Ironic isn’t it? Being a keen but less-than-successful prospector I find that, most often, success is directly related to the length of time I’m able to stay put, be it on a claim or out in the bush. But staying put depends on my economic resources in the first place! Let’s be honest. As enjoyable as it might be, whether you’re fossicking or working a claim, unless you get lucky, long stretches away from the comforts of suburbia can become a real strain both physically and financially. For most of us there’s not a whole lot we can do about that in the short term, but there are a few secrets...

One of the biggest dangers of backpacking is not being attacked by a bear or a mountain lion; it comes from a much larger force, the cold. Hypothermia occurs when the body’s temperature becomes abnormally low. Hypothermia might not seem like it is very dangerous, but when the body’s temperature drops from 37.5 degrees Celsius to below 32 degrees Celsius, hypothermia can become life threatening. Hypothermia occurs from inadequate protection against exposure to the cold. Hypothermia can occur not only in winter, but also summer. Preventing hypothermia can be done by following a few simple...

Camp America, 2006 In the summer of 2006 I made the desicion to travel from my home country of Scotland(UK) to work at a girl scout camp in Virginia (USA). I would have to say that working there was one of the best and most memoral experiences of my life. Finishing my second year at university I decided that it was time for a new challenge and seeing an advert for “Camp America” I decided that working with children for the summer was just for me! I enjoy working with kids and love visiting america so this was going to be the best summer of my life. In June, after going through numerous...

Remember when you were a kid and it was summer break. You did everything you could to have fun and not be bored. You played with your friends outside, you read a book or you went swimming. Today, more and more children are spend their summers inside in front of the television or their gaming system. Here are some summer activities that you can do with your kids to get them away from the television. Pack a basket or cooler and head to the park for a picnic. Most people have some kind of local park nearby, why not use it? You’ll get away from your house get some fresh air. Bring along a...

Ohio can be a perfect place to hike, if you do it at the right time, or if you don’t mind hiking in the snow either. Finding places to hike is easy, the hard part is deciding which places to go. There are many different parks throughout all of Ohio that offer from 2 all the way up to 20 trails to hike on. Of course you are only going to want to choose parks that are close to where you live so that its convenient for you, and you might now the trails pretty well. Many parks offer self guided nature trails with interpretive signs or brochures, and there are a few that offer lengthy backpacking...

A Day in the life of a Letter Perfect Farm Camper By Noelle Fowler Each morning for a week in June, young campers arrived at Letter Perfect Farm excited for a day of horses, fun and learning! LPF Summer Camp 2006 started off with great, sunny weather and a great group of kids. Kelli Mason, owner and trainer of LPF, and I organized this year’s camp. We also had the wonderful help of Junior Campers Amanda Gildea, Olivia Gildea and Stephanie Giguere. Each day, we split the campers into smaller groups of 3 or 4 members and headed to the barn, discussing barn rules and safety tips as we...

Is Tucson hot in the summertime? Well do monkeys like bananas? Yes, Tucson is a very warm place in the summer, this is why there is a large assortment of people who only live here in the winter. Snowbirds from other states and a portion of our U of A students return home during the swelter season. If you happen to be in Tucson when our summer sun is shinning there are still ways to keep cool. The greatest invention since sliced bread in Tucson is of course, air conditioning. Most homes have evaporative coolers that work well most of the summer when it is a “dry heat” but during the...