Articles and Ideas

The natural world reminds us that relationships are wondrously varied and complex. Through nature’s diversity, we observe some cooperation and some competition. But we cannot look for parallels in nature to resolve our life questions. The answers lie deep within us, waiting to be discovered. Still we can learn from nature wisdom. We gain insights to enhance our relationships, our life meaning and purpose. We learn ways to restore our life balance.

The natural world offers us wisdom about cooperation and competition.

Observe the butterfly and the blossom. Cooperation must directly benefit each member’s efforts to succeed. Both need one another to flourish. Both benefit from the exchange. But as we witness garden predators in action, we must confront the presence of competition in relationship.

Bird feeders in winter provide a perfect place to observe competition in the natural world. Snow falls and food becomes scarce. Tiny birds twitter about, snatching bits of seed and flying nearby to enjoy them. Occasionally larger birds will intrude and take over. The small birds retreat and watch for an opportunity to sneak back. This dance of competitors around a bird feeder allows each creature’s best traits to flourish.

How does competition in nature turn destructive?

The story of kudzu can offer us some insights. Kudzu is an ornamental plant, native to China and Japan. It has large leaves and sweet-smelling blooms. Ground kudzu has been used for centuries in foods and medicines. In recent times, however, kudzu has been transplanted to new environments without any natural insect enemies. Its vines have become invasive, keeping out the light and destroying valuable forests. Depending on its use, kudzu can be either beneficial or destructive.

Human competition also has two sides.

Competition intensifies our effort and sharpens our focus. But for what end? Loving service unites us in a worthy cause. War and hatred also create a common purpose. Remember the story of kudzu. Even the beneficial aspects of our lives can become invasive and keep the light from reaching within. When we stay close to the earth, we recover our sense of balance and make good choices. We remember our place within all creation.

From the world’s viewpoint we live a lonely and isolated existence that requires us to compete for survival. Yet sacred wisdom traditions share the the vision of a Divine Essence that flows through all creation. Plants and flowers, trees and shrubs have nourished our sense of oneness with the universe for eons.

Appreciation of our oneness gives us hope. We are not alienated from one another. We are not alone. Appreciation for our diversity encourages trust, openness and inclusion. We are unique and special. Appreciation for our shared purpose celebrates each one’s part in the world’s harmony. And garden wisdom offers us ways to balance our inner needs with responsibility to serve in the world with generosity, forgiveness and gratitude.

These are my top ten reasons to say ‘Thank you’ to Nature today - tomorrow they could be quite different. We may all have different reasons to say “Thank you” to Nature, but I’m sure everyone has reason to say the words

1. Newborn puppies - triple brushed with ‘Cute dust’. It doesn’t matter which breed they are, they will make you smile.

2. Rainbows - with their promise of every colour in the world, they are the most beautiful thing, even if you can never get to the pot of gold.

3. Rain clouds when there’s a drought on. There’s nothing better that the drum of rain on a steel roof when the rain has been scant.

4. Clear blue skies in the good times. Sometimes a blue sky is the only one you want. Summer days, or a clear warm Autumn day - bliss.

5. The miracle of spring - all can be renewed. There’s hope in that for us in so many diferent ways.

6. Birds that show us how to fly, sing to us, charm us. I love the birds of prey, hovering, then the studied swoop to the ground - no jet has flown better.

7. Trees, all of them always - may they continue for ever. Stop knocking them down, please.

8. Fire - another miracle - the one that helped make us human. We learnt to gather together, cook together, tell stories. Gazing into the fire reminds us of these things.

9. The loyalty of dogs - if you love dogs you know what I mean, if you don’t love them, I pity you.

10. The elegance of cats - love them or not, there’s not much more elegant than a cat when it stretches after a sleep.

What are your reasons to say “Thank you” to Nature today? If you spend some time thinking about this every day, you will realise you have much to be thankful for. It is far too easy to moan and complain. It is also not a good way to think.

Thinking about reasons to be thankful, whether to Nature, your spouse, your parents, your friends, is uplifting, and leaves you feeling good about yourself, your life.

Say thank you today.

Thank you for listening.

At the outset we should know what does a cold and a sinus cold means. Well, cold is caused due to viral infections while sinus cold is due to bacterial infection. So, how to get rid of a sinus cold? Moreover, with the sinus symptoms you will also be suffering from cold.

To get rid of the cold you can follow some home remedies if you are comfortable with or visit a doctor. Now, what are the symptoms of sinus cold? If you are affected with sinus cold you will experience running nose, inflammation accompanied with unbearable headache.

How to get rid of a sinus cold more particularly if you are suffering from nasal congestion? In such cases you may be prescribed decongestants to alleviate you discomfort. In addition to this you may also be prescribed corticosteroids to ease the inflammation in your sinus.

Want to know the contradictions between sinus and cold? Well, for sinus your mucus needs to be thinned down while for cold it needs to be thickened. For thickening the mucus you can follow some simple dietary changes like including milk, wheat and cheese.

How to get rid of a sinus cold that is accompanied by a severe headache. Headaches alone are very difficult to handle. Then imagine this headache along with cold. During the initial stages you could do with a hot pat. But in case the pain becomes unbearable it is strongly recommended to take some over the counter analgesics - though it is better to avoid drugs.

Then, here are few tips on how to get rid of a sinus cold through home remedies. Hot beverages like tea, a hot water bath or steam bath, if possible, intake of lemon juice and inhaling hot water steam mixed with eucalyptus oil is said to have good effect on sinus cold. Another method is to inhale the tea tree oil. You can add a few drops to a cotton ball and just inhale it. You can also chop a garlic clove and chew it. It is supposed to be an excellent remedy for cold. It is also a time tested method to prevent cold.

Tattoo art form are increasing in popularity especially in the US and European countries. Trendy and decorative tattoo designs are a choice of every next person. Moreover, the choice is not less. Tattoos are available in several design and sizes, so you need not worry about how to decorate your body. Few of the most fashionable contemporary tattoos are butterfly tattoo designs, dragon tattoo designs, tribal tattoo designs, cross tattoo designs, henna tattoo designs, and religious tattoo designs, the list is long!

Butterflies have essentially been thought of as a style statement for years together. Be it garments, accessories, baggage, or jewellery, this lovely creature has managed to form a creative idea. The vibrant colors of the butterfly sported on you would make you look hot. Butterflies tattoo designs are very colorful and have a nice blend of eye-catching colors.

Tattoos with butterfly pictures will leave you in confusion for the selection. Some of the coolest butterfly tattoo designs are tribal butterfly tattoos, fairy butterfly tattoos, lower back butterfly tattoos, animal butterfly tattoos and Celtic butterfly tattoos. Tribal butterfly tattoos are generally influenced by ancestral art from local and native tribes. The tribal art comes from the large clans or tribes from Ireland and Scotland and even some of the tribes of Borneo. Butterflies since many ages have been linked with fairies. Butterfly wings are considered fairy wings and vice versa. A butterfly really represents a multi-colored picture of Mother Nature itself. Hence, these fairy butterfly tattoo designs are even more famed especially with females and modern males.

These butterfly tattoo designs have held a special place in a woman’s heart. Amongst the preferred designs, the butterfly tattoo designs are one of the favorites. Butterfly tattoos come in wide-ranging designs and color formats, from two toned ones to multicolored. Normally, its are tattooed on the arm or on the shoulder blade no matter it is permanent or not. There are the energetic ones who have butterfly tattoos positioned on their neck or ankle if they can take the pain of the needles for lasting and permanent tattoos.

They are a subject of creative expression and the blending of colors is very unique and expressive. Butterfly tattoo designs are all about taking butterfly in the kingdom of fashion and combining it with art forms. The butterfly tattoos not only interest the lady world, but are amongst the chosen designs of the artists too. Permanent or temporary stick ones, even body painting; the tattoo designers love to play with colors that make the butterfly wings.

Some butterfly tattoos survive just a few days and can be cleaned off by any paint remover, some of them just need soap and water to vanish. Body painted butterfly tattoo designs are not very lasting and thus give a better chance of variety. Irrespective of the type a butterfly tattoo design, it is always amongst the finest designs as one can have fun with colors which are not likely with any other design.

Teaching kids about nature out of a textbook is rarely fun. For the kids it seems like schoolwork has followed them home. For you it is not the most enjoyable activity, as you are hounding them to read another paragraph.

Whether it’s spring break, summer vacation, or just a spare day, there is a lot of education that can come from bird feeder crafts. Crafts are a hands-on activity, that kids really enjoy. At the same time, you will be teaching them about nature and how to help it thrive.

Start with a bird watching book (field guide) for your area. These are often categorized by state or region. Shop carefully; you want to find a book with great pictures and easy to read information on each bird so you can positively identify the wild birds in your yard and learn about them on the spot.

Now it’s time to do some crafting.

While you may think there is a lot of work involved in such an activity, some bird feeder crafts will take just a minute or two to do.

Simple Bird Feeder Crafts
Build a Bird Feeder from Bread Crusts

You know that bread crust the kids never seem to eat? The birds will. Take the crust and set it flat on the counter. Cut it into pieces that are approximately two inches long. Let your child use a pencil, straw, or something similar to poke a hole through each piece. Let it sit overnight. In the morning, have the child thread a piece of yarn through the hardened bread and help them tie it in a tree. This will become a new feeding location.
Make a Stale Cereal Bird Feeder

Whether you are just getting to the bottom of a box of Cheerios or finding that someone left the box open and they’re stale, the birds will take these off your hands. Thread them onto yarn ropes and hang them out in the yard.
Build a Bird Feeder from Pine Cones

Have a lot of pine cones in the yard? Give them new life as a bird feeder. This one is fun, easy and looks great. Find open pine cones that are on the ground and let your child use a plastic knife to put a little bit of peanut butter on the outer portions. Dunk the peanut-butter covered pine cone in birdseed, tie a string to the top and it’s ready to hang.
Intermediate Bird Feeder Crafts
Make a Bird Feeder from an Egg Carton

Cut the top off an egg carton. Help your child poke holes in the four corners and tie strings through them. Now bring the strings together, in the middle to form a hanging support for the bird feeder. Hang it in a tree, sprinkle bird seed in the lid and watch the birds come to eat.
Build a Bird Feeder from a Soda Bottle

Once you have finished all the soda in one of those two liter, plastic bottles, why not give the bottle a new life? Wash it out and let it dry. Poke a hole on one side of the bottom of the bottle and push a dowel through the hole. Use a pen to mark where it touches the other side. Now poke a hole there, and push the dowel through, so you have a perch on each side of the soda bottle. You need to create two openings just above the perches where the birds will be able to perch on the dowel and pull a little seed or other snack out. Fill the bottle with seed, tie a wire or rope tightly under the lid of the soda bottle, re-cap and hang.

Once you move beyond these simple bird feeder crafts, there are many more advanced bird feeders you can build by purchasing bird feeder kits.

When putting your bird feeder crafts to the test, make sure they are in an area where they are visible from the house windows so you can enjoy watching the birds feast.

Nature photography requires all the usual camera skills, so it is important to know how to use your camera. But really good nature photography also requires sensitivity to nature.

Have you ever met someone who has thousands of dollars worth of gear, can talk all day about cameras and lenses…but still takes lousy photos? Such people fail to understand that good photographers are not judged by the equipment they use, but by their results. Of course technical knowledge is important, but it will only take you so far.

When it comes to nature photography, it is essential to understand how natural light can trasform the impact of a photo.

There is a simple saying which is good to remember when starting out: you can’t take a good photo in a bad situation. This simply means if you approach your subject at the wrong time of day, or in the wrong weather conditions, no amount of technology is going to solve the problem. On the other hand, if you get the light right, you don’t need any technical wizardry to get the shot. Nature does most of the work for you.

As soon as light is mentioned, most people automatically think early morning and late afternoon. Any photographer with an ounce of experience soon learns that these are generally the best times to take nature photos. Although it is not true all the time, it is a good place to start.

When the sun is very low in the sky, it creates a soft, warm light that is very attractive in a photo. Shining from a low angle, it also illuminates the face of the subject more evenly. Furthermore, due to the lower contrast, the shadows you can see are less harsh than in the middle of the day. So for several reasons, early morning (up to about 9am) and late afternoon towards sunset are often the best times to take your photos.

Most people know this. The trouble is, most people don’t make the extra effort to put it into practice. Are you prepared to camp overnight to be on location at sunrise to get the perfect shot? If photography is important enough to you, you will go to these lengths and more. It may seem like a lot of trouble, but once you get that once-in-a-lifetime image you will agree that the reward was worth the effort. This is standard practice for a nature photographer.

Should all nature photography be done in the early morning or late afternoon? In a word: no.

As they say, rules are made to be broken. You would be mistaken to think that this one simple approach works all the time. So what are some of the exceptions?

Black and white photography is a little different from other photography. Instead of subjects being defined by subtle shades of colour, black and white photography makes use of strong lines and shadows. The best effect can be produced by higher contrast in the light. So when you are thinking black and white photography, you may find yourself seeking the brighter light of the middle part of the day.

Rainforest photography is another departure from general landscape photography. Under the rainforest canopy, the sunlight can become such a patchwork of light and shade that a perfect exposure is impossible. For the best results in the rainforest, I usually look for overcast conditions, with perhaps a little mist for added atmosphere. Under these cloudy skies, the best times are usually in the middle part of the day, when the light is fairly bright. This helps you avoid a too-dark image.

When it comes to wildlife photography, you can take a lesson from the landscape and a lesson from the rainforest. If you photograph your subject in sunlight, early in the morning and late in the afternoon is usually best. At these times the contrast is reduced, and your subject is bathed in soft, warm-coloured light.

However, some wildlife subjects are best captured on a cloudy day, just like in the rainforest. The muted light eliminates a lot of glare, so shiny surfaces (a frog’s skin, a bird’s feathers etc) can appear much clearer and more colourful on a cloudy day. The lower contrast of this light also means important details of the subject will not be lost in shadow.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of examples. You could go on forever identifying which subjects work best in different types of light. I simply hope these ideas get you thinking about natural light and how it can improve your photography. Once you let nature do most of the work for you, will may just find that the technical aspects of photography become a little less challenging.

These are my top ten reasons to say ‘Thank you’ to Nature today - tomorrow they could be quite different. We may all have different reasons to say “Thank you” to Nature, but I’m sure everyone has reason to say the words

1. Newborn puppies - triple brushed with ‘Cute dust’. It doesn’t matter which breed they are, they will make you smile.

2. Rainbows - with their promise of every colour in the world, they are the most beautiful thing, even if you can never get to the pot of gold.

3. Rain clouds when there’s a drought on. There’s nothing better that the drum of rain on a steel roof when the rain has been scant.

4. Clear blue skies in the good times. Sometimes a blue sky is the only one you want. Summer days, or a clear warm Autumn day - bliss.

5. The miracle of spring - all can be renewed. There’s hope in that for us in so many diferent ways.

6. Birds that show us how to fly, sing to us, charm us. I love the birds of prey, hovering, then the studied swoop to the ground - no jet has flown better.

7. Trees, all of them always - may they continue for ever. Stop knocking them down, please.

8. Fire - another miracle - the one that helped make us human. We learnt to gather together, cook together, tell stories. Gazing into the fire reminds us of these things.

9. The loyalty of dogs - if you love dogs you know what I mean, if you don’t love them, I pity you.

10. The elegance of cats - love them or not, there’s not much more elegant than a cat when it stretches after a sleep.

What are your reasons to say “Thank you” to Nature today? If you spend some time thinking about this every day, you will realise you have much to be thankful for. It is far too easy to moan and complain. It is also not a good way to think.

Thinking about reasons to be thankful, whether to Nature, your spouse, your parents, your friends, is uplifting, and leaves you feeling good about yourself, your life.

Say thank you today.

Thank you for listening.

Rainforest photography, like all good nature photography, is more about your sensitivity to nature than about expensive equipment. Of course you need a decent camera, and you must know how to use it. But the quality of your photos does not depend on the price tag on your camera. As long as you have a tripod, and a camera that allows you to adjust the aperture and shutter speed, you are set to go.

I make my living from nature photography, including a lot of rainforest photos, and I have never relied on the latest equipment for my work. Great rainforest photography is simply about finding an eye-catching subject, in good light, and having a creative eye for composition.

Note: The following tips are for photos of rainforest scenes, not for close-up photos of leaves, fungus etc.

Rainforest Photography Tip #1: Choose a subject. As they say in the classics, “It’s a jungle out there.” In the rainforest, you are confronted with foliage, branches, roots, rocks, vines…in your face and all around you. A really good rainforest photo requires structure, to make some visual sense of all that clutter. Look for something that is immediately eye-catching - a big tree that dominates the trees around it; a root system that leads the eye; a waterfall or stream; in short, something that you can build a composition around.

Rainforest Photography Tip #2: Use the best natural light. The mistake almost everybody makes at first is to take their rainforest photos on a bright sunny day when they are in the mood for a walk. Wrong! In full sunlight, the rainforest becomes a patchwork of light and shade that is impossible to expose properly. What you need is a cloudy day, when the light is much more even. Misty weather adds even more atmosphere to the rainforest, and can add a mysterious character to your rainforest photo.

Do not use a flash. The flash illuminates the scene with flat, white light, eliminating the gentle play of natural light and shade that gives the rainforest its character. Always use the natural light.

Rainforest Photography Tip #3: Carry a tripod. Taking your rainforest photo under a heavy tree canopy, on a cloudy day (see rainforest photography tip #2), means the level of light will be very low. You may be shooting at shutter speeds as slow as one or two seconds. You will always need your tripod, and it is best to avoid windy days so that the scene is as still as possible.

Rainforest Photography Tip #4: Use a wide-angle lens (or a zoom lens, zoomed back to its widest angle). The wide angle lens has several advantages for rainforest photography. Firstly, it exaggerates the sense of perspective in a photo, creating a sense of three dimensional depth. Viewers of your photo will feel like they are looking not just at a rainforest, but into it. Secondly, the wide-angle lens has a naturally wide depth of field. With so much detail all around you, it is important that you can keep both the foreground and the background in focus.

Rainforest Photography Tip #5: Stay on the path. There are some practical reasons for staying on the path when bushwalking. You minimize the possibility of getting lost, injured, or fined by some over-officious park ranger. The people who run the national parks are not stupid. They know what you want to see, and design their trails accordingly. Sticking to the path will not rob you of any great photo opportunities.

In terms of rainforest photography, you are able to create some distance between you and the foliage around you. It is much easier to photograph a tree when you don’t have the branch of another tree in your face. By staying on the path, you can get a clear view of your subject, without interference. You can even use the path as part of the composition in your rainforest photo. It is an excellent way of inviting the viewer to join you on your walk in the rainforest.

So there you have my five rainforest photography tips. Notice they concentrate on light and creativity, not on fancy techniques or equipment. You can make great improvements in all your nature photography this way, regardless of what type of camera you have.

In order for you to make tender quick corned beef, you have to have the tender quick curing seasoning from Morton. It is a blend of different ingredients: salt, sugar, and other preservatives that help with the curing process.

To make truly delicious quick corned beef there are a few things to do:

1. When using tender quick, your corned beef will be extremely juicy and full of great flavor.

2. Tender quick, unlike regular salt, doesn’t dry out the meat, and is able to really get down into the meat fibers to help make your meat tender and flavorful.

3. When you make tender quick corned beef with tender quick, the seasoning is evenly spaced throughout the meat, so that you don’t have under cured or over cured parts of the corned beef.

Making very appetizing corned beef is easy with a few tips:

1. Make sure that your beef is fresh , cool, and not frozen.

2. Make the pickling spice, by mixing two pounds curing spice per each gallon of water. The tender quick must be stirring until it has thoroughly dissolved.

3. After the mixture has been boiled, and enough time has passed for it to cool, get a container for curing the meat.

4. Place the meat into the container and add the right amount of curing spice to cover the meat completely. you may have to use a weight so that all of the meat is in the spices.

5. When 5 or 6 days have passed, reposition the corned beef so that the bottom pieces are now on top, and the top pieces are now on bottom. you can then add the weight to the meat again and pour the spices back over it.

6. Guidelines that tell how long to cure are at the rate of 2 days for each pound of beef. If you have a 7 pound brisket, it would take 14 days, or two weeks for the cure to be complete.

This recipe takes less time, and is just as delicious:

1. Take the appropriate amount of water and pickle spice, and bring it to a good boil.

2. All the mixture to cool and put it in your refrigerator.

3. For tender quick corned beef, be sure to sprinkle all parts of the meat with the tender quick, to allow curing and juiciness.

4. Cover the beef and let it stay in fridge for 2 hours.

5. Take the water and spices, and put them in the bowl with the meat.

6. Weigh down the meat so that the spices cover every inch of meat. Cover meat and let remain in refrigerator overnight, or at least 8 hours.

7. When finished, drain spice from meat and rinse thoroughly. Now you can cook the meat however you want, and it will be tender and terrific.

Theanine is one of the ingredients in green tea. Not much is yet known about this rare amino acid. New research is showing that this compound can be very beneficial to our health, and that drinking green tea is one of the best ways to get theanine in to our systems. What is this chemical and how can it help us to ingest it on a regular basis?

It is an amino acid found almost exclusively in tea. Like many of the compounds found in tea, there are higher concentrations in green tea than in black, since green tea is not fermented. This particular amino acid can cross the blood/brain barrier, so it has an effect on brain chemistry. Although we do not yet fully understand all of the ways in which it works on the body, some studies have begun to unlock its secrets.

Stress Reduction

Several studies have been conducted to determine its effectiveness on stress reduction. There is mounting evidence that the amino acid produces a calming effect in two different ways. First, it induces what are called alpha brain waves. These are the calm peaceful electrical waves found in the brain during meditation or other restful states. They produce a sense of calm.

Secondly, theanine helps in the formation of several neurotransmitters, a type of brain chemical. Among these are serotonin, dopamine and gamma amino butyric acid (GABA). All of these are related to relaxation and a sense of well-being. In fact, it is production of these neurotransmitters that is the goal of the majority of pharmaceutical antidepressants. So you can see that this little amino acid can do the work of a lot of expensive medication.

Immunity Booster

There is evidence that it helps us by improving our natural ability to fight infection. A study at Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston, Mass., showed that participants who drank green tea had a higher level of both T cells and anti-bacterial proteins than those who drank coffee. A follow-up study is being conducted right now to look further into how and why theanine helps boost the body’s immune system.

How Much?

Based on a study of alpha brain waves, researchers determined that between 50 and 200 mg. is likely to produce relaxation. The participants in the immune system study took 600 per day. There is no indication that you can get too much theanine.