What's New? First some late breaking news. Ken's brother Ron (www.blabberon.com) just became a grandfather again. His son Jeff and Jeff's wife Trinna had a ten pound baby girl, Loren, born Tuesday June 26th. Congratulations Bro. and kids!
We moved our trailer up to Sandy Point for the summer. We leave our fifth wheel trailer at Port Susan, just west of Marysville, WA, for the winter and then move it to Sandy Point for the summer. Both places are great but we like Sandy Point better for the summer.
Port Susan is heavily wooded with big beautiful cedar trees all around. We have a small rowing lake and a couple of different club houses. It's very laid back and a relaxing place to go.
Sandy Point on the other hand has no trees. It's out on a sand spit northwest of Bellingham, WA. We have a dock there with our boat tied to it. The houses are fairly close together, those who have houses, and there is always something going on. One of the really nice things is that we are only twenty minutes from the San Juan Islands by water.
If you plan a trip to Washington State this summer one of the must see's is trip to the San Juan Islands. They have been compared to some of the most beautiful islands in the world. You can get a good feel for them by taking a Washington State Ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. They also have inter island ferry's that go between the larger islands. Many have nice modest resorts to stay at. It makes for a really fun vacation.
DigiTalk
Do you have a laptop computer? Do you take it with you when you travel? Do you WiFi? If you like to take your laptop with you when you travel but don't have it set up for WiFi then you are really missing out. WiFi is the technology that allows you to connect wirelessly to the Internet from just about anywhere.
Some WiFi sites charge you to use their service like at the airport but others are free. The largest free wireless network in a park in the United States is just up the road from us at Marymoore Park in Redmond, Washington. You know, that little town where Microsoft is headquartered.
We like to take our WiFi equipped laptop with us when we travel so we can stay in touch through email. Sometime it's nice for checking out weather sites to see what sort of weather we are in for during our travels. Ken's brother Ron just took a month and a half long trip to Death Valley and stayed in touch by hooking up to local WiFi points when he would go into town for groceries.
If you are planning to travel this summer and are not set up for wireless internet yet we'd suggest checking it out. The wireless card is not expensive and the software is simple. Just Google "wifi" and you'll find information on equipment, software and lists of free WiFi connection points around the world. Have fun and stay connected!
SITE OF THE MONTH
This weeks suggestion is not very exciting yet. Ken's sister Diane and husband Del are building an outdoor kitchen at their home in Dublin, California. They just started posting pictures on their new web site. So far there is only one picture but they promise many more to come as they progress. If you've ever thought about building a BIG outdoor kitchen then we'd really recommend following along with this project.
You can check out their progress at http://home.comcast.net/~delmorissette/
Outdoor_Kitchen_Project.html. They will be posting a new picture every week.
Remember, if you have a web site that you'd like to share just drop us a line and we'll check it out.
MARILYN'S CORNER
Glass Candle Stand
One thing we really like is lit candles with dinner. When you are having dinner outside during these summer months it's tough to have a candle because the wind keeps blowing it out. This simple candle stand helps keep the wind from blowing our your candles and they look great!
This project came from things we had laying around the house. The glasses are a couple of old glasses left from a big set we had once upon a time. This seemed like a great way to get them out of the cupboard and put them to a good use. The candle holders were just waiting to be used on a project like this. Of course you can find these things at a craft store.
Here's what you'll need:
- Wood Candle Stands
- Old Glasses
- Ribbon
- Small Sea Shells
- Thick Clear Household Glue
- Hot Melt Glue
- Acrylic Paint
First I painted my candle stands with acrylic paint.
Decorate your candle stands with small sea shells and hot melt glue. Don't have any sea shells? Use pretty rocks, small pinecone's or anything else you think would make your candle stands attractive.
Center and glue the glasses to the candle stand using Household Glue.
Tie a ribbon around the center of the candle stick holder.
Put a candle in the glass and you have a beautiful table decoration that works really good outside. The glass works like a hurricane lamp and keeps the wind from blowing out your candle.
We hope you enjoy Marilyn's Corner and look forward to all the fun things she brings you each month. If you have a fun project that would be suitable for our newsletter we'd love to share it with our readers. Just contact marilyn at runnerduck.com and we'll do the rest.
Remember we have all of our past projects archived on our web site at www.runnerduck.com. Just click on the Projects or Kids Only Eggs.
Kids Stuff
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Check out our huge selection and incredible savings on pools, kites, play tents, inflatable bouncers, outdoor games, and more in our Fun in the Sun Store.
The Tempos
News and CD of the Week
The Tempos big swing band will be performing at the Hiram Chittenden Locks in Ballard, Washington Saturday July 23rd from 2:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon. This is a great venue because not only do you get to hear the classic old songs that The Tempos play but you can see the boats go through the locks and the steelhead fish swimming up the fish ladders.
It's a perfect spot to bring a picnic lunch and sit and listen a while. We hope to see you there. By the way Ken's the drummer so stop by and say hi!
If you haven't done so yet check out The Tempos music from our "Swing Set" CD on line! That's right, you can listen to The Tempos anytime just by going to their web site.
The music files are MP3's and some are as large as 9 MEG but we think they are well worth the download. If you like traditional old swing music then you will probably enjoy our CD. Just go to www.runnerduck.com/tempos_cd.htm and click on any song title.
The Tempos big swing band is available for hire. If you have a special event that could use the wonderful music of a classic sixteen piece big band be sure to contact thetempos@runnerduck.com. We perform all over the Seattle area for all sorts of events.
Album Pick of the Week
"The Dana Owens Album"
by Queen Latifah
I have to admit that I've never really been a Queen Latifah fan but this CD got my attention. I checked it out after I had heard a performance by her on TV. It was not her normal Rap stuff but very pretty music. This CD continues that sense with a little blues, a little swing and some beautiful ballads.
Matthew G. Sherwin of Bayside, New York review this CD and wrote: "The moment I finished listening to this CD, my knee-jerk reaction was simple: MORE! Queen Latifah proves she is as comfortable performing classic songs as she is doing rap.
Her fans knew her talents as a rap artist; it is no surprise that she can pull this switch into more classic tunes without a hitch. (After all, she sang wonderfully in the movie Chicago without a rap format.)
Her voice is strong, sensuous, and just plain wonderful to listen to. Al Green also joins her in singing "Simply Beautiful," a song Green himself wrote.
The selected songs combine to form a very strong, unified set that is ecstasy to listen to the way you want to, maybe just relaxing or perhaps with a glass of fine wine. The quality of the music is excellent and the cover photo of Dana is beautiful. You don't get lyrics to the songs but the credits are there.
In short, BUY THIS CD! You won't be sorry! GRIN
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JOKE OF THE MONTH
Ken's sister sent this months joke. Thanks Diane, some of them really hit home.
30 lines that will make you smile
1. My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God and I didn't.
2. I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.
3. I Work Hard Because Millions On Welfare Depend on Me!
4. Some people are alive only because it's illegal to Kill them.
5. I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
6. Don't take life too seriously; No one gets out alive.
7. You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me.
8. Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.
9. Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
10. I'm not a complete idiot -- Some parts are missing.
11. Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.
12. NyQuil,the stuffy, sneezy, why-the-heck-is-the-room-spinning medicine.
13. God must love stupid people; He made so many.
14. The gene pool could use a little chlorine.
15. Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.
16. Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?
17. Being "over the hill" is much better than being under it!
18. Wrinkled Was Not One of the Things I Wanted to Be When I Grew up.
19. Procrastinate Now!
20. I Have a Degree in Liberal Arts; Do You Want Fries With That?
21. A hangover is the wrath of grapes.
22. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.
23. Stupidity is not a handicap. Park elsewhere!
24. They call it PMS because Mad Cow Disease was already taken.
25. He who dies with the most toys is nonetheless dead.
26. A picture is worth a thousand words, but it uses up three thousand times the memory.
27. Ham and eggs A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.
28. The trouble with life is there's no background music.
29. The original point and click interface was a Smith And Wesson.
30. I smile! because I don't know what the hell is going on.
Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're Paying for.
- Will Rogers
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If you want to talk about something just drop us a line at duckmaster@runnerduck.com any time, we like to talk about most anything. We are always looking for content for our newsletter so if you have something to add we'd love to publish it. Assuming it meets our strict family oriented requirements!
CONSERVATION TIP
We're still on our water conservation kick. We just got our monthly water bill and we're glad to say that the water usage it is down from last year. We must be doing something right. Enclosed with the bill were some more tips on water conservation that we thought we'd pass along.
- Repair all leaks promptly
- Don't use the toilet as a wastebasket (tissues)
- Water your lawn early in the morning or consider letting your lawn go dormant in the summer
- If it's time to replace your clothes washer, purchase a high-efficiency model
- Wash full loads of clothes and dishes
- Turn off the water while brushing your teeth
- Fill the sink to rinse dishes instead of letting the water run
- Take shorter showers or shallow baths
- Use low flow shower heads often free from your water district
- Visit www.nud.net or www.savingwater.org for more conservation tips
If you have a conservation tip please send it to kennyb at runnerduck.com and we'll post it in our newsletter.
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THIS WEEK'S FREE RECIPE
Summer Smoothie
If you're warming up then it's time to cool down. My mom use to make these for us when we were kids and they always hit the spot on a hot summer day. I'm sure you and your kids will love them too.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Gallon Orange Sherbet Ice Cream
- 1 Quart Orange Juice, fresh squeezed, frozen or otherwise
- 1 Quart Lemonade
Mix two parts Orange Sherbet to one part Orange Juice and one part Lemonade in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Pour into frosty glasses.
Pour any left over's into popsicle molds and freeze. They make a great treat for later.
Remember, if you have a recipe you'd like to share please send it to marilyn at runnerduck.com. We'd be happy to post your favorite recipe on our Kitchen site or in our newsletter and give you credit.
Every month we post a new recipe on our web page. Be sure and check out the New recipe at the RunnerDuck Kitchen Store.
COOKBOOK
SUGGESTION OF THE MONTH
"Frozen Drinks : With or Without the Buzz"
by BRUCE WEINSTEIN
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A hot day, a soft breeze, and a tall, cool drink in your hand . . . No longer just vacation-time treats, dozens of irresistible, frosty concoctions are just a whir of the blender away. In warm weather, there are few occasions--and few times of day--when an icy beverage doesn't hit the spot.
For just such moments, frozen drink wizard Bruce Weinstein has created more than one hundred simple, innovative recipes for slushees, daiquiris, margaritas, coladas, chocolate and coffee drinks, and granitas and sorbets.
From traditional poolside favorites such as pine-apple daiquiris and piņa coladas to the immensely popular coffeehouse Frappuccinos and Mochaccinos, Frozen Drinks covers the range of icy treats, tangy or sweet, slushy or smooth. Try starting your morning with a Quadruple Coffee Shake, take an afternoon break with a glass of Frozen Raspberry Lemonade, or savor a dessert of Iced German Chocolate Cake.
WOOD PROJECT PLANS
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WOODWORKING PLANS
Download WOOD StoreŽ woodworking plans directly to your computer and start building in just minutes! OR, we'll mail them to you, your choice!
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PROJECTS
Waterwheel's
As you know we have many wood projects on our web site and in our newsletters. One of the more popular projects that people build is our waterwheel. We thought it would be fun to share some of the waterwheel's that other people have built.
Because the plans are not really well written we often get questions (Ken needs to do something about that :-). The good news is that we've met a number of neat people and have helped them through their project. The other thing that is great is we often get pictures of their finished projects.
Below are a few pictures of waterwheel's people have built with the help of our plans and their comments. While they have made some modifications the basic concept is the same. That is except for "Ken A's" water wheel which was made from a big wire spool and Bob B. who used someone else's plans.
You said you would like pictures of wheels your fans built, however mine is only 30" with a little taller mill. I sent for the plans, bearings, and pump. The pump slows to a point where the wheel stops, but here it is. Bob B. Glen Rose, TX. It is not big enough to make much noise, but we enjoy watching
it over coffee in the morning. I would like to see more of your projects, thanks again, Bob B.
I based my small wheel upon your excellent guidelines and design. My wheel is only about 24 inches in diameter. It is made of treated fence boards (a little too thick, really) and uses a copper pipe axle turning on wheel barrow bearings. I simplified some of your steps because of scale and time. Let me know what you think and many thanks for your sharing such a wonderful design; my wife and I enjoy just listening to the water splash and relaxing. Chuck D.
You asked that when I finished my waterwheel I would send you some pictures so here they are. I finished the wheel last Wednesday. We are going to build a basin and cover it with cultured fieldstone. The wheel will be centered on the barn.
Thanks again for your help, I have to agree that we will not need a very large pump to turn the wheel. I can spin it with one hand and it turns for 5 min. Gary K.
I finished a 5' wooden waterwheel by reconstructing my coop wooden cable spools. They have a yard full of various sizes and break them up and burn them when saturation occurs. They are pine but a good coat of water repellant helps as well as presenting a more authentic color. All you do is cut the center spool down to manageable size 1'. Then put it all back together and fashion the blades (buckets) and you are about there.
I bought 1x8's from a cedar mill along with a couple 4x4's for blades and axle support. I found that red cedar splits very easily though. I cut a weight lifting bar in half for an axle, got plate steel from a scrap yard for surrounding (welded) axle/spool outside stability. Only new items, other than cedar, was 2 pillow bearings, and a pump. Ask at your local utility yard, mine was glad to help out loading two 5' reels. Ken A.
Inside the wishing well is a motor that drives a shaft upwards and moves the handle of the water pump up and down, six times a minute. There has been a change since these pictures were taken. The copper pipe coming out of the wishing well is now gone. The water of course comes out of the copper pipe and moves the water wheel. Because of the sloppy way I built the wheel, I took two days and rebuilt the segments and put it back in service today.
The waterwheel is made out of mahogany and is 30 inches tall. It is not red, the camera lies.
There is a rusted bolt in the rotating part of the handle and the hollow of the body magnifies the sound giving a deep metallic rubbing sound and passer by's seem to think I have a deep well and I don't argue with them. Some people look at the mouth of the pump and see the copper pipe coming out and say the water is coming from the pump and I don't tell them any different.
I also have a submersed light with a red lens and at night it gives the impression that fire is rising for about the first foot or so of the wheel. I have had a lot of fun both building this over the winter and talks with people who stop by. I live in a senior mobile home park so there are a lot of folks who grew up in an area or farm where they used the hand pumps. Lyle
We want to thank everybody who shared their waterwheel's with us. It really does thrill us to see projects that we've had on our web site and newsletters be built. If you've made any of our projects and have pictures we'd love to see them.
We hope you liked this project. If you build it and your friends ask where you got such a clever idea, please tell them that you got it at RunnerDuck.com.
If you have a project that you would like to share please send us an email and we'll help get it published in the RunnerDuck review. We are looking for woodworking, gardening, crafts and kids projects so send us your thoughts at projects@runnerduck.com.
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