective way to bring more business into your establishment.  In these times when every penny counts, finding efficient productive ways to advertise is a must for your business to survive.

For more information about getting your own autoresponder system, please fill out the form below.

Mike Powers

Fishing: Trout Fishing With The Best Fishing Lures

Fishing for trout? Having some difficulties with your fishing game? If so, chances are very high that you're not using the right fishing lure or bait. Now how can I be so sure?

Trout are quite voracious. They are insatiable eaters. If you present the proper lure, they'll gobble it up most efficiently and with impressive speed. The first thing then is being able to make that fish bite the hook. And if you're armed with the right powered fishing rod and a fishing line with the correct flexibility and strength, catching trout will be a simple pleasure.

We know that trout are ravenous eaters. To be precise, they are carnivores who have a fondness for live small creatures that are willing to put up a good fight. No creature, aquatic or terrestrial, is ever safe with this fish. A trout would even feed on smaller fishes, providing that they could fit into its comparatively large mouth.

Based on these facts, the following are considered to be the most excellent baits for trout:

ª Dry flies. These artificial flies are crafted to look like real flies. When tugged upon, they can even imitate the movement of their living counterparts. Considering a trout's voracious appetite, dry flies are perfect baits for its perpetually hungry mouth.

ª Sinkers. These are nymphs and wet flies that have been prepared to sink to the bottom of the water. Because trout feeds beneath the surface of the water most of the time, sinkers have improved odds of capturing the target's attention.

ª Emergers. Trout are predators. They know when their preys are most vulnerable. Can there be any more fragile condition than that of an invertebrate which has just emerged from its nymph stage into young adulthood? (Lo, the circle of life.) By replicating these "emergers," lure-crafters manage to garner the attention of trout greedy for a satisfying meal.

ª Streamers. These are lures that are intended to descend rapidly so that they may attract and appeal to an aggressive trout. Streamers are among the most popular artificial fly baits. This category includes the woolly buggers and the sculpins.

When fishing for trout, as when hunting for wild game, you always have a better chance of getting a good catch when you know how your intended prey behaves. Not only that but your chance for success will significantly increase if you also know about your prey's location. As with most things in life, the more you know the better.

When it comes to fishing lures, you shouldn't ever just settle for the first lure that becomes available. Study the list above and plan a strategy based on that. You'll have a much better chance at having a great fishing trip with a more abundant yield.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Len Q. is a master blade sharpener and an adventurer who strives to protect the natural world. If you would like to find out about ª Knife Sharpening: How to Sharpen Knives, Maintain and Store Them ª Sharpening Other Edges (e.g. Lawn Mower Blades, Chain Saws, Gardening Tools, Axes) Find it here at http://www.MakeKnivesSharp.com .

The Cabin Theme...Still Going Strong

Years of building furniture of many different styles has given me much insight into what people like and dislike in the decorating world. One thing that is often common in many of my clients is that people seem to long for the simple life and cabin living. Like me, many of us are in search of the mountain sort of living, which gives us a sense of hope to return to the days when things were a more simple and not so confusing. There are all kinds of ‘cabin’ décor websites, magazines, brochures, books, and how to videos for sale just about anywhere you look from your local grocery store to the Internet.

One reason for the phenomenal popularity of this particular type of home decorating style probably has a little bit to do with the simplicity of it. There are no hard and fast rules, there aren’t fancy faux finishes and textured painting that needs to be done in order to complete the look and there aren’t overly complicated rules for what is and isn’t acceptable. From the bear budget to the champagne and caviar crowd there is some sort of décor available that will suit not only the home decorating needs but also the need for quality as well.

Another thing that many find appealing about a cabin themed home decorating plan is that it simply exudes warmth year round. From the dark colors to the flannel materials and the soft homespun simplicity of the design many find it simply irresistible. If you want the warmth of a Montana cabin in your home every day of the year this is one great way to do it. Bring the bears, the moose, and all the furry forest friends to frolic in your living room, on your light fixtures, and in your dreams as you fall into restful sleep each night. From the bedroom to the bathroom and the kitchen in between, the cabin style of home decorating is one that is making great waves in the market place.

You will find many stores online and locally that cater to the cabin loving audience for hardware, knick-knacks, and what knots galore. The thing to remember is that the design essence isn’t the little touches you add along the way, it’s the warmth of wood, fire, leather, and wrought iron. These are the materials that will establish the cabin appeal more quickly than any of the small accessories you may find. Drywall and plaster simply cannot carry the look. Knotty pine, cedar or some other rich style of wood is the best option for walls when pulling off a cabin home appeal.

More importantly than anything though is the need to include a little bit of yourself in the design. Do not hesitate to carve your initials with a heart into the wood of your walls. It is one more thing that will be not only endearing but also appropriate to the home and the atmosphere. There is a type of innocence about a cabin style home and your own little touches will leave a lasting impression and create the cabin living lifestyle you have always dreamed of.

Mike Powers


Mike Powers is an entrepreneur, craftsman and internet marketer. His website, Clearwater Cabin Living, offers a variety of tools to equip you along the way in creating the cabin and outdoor lifestyle you desire. We offer articles on building and decorating your dream cabin, great trails to hike, camping tips, the best ways to hook a rainbow trout, outdoor cooking and much, much more.
Visit Mike’s website: http://www.clearwatercabinliving.com

Creamy Fettuccine With Romano Cheese Sauce

After some thought about what I should add next to my blog, I decided to add some of my favorite own recipes that are not only tasty but add a bit of elegance to your cabin or camping experience.

That being said, on your next overnight camping adventure, become the hit of your campsite with my version of fettuccine with a creamy Romano cheese sauce. This is easy to prepare and the ingredients will not take up a lot of room in your camping cooler.

Here’s what you will need:

½ package fettuccine noodles.
½ cup Romano cheese (you can substitute parmesan but I wouldn’t recommend it)
½ cup sour cream
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup sautéed onion
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Seasoning salt and pepper to taste
Chopped tomato (optional)

Suggested additions to sauté with the onion:
Ham
Shrimp
Sausage
Chicken

Cook the noodles as per package instructions in a fairly large pot (you will be using this to mix your noodles with the other ingredients…less dishes to clean up you know). When the noodles are done, be prepared to move fast as this recipe requires to mix everything while the noodles are still hot! Drain the noodles into a colander and immediately put the butter, sour cream and Romano cheese into the pot the noodles were cooked in. Put the drained noodles right back into the pot on top of the ingredients and mix together to create a wonderful creamy sauce. Now add the sautéed onion, the tomato and the meat of your choice along with the seasonings. I believe you will find this to be a 5 star restaurant quality dish that will make you an instant success!

Enjoy,

Mike Powers
http://www.clearwatercabinliving.com/

Loving the Ling: A Tribute to the Ugliest Fish in the Sea

The ling or “eelpout” is without a doubt a disgusting, repulsive, annoying, slimy, smelly and unattractive fish in the sea. Despite these negative qualities, it has a delicious lobster-like taste and boasts its own annual festival near Walker, Minnesota. Why? The eelpout may be ugly, but its redeeming qualities far outweigh any appearance deficiencies.

Eelpout, also known as spineless catfish, lawyer or burbot, tend to reside mostly in the deeper waters of clean cold Northern lakes. Their appearance is part eel, part catfish, sporting one single chin whisker known as a barbel. Its physique is lean and mean with considerable strength, challenging anglers with an audacious game of hide-and-seek. Its primary draw for many anglers is the ease with which they are caught. During the winter months, eelpout relocate into water 25 to 50 feet deep for spawning. As a result, anglers can expect to catch large numbers of these homely swimmers, often weighing in the double digits.

Early evening and after dark are prime times for successful eelpouting. These ugly creatures of the deep are known carnivores; if it’s fishy and fits in their mouths, they will eat it. While this makes baiting them somewhat easier, it is this trait which also makes them an unwelcome guest to other anglers, as they tend to steal bait. Like other nocturnal creatures, eelpout prefer to sneak up on their victims while they rest.

The strength, depth and aggressiveness of this species require stronger equipment than most game fishing. Stronger lure combined with leaders of at least three feet and a swivel will keep the catch online and prevent lure from twisting with the fish. Glow hooks and rattle spoons with minnows top off the lure, which is then allowed to free-fall to the bottom. The lure mingles with the muck and is then snapped back to the surface, at which point an eelpout may already be on board. During the spawning period in late February, a catch of 100 or more is not uncommon, weighing on average between 3 and 8 pounds.

Those who love the ling are welcome to pay its tribute at the annual International Eelpout Festival on Leech Lake in Walker, Minnesota. Three full days commemorating the ugliest fish in the sea begins with an Opening Ceremony, complete with Torch Lighting. Entrants are encouraged to use their imagination when constructing their fishing shelter, as prizes are awarded for the most lavish structure built on the lake. Extra points may be earned if the shelter sports a logo from one of the sponsoring companies of the tournament. Prizes are also awarded for the single pout with the most weight, for the most combined pout tonnage by a single angler and for most combined pout tonnage by a team of anglers.

If actually catching these despicable creatures is not on your agenda, the Festival offers numerous activities to help celebrate the eelpout in style. The Eelpout Peelout is a 5K run which challenges its contestants to be the first to win the race and win the angling contest. The Snowmobile Radar Run, Eelpout Bowl Rugby Tournament, the Polar Plunge, a black-tie dinner on the ice and an “On-Ice” Auto Race ensure there is something fun for participants of all ages, whether an angler or spectator.

Few creatures are as unappealing, yet offer so much in the spirit of fishing. There is nothing refined or fancy about fishing for eelpout; it is simply fun. For those who like to fish, enjoy the outdoors, and catch a lot of fish without regard to species, the eelpout is a beautiful thing indeed.


Clearwater Cabin Living
www.clearwatercabinliving.com

Staying Focused on Your Decorating Project

Very often we begin a project with a specific goal in mind, only to find ourselves sidetracked. It happens every day in every way. The phone or doorbell rings, one of the kids needs help, or your spouse hollers something unintelligible from the basement. Anything can and often does happen to break our concentration. Murphy's Law is alive and kicking.

However, one can stay focused on the current project. Focusing on the current project to satisfactory completion will enable you to move on to the next project, without that nagging realization that you didn't finish this one. Returning to a previous enterprise in order to tweak or fix something is actually a waste of your time whereas, if you had been focused, you wouldn't have to "do" it again. Isn't it amazing how often it is that we have the time to do it again, but often don't have the time to do it right the first time?

In order to stay focused, one should prepare an outline. Preparing a written outline is a surefire way to stay focused on your project. You can prepare different plans for separate projects, with several projects ongoing at the same time. During some projects you may encounter "waiting times", for any number of reasons. Having different project outlines available will ensure that "waiting time" does not necessarily mean "wasted time".

When writing an outline, it's important to cover each aspect of your project, from start to finish. Always ask and answer the Who, What, Where, When and How questions. This may sound elementary, even redundant, but it works. And no-one can fault what consistently works.

While preparing your outline, ideas will pop into your head. The "what ifs", and "could be's" will enable you to see a great many possibilities to incorporate into your project. Or not. Whether or not you use those ideas will determine the completed product. Those ideas and their quality may or may not be incorporated into the final product, but having those ideas now is certainly better than wishing you had planned for them, when it's too late. You may need to revisit some aspect of your outline. It's much easier and less costly to revise the plan, than to revise the project after beginning. An outline will enable you to "see around corners", so to speak. To look ahead and foresee possible problems. It all comes from writing it down. Most of us don't plan to fail, but very often we fail to plan. Failing to plan is tantamount to planning to fail.

Your outline doesn't need to be fancy. Depending upon the intricacy of your project, a numbered or bulleted list may serve your purposes. Of course, the more intricate your project, the more intricate your outline will become. You can even incorporate check boxes, so that when those distractions come, as they usually do, you'll know exactly where you stopped.

Your outline should flow from beginning to end just as if you were actually working on the project. This will help you keep the various phases in perspective. You may need to plan the various phases in detail. These phase plans will become part of your overall plan. For the purposes of building your outline, pretend you're building a house. The foundation would naturally come first, then the walls, finally the roof. Your outline should follow this "building code". All worthwhile structures follow this example. The fleshing out of your outline would be the same as the landscaping and decorating of your house. Save them for last. In other words, start with the basics: What, When, Where, Why and How, (the foundation). Then move on to the tools, resources and knowledge, (the walls). Next comes the finish (the roof).

The "outline" stage of your project is where you'll do most of the learning required to reach a successful conclusion of your project. For example: What tools do you need? Where will you find those tools? How much do they cost? What resources can you find to help you? What resources do you have? Where can you go, or who can you see to gain the necessary know-how? These questions and many more need answering before you can expect to be successful in your project. When you ask yourself these questions and get them answered, often you'll find the project is within your capabilities. When you write down and follow your plan, one step at a time, the project becomes less daunting. The longest journey begins with one step. When you write your outline and re-read it a few times, your memory will be "unlocked" and sometimes you'll be amazed at what you already knew.

Now you're ready to go back and flesh out your outline. (The landscaping and decorating.) This is where you can get bogged down with the details if you lose sight of the "big picture". Take your time with the details; after all, quality is also part of your project. But put together the details in such a way that they can be changed. This is an outline, not a plan carved in stone. You can make revisions, additions, deletions, substitutions and corrections. It’s easier to make those changes now rather than later.

Open ended projects have a tendency to stay "open". So unless your project is collecting Manchurian artifacts, or some such, it should have an end date or time. You may need to extend the completion date or time, but you'll be much closer to the end if you have a completion schedule, than if you don't.

With the outline you've created, you can go on to create a formal plan with all the diagrams, drawings, measurements, etc. All an outline really does is give you a starting place. If your project is fairly simple, maybe this is all you need to use as a guide to finish your project. In any case, you now have that first step.

Cowboy Up with Western-Style Home Decorating

Itching to add some western-style or cowboy-style home decorating?

Great choice! There is something timeless and enchanting about this style of home decorating. Closely related--and possibly the same--are rustic style, log cabin style, and mountain style decorating.

Regardless of what you call it, this type of interior design will center upon the use of natural materials. The first thing you'll want to do is evaluate how you can add more natural wood, metal, rock, and leather to your room.

When it comes to furniture, Western style is most often large and bulky, but simple in design and structure. Look for lots of bare wood. Fabrics tend to Native American prints, Cowboy prints, or outdoorsy-kinds of prints. If busy prints are not your cup of tea, consider matte-finish leather, denim, suede, or nubbly weaves.

Colors should be those found in nature, such as rich browns, dark greens, dark reds, golds, etc. Other colors might include rock gray, metal black, and cream.

Add Western motifs such as knickknacks, blankets, wall hangings, pillows, and more. This would include motifs such as cowboys, saddles, horses, Native American crafts, wild animals found in forests and mountains, rivers, wildflowers, etc.

Vintage items will go well with Western home decorating too. Look for bold-colored quilts, old saddle blankets, barrels, weathered farm tools, and so on.

If you're crafty (or know someone who is), you can really let your imagination run wild when it comes to cowboy (or cowgirl!) home decorating. Use old horseshoes as candle holders on your wall or as bookends. Take bandannas and sew them into pillows, quilt squares, or even lampshade covers. "Plant" dried flowers in old Mason jars and scatter them around on your side tables and bookcases.

Your floors in a western style home should also be natural... preferably hardwood or recycled plank flooring. But they could also be made from flagstone. Be sure to scatter western-style area rugs around though, because natural floors can be cold!

If you can, don't use window treatments... just leave them bare, especially if you have a great view of the mountains or other natural settings. But, if you must use window coverings, keep them simple, such as plain valances, straight panels, or shutters.

Lighting needs to go with the western style of your home decorating too. Vintage lamps are great, but you can use almost any lamps made from wood and metal. Lampshades made of stretched rawhide will really add to that cowboy feel. But the rule here is plain and functional.

Other decorative details might include beading, fringe, twig accents, nailhead designs, metal drawer pulls and doorknobs, and anything made from logs. Pottery and stoneware will also enhance the look.

So, do you see how easy it can be to add western and cowboy touches to your home decorating? Whether you go "whole hog" into it or just add a few touches here and there is up to you. Whatever changes you make, though, are sure to give your home decorating a whole new look.

Tips For Accessorizing Your Home Or Cabin

Accessorizing your home is a very important aspect in the decorating process. When you buy a new outfit it is greatly enhanced with jewelery, scarves and purses for women and ties or watches for men. A home is no different! You can add character and beauty to a home in many ways just by following a few inexpensive changes.

First look at your home and decide what theme you want to accomplish. Is it a contemporary, country, southwest, traditional or ethic style that would suit your personality? Look in magazines, books or the internet to get a flavor of the accessories you would like to see in your home. Have at least one piece you treasure in every room! Purchase accessories that go with the theme and color of your room. Color choices should compliment the main color in the room.

Occasionally it is simply a matter of rearranging some of your accessories on a shelf. It is recommended to group your accessories in odd numbers rather than even numbers. Different heights and textures are also attractive. For example, a night side table can have a lamp, picture frame and small pot of flowers as a grouping.

Entry ways should be uncluttered. This area of the home is the first hint at what the rest of your home is like. A side table with your most dramatic or unusual accessories will set the tone in this important area of your home!

Pictures or art work are often hung too high. The rule of thumb is the picture should be hung so that the middle of the picture is at eye level. Art work should be placed no more than five to eight inches above the sofa or seven to ten inches above a table. Try to align pictures in different geometric shapes (vertical, circular, triangular or rectangular groupings) in various sizes for a different effect.

Bookcases are often found to be too cluttered and full of small knickknacks. Try to vary the size of the shelves vertically for interest. Vary the heights of books with the tallest in the middle. Don't put small books next to tall books. Take off dust covers from books to show their often rich colors. The upper shelves can be used for candles, family pictures, fancy bowls or larger ornaments in odd number groupings of 1, 3 or 5 pieces. You can also mix and match books with ornaments, but make the books the focal point. Don't leave a gap between the ceiling and the top of the bookcase. Place a plant on the top shelf for balance.

Lighting is an important element in accessorizing your home. Accent a large picture with a spot light to enhance a focal point in a room. Lighting creates ambiance and should coordinate with the theme you want to create. Get creative with an old lamp by adding tassels, beads or decorative finials. Use faux paint or wrap funky fabric around the base to give it a new lift.

Area rugs can define a space and pull a room together. Place furniture completely on the rug for a warmer effect. Area rugs used under a dining room table should be large enough to also accommodate the chairs when fully pulled out.

Use many pillows on the bed as this can add a splash of color in a bedroom. Vary the colors and patterns of the pillows and graduate the sizes from large to small. Pillows are also great on a sofa and will add tremendous character to a dull living room.

Mirrors are great to expand a smaller space. Try a large mirror that stands on the floor attached to the wall behind a small dining room table. Try leaning a tall mirror behind a bed as a head board for a dramatic look! These mirrors can be five to six feet tall. It has an amazing effect!

Bathrooms can have a spa appeal by placing clear glass bowls filled with colored soaps, bath salts or bubble bath beads on the bathroom counter. Candles are also nice on a bathtub. Low lighting with lit candles will sooth all your troubles away!

Kitchens also can be accessorized to create a gourmet feel. Hang copper pots and pans from a wire rack above to add color. Don't be afraid to hang plants from any bare ceiling corner to give a lived in feeling to a plain kitchen. Grow a few herb plants on a kitchen window sill to use in your cooking and add wonderful aromas. Accessorize your counter tops with small attractive appliances or cooking utensils. A large bowl of fruit on the kitchen table can be fresh or artificial. Prints are also a welcome addition on kitchen walls.

Have fun trying out new things. Shop around for different accessories for your home. Try antique stores, consignment shops or flea markets for ideas. There are many craft books available that you can also explore. First impressions are lasting. Do not mix beautiful furniture with cheap accessories. Accessories can make or break the ambiance of your home. Be creative and trust your instincts!

Bringing the Old West to Modern Home Decorating

 

 

 

What could be more fun when you think about it than incorporating the age-old story of cowboys and Indians into your home décor? For those who love a great story and have a wild sense of adventure this could be an incredibly fabulous design theme for your next home decorating project. This is a great way to bring the rustic charm of the old west into the modern world of today’s busy lifestyles.

 

Immediately visions of the hacienda with knotty pine and leather upholstered furniture comes to mind. Massive fireplaces and antlers everywhere are also first and foremost in my mind when this design idea pops into my head. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination and only limited by your budget in all honesty. This is a look that could be pulled off however on almost any budget for those that are willing to make a few thrift store purchases along the way while investing a fair amount of elbow grease.

 

One thing you want to be careful of with this particular theme is not taking it too far. This could be so easy to do and it will only subtract from the charm and appeal if you do so. Choose the accessories carefully but implement them minimally. This should also help with potential budget restrictions as well as keep you on track for finding the perfect accessories rather than picking up everything you see only to find later that many simply will not work with the style and design you are hoping to achieve in the long run.

 

Wood floors and wood paneled walls are a great statement for this sort of décor as well as stone for a fireplace (if there is a fireplace of course). You want solid furniture rather than something that appears fragile or dainty and you definitely want to keep the room masculine in appearance if at all possible. Home decorating in the style of the old west isn’t for bachelors alone but too much of a feminine touch will simply kill the appeal all together. In fact, the less feminine touches the better. Save these touches for a romantic bedroom or bathroom rather than the primary areas that friends and family will visit.

 

You will also want to take great pains to imitate the rustic nature of the old west within the kitchen. No delicate china patterns or tables with legs that look like they might fall off with a hard wind. This is a ‘mans’ style of decorating and it needs to look as though it will withstand any punishment a man can dish out in order to maintain the fun and light appeal of the remainder of the home. You can find modern sinks, fixtures, and hardware that are designed to resemble those of the old west and beyond if you look in the right places.

 

For those who are looking for something a little out of the ordinary this is one style of decorating that definitely fits the bill. See what wonderful schemes and dreams you can come up with and what sort of tall tale will go along with your old west design story then create the story within the walls of your home. There is no better way to go about home decorating than this.

My Cave Falls Hike

At the south end of Yellowstone National Park in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, just over the Idaho border into Wyoming, there lies a beautiful group of water falls on both the Bechler and Falls Rivers.  The hikes to these falls range from an easy 3 mile round trip to 20 miles and this area has some of the most gorgeous scenery I have come across in Southern Idaho. 

The drive to the trail head is on a fairly good dirt road off of Hwy 47 near Ashton, Idaho. There is plenty of good parking available and there is not the $25.00 fee to enter the park as there is at the main entrance.  Of course, you have no options other than to either hike from here or go on horseback but I was glad to keep the $25.00 in my pocket.

For most of the hike, the trail follows the Bechler River with the Falls River being the first river you encounter.  Surrounded by tall lodge pole pine trees and quaking aspens along with the river on your right side, I felt I was in Heaven for the entire duration of my adventure.  Although I did not encounter any wildlife other than a very friendly grouse, I have been told of hikers often seeing deer, elk, moose and an occasional wolf on this trail. 

After my hike, I realized how lucky I was to discover this beautiful area very close to my home in Idaho Falls.  If you are at all familiar with the southern part of Idaho, then you know that it is not anything like the northern part.  Idaho Falls lies in a high desert region (around 4800 feet above sea level) amongst 1000’s of acres of potato farming.  But on the plus side, with a little bit of driving you can get into some spectacular areas that rival any part of Northern Idaho’s beauty. 

If you live close by and have not taken the time to visit this wonderful area, then I would suggest you do so.  If you are planning a trip to Yellowstone Park in the near future, then I would definitely make this part of your trip.  Because of the trail’s location, you will find fewer hikers on the trail and much more seclusion than being in the main part of Yellowstone Park.

Below is link for the map of Yellowstone Park.  You can find the Cave Falls road and trail head if you look at the lower left hand corner of the map:  http://www.yellowstonepark.com/planyourtrip/pdfs/NPS_Official_Park_Map.pdf

If you would like directions on how to get to the Cave Falls trail head, please go to my contact page on my website, http://www.clearwatercabinliving.com and send me a message.  I will gladly send you the directions right away.

You can view the photos of the Cave Falls area here:  My Adventures

Mike Powers

P.S.  Thank you to Bill and Jeanne Steffener of Idaho Falls for suggesting this hike to me because I would not have found it without you!

Attack Of The Bear

She talked about it; she dreamed about it, she never let it go. This was how a friend of mine regarded her fear of coming across a bear when we would go hiking in the wilderness areas of Idaho. Her character is strong in all other ways. She is kind, hard working, intelligent, prosperous and loving. But when the word “bear” crosses those ears of hers, she turns to Jell-O. In other words, her life is somewhat Un-Bear-Able!

We were hiking last spring in the Coeur d’Alene mountains going for a 10 mile excursion to visit one of the beautiful alpine lakes that are plentiful through out this part of Idaho. We packed a lunch, threw on our backpacks and set off for a glorious day of exercise and becoming one with nature. My friend, however, was nervous and carried a canister of bear spray (kind of like pepper spray only for bears) with her just in case. I assured her that bears were harmless in this area. Only black bears roamed the woods here…no grizzlies I told her. Yet she was set out to believe that a bear was a bear and in her mind, they were all very very bad.

After about an hour of vigorous hiking we sat down for a minute to take a drink of our water and take in the natural beauty that surrounded us. SNAP! went a tree branch just up the trail and there it was…everything she ever imagined in her worst nightmares was in front of her. It was, you guessed it, a big black 10 foot growling snarling bear! Actually, that is how she remembers it. It was actually a small female black bear just crossing the path about 50 yards in front of us. My good friend screamed, grabbed a hold of me and started to shake. I joined in with the screaming part because the first thing you do when you come across a bear is make a lot of noise to scare it off. So I figured, what the heck, I might as well scream too to make her feel better.

Well, the bear scurried off, my friend almost fainted and I laughed till I cried. I gave her a few minutes for her heart to slow down from it’s 160 beats a minute and then I calmly and gently said to her, “You see, bears are not going to hurt you”. She calmly said to me, “We got lucky this time buster”. Well, needless to say, this experience did not help her fear of bears but only increased the intensity of her phobia.

We still go on hikes together and now my friend is more at peace in the wilderness like never before. No, she did not get over her extreme terror of bears. No, her dreams have not stopped. No, she has not made peace with this precious animal. When we returned to our city dwellings after that last hike, my dear loveable sweet caring friend immediately called up a shooting gallery, enrolled in a class to learn how to shoot a gun, and now carries a pistol on her side whenever we roam the hills and valleys of bear country (just in case, she says). My friend feels less nervous and seems to enjoy our hikes like never before. Me, I feel sorry for the poor bear.

Visit our website and see our new line of stone lamps and candle holders.

http://www.clearwatercabinliving.com/