What's New? We haven't had any stories about our cat Kitty Kitty for a while so we thought we'd share some of her antics with you. For those of you who are new readers we were adopted by a stray cat about nine months ago. We've never been cat owners so it is taking some getting use to.
It turns out that Kitty Kitty is a real killer. She has a cat door to the outside world and has been bringing us here hunting trophies on a regular basis. We've been keeping score and so far she has brought in quite a collection of critters.
- 29 mice
- 1 rat
- 9 birds
- 11 shrews
- 5 moths
- 6 flies
The latest thing she's doing is to bring in live critters and turning them loose. We figured out that she's the alpha and it's her job to teach us how to hunt for ourselves! It's working because we are getting pretty darn good and chasing down mice or getting birds to fly out the door. Of course the bad news is that some of the mice have gotten away and are trying to take up residence in the house. Mouse traps seem to work pretty good in those instances.
We're trying to figure out how to reduce this need to train us and stop her from bringing in all these toys. We refuse to have her declawed so we're trying to design some sort of high tech cat door that will sense when there is more than just her coming through. So far we don't have an idea that works.
We love pet stories so if you have any we'd love to hear them. Just send us an email and we might even share it with all our readers.
DigiTalk
Summer's here and taking pictures of those wonderful vacations is a must. With the new digital cameras batteries are always an issue. It seems that just when you are ready to go out and take that perfect sunrise picture the batteries are dead.
There are a couple of things you can do to prevent this. Always keep a spare set of batteries charged and ready to go. Charge the batteries that you just took out of your camera immediately. If you wait until later chances are later is when you'll need them and they'll be dead.
Another good tip is to buy good batteries. I just had a bad experience with what I thought would be good batteries. I purchased some 2,000 mAh (mili amp hour) NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries at Interstate Batteries while I was there getting a new battery for our trailer. They had a four pack for around $5.00.
That's a heck of a buy for NiMH batteries, I normally pay $12.00 or more for a four pack. Normally four batteries will last for about 200 pictures in my camera. These batteries last about 10 pictures. I guess the old adage "you get what you pay for" rings true in batteries. Don't short change yourself on batteries and miss that once in a million photograph.
SITE OF THE MONTH
This months web site selection is incredibly fun and amazing. Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Michael Bach, Director of
Sektion Funktionelle Sehforschung/ Elektrophysiologie, President of ISCEV (huh?) created this visual wonder. These pages demonstrate visual phenomena, called »optical illusions« or »visual illusions«. The latter is more appropriate, because most effects have their basis in the visual pathway, not in the optics of the eye. He selected these based on relative novelty and interactivity.
Be prepared to spend some fun time and be sure to bring the kids along, it truly is amazing. Just log onto www.michaelbach.de/ot/index.html and enjoy.
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
Whirlygig Pots
Here's a fun little summer project where you can combine your love of whirlygigs with the beauty of flowers.
Here's what you'll need:
- (1) Plastic Pot
- Quick Cement / water / mixing container / mixing spoon
- 1" diameter PVC Pipe
- Masking Tape
- Drill
Find an appropriate size pot for your project. I used a 10" diameter plastic pot.
Cut a piece of PVC pipe so it will be flush to the top of the pot when installed.
Secure the PVC pipe in the middle of the pot using masking tape to hold it straight.
Mix enough quick cement to fill up half of the pot. Pour it in and let it set till dry.
Drill several holes through the side of the pot just above the cement. This is to let excess water drain out.
Plant your flowers using potting soil and a layer of rocks in the bottom next to the cement for drainage.
Place your whirlygig in the PVC pipe.
On a bigger scale you could add a beach umbrella and create your own shade garden planter.
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
Click!
Summer is finally here and we're celebrating! Get a free toy--a $19.99 value--when you spend $40 or more right here in our Toys Outlet. A promotional code is required at checkout. See details. Plus, look for hundreds of items we've marked down an additional 30% during our Green Tag Sale.
The Tempos
News and CD of the Week
We had a grand time at the Hiram Chittenden Locks in Ballard, Washington performing for all the people walking by to view the locks. It was a sunny day and the people seemed to really enjoy the music. Even though we won't play there again until next year you might want to check out the locks each Saturday and Sunday for some wonderful music performed by all sorts of groups.
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
"Occasion: Connick on Piano, Vol. 2"
by Harry Connick Jr.
This new recording by pianist/vocalist/actor Harry Connick recording on Branford Marsalis's label, is a delightful and diverse, thirteen track saxophone/piano duet. In this setting, these New Orleans home boys display their dizzying interplay and invention with the kind of ease that can only come from years of friendship. Marsalis's throaty tenor and silken soprano lines blend beautifully with Connick's Errol Garner meets Thelonious Monk and Professor Longhair pianisms.
On "Valentine's Day" and "Virgoid" Connick's left hand is steady, with a trace of the Latin tinge. It's beautifully contrasted by the Broadway-type tunes, "I Like Love More" and "All Things." The pianist's performance on Marsalis's "Steve Lacy" – an atmospheric elegy to the late sax giant – and the boppish title track -- proves that, to the contrary, familiarity breeds good jazz, not contempt.
CLICK!
Be sure and visit the
RunnerDuck Music Store for great savings on just about anything.
JOKE OF THE MONTH
Ken's cousin Cindy in Pennsylvania sent this months joke.
IF MY BODY WERE A CAR
If my body were a car, this is the time I would be thinking about trading it in for a newer model. I've got bumps and dents and scratches in my finish and my paint job is getting a little dull, but that's not the worst of it.
My fenders are too wide to be considered stylish. They were once as sleek as a little MG; now they look more like an old Buick.
My seat cushions have split open at the seams. My seats are sagging. Seat belts? I gave up all belts when Krispy Cremes opened a shop in my neighborhood.!
Air bag's? Forget it. The only bags I have these days are under my eyes. Not counting the saddlebags, of course.
I have soooooo many miles on my odometer. Sure, I've been many places and seen many things, but when's the last time an appraiser factored life experiences against depreciation?
My headlights are out of focus and it's especially hard to see things up close.
My traction is not as graceful as it once was. I slip and slide and skid and bump into things even in the best of weather.
My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins.
It takes me hours to reach my maximum speed.
My fuel rate burns inefficiently.
But here's the worst of it -almost every time I sneeze, cough or sputter..... either my radiator leaks or my exhaust backfires!
We love jokes so don't hesitate to send us your good ones. We're not prudes and we laugh at most everything :-)
The RunnerDuck web site is hosted by
If you are looking for a great web hosting service with fantastic support check out www.fastwirenetwork.com. If you mention that you heard about them from RunnerDuck you will get a "Duck Deal". Just ask about your Duck Deal when you sign up.
CONSERVATION TIP
Brown is in! Have you noticed more and more brown lawns lately? I think it's neat. A lush green lawn is always nice to look at but it takes a bunch of water to keep in looking that way during the hot summer months. Unless you have a real compelling reason to keep your lawn green let it go and save the water for your flower gardens. Some added benefits is that you don't have to mow it and you don't need to keep adding chemicals to it to keep the weeds down and keep it green.
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
Blueberry Cake
Our blueberries are pretty much done for the season and it's time to make something really good out of them. We think this blueberry cake will fit the bill perfectly.
Ingredients:
- 2 Eggs separated
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Shortening
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 1/2 Cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg, optional
- 1/3 Cup Milk
- 1 1/2 Cup Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
Beat the Egg Whites until stiff.
Add about 1/4 Cup of the Sugar to keep the whites stiff. Set aside.
Cream Shortening, add Salt and Vanilla.
Gradually add the remaining Sugar.
Add the unbeaten Egg Yolks and beat until light and creamy.
Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk.
Fold in the beaten Egg Whites.
Fold in the Blueberries (HINT: First take a bit of flour from the recipe and shake the berries in it).
Turn into a well greased and floured 9" X 9" pan.
Cook at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes and check.
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
"The Beach House Cookbook"
by Barbara Scott-Goodman
(CLICK)
Many of you will be heading for the beaches this summer and getting lots of great sea food from local markets. A great day at the beach calls for great food, especially delicious, quick dishes that leave time for fun in the sun.
Barbara Scott-Goodman serves up more than 75 recipes for sensational meals for those spending a weekend at the coast or for whom the seaside is home. Recipes for appetizers, soups, sandwiches, main courses, salads, desserts, and cocktails feature farm stand fruits and vegetables, fresh fish and shellfish, and meats for the grill that celebrate summer's bounty.
Steamed Mussels in Tomato-Fennel Broth and Chicken and Soba Noodle Salad with Spicy Asian Peanut Sauce make for delightful post-beach fare. Fire up the barbecue for Grilled Swordfish with Mango Salsa and—voilà!—instant backyard beach party. For dessert, Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie or Brownie Sundaes with Raspberry Sauce are guaranteed to please.
With photos that capture the beauty of both the coast and the cuisine, The Beach House Cookbook offers all the right ingredients for fabulous dining—with an ocean view.
WOOD PROJECT PLANS
DOWNLOADABLE & MAIL-DIRECT
WOODWORKING PLANS
Download WOOD Store® woodworking plans directly to your computer and start building in just minutes! OR, we'll mail them to you, your choice!
CLICK!
PROJECTS
Camper Catch All
This months project is more for the head than the wood shop. It's to get you thinking about little things that might make organizing things better as opposed to giving you a hard fast design.
We had a problem in our camper trailer where things were always piling up on the surface next to the TV. We would pile a few DVD's, the remote controls, note pad, pen and pocket change. I decided to make something that would hold all of these things and not get in the way of anything else. I had a limited amount of space and made every inch count.
I made it out of several different types of wood using just what I had available in my shop. Even with that it didn't turn out too bad. I still have to put a finish on it but it's getting close to done.
First I established how much room I had to work with. It turned out that I only had a 12" wide space.
I started off by measuring the width of a DVD case and remote controls. Once I knew their size I knew what I had left to deal with which wasn't much.
I didn't want the box sticking out into the isle way so it could only be 3" deep. This gave me enough depth to hold three DVD's which works just fine for us.
I didn't spend a lot of time drawing and dimensioning it all up. I knew what I had to work with and just headed for the shop. It's a little slower going this way because you are creating as you go but for a small single project it worked just fine.
I cut out the front and bottom first. Next I cut the ends and spacers. After I had all the pieces cut I started to cut dado's for the pieces to fit into.
I didn't even set up my dado blade. I just made multiple passes with my table saw blade. The wood was different thicknesses so this saved a lot of time.
Here's what my catch all looked like before glue up. I've put most of the pieces together here but you can see how I dadoed the base.
I hope this little project has inspired you to find some fun little woodworking projects to solve some fairly simple problems.
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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