Summar/Fall 2010
Transcription
Summar/Fall 2010
A publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. (http://mtncare.com) Editors Karen Goodyear Rod Goodyear Advertising Director Shirley Bauer Mailing Director Barbara Vance Mountain C.A.R.E. Board President George Forgues Vice President Matt Bottenberg Administrative VicePresident ---Treasurer Gina Johnson Secretary and Calendar Director Summer/Fall 2010 Volume 4, Number 3 Mountain C.A.R.E. President’s Message George Forgues Did you make it to this year’s 4th of July Chili Cook-off? There was chili, pie, cake, salsa, a great band, dancing in the street — even someone sharing small samples of Jell-O. Fire Station 99 had its Water Tender out cooling off the street just before the pet parade, and there was a dunk tank and a bubble gum blowing contest. Although most would treasure this as a once- in-a-lifetime event, we are fortunate to experience it every year. It always is a good time and very family friendly. If you missed it, go to YouTube and search for “Forest Falls Chili CookOff 2010” to see the video. . Pictures on p. 4 of this issue. Thank you to all the volunteers that make this event possible every year. Have you received your notice yet? The County of San Bernardino, Forestry and your local Fire Department want you to make your lot as fire safe as possible. That means removing ladder fuels and thinning out trees that are too close to each other. Michelle Macri Membership Chairperson Shirley Bauer Webmaster MJ Turner Member at Large Sunny Broman Walk your yard. From your large trees, remove branches up to 8 feet from the ground. If you can raise your arm and touch a branch, it is too close to the ground. Trim it as soon as possible. ignition zone. From 10 feet to 30 feet out you should do your best to remove pine needles, dead or dying trees and other dry vegetation. This is called the clean zone. From 30 feet to 100 feet you should get rid of ladder fuels, thin trees, and just do your best to make this area as fire safe as possible. Of course you are responsible to take these fire safe suggestions only as far as your property line unless your neighbor needs help — in fact, get together him or her so that the lot next door to you is also a fire safe zone. You can go to www.calmast.org for a much more detailed description of making your home and your community fire safe. Souper Thursday’s are a big hit at the Valley of the Falls Community Center. Look for the time and day at http:\\www.vfcci.org. Come visit with neighbors; enjoy free food. If you can, tip the waitress! Now, look around for any dense groups of trees (trees less than 6 inches in diameter). You should thin these trees so that each tree is at least 10 feet from the next tree. Do you have something important to say? I am looking for someone to write a paragraph or two that will appear in this column next issue. Happy about something, have an issue you want to talk about, mad as hell and need to vent? Send it in and we will pick the best one. It will show up on the front page… start thinking and remember that space is limited. Next, draw an imaginary circle 10 feet from your home in all directions. You should do your best to remove all flammables from this area. This is the Please support your local businesses and this paper. We should all be grateful to live in such a beautiful place. Let’s take care of it and each other. Bear Facts Editing — Two Years In Karen and Rod Goodyear With this issue, we will have completed two volumes of the Bear Facts (we began at midyear). We want to use this marker event to say how rewarding this has been, particularly in terms of the opportunities to work with friends and neighbors and to get to know them and our mountain communities better. those who may have wanted to, but have not. We also want to thank those who are regular Bear Facts contributors — and to invite participation of And we welcome ads. Please submit those to Shirley Bauer at [email protected] Please send contributions or simply suggestions. We also welcome your submissions of pictures of wildlife, community events, and so on. Please send any of the above to: [email protected]. Page 2 - Volume 4(3) A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. Considering Books….. Katherine Thomerson It quickly is becoming fall, when it will be too chilly to sit in the shade with a good book. But….good books may be read inside, sitting in a comfy chair and by a window with a clear view of summer garden changes or yellow/green mountains. It doesn’t matter anyway; a good book takes the reader away….somewhere else. The two books I will review – nonfiction/biography – are bon appetite on my list, feeding the mind with gourmet stuff. Their writers share good information about people who lived hard, carefree and hearty lives – some are pirates and one an immortal woman. THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot:. I never watched the PBS documentary about Henrietta Lacks and her immortal cells. I would not have picked this book to read either. But a writer friend sent an email which said, “…..I just finished an amazing book. Get it! Read the first page and you won’t be able to stop….and it’s nonfiction.” My friend was right; I was fascinated by the story of a woman scientists refer to as HeLa! Henrietta Lacks was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors. She married young, had several children and died while the youngest two were still in diapers. She developed a tumor on her cervix and was treated at John Hopkins Hospital where her cells were taken without her knowledge. These cells became one of the most important tools in medicine. They were the first human cells grown in culture and are still alive today; though she has been dead for over 60 years. These HeLa cells have been sold all over the world and been used in cancer research, nuclear testing and other scientific discoveries. The cells launched a multimillion dollar profit, but Henrietta’s family ne’er saw a penny. The author notes – “I conducted more than a thousand hours of interviews with family and friends of Henrietta Lacks, as well as with lawyers, ethicists, scientists, and journalists who’ve written about the Lacks family.” The author tells Henrietta’s story through interview, authentic dialogue, and documentation. It’s simply an incredible story. The author states that “There’s no way of knowing exactly how many of Henrietta’s cells are alive today. One scientist estimates that if you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons – an inconceivable number, given that an individual cell weighs almost nothing.” The most important part of this story is how and why the cells were retrieved; how they were used; how the family never knew. I can’t say it better than Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation…”The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks brings to mind the work of Philip K. Dick and Edgar Allan Poe. But this tale is true. Rebecca Skloot explores the racism and greed, the idealism and faith in science that helped to save thousands of lives but nearly destroyed a family. This is an extraordinary book, haunting and beautifully told.” My writer friend was right; this book is the primrose path of nonfiction. I will be passing my book on to many reader friends. Who wants to borrow it first? LIVES OF THE PIRATES: Swashbucklers, Scoundrels (Neighbors Beware!) by Kathleen Krull and Kathryn Hewitt: This book sets the record straight on any pirate blarney ever told! This non-fiction is fun for all ages. Arrrrggghhhh! These are seafarin’ fun facts about real pirates and their shipmates. It begins with a quote from Mark Twain: “Now and then we had a hope that if we lived were good, God would permit us to be pirates.” The stories begin with that of Alvilda, the Scandinavian princessturned-pirate from the middle ages and end with Benito De Soto, the bloodthirsty Portuguese outlaw who died in 1832 and often is called one of the last pirates. Each story contains fascinating facts. A great bit of historical information is presented in reading about Madame Cheng, the Chinese commander of 2,000 ships and the largest pirate gang in history. She was a Cantonese prostitute who married Cheng I and joined him on-ship in attacking vessels in the South China Sea. When her husband was washed overboard in a gale, Madame Cheng was elected the new head….imagine this description of her…”robes with gold-embroidered dragons writhing over backgrounds of rich purple and red, sewn with bits of ivory and hade, her husband’s war helmet on her head, his swords in her sash.” Intricate details are given about each pirate’s life: how they came to piracy, the politics of their sea-faring adventures and their deaths. Information is given about ‘buried treasures’ and heads cut off and displayed as warnings. There are surprising facts about women pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny (one English; one Irish), who sailed to the New World and into the pirate hall of fame. It was great to read about Edward Teach (Blackbeard), an English pirate so intimidating that victims surrendered at the sight of him and his fiery beard. How he looked and how he died is most unusual in the telling. Captain Kidd, Sir Henry Morgan (from which Captain Morgan’s Rum is named), Grace O’Malley (whose face is etched into Ireland’s Waterford Crystal), and Sir Francis Drake (El Draco), all make an appearance in this marvelous collection of ‘real’ pirate history. Also interesting are the artistic depictions of each pirate painted by the illustrator , Kathryn Hewitt. Great detail was spent on the authentic look of each famous villain of the sea. Publisher’s Weekly said of this book – “Living, breathing anecdotes – the stuff of which the best biography is made.” And the New York Times: “An entertaining survey, of interest to adults as well as children.” If you want to know which pirate liked to wear pajamas on deck, who liked to have tea served and dressed like a gentleman and who liked to have unusual animals on board……read this entertaining and interesting book. And if you like this one…there are more – Lives of the Musicians, Lives of the Writers, Lives of the Presidents, Lives of the Athletes, Lives of the Artists, Lives of Extraordinary Women. All these books make great gifts for any event. I am so very excited for the success of this book and carry much ebullience for the dedication which reads, “For Katherine Thomerson, the original queen of the Frugal Frigate, who inspired us………” Land Ho! Ye Book Lovers……..enjoy reading the frolics and fevers of the seas!!! Page 3 - Volume 4(3) A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. MountainWildlife Wildlife Mountain When looking for Bears in the wild, don't get tunnel vision and only scan the ground. Black Bears take refuge and often sleep by laying across several limbs high up a tree as demonstrated here. "Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around" Photo Courtesy; Drive By Shootings, Wildlife and Nature Photography. Tom McIntosh Simply Irresistible Sweet and Sour Chicken: Quick and easy Warren Romanow For many people, sweet and sour Chicken is an all time favorite. It is a constant at any Chinese venue. Oddly this particular dish did not originate in China – or, for that matter, anywhere in Asia. Its roots do, however, stem from sweet and sour pork, which is a Cantonese creation (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Sweet_and_sour_pork). The substitution of chicken occurred in Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.. All versions, regardless of the meat being used, rely on a combination of the “sweet” (sugar) and the “sour” (vinegar). Basic Ingredients The ingredients: boneless, skinless, chicken breast(s); sesame seed oil; green pepper; white onion; pineapple (optional); and, La Choy Sweet and Sour Sauce (several jars depending on how much chicken your putting in). La Choy is my all time favorite, but certainly any sweet and sour sauce that you like will do. Directions Clean the boneless, skinless, chicken breast(s) of all fat and cut them into small cubes. Put the sesame seed oil into a wok and get the oil hot. Sear the chicken until it is golden. Cut the green pepper and white onion into bite size pieces. You may also use some pineapple chunks (optional). Combine these with the La Choy Sweet and Sour Sauce (several jars depending on how much chicken you’re putting in. Clean the wok and put the sauce in it with the green peppers, onions and the pineapple. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Do not let it burn. Just before you are ready to serve, put the seared chicken into the wok with the sauce and let them heat up (for about 10 minutes). If you wait too long the chicken will begin to the hard and lose it’s tenderness. You’re ready to serve! Re-Heating Tips When you re-heat this you may need to add some additional sauce (depending on how much you started with) but just pop it in the microwave and you’re ready to go! Enjoy! Page 4 - Volume 4(3) A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. Mountain C.A.R.E. Website Mountain C.A.R.E. (which publishes the Bear Facts) maintains a website that local residents should find useful. A screenshot of that website appears to the immediate right. Visitors to that site will find calendar information, news, and past issues of the Bear Facts. Special thanks to M.J. Turner, our webmistress, who maintains this site for us. http://www.mtncare.com/ Arrive Alive on State Routes 18, 38, 138 and 330 During this period, the CHP (as well as the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department) will focus on cracking down on traffic violators on these four local, mountain highways. This will include particular focus on drivers who are driving under the influence, speed… is the title of a one-year, grant-funded California Highway ing, and making unsafe turns and passes. There also are to be occaPatrol (CHP) project that began August 1. This was funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway sional sobriety checkpoints. This initiative will include extra patrols, Traffic Safety Administration. especially on weekends Interested in Talking Genealogy? Call Dee Konczal at 794— 0885 Chili Cookoff: July 4, 2010 Page 5 - Volume 4(23 A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. FLEA MARKET 8 am—1pm Saturday, September 25, 2010 Forest Falls Community Center: Sponsored by your local Frozen Green Thumb Garden Club Spaces available; 1st come 1st served. $15.00 per (10ft x 10ft) space. Pop up tents OK, but not to exceed space rented. Set up time 7:00AM. Spaces must be rented by Sept. 18th. Checks payable to F.G.T.G.C. Mail checks to Anne Harrington, P O Box 851, Forest falls CA 92339 Any questions, please contact Sheri Roland at 3897482 What’s Up? WMAP Rob La Pointe You may sometimes wonder what good comes of the billions of dollars Congress appropriates to scientific research each year. Most of the reporting on the outcome of these research projects is trapped in inaccessible scientific journals. Some results, though, are too far-reaching and too complete to be left in the scientific journals and so make it out to the popular press. Year seven results have been published for NASA's Earthorbiting observatory called Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) and the precision is unprecedented. WMAP is a telescope that looks at the universe in the microwave region of the light spectrum. Its job is to photograph the universe as it looked a few thousand years after the Big Bang. Light from this time in the universe is reaching us now in microwave wavelengths. What is this light able to tell us? I have listed only some of WMAPs accomplishments. 3. The composition of the universe has been measured with greater precision. Dark matter makes up 23.3% of the universe by weight. Dark energy makes up 72.1% of the universe by weight. The balance (only 4.6%) is normal matter like the stuff of which you and I are made. Most of the universe is made of stuff with which we are not very familiar. 4. The recombination event has been pushed back to earlier than 270 thousand years after creation. This is when matter and light in the early universe first separated. It is this light that WMAP is observing. 5. Successful analysis of the first trillionth of a trillionth of the first second of the universe, narrowing cosmological models. Matching observation with theory is what enables us to perfect our theories. Want to learn more about WMAP? Visit the WMAP website at http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 1. WMAP has definitively measured the age of the universe to four significant figures, 13.73 billion years old. This measurement has been recognized by the Guinness book of records for its fantastic precision. In scientific measurements numbers like 13.73 mean that 13.7 are known with certainty and that 0.03 is a calculated uncertainty. 2. The universe is within 1% of being geometrically flat. This means that the universe is precisely balanced between the gravitation potential caused by the material it contains and it’s expansion properties. This also provides for a test of Dark Energy, independent from previous supernova data. website at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm Page 6 - Volume 4(3) A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. San Bernardino County Ordinance: Duty to Abate Fire Hazards or Hazardous Trees (the complete ordinance can be found at: www.amlegal.com/sanbernardinocounty_ca) Letter to the community: Forest Falls is like no other place in Southern California. We Proposing a VFCCI Trust Fund and Autumn Color enjoy clean air, pure water and views beyond compare. We enjoy friends and community spirit that I had never experienced beI want to present my Forest Falls neighbors with two issues for fore. If you want to live quietly, that is allowed too! What a wonderful unique spot Forest Falls is! their consideration. First, I wonder whether you ever have considered giving a monetary gift back to your community? So, I ask VFCCI: will you set up a trust fund? And neighbors: if such an option were available, would you contribute to it? Gail Cox led the way with her incredibly generous gift to us all. If the Community Center were to establish a trust fund, we could build on her legacy by including the trust fund in our wills. And, of course, we would not have to wait until we pass on: We simply could donate whenever and whatever we wanted! Second: Many of us love autumn. Therefore, here is a suggestion I hope many of you will consider: Plant a tree in your yard that displays autumn colors. It is such a delight to see the trees in our little canyon that are blazing yellows, golds, and reds during autumn. Visit the Mountain C.A.R.E. website: http://mtncare.com ANON Page 7 - Volume 4(3) A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. TRI-COMMUNITIES EVENT CALENDAR Summer/Fall 2010 Cub Scouts Boy Scouts Meet every Thursday at 6:30 pm, Valley of the Falls Community Church Meet every Tuesday at 6:30 pm, Valley of the Falls Community Church CERT Training July 10, 17, 24 (see article on p. 6 of this issue) Girl Scouts Meet every other Monday at 6:30 pm, Valley of the Falls Community Church. Call Kristi Ranabauer 794-5131 for more information Explorer Post 128 Currently meets every Monday at 6:00 pm, Forest Falls Fire Station. New explorers welcome. Call 794-4413 to leave your information. Frozen Green Thumb Garden Club Meets 3rd Monday every month. Call Dee 794-0885 for location. Forest Falls Meet every Tuesday at 6:30 pm, Forest Fire Department Falls Fire Station Angeles Oaks Meets periodically. Dates are announced Fire Safe Council on the A.O. FSC bulletin Board in the An gelus Oaks Post Office Angeles Oaks Meets on 2nd and 4th Tuesday every Fire Department month at 6:00 pm, Angelus Oaks Fire Station Mill Creek Canyon Meets 1st Thursday every month at 6:30 Fire Safe Council pm, Forest Falls Fire Station Valley of the Falls Search & Rescue Meets 2nd Monday every month at 7:00 pm, Forest Falls Sheriff Station 389-2435 Valley of the Falls Meet every W @ 6:00 to 8:00 pm Community Church All ages welcome. Youth Group . Mark your calendars • • September 25: Flea Market, Big Falls Lodge (8 am—1 pm) October 15: Submission deadline, next Bear Facts issue. Send submissions to [email protected] Inquire about how easy it is to have YOUR business ad in the Bear Facts. Contact [email protected] Page 8 - Volume 4(3) A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. Scorpions John and Jeanne Goodman rado Rivers in extreme Southeast CA and in AZ, especially Tucson and south into Mexico. The most common scorpions in Mill Creek Canyon are Vaejovis. I Being arachnids (related to spiders), scorpions inject venom through have found two species of Vaejovis: V. spinigerus, which is striped their sting, which is at the end of their tail. It is a swollen terminal tailed; and, V. flavus, which is yellow. The former is far more comsegment ending in a sharply curved spine. The tail is thrown forward mon. Another scorpion in Mill Creek Canyon is the swollen-stinger over the back. Anuroctus, A. phaedactylis. It is easily identified by its swollen base of the stinger. It lives in holes. There is a population between the fire Catching scorpions is easy: You pick them up by the tail, avoiding the station and Fallsvale School. It is a harmless species, though its swolterminal stinger. But the two pincer-like chelipeds by the mouth are len stinger makes it look frightening. very strong and can produce a painful pinch in a large species. They are used to hold prey while being consumed and so most species with The giant hairy scorpion, Hadrurus arizonensis, does not occur in our large chelipeds do not have dangerous venom. In general, smaller canyon, but in the immediate deserts. It is huge, 5 inches, and despecies are the most venomous. One of this type in the U.S. is the pends on size and strength of pincers so is not venomous. bark scorpion, Centruroides exilicauda, found in AZ deserts, but rarely in CA. It is our only potentially deadly species in the U.S. Locating scorpions: Because scorpions’ bodies contain fluorescent chemicals, they glow when exposed to certain Of the more than 1,200 species of scorpion in the wavelengths of ultraviolet light, such as that produced by a world, only 50 or so are extremely venomous. In blacklight. Handheld blacklights can be used, therefore, to CA, there are 59 species; only one extremely venlocate scorpions at night. omous, C. exilicauda, found only along the ColoVaejovis spinigerus Recycling Bin Residents of our three mountain communities have access to the recycling bin the Burrtec Waste Industries makes available to us from Thursday morning through Saturday morning Please do not dump garbage or refuse: Those who do probably are unaware that picking up that garbage or refuse then falls to volunteers from our communities. Page 9 - Volume 4(3) A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. — Cancelled — Page 11 - Volume 4(3) A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. Page 10 - Volume 4(3) A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. Page 12 - Volume 4(3) A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. HONESTY-INTEGRITYSAFETY-QUALITY Page 13 - Volume 4(3) A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. The mountains are calling and I must go. -John Muir Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn. — John Muir Dog Tails Ann Klingbeil A recent news story saw a dog being saved from a too hot car. The dog was closed in the car in 100-degree heat, while its owner went into a store. A passerby saw the panicked dog (it takes only seconds for a car to heat up into the hundreds in that kind of heat) and a policeman broke the window out just in time to save the dog from certain death. The owner was arrested for cruelty to animals. Please do not lock dogs (or children) in your car while you “run in” to a store, or any place, “for just a second.” Review your pet’s disaster plan for fires, earthquake, etc. Be sure if you are not here, that you have a neighbor or friend who can transport your pet(s) for you. Have a safe place to meet or leave the pets. Be sure your dogs have had all of their shots within the last two or three years as the wildlife we live with can carry diseases that can be transmitted to your pets. Heartworm is a year round threat. Be sure your dogs (and cats, too, if you and your vet have decided your cat should have a preventative also) are on a heartworm preventative. Have a safe and fun summer. Page 14 - Volume 4(3) A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. MOUNTAIN C.A.R.E. NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT! Please renew your membership! Just $15 per household per year shows you care Page 15 - Volume 4(3) A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. Kick Back & Pop It In Did you Know? Buddy Pictures Paul Tetreault Shirley Bauer I had the pleasure of watching Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid recently and was reminded of two things. The first was of how very good that film was; and the second was of what a great concept the buddy picture has been. It transcends genres, is emotionally accessible to all of us, and usually will lift your spirits, even if the ending is not happy. There have been dozens of buddy pictures over the years (my mom always loved the Bob Hope-Bing Crosby Road pictures). To repeat what I’ve had to say in previous issues about particular categories of film, there are too many to mention here. Here are some of my favorites: The Bucket List (2007) starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman begin a little rough. But through all the antics and lessonslearned -- which is no small feat for these old dogs -- the film manages a smooth and fulfilling finish. UP (2009) is an odd buddy pic that spans the generations for a heart warming adventure and genuine camaraderie. But if I were to choose a Pixar film for this list of buddy films, it would be Toy Story (1995). The adventure and initial meeting of Woody and Buzz is one for the ages. Buddy Pics are no stranger to chick flix either. Of course there is Thelma & Louise (1991). But after consulting a few of the ladies in my life, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) seems to rank higher in quality. I haven’t seen it but my wife Beth highly recommends it. So there you have it. Fandango (1985) is a great film in which the buddy picture meets the coming of age genre. It is one of Kevin Costner’s first films. A group of guys graduating from high school and going their separate ways go on one last road trip to seal their friendship. War films are often a tough watch but almost always involve some intense camaraderie. If happy endings are a must, check out the classic Steve McQueen movie, The Great Escape (1963). If you like the kind of film where you’re left with your heart in your throat, check out a young Mel Gibson in Peter Weir’s Gallipoli (1981). There really is so much more going in this World War I historical recreation than war. So if you don’t remember the classic final image of Butch and Sundance together against odds, then break out the popcorn, pour a nice cold one and give it another spin as you kick back and pop it in! Finally, after what was a long winter, many of us have flowers blooming and enjoying cut bouquets. We want the flowers to last when cut. Hair spray sprayed on a day or two after cutting them, makes them last longer. If you find yourself with a lot of recycle material, here are ways to save room: Roll up plastic bags; cut off both ends of cans, put lids inside & crush the cans by stepping on them; crush plastic bottles after removing lids; the same with plastic containers. You may already know this...new to me. To keep brown sugar soft, put it in a jar with a slice of bread, and store in the freezer. Here are some uses for your plastic grocery bags: Use as a floor protector for the commode plunger; use as packing & filler material in mailing packages; wrap around out of season shoes to keep them dust free; use as a shoe bag when traveling; line waste baskets. It is picnic weather. To keep stuff in our cooler fresh, we freeze our used water bottles, filled with water (about 2/3 full) to use in the cooler. They stay cold longer than freezer packs. My dear mother-in-law did this and I had forgotten it until lately. Remove the label and wash out an empty spice container, such as garlic powder, one that has a plastic shaker top. Fill with toothpicks, and screw on the lid. When you want a toothpick, just shake one out. The toothpicks are clean and easily accessible. Peanut butter jars are plastic, unbreakable, see-through, and come in different sizes. Use them to store pasta, rice, dried beans and lentils. Use them as freezer containers for food, because they are not glass which might break. Great as "to go" containers at parties, and when the "kids" have come to visit. Use in the garage or shed for nails, screws, small light bulbs, small holiday ornaments. This is a great drain cleaner: 1/2 cup soda followed by 1 or 2 cups of vinegar. Wait a few minutes. Put in the stopper. Fill sink with water. Pull plug and let the "swoosh" push everything through. Leaves drain CLEAN!! Through the years I have bought needle threaders. Never again. This is such a simple idea. Glad someone thought of it, for all of us who like sewing, needlework, knitting. Bend a stripped bread tie into a V shape. Makes a great needle threader. It is important to unplug the computer before cleaning with a damp paper towel. A used toothbrush dipped in rubbing alcohol, then shaken, works well on the keys at the same time. For everyday use, use a used fabric softener sheet, and for the keys, a disinfecting kitchen wipe. Have some tips that have worked for you?, email to [email protected] Thanks.