Rain , rain go away!

Well maybe not, as a former white water paddler rain make for a great spring for paddling. A great opportunity to get a little exercise and enjoy what Mother Nature has given us. Isn’t funny how much we all complain about the rain? I will agree it would be nice if we could control when it come and in what quantities it comes in, and yet if it does not come we are still complaining how we need the rain. So I’m making a new resolution to enjoy each day for what it brings. To be thankful for the wells that are being replenished with the rain, the fact I do not have to go out and water my gardens and most of all to be grateful to have clean water to drink. I am also happy to see many paddling friends enjoying a little fun out on the rivers.

This time of year the rain brings spring flowers, and if your gardens aren’t pushing peddles and budding up it will be soon. Of course that’s assuming you have a garden. Now is the time to look at what you’ve got and plan what you need to make next year’s spring garden all it can be. I recommend creating a garden journal it's a great tool to use for good garden designing. Buy a note book with graph paper pages. This allows you to easily sketch up your gardens to scale and locate what you have in your gardens. Label what you have for plants your plans and list it on the side of you sketch what the plants are. Look at where you could use additional color and texture. Do this in the spring, again in the summer and one last time in the fall. Creating a gardening journal will help with the planning process to creating a beautiful garden? Best of all if you’re not into white water paddling garden designing is an enjoyable project for a rainy day.

ABC Reports on Chemicals found in everyday products!

Check out this news report on the dangers of everyday product we use at home and work, and even worse that we let our kids play with! After years of research on how detrimental these chemicals are for our health the government with a little help from some of the more responsible chemical manufactures are looking to make some changes.


This is a quote from the report from ABC News story, "Chemicals In Toys, Furniture May Face Tighter Standards"

'"Products on American store shelves now contain a whopping 89,000 chemicals, with a core group of 3,000 making up about 95 percent of the chemicals in use. Some of these chemicals have been proven in studies to increase the risk of cancer, neurological disorders or reproductive defects. Mercury, for example, used to make button-sized batteries, can damage neurological development in fetuses and children. Asbestos, used in home insulation and brakes, among others, can cause cancer.

Yet the Environmental Protection Agency, which has primary responsibility in this area, is virtually powerless to regulate these chemicals."

Hopeful this will be the beginning of regulations that will protect from product which can be harmful to our health.

Read the full report at:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/chemicals-toys-furniture-face-tighter-testing/story?id=9875081

Also make sure your Senators are planning to support a bill to restrict the use of many of these chemicals.

http://www.ewg.org/kid-safe-chemicals-act-blog/2010/02/senate-investigates-chemicals-in-people/