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Vietnam Travel » Top Destinations » Muong Lo: the Wild and Charming Beauty
Muong Lo: the Wild and Charming Beauty
Category : Top Destinations - By David Dzung - At 6:47 AM/Tuesday, June 20, 2017 - No comment - Location: QL32, Trung Tâm, Tx. Nghĩa Lộ, Yên Bái, Vietnam
Muong Lo carries in itself pure, wild and natural beauty with fresh air all year round, along with the flavor of ancient Tuyet tea in Suoi Giang, the source of natural mineral water... which create Muong Lo unique hidden charm.
The entire village in the scent of shan tea
Located about 80 km west of Yen Bai City, Muong Lo is located in the heart of Nghia Lo town and Van Chan district.
The western area of Muong Lo Basin is a residence of more than 10 ethnic groups that make up a unique cultural region. Muong Lo is the point of Hoang Lien range of 180 km, 30 km wide. It has long been said that this is the second largest field of the majestic northwestern region. Muong Lo is famous for its white rice with good flavor of rice and tea.
In the season of harvesting and processing tea, Suoi Giang is full of fragrant smell of tea resin, the smell is so enchanting that people seem to feel that going in the taste of tea, they feel like enjoying the flavor of mountains and forests.
Tea from the top of the mountain, after being picked, is carried to the village by the horse and then dried. At that time, the air in the village is covered with fragrant smell of tea. Up to now, Mong people in Suoi Giang have dried and replicated the tea with manual methods. The big and curved tea leaves look like hooks, the outside is covered with a layer of iridescent "snow" and it is fragrant itself. If you smell the tea once, you will want to inhale forever.
There are quite a lot of theories about thousands of ancient tea plants in Suoi Giang. The soil, forest and tea in Suoi Giang are majestic and exotic. Suoi Giang is a commune located at a height of 1,500 to 1,800 meters above sea level. There are trees with a life expectancy of more than 300 years, they are considered the ancient and "ancestor" tea plants in Suoi Giang. Even, many people say that drinking Suoi Giang tea can avoid many intestinal diseases, sometimes, just rubbing tea leaves of ancient trees on human skin can remove all the rash and itch.
Suoi Giang tea is also very "picky", the tea pot and cups must be made of porcelain and baked carefully on fire, they can not carry any smell of other kinds of tea, can not be stained and must be clean and rinsed with boiling water. Tea has to be infused with water in laterite area in the midland, or water taken from Tap Lang, Giang Cao of Suoi Giang to have high- grade tea.
Exciting Xoe dance
Wandering the land with white flowers, you will encounter the Thai girls in black dress, robes, Pieu scarves and wearing Xa tich (kind of silver jewelry like chatelaine or key chain). Referring to Thai girls, people often think of Cóm shirts. This is a short-sleeved shirt that holds the body tightly and the lappet is put behind the waistband when they wear this shirt. Com shirt of white Thai people has high collar, and that of black Thai has low "V" shaped collar. The shirt is attached with the silver buttons of various shapes such as butterfly, bee, tick... With the unmarried girl, the number of buttons are odd number. For married women, the number of buttons are even numbers to tell people that the person wearing the dress has her life partner.
Today, Thai ethnic women have made more colorful shirts, but they still make sure that the shirt is tailored to the right style, while being wore, different colors radiate and make the women in this mountainous area more beautiful.
The muffler of Thai women in Muong Lo is not Pieu scarf. It's just a black scarf dyed black with the two ends embroidered with purple, pink, blue thread... The length of the towel is between 180 and 200cm, the width is from 32 to 35 cm.
For unmarried women, the chatelaine is rounded neatly. The boys look at the way that the chatelaine is rounded to guess the personality of each girl. They conjecture that a girl who rounds short chatelaine is leisured person, the girl with chatelaine rounded to the skirt is a modest person...
Thai woman's costume is the long lasting cultural value of this ethnic, it represents the aesthetics of culture and beliefs in the community culture that is more precious than ever through thousands of cultural life. There is still no changes.
In Muong Lo, no one can remember exactly when Xoe dance first appeared in Thai community, but through the ups and downs of life, those who are passionate about Xoe dance still consider this a precious asset and make great attempt to preserve this traditional dance. Having a chance to visit the Thai villages in the spring, in the full moon day, or when the rice is harvested and kept in baskets, when the fruit is ripe, you will be attracted by the dance containing joy and exposure.
Exploring Muong Lo field- the second largest field in the Northwest
Those who has ever been to Muong Lo (Nghia Lo town), a fertile, rich land of the North West, where has the second largest flat vast plain in the North West, where is famous for "rice White, clear water", with specialty of Shan tea, with the fragrant aromas of Tan Tu Le sticky rice will never forget the interesting moments.
Of the four large valleys famous for their beautiful scenery and fresh weather in the North West, Muong Lo is second one only to Muong Thanh (Dien Bien province) and stands on Muong Than (Than Uyen, Lai Chau) and Muong Tac (Phu Yen, Son La). Muong Lo nowadays includes Nghia Lo town and some communes of Van Chan district. Looking down from the top, Muong Lo field looks like a large pan, surrounded by mountains all year round. In the spring, the fog becomes denser.
Muong Lo is the second largest field in the northern mountains, just to Muong Thanh (Dien Bien). Black (clothes) Thai people have long settled here. According to the epic story of Thai people, the two brothers of Tao Xuong and Tao Ngan needed to find a place to start their career. Tao Xuong stopped at a village in Muong Lo, built the ancestral land of the Black Thai people throughout the North West because of its fertile soil and plentiful water. Tao Ngan went to Muong Then (Muong Thanh today) built the village of the White (clothes) Thai people and mainly grew rice.
The small town of Nghia Lo in the west of Yen Bai lies in the heart of the vast Muong Lo field surrounded by Hoang Lien range covered with white clouds. The land of less than 3,000 hectares is home to 17 ethnic groups with a population of over 27,000 people, of which the Thai people make up 44% of the population with a lot of unique cultural features.
How to reach Yen Bai
From Ha Noi, there are two major roads to Yen Bai that are National Highway 32 and National Highway 70. To go to Van Chan, Mu Cang Chai and Nghia Lo districts, you will travel on National Highway 32.
Yen Bai is 207km away from Hanoi, you can take a train from Hanoi Railway Station to Yen Bai Station, or take bus of brands of Ten Hoa, Hung Lien, Dung Thao from My Dinh bus station to Yen Bai Bus Station. This route has the last stop at Yen Bai Bus Station. If you want to go to Nghia Lo, Van Chan, Mu Cang Chai, you should catch a bus to Lai Chau bus. From Ho Chi Minh City, you can take a plane or train to Hanoi, then take the bus or ride motorbikes to Yen Bai. From Yen Bai Railway Station and Yen Bai Bus Station, 2km from Yen Bai city center, you can take a taxi to the center.
The best time to go to Yen Bai
Yen Bai has two beautiful seasons that you can arrange to arrive. The period from September to mid-October is the season of ripe rice, and everywhere if covered with a bright yellow ripe rice color, nice weather, which is convenient to visit. From May to June is the season of water, when summer rains start pouring water down the mountains, the water is led from the mountain into the terraces.
Tags: Indochina Travel, Vietnam tour, Vietnam travel


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নীড় উন্নয়ন Two new inland container depots launch in 2024 to facilitate trade
Two new inland container depots launch in 2024 to facilitate trade
Two new private inland container depots (ICDs), costing around Tk800 crore, in Chattogram will be launched in 2024, easing the pressure of containers and facilitating the country's import-export trade.
Afsarul Ameen, lawmaker from Chattogram-10 constituency, has invested in Anchorage Containers Depot located in South Kattali area, 10 km away from Chattogram port, while Dhaka-based AGC Group has invested in Bay Link Containers Depot in Barabkunda area of Sitakunda, 35 km away from the port.
The two depots have started storing empty containers from July this year with the approval of the National Board of Revenue (NBR). Once the infrastructure construction work is completed, the depots will start handling containers of imported and exported goods with the approval of the NBR, said sources.
According to sources, the ICDs – each set up on 20 acres of land – are built with an investment of Tk800 crore in total.
They will be able to hold about 12,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers when they are fully operational in 2024 and handle about six lakh containers annually.
Currently, there are 19 ICDs with a capacity of 76,000 TEUs in the country. The two new private ICDs will increase the country's capacity of storing containers to 88,000 TEUs.
The 19 existing ICDs, also known as off-docks, handle almost 95% of export goods for shipments and 38 types of import goods, including food items like rice, wheat, mustard seed, chickpeas and pulses, according to industry insiders.
The ICDs work to help ease congestion at the Chattogram port and facilitate quick clearance of full container loads of cargo by allowing unloading or delivery from outside the port area, sources said.
According to the Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association (Bicda), currently investment in ICDs is Tk12,000 crore and about 35,000 people work at these ICDs. At present, to build a new ICD involves a minimum of Tk500 crore.
Anchorage Limited Managing Director Faisal Amin told TBS, "Our ICD has a capacity of storing 4,000-4,500 TEUs of containers. In 2024, we can start the operation of the ICD."
A senior employee of Bay Link Containers Depot said, "We have started storing empty containers from July this year. About 100 empty containers are being handled per month. So far we have handled about 500 empty containers."
He said the Bay Link Containers Depot will be able to store around 8,000-10,000 TEUs of containers at a time when it starts operating in full swing and annually handle about four lakh containers.
"Once the shed is constructed, we will apply to the NBR for a license to handle import and export goods. By the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024, we can officially begin operating the depot," he added.
Sources at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said ICDs are struggling to cope with the current growth in exports in the readymade garment sector. As the quantity of goods sent to depots from different factories increases during the Eid seasons, the queue of covered vans on the road carrying goods becomes longer. Businesses have to wait for more than 10 days to unload goods from a truck.
According to the BGMEA, new investment in the ICD sector is very positive for the country's export sector. The sooner the ICDs can be brought into operation with the approval of the customs and port authorities, the better.
Syed Nazrul Islam, first vice president of BGMEA, said, "Businessmen always welcome the initiative to increase the capacity of the port. We believe the construction of the two new ICDs is a continuation of the port's capacity-building. Business has slowed down due to the Russia-Ukraine war. If the situation normalises, demand will increase. We hope that the new depots will then play a vital role."
Bicda President Nurul Qayyum Khan told TBS, "We welcome the initiative to build two new ICDs as they are necessary to meet the target of exporting garments worth $100 billion by 2030."
"There is currently a global slowdown in import and export trade, but we believe that it will pass soon. The new depot will play an effective role in handling Bangladesh's growing import and export trade. Anchorage Depot has already been given Bicda membership."
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পূর্ববর্তী খবরপাঁচ মাসে ১৩ হাজার কোটি টাকা কৃষিঋণ বিতরণ
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WZPDCL to ensure 100pc electricity in its area by June
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If you haven't heard, sharing photos on social networking is now apparently very much the in thing. But forget carefully composed landscapes and worrying about apertures and focus – now all you need to do to be the next David Bailey is stretch out your arm as far as you can reach, pull a silly face and hope you don't end up with someone gurning behind you when you click the shutter.
Yes, like it or not, the selfie will undoubtedly go down as one of the biggest trends of the last few years. In fact, it's become such a phenomenon the Oxford English Dictionary even named it their word of the year in 2013, with everyone from pop stars to presidents getting in on the trend.
Getting the perfect selfie can be the holy grail for many people – but it's not as easy as it sounds. A bad one can not only make you look like an idiot in front of your friends, as tools like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter let your most embarrassing images wing their way around the world in seconds. So looking good needs some serious thought.
Unless you're Paris Hilton, no-one's really that interested in a selfie where 95 per cent of the photo is taken up by your face, so a good backdrop is essential.
A recent survey by Suggestme found London is the most popular location for selfies among both tourists and locals, while the most commonly-snapped landmarks around the world include Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower and the Colosseum. Nice, but a bit obvious – so something a bit more creative could help you stand out from the crowd.
Oh, and it should also go without saying, but sombre occasions like funerals are definitely out – something Barack Obama and David Cameron should have remembered before their grinning selfie at Nelson Mandela's memorial service hit front pages around the world.
The trickiest part of any selfie -as with anything else in life – is making sure you look your best. But it's sometimes not easy to tell how it'll turn out when your screen's held at arms length away from you, so what can you do to avoid creating a cautionary tale to be shared by others for all eternity?
It can't be emphasised enough that the 'duckface' look is a big no – really, it can't, no matter who you are. Not only has it been done to death by everyone, huge pouting lips have yet to make anyone look good.
You also need to think about the angle of your photo – a downward shot, or one where you tilt your head back, can give the impression of a double-chin – definitely unflattering. Keep the camera as level as possible makes sense, while also make sure you're not staring directly down the lens like a serial killer's arrest photo – a slight turn of the head is the most natural look.
Even if you've found the perfect spot to get your snap, it can still be ruined by that idiot in the background who thinks photobombing is still cool, so make sure you know what and who around you could pose a problem.
Also, there's a fine line between an exciting shot and getting too close, as this unfortunate chap found out to his cost when he tried to take a selfie with a train, and was taught a swift lesson in safety by the conductor.
And if you are taking the snap in your bedroom or bathroom mirror to show off your stylish new phone case, make sure the room is presentable. No-one wants to see your dirty laundry or a mirror smeared with toothpaste.
One of the biggest problems with selfies is that because they're often taken with the phone's lower-resolution front-facing camera, they can often end up being very poor-quality. However, some of the latest models – such as the HTC One – have recognised this problem and started to equip their phones with more powerful front cameras.
But if you don't have this yet, there are still a few things you can do. Turning your gadget around to use the bigger rear camera might mean you don't get to see exactly what you're shooting, but with a bit of luck, the results will turn out better.
Also, remember to switch the flash off, as at close range, all it will do is white out your face so you look like you're remaking The Blair Witch Project. A bit of fiddling about with lighting settings and filters can also transform a boring snap into one worthy of sharing, so don't assume leaving your phone in its default settings is the way to go.
1) Post the link of your favorite Proporta product on our fan page and tell us why it's your favorite.
2) Share the post with your friends.
1) Tweet @Proporta what your favorite product is and why and include a link to it.
1) Post the link to your favorite Proporta product on our fan page and tell us why it's your favorite.
2) Share the post with your circles.
Competition dates: 02/17/12 – 02/20/12, winner announced 02/21/12. Winner will be chosen at random and will win one case of their choice. We're sorry to say that the following cases are excluded from the giveaway: Ted Baker, Quiksilver, Roxy and Brunswick England. Judges decision is final.
What's the worst Christmas present you've been given this year? Let us know and you could win one of five Proporta gift vouchers worth £15, 15€ or $20 for the most miserable, miserly or mean gifts received. With our fab vouchers you could then buy yourself an iPhone 4S case, Samsung Galaxy protective case, or even a Kindle cover.
And now the boring stuff: In order to be in with a chance of winning one of five Proporta gift vouchers worth either £15, 15€ or $20 you need to be a fan or follower of us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ and let us know what the worst Christmas gift you've received this year is. This competition will run from 23/12/11 to 04/01/12. The winners will be announced and notified on 05/01/12. Only one gift voucher will be given per winner for a denomination of either £15, 15€ or $20. Please note that the gift voucher can only be used for one transaction only. Judges decision is final. No cash alternatives.
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year or so, you've probably heard of (and lost many hours to) the social networking site Facebook. Having started as an internet craze, Facebook is now one of the most well established social networking sites on the web and has made keeping in touch with people even easier, and arguably a lot more fun. Here at Proporta we have our very own Facebook page and would like you to join us. Click here to become a fan or a friend, and view the exclusive offers which are only available to our lovely Facebook pals. See you there.


The Golden State has always been fairly legislation-happy when it comes to keeping things green, and now they're trying to "Keep California Beautiful" with a new program to require cellphone recycling. Californians have been restricted from throwing phones into the trash since February 8, 2006, but as of July 1 all cellphone retailers in California will be required to establish a collection and recycling program. Recycling will be free, but if even that is too much of a hassle, you can visit the KCB website to get a postage paid box for sending your old phone to a happy resting place from the comfort of your own home. KCB will also provide postage-paid collection boxes to businesses for collecting from employees and customers, so the program shouldn't cause much of an inconvenience. Unless, of course, you wanted to mix a bit of arsenic and beryllium into your water supply.


Trees and bees the future for our hills?
Trees and bees may become the savior of hilly rural New Zealand…..why?
Because down on the farm, or more precisely, way up on the farm, things aren't as rosy as the boom in commodity prices would have people believe.
There's a crisis of sorts happening for much of our hill country - that steep, out the back of beyond land that is no longer economic to farm with animals, and is becoming weed infested and overrun.
Much of this land isn't suitable for radiata pine forestry either - it's too steep, and too far away from decent roading, and thus not a goer on that front.
Other tree and forestry types such as eucalyptus and blackwoods might have enough longterm value, and even if they aren't suitable, the longterm farming of trees for carbon credits is becoming an alternative income source.
There's also another tree with potential promise - manuka, which even though it is a native has been somewhat regarded as a 'weed' until relatively recently.
Taranaki regional councilor Neil Walker describes the tree, "as a truly sustainable crop".
The and co-ordinator brains behind the Manuka Research Partnership, which was the recipient of a recent MAF Primary Growth Partnership funding deal ($1.7 million in total over seven years, half from both parties), Walker's keen to see hill country being used in a mosaic of trees.
Manuka, and more particularly its honey, has a growing medical application. Demand for the honey, with its Unique Manuka Factor (rough shorthand for the active ingredient methylglyoxal), has an insatiable demand.
The MRP aims to greatly increase manuka honey production, much of it through improving the understanding of how to grow it.
Even at current production levels, the income from hives could make some of the hill country much more viable.
Walker recently had 85 beehives temporarily set up on his Nukuhau, Taranaki property, which earned $40 a hive and that is just "renting" out the right to a bee keeper. This could represent only 10-15% of the actual value of the honey if the owner of the land was also the processor Walker says.
With the MRP aiming to increase the returns/hectare from honey production, it wouldn't take too much for a passive income to start being derived from the increasingly rundown hill country blocks.
At the same time, it would be the steeper, less accessible pieces of land that would be just as suitable for planting, leaving the better land for other farming types.
Combining manuka's honey and carbon credit income generating possibilities, and suddenly hill country farmers could have alternative cash from their farming operations.
"What you have to consider is that farmers are only being asked to use the steep parts of their properties for this exercise not the easier parts where the bulk of their incomes comes from," says Walker.
Walker's anxious to see that older, often dispirited farmers, don't see their life's work disappear into weeds and regeneration.
Some hill country properties can't even sell for $500/ha.
Trees and bees could change all this says Walker.
Walker says there would need to be more study on how to share the profits from manuka honey production – perhaps beyond the per hive payment that beekeepers currently pay to landowners.
But such issues aren't unsolvable he says.
And, if the MRP fulfills its promise, sorting out an equitable return for the landowners, collectors of honey and marketers of the final product would be a good challenge to have.
For the sake of our hill country, and the opportunity of creating a mosaic of uses for this steep country, there's a fair bit resting on the success of Walker's innovative project.
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In partnership with workspacebrussels, KANAL-Centre Pompidou welcomes for the summer season, a program of six emerging artists. Laboratory of artistic innovations in the art scene, with an important focus on the transdisciplinary projects, Worksspacebrussels supports the young artists in their career path in the professional artistic scene.
The collaboration with workspacebrussels is completely in coherent with the multidisciplinary and resolutely experimental program of BRUT, which defines this year of prefiguration in KANAL-Centre Pompidou. The audience is invited to discover and sometimes to participate in the process of creating the six artists.


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Home > News > Kinder-salmonella-outbreak-is-believed-to-be-connected-to-the-buttermilk-used-in-the-belgian-factory
Kinder salmonella outbreak is believed to be connected to the buttermilk used in the Belgian factory
Sky News reported that the UK recall of Kinder chocolate products was extended to include all those manufactured in Arlon, Belgium, regardless of their best-before date. European health officials have said that the salmonella outbreak linked to Kinder chocolate products is probably related to buttermilk used in a Belgian factory. The European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said they had matched the same salmonella strain currently infecting people to samples taken from a factory in Belgium in December 2021. The European authorities concluded that the buttermilk was identified as the contamination point. The products were distributed worldwide after negative salmonella testing. Ferrero acknowledged it is to be blamed for the delays created in disseminating the information. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that 67 people in the UK were known to have been infected with salmonella in the outbreak linked to the treats. The majority affected are under five years old, the agency added.@ https://news.sky.com/story/kinder-salmonella-link-outbreak-suspected-to-be-related-to-buttermilk-used-in-belgian-factory-12588717
Kinder salmonella link: Outbreak suspected to be related to buttermilk used in Belgian factory
A UK recall of Kinder chocolate products was extended on Friday to include all of those manufactured at the site in Belgium, regardless of their best-before date.


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Displaying items by tag: Shane O'Driscoll
Henley Run by O'Donovan and O'Driscoll Cut Short by Argentina Pair
#Rowing: Mark O'Donovan and Shane O'Driscoll made their exit at the semi-final stage at Henley Royal Regatta today. The Skibbereen pair in the Silver Goblets moved off the start well and took a small lead, but they could not shake off Agustin Diaz and Axel Haack of Argentina.
With each stroke through the middle of the course, the Argentina pair gained traction. The drew level and then passed O'Donovan and O'Driscoll. They opened a big lead and won well.
Henley Royal Regatta, Day Four (Selected Results; Irish interest)
Silver Goblets (Men's Pairs, Open): A Diaz and A Haack bt M O'Donovan and S O'Driscoll (Skibbereen) 2¾ l
Published in Rowing
Mark O'Donovan
Shane O'Driscoll
O'Driscoll and O'Donovan Win Through to Saturday at Henley
#Rowing: Skibbereen men Mark O'Donovan and Shane O'Driscoll won their first race at Henley Royal Regatta. The Skibbereen pair eased into Saturday's draw in the Silver Goblets by beating Hugo Elworthy and Harry Hogan with little drama. O'Donovan and O'Driscoll used their very fast start to leave the Doncaster crew behind and then took advantage of the very good conditions to stay clear while easing their rate down.
Henley Royal Regatta, Day Three (Selected Results; Irish interest)
Hambleden Pairs (Women's Pairs, Open): G Prendergast, K Gowler bt S O'Connor, N Long 2¼ l
Silver Goblets (Men's Pairs, Open): Mark O'Donovan and Shane O'Driscoll (Skibbereen) bt H Hogan and H Elworthy 2¼ l
Double Sculls (Men's Double, Open): J Collins, G Thomas bt Nathan Hull and OJ Dix (Queen's, Belfast and Leander) 1l
O'Driscoll and O'Donovan to Compete at Henley Royal Regatta
#Rowing: The standout names in the Irish entry for Henley Royal Regatta are Mark O'Donovan and Shane O'Driscoll. The world lightweight champions of 2017 have entered the Silver Goblets for open pairs.
The Irish challenge features Commercial in the Thames Cup for club eights and UCD's four in the Visitors. Both crews are Irish champions. Enniskillen have chosen to enter quadruples in the Fawley and the Diamond Jubilee.
UCD, who compete at Henley Women's Regatta this weekend, have entered the open event for women's eights, the Remenham. Orla Hayes of Skibbereen has entered the Princess Royal, the open event for women's single scullers.
Henley Royal Regatta, July 3rd to 7th (Selection of Entries, Irish interest)
Remenham Cup (Women's Eights, Open): UCD
Thames (Men's Eight, Club): Commercial
Visitors (Men's Four, Club and University): UCD
Prince of Wales (Men's Quadruple, Club and University): Lagan Scullers'
Fawley (Men's Quadruple, Junior): Enniskillen Royal Boat Club
Diamond Jubilee Cup (Women's Quadruple, Junior): Enniskillen Royal Boat Club
Britannia (Men's Fours, coxed, Club): Belfast Rowing Club
Silver Goblets (Men's Pairs, Open): Mark O'Donovan and Shane O'Driscoll (Skibbereen)
Hambleden Pairs (Women's Pairs, Open): Sadhbh O'Connor and Natalie Long (NUIG and Skibbereen)
Double Sculls (Men's Double, Open): Nathan Hull and OJ Dix (Queen's, Belfast and Leander)
Stonor Trophy (Women's Double Sculls, Open): Fiona Chestnutt, CK Knight (Reading Univ and Newcastle Univ)
Diamond Sculls (Men's Single, Open): Callum McCrae (Cambridge Univ Lightweight RC)
Princess Royal (Women's Single, Open): Orla Hayes (Skibbereen)
Henley Women's Regatta
Skibbereen
Casey and Walsh Finish World Championships With C Final Win
#Rowing: Ireland's Aoife Casey and Denise Walsh showed the Skibbereen skill for sprinting to good effect as they worn their C Final of the women's lightweight double sculls at the World Championships in Plovdiv. They were fourth at 500 metres, but they sped up the rankings through the middle 1,000 and led with 500 metres to go. They took it home from there, with Austria second and Germany third. Ireland placed 13th in the World because of this result.
Shane O'Driscoll and Mark O'Donovan took fourth in their C Final, 16th overall, in the men's pair. The race was won by Australia's Andrew Judge and Joseph O'Brien, while O'Donovan and O'Driscoll produced a remarkable change of pace to challenge the leaders, but Poland and the United States had pushed in between them and the leaders on the line.
World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day Seven (Irish interest):
Pair – C Final (places 13 to 18): 1 Australia 6:23.81; 4 Ireland (M O'Donovan, S O'Driscoll) 6:29.19.
Lightweight Double Sculls – A Final: 1 Ireland (G O'Donovan, P O'Donovan) 6:06.81, 2 Italy 6:08.31, 3 Belgium 6:11.25.
Pair – A Final: 1 Canada 6:50.67, 2 New Zealand 6:52.96, 3 Spain 7:04.60; 6 Ireland (A Keogh, E Hegarty) 7:15.70.
Lightweight Double Sculls – C Final (places 13 to 18): 1 Ireland (A Casey, D Walsh) 7:05.77, 2 Austria 7:08.29, 3 Germany 7:09.12.
Denise Walsh
Aoife Casey
O'Driscoll and O'Donovan Go Through in Extraordinary Finish at World Rowing Championships
#Rowing: Mark O'Donovan and Shane O'Driscoll featured in the closest race of the day at the World Rowing Championships. The first three crews to finish in the C/D semi-final of the men's pair would go through to the C Final. O'Donovan and O'Driscoll pushed hard to catch Australia and held second as the crews dashed for the line. But Italy and the Netherlands sped into the picture. The finish was so close that it was well into the next race before the judges ruled that Ireland and Italy had finished joint second (a very unusual decision). The Netherlands missed out by .04 of a second and go to the D Final.
World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day Five (Irish interest)
Pair – Quarter-Final Four (Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 Canada 6:26.04, 2 New Zealand 6:30.36, 3 Czech Republic 6:35.01; 5 Ireland (M O'Donovan, S O'Driscoll) 6:44.28. C/D Semi-Final One (Three to C Final; rest to D Final): 1 Australia 6:36.82, 2= Ireland 6:38.74, 2= Italy 6:38.74; 4 The Netherlands 6:38.78.
Double Sculls – Repechage Four (First Two to A/B Semi-Final): Ireland (P Doyle, R Byrne) 6:16.96, 2 Bulgaria 6:20.15.
Lightweight Double – Semi-Final Two (Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Italy 6:21.94, 2 Belgium 6:22.83, 3 Ireland (G O'Donovan, P O'Donovan) 6:23.78.
Pair – Semi-Final (Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Ireland (A Keogh, E Hegarty) 7:14.67, 2 Italy 7:14.99, 3 Spain 7:15.30.
Lightweight Double Sculls – C/D Semi-Final (First Two to C Final; rest to D Final): 1 Ireland (A Casey, D Walsh) 7:20.51, 2 Spain 7:24.08.
World Rowing Championships
O'Donovan and O'Driscoll Fifth in Quarter-Final at World Championships
#Rowing: Shane O'Driscoll and Mark O'Donovan took fifth in their quarter-final of the pair at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv. Canada won well, with New Zealand and the Czech Republic taking the other A/B semi-final places. The Ireland crew battled well to push ahead of Denmark, but third and qualification for the A/B Semi-Finals was beyond them. They will compete in the C/D Semi-Finals.
Earlier, Philip Doyle and Ronan Byrne had won their repechage of the double sculls to secure their place in the A/B Semi-Finals.
Pair – Quarter-Final Four (Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 Canada 6:26.04, 2 New Zealand 6:30.36, 3 Czech Republic 6:35.01; 5 Ireland (M O'Donovan, S O'Driscoll) 6:44.28.
Double Sculls – Repechage Four (First Two to A/B Semi-Final):
Ireland (P Doyle, R Byrne) 6:16.96, 2 Bulgaria 6:20.15.
O'Driscoll and O'Donovan Book Place in World Championship Quarter-Final
#Rowing: Mark O'Donovan and Shane O'Driscoll qualified for the quarter-finals of the men's pair with a second-place finish in their repechage at the World Rowing Championships. Sander de Graaf and Vincent Klaassens of the Netherlands won, with the Ireland pair, their only rivals for the top spot, finishing well and closing on them at the finish, where they were just 1.61 seconds down. Four of the five crews took quarter-final places, with Brazil taking third and Argentina losing out in the final sprint to Bulgaria for the final spot.
World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day Two (Irish interest)
Pair – Repechage (Four to Quarter-Finals): The Netherlands 6:34.68 2 Ireland (M O'Donovan, S O'Driscoll) 6:36.29, 3 Brazil 6:41.66, 4 Bulgaria 6:42.81.
Lightweight Quadruple Sculls – Heat Two (First to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Italy 5:48.03; 3 Ireland (F McCarthy, R Ballantine, J McCarthy, A Goff) 5:53.43.
Double Sculls – Heat One (First Two to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Canada 6:54.02, 2 Netherlands 6:55.57; 6 Ireland (M Dukarska, A Crowley) 7:08.79.
Single Sculls – Heat One (Winner to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:25.78; 2 Denmark 7:39.93.
Doyle and Byrne Impress but Disappointment for O'Donovan and O'Driscoll
#Rowing: Ireland's Ronan Byrne and Philip Doyle produced a fine performance in their first competitive race together at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The Ireland double were up against it in their heat, with just one crew going directly to the A/B Semi-Finals. New Zealand's John Storey and Chris Harris made that theirs, using the fast conditions well. Italy and Ireland looked set to battle it out for second, but Doyle and Byrne opened up in the second half of the race and were well clear in second at the line.
Mark O'Donovan and Shane O'Driscoll finished a disappointing fifth in the men's pairs heat and will have to compete in a repechage to make the quarter-finals. Canada were impressive winners from South Africa and France, with Ireland and Belarus vying for the crucial fourth place and direct qualification. Ireland had a slight advantage with 500 metres to go, but the Belarussians wrested back the lead and had almost a second to spare crossing the line.
The women's pair of Aifric Keogh and Emily Hegarty qualified from their heat for the semi-finals, finishing second.
World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day One (Irish interest)
Pair – Heat Four (First Four to Quarter-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Canada 6:20.46, 2 South Africa 6:21.85, 3 France 6:25.43, 4 Belarus 6:28.22; 5 Ireland (M O'Donovan, S O'Driscoll) 6:29.10
Double Sculls – Heat One (Winner to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechages): 1 New Zealand 6:02.23; 2 Ireland (P Doyle, R Byrne) 6:12.61
Pair – Heat One (First Three to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechage): 1 New Zealand 6:56.06, 2 Ireland (A Keogh, E Hegarty) 7:11.51, 3 United States 7:13.02.
Philip Doyle
Ronan Byrne
O'Donovan and O'Driscoll Take Fifth in B Final at European Championships
#Rowing: Shane O'Driscoll and Mark O'Donovan took fifth in their B Final of the pairs, 11th overall, at the European Championships in Strathclyde Park in Scotland. In overcast but calm conditions, Ireland started well, but Germany took over and held the lead to 1500 metres. By then they were already under real pressure from Ollie Cook and Matt Rossiter from Britain, who took over and won. O'Driscoll won a battle with Ukraine at the back of the field but while they had the fastest final 500 metres they could not get past the Netherlands or Russia, who finished fourth and third. Germany were second.
European Championships, Day Three, Strathclyde, Scotland (Irish interest)
Pair – B Final (Places 7 to 12): Britain 6:36.77; 5 Ireland (M O'Donovan, S O'Driscoll) 6:44.58.
O'Donovan and O'Driscoll Take Fifth in Pairs Semi-Final at European Rowing
#Rowing: Mark O'Donovan and Shane O'Driscoll finished a close-up fifth in their semi-final of the pairs at the European Rowing Championships in Strathclyde, Scotland. France were the dominant force and took the first of the three qualification places. Italy were the most consistent challengers. Ireland held sixth and fifth through the middle of the race, but all the crews were in the hunt for the second and third places in the final quarter. Belarus drove into second; Italy took third. O'Donovan and O'Driscoll came with a sprint and almost caught the Netherlands, who took fourth.
European Rowing Championships, Strathclyde, Scotland – Day Two (Irish interest)
Pair – Semi-Final Two (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 France 6:26.94, 2 Belarus 6:29.06, 3 Italy 6:29.46; 5 Ireland (M O'Donovan, S O'Driscoll) 6:31.47
Lightweight Double Sculls – Repechage One (First Two to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Switzerland 7:03.89, 2 Britain 7:06.04; 3 Ireland (A Casey, D Walsh) 7:11.31.
The Half Ton Class was created by the Offshore Racing Council for boats within the racing band not exceeding 22'-0". The ORC decided that the rule should "....permit the development of seaworthy offshore racing yachts...The Council will endeavour to protect the majority of the existing IOR fleet from rapid obsolescence caused by ....developments which produce increased performance without corresponding changes in ratings..."
When first introduced the IOR rule was perfectly adequate for rating boats in existence at that time. However yacht designers naturally examined the rule to seize upon any advantage they could find, the most noticeable of which has been a reduction in displacement and a return to fractional rigs.
After 1993, when the IOR Mk.III rule reached it termination due to lack of people building new boats, the rule was replaced by the CHS (Channel) Handicap system which in turn developed into the IRC system now used.
The IRC handicap system operates by a secret formula which tries to develop boats which are 'Cruising type' of relatively heavy boats with good internal accommodation. It tends to penalise boats with excessive stability or excessive sail area.
The most significant events for the Half Ton Class has been the annual Half Ton Cup which was sailed under the IOR rules until 1993. More recently this has been replaced with the Half Ton Classics Cup. The venue of the event moved from continent to continent with over-representation on French or British ports. In later years the event is held biennially. Initially, it was proposed to hold events in Ireland, Britain and France by rotation. However, it was the Belgians who took the ball and ran with it. The Class is now managed from Belgium.
At A Glance – Half Ton Classics Cup Winners
2017 – Kinsale – Swuzzlebubble – Phil Plumtree – Farr 1977
2016 – Falmouth – Swuzzlebubble – Greg Peck – Farr 1977
2015 – Nieuwport – Checkmate XV – David Cullen – Humphreys 1985
2014 – St Quay Portrieux – Swuzzlebubble – Peter Morton – Farr 1977
2013 – Boulogne – Checkmate XV – Nigel Biggs – Humphreys 1985
2011 – Cowes – Chimp – Michael Kershaw – Berret 1978
2009 – Nieuwpoort – Général Tapioca – Philippe Pilate – Berret 1978
2007 – Dun Laoghaire – Henri-Lloyd Harmony – Nigel Biggs – Humphreys 1980~
2005 – Dinard – Gingko – Patrick Lobrichon – Mauric 1968


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Senate Passes $1.4 Billion Housing Bond Bill
Home Op-Eds & Press Releases Senate Passes $1.4 Billion Housing Bond Bill
(Boston) The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill authorizing $1.4 billion in capital spending over the next five years to fund the production and preservation of affordable housing in the Commonwealth, Senator Joan Lovely announced.
"We need to make sure that Massachusetts is a place where people of all economic backgrounds can live and thrive, and this legislation helps make that possible," said Senator Lovely. "Providing housing that is affordable is a necessity for balanced economic growth, and it's that type of growth that makes our communities stronger."
"This legislation takes an important step to preserve our existing housing options and support the growth of affordable housing for many of our most vulnerable populations," Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) said. "This bill will spur local economic development, create jobs and help our communities meet their housing needs."
The legislation establishes the Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund to provide grants to non-profit childcare organizations for capital improvements to their facilities. Eligible providers must reserve at least 25 percent of their childcare slots for families receiving a public subsidy.
This plan also allows for development projects that are within a half-mile of a mass transit hub to be eligible for funding by expanding the definition of transit-oriented development in the MassWorks Infrastructure Program.
The capital plan includes:
• $55 million for a home modification program for blind and severely disabled homeowners;
• $47 million for a loan program to provide community-based or supportive housing for individuals with mental illness or intellectual disabilities;
• $38 million for a loan program for community-based or supportive housing for individuals with disabilities who are institutionalized or at-risk of being institutionalized;
• $305 million to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to create and preserve affordable housing for households at or under 110 percent of the area median income;
• $135 million to the Housing Stabilization and Investment Trust Fund for acquisition, preservation and rehabilitation of affordable housing;
• $500 million for repairs and improvements to public housing;
• $50 million for a five-year grant program within the Department of Housing and Community Development to test cost-effective revitalization methods for family and elderly-disabled public housing;
• $80 million to the Housing Innovations Trust Fund to support innovative and alternative forms of housing;
• $100 million to the Capital Improvement and Preservation Trust Fund to purchase housing whose affordability restrictions have expired or are expiring;
• $45 million to develop residential housing and mixed-use and transit-oriented developments; and,
• $45 million for the Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund.
In addition, the bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to file an annual capital plan with the Legislature.
The Senate bill and the House bill will now go to a conference committee to produce a compromise bill for final passage and consideration of the governor.


As state and territory governments come to terms with the potential billion-dollar native title compensation bill following the landmark $2.5 million ruling for Timber Creek elders, legal experts grappled with the ramifications of the High Court setting a new precedent for native title claimants.
The court said the $1.3 million in compensation for "spiritual loss" suffered by the Ngaliwurru and Nungali peoples from public infrastructure such as roads, a school and water infrastructure being built on their ancestral lands in the Northern Territory was not manifestly excessive and in line with community standards.
There are six other native title compensation claims working their way through the courts – three in Western Australia and three in Queensland.
The "cultural loss" component of the overall compensation package has aroused the most interest, given the 203 residents of the small town of Timber Creek – two-thirds of whom are Indigenous – have been the main beneficiaries of the roads, public housing, water infrastructure, school and a cemetery that are part of the claim taken to court.
The Northern Territory and the Commonwealth had argued that the $1.3 million compensation figure decided by the Federal Court in 2016 for "cultural loss" from public works being built on their ancestral lands was excessive.
But the High Court found the amount for the loss of connection to the land was "appropriate", acknowledging the deep bond between Aboriginal people and the land and the relationship to their spirituality.
"There is nothing to suggest that the trial judge's award would not be accepted by the Australian community as appropriate, fair or just," the full bench of the High Court found.
"The amount is not so large that it suggests a failure to apply proper principles by reference to relevant considerations."
Lawyers contacted by The Australian Financial Review did not want to publicly comment on the "spiritual loss" aspect of the compensation ruling, but acknowledged it was a complex area of the law that dated back to the Mabo and Wik decisions of the 1990s.
"The development that occurred was for the benefit of the town which is mostly native title holders. But the court is saying we can't see it from the European perspective. For Aboriginal people the land was the most important thing and they seriously suffer sadness and anxiety when Europeans do these things," one lawyer, who did not want to be identified, said.
Northern Territory native title lawyer Sean Bowden said the High Court had established a framework and put a monetary value on "cultural loss" and spiritual attachment of Indigenous groups to their lands which other courts would now follow.
"It goes beyond [spiritual] sites. It goes more to the group and the spiritual attachment of people to their land," Mr Bowden told Sky News.
"The High Court has recognised the essential nature of the Aboriginal native title which is spiritual and to put a dollar value on it and they haven't treated it lightly. That is what lower courts will now need to do as cases move through the system."
The Timber Creek case is seen as the most important native title case since Mabo, but state and territory governments face large compensation bills which could be passed on to groups such as mining companies or pastoral companies that have developed on the land. The Queensland government has acknowledged in its budget that it faces "significant" potential liabilities from future cases.
The six native title compensation applications before the courts relate to three around Perth in WA, and three in Queensland, including one on Fraser Island.
The High Court judgment on Timber Creek outlined a number of public works, including a causeway and water tanks, that were built in the township without the consultation of native title claimants and which disrupted or damaged "Dreaming" sites.
"The Ngaliwurru and Nungali people's connection to country is unique, deep and broad," the High Court found.
Another lawyer noted that if white Australians had public works built on their land they would have been properly compensated.
Ngaliwurru elder Larry Johns acknowledged it might be hard to understand why Indigenous people were being awarded compensation for the building of public works, such as a school, on their lands.
"I know when I was a little fella, in the late 1940s or early 1950s, this area where the school is now, these things weren't here," he said.
"It's a good thing it's here now – education for the kids – but a lot of these areas was where women used to go collecting berries. There is nothing here now, it all got sprayed and there's weeds."


I was interested in big unknowns, and the brain is one of the biggest, so building tools that allow us to regard the brain as a big electrical circuit appealed to me.
It's not even known how many kinds of cells there are in the brain. If you were looking for a periodic table of the brain, there is no such thing. I really like to think of the brain as a computer.


With worldwide expertise in renewable energy solutions, the Israel-based battery technology developers at UltraCharge Ltd have produced breakthrough high-performance lithium battery technology for safer, longer lasting, cost-effective energy production and storage.
Both the private and the public sectors are more and more gearing toward electric battery technology to meet their 21st Century needs – be it in handheld communication devices, drones, or electric trains, buses, cars and scooters. With a lithium manganese nickel oxide-based battery, the technology is now also becoming cleaner, and therefore better suited to our times.
The booklet also describes how UltraCharge's CTO and researchers have identified developing technologies for the lithium-ion market through its presence in Europe, Australia, China and the US.
Through ongoing relationships with prestigious collaborators in business, science and academia, UltraCharge is well-placed to maintain its status as a world-leading battery technology developer.
After briefly showcasing one such collaboration with a partner in the electric scooter market, wherein UltraCharge was selected to produce 30,000 motors for a global customer base, the booklet introduces some of its other partners and clients, highlighting the international prestige of the company it keeps in its aim of producing low-cost, clean and efficient battery technology.
Improved cost-efficiency through sourcing low-cost raw materials.


PC App Store is a program designed for discovering, downloading, installing, updating, managing and uninstalling PC apps in one place. This application provides you with a lot of quality and trustworthy apps, official and secure guaranteed. Now you can always keep your PC notified with the timely and latest app updates.... Downloading PC App Store Free Thank you for using our software library. Use the link given below and proceed to the developer's website in order to download PC App Store free.
Want to get your apps straight from the Play Store without actually installing the Play Store on your device? This desktop appplication for Windows, Mac, or Linux lets you login to the Play Store... Back in the Windows 8 and 8.1 days, the Store only included those new �Metro apps� or �Modern apps��which Microsoft actually called �Store apps� in Windows 8.1. Those apps were more limited than desktop apps , only running in the full-screen Metro interface, and never truly �closing�.
PC App Store is a program designed for discovering, downloading, installing, updating, managing and uninstalling PC apps in one place. This application provides you with a lot of quality and trustworthy apps, official and secure guaranteed. Now you can always keep your PC notified with the timely and latest app updates.... PC App Store is a program designed for discovering, downloading, installing, updating, managing and uninstalling PC apps in one place. This application provides you with a lot of quality and trustworthy apps, official and secure guaranteed. Now you can always keep your PC notified with the timely and latest app updates.
Downloading PC App Store Free Thank you for using our software library. Use the link given below and proceed to the developer's website in order to download PC App Store free.
PC App Store is a program designed for discovering, downloading, installing, updating, managing and uninstalling PC apps in one place. This application provides you with a lot of quality and trustworthy apps, official and secure guaranteed. Now you can always keep your PC notified with the timely and latest app updates.
How to update apps and games from the App Store After a short time in the Apple ecosystem, you'll discover that a lot of apps and games get regular updates. Sometimes, they are fixing bugs and glitches, other times, they are adding new content.


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Quebec priest kayaks Houston streets helping flood victims
David Bergeron used his kayak to help people affected by the floods in Houston, as he made his way to his parish on Sunday.
Priest from Granby, Que., helped escort a man to safety with his kayak
CBC News · Posted: Aug 27, 2017 10:18 PM ET | Last Updated: August 28, 2017
Canadian priest kayaks Houston streets to help flood victims
Father David Bergeron has been using his kayak to check up on neighbours and members of his church in Houston after the city was hit with rising floodwaters 4:40
A Quebec priest used his kayak to help people affected by the floods in Houston, as he made his way to his parish on Sunday.
Father David Bergeron, who is originally from Granby, Que., and has been the priest at the Catholic Charismatic Center in Houston for the past two years, said he tried to buy some wine for mass at a convenience store but couldn't because alcohol sales are prohibited in Texas before noon on Sunday.
David Bergeron is a priest at the Catholic Charismatic Center in Houston. (Companions of the Cross)
He bought some food for a fellow priest instead and as he left the store saw some people in the flooded streets who needed help, including a man he helped escort to safety with his kayak.
"So I was just there beside him to escort him so that he was not swallowed by the currents," Bergeron told CBC News.
Catastrophic floods strike Houston, forcing thousands to flee
In an interview Monday morning, Bergeron told Quebec AM the water appears to have receded overnight but that many people are still stranded in their homes.
He said he will do whatever he can to help flood victims, with more rain in the forecast today.
"It is a very dangerous situation," he said.
"This is something that is difficult, but at the same time we have to keep hope."
'Catastrophic and life-threatening'
Harvey made landfall late Friday as a Category 4 hurricane.
People in the path of the storm were advised Monday to continue to shelter in place as "catastrophic and life-threatening" flooding continued in southeast Texas and headed east toward Louisiana, the U.S. National Hurricane Center warned.
Two people walk down a flooded section of Interstate 610 in floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Sunday in Houston. (David J. Phillip/Associated Press)
At least two deaths have been blamed on the storm and about 6.8 million people, or one-quarter of the population of Texas, are affected.
With files from Quebec AM and Associated Press
'A new and different normal': Thousands driven from homes as Harvey hammers Houston
Montreal-based forestry company wants to send lumber to help Texas rebuild
'The water is swallowing us up': tropical storm Harvey leaves hundreds in Texas pleading for help
Houston couple arrives in Vancouver as flood waters inch towards their home


Note from The Great Morel: This is essay which was submitted to The Great Morel from Racheal in Idaho. She does a fantastic job in portraying the various aspects of what morel hunting encompasses. Hidden in her work is the ever occurring theme of family.
Mushroom hunting is a season here in Idaho. When Spring comes and the weather starts to change, people begin talking about the mushrooms. People are more than happy to talk about their catch, but hardly ever will you get anyone to tell you exactly where they go. We keep our spots secret, so the next year we might have a better chance of coming out of the woods with a heavy bag of wild mushrooms. We have always went mushroom hunting as a family. My mom, my sister, my grandma, my grandpa and I have went almost every year. I think I have been going since I could walk. Some years we add more people into the bunch. I love to take someone who has never gone before. They get so excited if they happen to be the first to find a mushroom.
Supplies you will need: As we prepare to go mushroom hunting we must think ahead. Some tools are very essential for mushroom hunting. First, a knife is needed. It just has to be a small pocket knife or a paring knife from the kitchen. You also need to have a bag for carrying them throughout the woods and also have some flat boxes that can be laid in the trunk. It's good to spread them out because the weight of the mushrooms causes them to crumble. If you are unfamiliar with the area, you should go with a map or compass just in case you happen to get lost- as it is an easy thing to do since you are walking through the woods for hours looking at your feet. A few years back, my sister-in-law and I went out mushroom hunting alone. We went to a place that was familiar but somehow we got turned around and ended up on another road. We had no cell service and we ended up walking for about an hour before we finally found our car. It was a very scary experience.
Usually it's still a little cold. So we try to have several layers of clothing just in case. It's important to wear long pants and sneakers, just in case it is warm enough for the snakes to be out. We also wear our hair up, sometimes with a hat because some years we have seen ticks. We always make sure to bring an extra coat in the car, in case it does get cold. We also pack a lunch and make sure we have extra things to drink. You never know when your car will break down, or you might get stranded. It's always better to be prepared.
Weather: The weather is the most important determinant of when to go mushroom hunting. Most of the mushrooms emerge as the snow starts to melt (Freedman). People have all kinds of their own ways to determine when they should be heading to the woods looking for mushrooms. Ideally you should wait until in the spring when the temperature rises during the day to the sixties, and no colder than the forties at nigh- time (Stewart). Most people who I know wait until we have had some rain and then a few really warm days. We always go to Waha, which is about thirty to forty five minutes away from where we live. It is UP in the mountains, and my grandpa used to tell us that to find out how high up to go, you look for the skunk cabbage. Skunk cabbage is a green sort of foliage that erupts through the ground at the beginning of spring. If you break a piece off, it really does smell like a skunk. As you travel up the Waha grade, it starts out small, sometimes barely poking through the ground. As the elevation gets higher, the skunk cabbage gets larger. The wild mushrooms like to grow in the same sort of environments as the skunk cabbage does.
Environment: Wild mushrooms usually like moist areas, around burnt areas, and around fallen trees (The Great Morel). We have also always had more luck in the shady areas, such as under larger trees. Also areas, that are not as accessible to wild animals, like right around stumps of trees or in smaller areas that deer may not be able to get to. So it requires a lot of looking underneath brush and leaves. Just because you find them in one area one year doesn't mean you will find them in the same spot the next year. They like to move from one area to another (Freedman). When picking the mushroom, we use a small knife and cut as close to the ground as possible without digging it up. This means it can grow back later. You are not harming it, it's just like picking fruit off of a bush (Kuznik). We have a family place that we like to check out every year. You walk for quite a while before you come into this dusky clearing. It's pretty shaded from the trees and it is off the path. The mushrooms are almost always thick there. You can stand in one place and pick a whole bag.
Different kinds of mushrooms: There are several types of mushrooms to look for. In our area, we mostly pick Morels, Brains, and Elephant Ears. Elephant ears are very hard to find. They are a medium brown color and are flat to the ground. They are very fragile so we usually don't end up with any of them. They are still fun to find though. Brains are also less common and very crumbly. They do look like brains, and are usually a medium brown color. Morels are the most common, and best tasting ones that we usually hunt for. They are firmer and still have the appearance of a brain. But usually they are longer, anywhere from one inch to four or five inches tall. They have a cream colored stem, and the top color ranges anywhere from brown to orange to black. Stay away from mushrooms that are mushy or wormy (Freedman). Wild mushrooms have a smell that is kind of hard to describe. They smell a lot like mushrooms in the store. They have a very earthy smell.
Cleaning wild mushrooms: After you pick your wild mushrooms and return home it is very important to clean them properly. Mushrooms cannot be washed like other vegetables as they are very fragile. Some sources say that you should slice them down the middle and rinse them (Freedman). Our family always gets them home and cleans them up as best as possible. Then we place them in large tubs of salt water and keep them in the refrigerator over night. We do this because there is not only a lot of debris that come off of the mushrooms but there are also a lot of tiny bugs. If they are really dirty we change the water in between. I personally would not avoid the soaking process. It does not take away any of the flavor. Some people think that mushrooms absorb the water if soaked, but from our experience they have never been soggy or mushy from one or even two soakings.
Cooking wild mushrooms: Our family have a certain way that we eat our wild mushrooms. I found a recipe online that is just like the way that we eat our mushrooms. We like to slice them in half or even quarters. Then we dredge them in flour, salt, and pepper and fry them in butter until they are very well browned and a bit crunchy (Chef Sara). Then take them out of the butter and let them sit on paper towel. Morels have a nutty meaty taste to them. When you cook them until they are crunchy they are a bit salty. We love them. They are a little rich, so it is good that you can only get them once a year. One year we had some missionaries from church over to try our mushrooms. They both had lived in areas where they did not hunt for mushrooms and they were very excited to try them.
There are many other ways to eat wild mushrooms. My grandma likes to add them to spaghetti sauce and casseroles. People like to try other recipes such as Morels in wine sauce, Morel mushroom soup, Mushroom gravy, and Morels and wild rice (Pendleton). People also like to cook with dried morels. They say that the flavor is still very good and you just have to add some liquid to plump them back up before you add them to your sauce (Freedman).
Being together as a family: We really enjoy going mushroom hunting every year. It a great family activity. There is no TV or phone to distract anyone. It's nice and quiet and gives a family a great chance to reconnect with each other. Mushroom hunting can be very physically demanding depending on where you hunt, there is a lot of walking involved. If you are unfamiliar with the area, precautions should be taken to avoid getting lost. My grandpa is missing from our hunting party now. I am pretty sure if there was one thing he misses it would be the mushroom hunting. We spent so many spring days walking through the forests of Idaho. My grandpa always used those days as teaching for something else. Those days were always spent learning many things, I even learned how to drive a truck while we were mushroom hunting.
We look forward every spring to loading up the car with our cooler and warm clothes. So many of my childhood memories wrapped up in this activity, and so many family members are involved. We had so much fun trying to see who could find the first one. We used to race to see who could find the most, and sometimes it got pretty wild if two people spotted one at the same time. So, for now we sit back and wait. As soon as grandma gives the word that the skunk cabbage is up, we will start getting ready for our next hunt.
Worthy of Reading essay. permalink.


While our dolphin trips are taking a break over the winter the amazing marine life in our back yard are as active as ever. The marine life seem to be coming into the harbour to see where we are.
Just the other morning we had a playful young fur seal showing off around the boat while chasing little fish in the marina and putting on a fantastic show. He seemed to revel in all the attention and hung around in the sun once he had finished feeding.
There was also a spectacular flying fish later that day, slowly swimming near the boat, showing its beautiful colouring of blues and pinks when it caught the sun. We often see these guys while we are out with the dolphins. Flying fish are a favourite diet for common dolphins and they tend to make themselves scarce when the dolphins show up so its hard to get a good look. Flying fish have 'wings' which are actually large fins, theses allow them to 'fly' skimming the water to quickly avoid predators.


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Confessions of a Foodie
Quick, easy Mexican lentil stew packs surprising nutritional punch
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Casinos give back through charitable donations
As of late September, Harrah's SoCal's cash donations for 2019 had totaled nearly $250,000. Numerous employees had also participated in numerous volunteer-sweat equity events and fund-raising drives, including a beach cleanup.
From one-time cash gifts to years-long partnerships with charities, community event sponsorships, to in-kind donations and employee volunteer teams, San Diego casinos contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars to local causes every year
By Michele Parente
It's hard to miss all the hoopla associated with the San Diego-area's casinos, whether it's ads for sweet deals for new players, clusters of billboards announcing the latest casino resort upgrade/amenity addition/lobster special or ubiquitous social media posts congratulating recent jackpot winners.
But there's also lots of casino activity that goes on mostly behind the scenes: philanthropy.
From one-time cash gifts to years-long partnerships with charities, community event sponsorships, to in-kind donations, silent auction items, toy and food drives, and employee volunteer teams, casinos contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to local causes and organizations.
As the region's casinos have grown, so has their giving. The Barona Band of Mission Indians and Barona Resort & Casino estimate that over the years, they've jointly contributed tens of millions of dollars to organizations and nonprofit groups throughout San Diego County and California.
"With a focus on health and wellness, education, and causes benefiting children, the military and veterans, Barona has literally touched thousands of people in the community with its charitable giving program," said Barona spokesperson Kelly Speer.
Sycuan public affairs manager Amber Fields said that collectively, the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and Sycuan Casino Resort give to hundreds of San Diego charities and organizations a year, something that has become part of Sycuan's mission.
Fields, who is the subject of this Casino Guide's Employee Spotlight, said Sycuan's philanthropic effort is driven by a sense of pay-it-forward gratitude.
"Fifty years ago, they were needy, they were on the other end of the giving stick. ... Now that the roles are reversed, it's almost a no-brainer. That's just what you're supposed to do," she said.
Players have gotten into the spirit as well, joining casinos in fund-raising slot tournaments that benefit various charities.
In August, Valley View Casino & Hotel launched its first ALS Challenge Me Slot Tournament that awarded guests $10,000 in cash and prizes and 100 percent of the proceeds went to the ALS Association Greater San Diego Chapter Care Services Initiative.
"It is an honor and privilege for our team to support as many families as possible that are affected by ALS," said general manager Bruce Howard. "At Valley View Casino & Hotel, we are all here to help support those in the Greater San Diego Chapter serve these remarkable families."
As part of its community outreach program Pala Cares, Pala Casino Spa & Resort kicked off a series of monthly charity slot tournaments in October. Its inaugural slot fund-raiser brought in over $13,000 for Susan G. Komen San Diego, which works to help prevent and cure breast cancer.
"Giving back to the community has always been important to the Pala Band of Mission Indians," said Pala spokesperson Coley McAvoy. "Partnering with our guests to help others in need is the essence of community."
In this season of giving, we asked local casinos to share their community charitable endeavors for the year.
Note: Some of the casinos declined to participate in this report, preferring to keep their giving and partnerships behind the scenes. Others gave general information about their donations, while a few were more specific, providing the name of every group they've given to and the exact dollar amounts. Information, which reflects both tribal and casino donations, was provided by the casinos, not the organizations on the receiving end. Due to deadline restraints, some of the amounts may have changed since publication.
Barona focused on the long-term, providing information on its community giving program and other efforts over the past 25 years.
The only San Diego-area casino where alcohol is not allowed on the casino floor, Barona was honored earlier this year with the San Diego Civic Leadership Award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). For 20 years, Barona has been a partner with MADD San Diego, financially supporting its efforts to eliminate drunk driving, support victims and prevent underage drinking.
During the holidays, Barona's 3,200 staff members host internal initiatives to help organizations, such as toy drives and food drives benefiting the Monarch School and the San Diego Rescue Mission, and raising money for the American Cancer Society on National Denim Day.
Scores of groups have received part of the multi-million dollar pot that Barona has donated, including the Aztec Athletic Foundation ($1.17 million), Sharp Grossmont Hospital ($1 million), and a Sharp Memorial cardiac wing ($500,000).
Speer also provided "a small sample of some of the organizations Barona has donated to over the past 25 years" and said the tribe had also given more than $3.6 million in education grants to hundreds of schools throughout the state.
Recipients of charitable donations: Ronald McDonald House; Balboa Park December Nights; San Diego Blood Bank; Meals on Wheels; San Diego Food Bank; Make a Wish Foundation; St. Vincent de Paul; We Thank Our Troops; Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; Rady Children's Hospital; Down Syndrome Association; San Diego Center for Children; American Heart Association; Holiday Bowl; Lakeside Chamber of Commerce; Santee community events/groups; Ramona community events/groups; Lakeside Riverpark Conservancy; Toby Wells Foundation; Air Group One; Boys & Girls Clubs; Carols by Candlelight; San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce; Vietnamese-American Youth Alliance (VAYA); San Diego Chinese Center; Grossmont College Foundation; Grossmont Hospital Foundation; San Diego Symphony; Seany Foundation; Asian Business Association; Volunteers of America; Kids Korps USA; Mother Goose Parade; Foundation for Women; Matt LaChappa Athletic Scholarship Fund Golf Tournament; American Red Cross; San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce; San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau; Lakeside Christian Help Center; Soroptimist International of San Diego; American Liver Foundation; American Academy of Pediatrics; South Bay Community Services; San Diego Armed Forces; YMCA; San Diego Air & Space Museum; Young Native Scholars; Fallen Officer Fund; Lions, Tigers & Bears; Bridge for Kids; American Cancer Society; California Highway Patrol (CHP) Senior Volunteer program; The Children's Initiative; Second Chance; Serving Seniors; Promises2Kids; MANA of San Diego; YALLA College Bound; Kiwanis of Rancho Bernardo.
Earlier this year, tribal members and casino officials from Jamul Casino presented the Susan G. Komen organization with a check for $10,000.
Jamul Casino
Jamul said it sponsors over 50 charitable organizations every year with cash donations, gift baskets, non-perishable goods, food, and other items of need.
Among the sponsorships Jamul has funded over the past year are the San Diego International Film Festival ($50,000), Veterans Village of San Diego ($10,000), Susan G. Komen for the Cure ($10,000) and East County Posse ($5,000).
Jamul Casino-Jamul Indian Village, led by tribal chairwoman Erica Pinto (left), also donated $10,000 to Veterans Village of San Diego.
Harrah's SoCal team members bond with a pup from Canine Companions, an organization helped by the casino.
Harrah's Resort Southern California
As of late September, Harrah's SoCal's cash donations for 2019 had totaled nearly $250,000. Numerous employees had also participated in numerous volunteer-sweat equity events and fund-raising drives.
Recipients of charitable donations: Interfaith Community Services, $4,000; The Honor Foundation, $4,000; Canine Companions for Independence, $4,000; Girls Inc. of San Diego County, $5,000; San Diego Food Bank, $20,000; Kitchens for Good, $55,000; Ocean Discovery Institute, $4,000; Meals on Wheels of Greater San Diego, $4,000; Michelle's Place Cancer Resource Center, $4,000; North County LGBTQ Resource Center, $16,500; Our Nicholas Foundation for Autism, $3,550; Operation Silver Star, $4,000; Operation Homefront, $4,000; Reality Changers, $4,000; San Diego Coastkeeper, $4,000; Habitat for Humanity San Diego, $10,000; San Diego Oasis, $5,000; Mitchell Thorp Foundation, $25,000; American Heart Association, $5,000; American Red Cross, $25,000; Human Rights Campaign, $2,225; Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, $5,000; The San Diego LGBT Community Center, $5,000; Rady's Children's Hospital $3,260; San Diego Padres For Those Who Serve, $5,000.
Major in-kind donations: Training lunch for Canine Companions for Independence; golf tournament lunch sponsor for the Elizabeth Hospice Annual Tournament; spa day for cancer survivors from Michelle's Place Cancer Resource Center; Total Escape packages (valued at $1,200 each) to San Diego Youth Services, American Cancer Society, American Liver Foundation, California Center for the Arts Escondido, Casa de Amparo Meet the Chefs Event, Coronado Hospital Foundation, Cal State University San Marcos, El Cajon Police Officers Association, San Diego Food Bank, Palomar Hospital Foundation, Lions, Tigers and Bears, Murrieta Rotary Foundation, North San Diego Business Chamber, Operation Game On, Rancho Coastal Humane Society, Randy Jones Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities San Diego, San Diego Humane Society, San Diego Zoo, Silver State Equality, Workshops for Warriors Annual Gala.
In addition to cash donations from the casino, Harrah's SoCal team members also volunteer time and hard work at various organizations, such as Canine Companions.
Every year, Pala supports Oceanside's Brother Benno's Center, a nonprofit serving the poor and homeless, by donating thousands of pounds in canned foods. It collects hundreds of toys every year for Temecula's Koinonia Family Services, which works with a children's charity going through foster care or adoption. "Donations for these charities have been collected through the generosity of Pala guests and Pala team members," McAvoy said.
With the new monthly charity slot tournament, the player-paid $20 entry fees are matched by Pala and all of the proceeds are donated. Entrants automatically get $25 in free play and have a chance to win up to $10,000 in added play.
In addition to the $13,000-plus raised for Susan G. Komen in October, Pala's second tournament in November benefited The Wounded Warrior Project. Proceeds from the Dec. 10 charity event will go to Toys for Tots.
Sycuan Casino Resort
Major donations by the Sycuan tribe and casino in 2019 added up to $427,000, as of Sept. 30.
Recipients of charitable donations ($10,000 and up): 29th Annual Charity Golf Tournament ($100,000) benefiting The National Native American Veterans Memorial at the National Museum of the American Indian, Psychiatric Emergency Response Team, City of San Diego's San Diego Family Justice Center and UCSD School of Medicine Association of Native American Medical Students ($25,000 each); Kumeyaay Community College ($50,000); Mama's Kitchen ($25,000); National MS Society ($25,000); Big Brothers Big Sisters ($25,000); Komen San Diego for Race for the Cure ($20,000); San Diego Blood Bank Padres Blood Drive ($15,000); ALS Association ($12,000); American Red Cross ($10,000); St. Madeleine Sophie's Center ($10,000); Pacific Arts Movement San Diego Asian Film Festival ($10,000).
Partnerships/donations: Alliance for Quality Education; Alpine Chamber of Commerce; Alpine Community Center; Alpine Girls Softball Association; ALS Association Greater San Diego; Alzheimer's Association of San Diego; American Cancer Society Relay for Life; American Diabetes Association; American Fire Sprinkler Association; American Heart Association; American Red Cross San Diego/Imperial Chapter; Armed Services YMCA; Art for People; Better Business Bureau, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego; Canine Companions for Independence; Cesar Chavez Service Clubs; Challenge Center; Challenged Athletes Foundation; Chula Vista Seventh-Day Adventist Church; City of El Cajon; City of Lemon Grove; Clairemont Girls Fastpitch; California Nations Indian Gaming Association; Comic Con Museum; Corazón de Vida Foundation; Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce; Downtown El Cajon Business Partners; San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce; East County Economic Development Council; Echoes of Hope; El Cajon Police Officers Association; El Capitan Baseball Boosters; El Capitan Football Boosters; Equality California; FilAmFest-Filipino American Arts & Culture Festival; Final Honor; FirefighterAid; Friends of The Water Conservation Garden; Globe Guilders; Hannah' House; Harvest CROPS; Home of Guiding Hands; Home Start, Inc.; Human Rights Campaign; I Love A Clean San Diego; Kitchens for Good; La Mesa Chamber of Commerce; Labs & More; Lakeside American Youth Soccer Organization; Las Patronas; Lions Tigers & Bears; Little Saigon San Diego Foundation; Los Toros Youth Football & Cheer Association; Mama's Kitchen; McAlister Institute; Meals on Wheels; Monte Vista High School PTSA; National City Chamber of Commerce; National Multiple Sclerosis Society; Noah Homes Inc.; Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce; Pacific Islander Festival Association; Pancreatic Cancer Action Network; Rady Children's Hospital; Ramona Nutrition Program; Rob Benson Foundation; RunEC Foundation; San Diego Blood Bank;San Diego Council on Literacy; San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Foundation; San Diego Enforcers; San Diego House Rabbit Society; San Diego Humane Society; San Diego Las Hermanas; San Diego LGBT Community Center; San Diego Opera; San Diego Pride; San Diego Public Library Foundation; San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation; San Diego Second Chance; San Diego SWAT Officers Association; San Diego Symphony; San Diego Tourism Authority; San Diego Voice & Viewpoint; San Miguel Firefighters Charitable Foundation; Santee Chamber of Commerce; Santee Santas Foundation; Serving Seniors; Shelter to Soldier; SoCal Street Rod Association; Soroptimist International of San Diego; Special Ops Survivor; Sports Innovators; St. Madeleine Sophie's Center; Star-Pal Police Athletic League; Survivors of Suicide Loss; Susan G. Komen; The Kylie Rowand Foundation; The Old Globe; The Salvation Army Women of Dedication; The Wounded Marine Fund; Toward Maximum Independence; Urban League of San Diego; USA Softball Santee.
Valley View team members present a check to the winner of the first ALS Challenge.
Valley View Casino & Hotel
Valley View focused on its partnership with the ALS Association Greater San Diego Chapter. At the inaugural ALS Challenge Me Slot Tournament in August, a $100 entry-donation included a free Maine Lobster Buffet and a commemorative windbreaker. Over $10,000 in cash and prizes was awarded to the tournament's top scorers including a grand prize of $2,500 cash and his/hers Citizen watches donated by Unicorn Jewelry in Rancho Bernardo.
One hundred percent the event proceeds went to the ALS Association Greater San Diego Chapter Care Services Initiative, a program that aims to improve the health, well-being, mobility, independence, communication and safety of people living with ALS in San Diego and Imperial counties.
"We are very grateful to the Valley View Casino & Hotel team members for their tremendous support for our cause," said Steve Becvar, executive director of The ALS Association Greater San Diego Chapter. "Our partnership has continued to grow over the years and it is because of this support that we are able to help so many people impacted by ALS."
For 2020, Valley View is planning to hold the Third Annual ALS Fiesta Banquet and fundraiser on May 20, and its next annual ALS Challenge Me Slot Tournament on July 26.
Viejas Casino & Resort
Viejas said it had worked with and donated to dozens of charities throughout the year, Among the most notable were: Susan G. Komen San Diego; San Diego Food Bank; Armed Services YMCA; San Diego Pride; USO; Fleet Week and Mama's Kitchen.
Viejas also sponsored a number of community events, including: La Jolla Concours d'Elegance; La Mesa Oktoberfest; San Diego Old Town Festival; San Diego Pride; CityFest Art & Music Festival; Gaslamp Gala; San Diego County Hispanic Chamber's 30th Anniversary Gala; Celebrando Latinas.
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