An Introduction to the Earthworm

The animal kingdom is divided into two subkingdoms, invertebrate and vertebrate animals -- animals with back-bones and animals without backbones. The invertebrate group is distinguished by nine phyla, or divisions. In this group there are over 500,000 known kinds of animals, ranging from the lowest form of animal life, minute single-celled protozoa, to arthropoda -- crabs, insects and spiders. In the vertebrate group there are well over 30,000 known kinds -- fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

When it is stated that in this vast array of creatures the lowly, segmented earthworm is probably the most important to mankind, most may find that illogical and unreasonable. Yet, few creatures equal the burrowing earthworm as being essential to better health and greater growth to plant and vegetable life. Therefore, indirectly, it is of the utmost importance to man.

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The burrowing earthworm is Nature's plow, chemist, cultivator, fertilizer, distributor of plant food. In every way, the earthworm surpasses anything man has yet invented to plow, cultivate or fertilize the soil.

While it is unquestionably true that plants and vegetables grow and reproduce their kind without the aid of the earthworm, most naturalists claim that all fertile areas have, at one time or another, passed through the bodies of earthworms.

It is also true that the finest plants and vegetables become healthier and more productive through the activities of this lowly animal, which the ordinary person considers useful only as bird food or fish bait.

The earthworm has been playing a very important role in the drama of plant life from time so distant that scientists can merely guess as to the age of this invertebrate animal. Regardless, scientific men are agreed that mankind may rightly acknowledge the earthworm as one of his best friends.

In this chapter, or lesson, the reader will be presented with a brief genealogical background of the earthworm and the manner in which it has indirectly aided mankind by directly aiding plant life. This background should help the reader to understand facts regarding the earthworm which should be known to anyone interested in gardening, farming, orcharding or poultry raising.

If must first be realized that there are worms and 'worms.' All are invertebrate animals. This work shall be focused on only the phylum annelida.

The division of invertebrate animals, of which the earthworm is a member, is composed of five families or classes. These, in turn, are divided into two orders. The phylum annelida, the entire division of earthworms, contains upward of eleven hundred species.

Of this extensive array, we shall concern ourselves only with earthworms, for there are marine worms, swamp worms and beach worms, many of which appear to be 'just worms.'

While all annelida are, more or less, closely related, each specie has distinct features. Some have habits quite foreign to other species. Some prosper only in certain, specific environments and die if transplanted elsewhere. Some have definitely formed heads, with whiskers, teeth and eyes. Others have no heads, are toothless and eyeless. Some worms are hermaphroditical, others bisexual. Some live exclusively in water, others in soggy soil, others in decayed animal matter (manure), others in decayed vegetable matter (humus).

Low as earthworms are in the scale of life, they show unmistakable signs of intelligence. Charles Darwin's experimentations with them conclusively proved that instinct alone could not guide them so consistently. (See Darwin's famous work, The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Actions of Worms, with Observations on Their Habits.)

Some earthworms come to the surface of the soil and can crawl a great distance, especially in rainy weather, when their burrows or tunnels are flooded. All throw their bodily excrements, technically known as castings, behind them. Some species throw their castings above the surface of the soil, forming small hillocks or mounds.

Countless thousands of years before the rocky surface of the earth disintegrated to form what we call soil, an extensive list of animals and plants lived in the waters. Marine worms were undoubtedly present in those obscure ages.

In time, as the waters receded, various animals and plants evolved certain anatomical organs to meet the new conditions. Some marine worms acquired physical characteristics which permitted them to live, first in very marshy ground, later in 'dry land.'

The phrase, 'dry land' should here be qualified, for, in the strictest sense, there are exceptionally few spots on the face of the earth that are dry. No creature can live on, or in, dry land. It is a common remark, -- breathe air -- but what we are actually doing -- "what all living things are doing -- is breathing nitrogen dissolved in water.

We should keep this fact regarding the vital need of water constantly before us as we study the worm and its relation to plant life, for both must have moisture to live.

Now that we have cursorily traced the earthworm from its parent environment to the so-called dry land, we will focus on those known to science as Oligochaeta.

This group is composed chiefly of terrestrial worms, and is the subject of the book Friend Earthworm.

The earthworms, like all other families, is sub-divided into various groups, but for our purpose all we need know are the common names for this class. These are orchard worm, rain worm, angle worm, dew worm, brandling, compost worm, night crawler, fish worm, night lions and similarly descriptive names familiar to certain areas of the United States.

Let us now combine all these common names and visualize the last earthworm we saw.

In size, it may have been from two inches to perhaps a foot in length. Although, twelve inches is long for an earthworm on the North American Continent, except in very damp forest lands.

In considering an external description of the earthworm, we find all species so much alike that few can distinguish one species from another without careful examination.

All are 'headless,' eyeless and toothless. There are no external antennae or feelers. From tip to tail the body is composed of ringlike segments. A short distance from the 'head' is seen a band, which is lighter in color than the rest of the body.

That, briefly, describes how the earthworm appears to the naked eye. The earthworm's internal system is highly complicated. Yet, paradoxically enough, it is magnificently simple. Picture a flexible metal tube the size of a lead pencil, in which is built a plant capable of refining gasoline from crude oil. In a comparative sense, the earthworm's system does to soil what the modern refinery does to crude oil.

The earthworm has a multiple system of hearts, minute tubes circling that part of the alimentary canal between the pharynx and the crop. Through a complicated system, these hearts supply blood to all parts of the body.

Minus lungs, the earthworm 'breathes' through its moist epidermis or outer skin. The blood corpuscles are colorless and float to the surface of each segment where they absorb oxygen.

Under an ordinary magnifying glass, the pores of the various segments are visible. If one were to gently squeeze an earthworm, minute drops of yellowish serum would be seen coming out from it.

This serum is composed chiefly of oil of high medicinal value. Experiments for its extraction, discussed in a later chapter, are now in progress. It is hoped that this oil may be extracted in quantities sufficient to encourage production.

Except for a number of hearts, all the vital organs of the earthworm are under the previously mentioned band, which zoologists call the clitellum. This band is the chief characteristic of the earthworm, distinguishing it from all other worms except a few leeches and a few other marine worms.

Under this band, in compact uniformity, are seminal vesicles and receptacles, testes, ovaries, oviduct and egg sac. Directly behind these is the crop, where the food is held until the gizzard, just beyond the crop, is ready to accept it. Next follows the intestine, a distinctly oval shaped tube, and then the rest of the alimentary canal to the vent or anus.

Our earthworm is bisexual, containing both male and female organs of procreation, and must perform a reciprocal act of copulation to fertilize and be fertilized.

The sexual act of the earthworm, usually occurring in the cool hours of the early dawn and twilight, makes an interesting and curious study of nature's method for propagating the specie.

Neither animal has external sexual organs, though the pores, through which the seminal fluids appear, are visible under a small magnifying glass. The sexual act is not preceded by any display of amorous cooing or lovemaking. The worms, driven solely by instinct when the procreative glands demand relief, seek a position that brings their bands together and remain thus, quite motionless, for as long as fifteen minutes. If exposed to a bright light during the sexual act, the embrace is broken. Worms, though sightless, are very susceptible to light.

During the act of coitus, each worm exchanges male sperm, impregnating, or, at least, theoretically impregnating, their female ovas. Also during the act, there is an increased flow of the fluid which keeps the entire length of the worm's body moist. This fluid forms the capsule in which the eggs are deposited. It is heavier and thickens rapidly.

When the hymeneal act is completed and the earthworms separate, this fluid forms an outer band. The new band or shield begins to move forward, eventually dropping from the earthworm's 'head.'

During the forward movement of the gelatine-like band, the impregnated eggs are held firmly within. As it drops off the earthworm, it closes into a yellowish-green pellet or capsule, slightly larger than a grain of rice. This capsule resembles, to a remarkable degree, a very small currant.

Earthworm capsules examined under a powerful microscope show a lack of uniformity in the number of cells. There will be, however, from three to fifteen fertile eggs in a capsule.

Earthworm eggs hatch in about 21 days. The newborn appear as short bits of whitish thread about one-quarter of an inch in length. In 12 to 48 hours, they become darker but are visible to the untrained eye only after a painstaking search for them.

Once hatched, it is a case of each worm for itself. Close observation seems to lead students of these lowly organized creatures to believe their mortality rate exceptionally low.

Worms begin to mate from 60 to 100 days after birth, depending upon the richness or poorness of the soil in which they live or in which they are cultured.

Mating follows at periods from six to eight days. If we are to follow the average fertility of each capsule laid, that is, three worms, one mature worm will beget over one hundred and fifty worms each year of its life. Each mating, should produce twice that number, or over three hundred worms a year.

Certain species of earthworms, particularly those that come to the surface and crawl about during wet or rainy weather, seem to be chiefly active during the nocturnal hours. Other species -- which we will discuss later -- are, apparently, active throughout most of the day and night. This species seldom, if ever, comes to the surface, depending on the porosity of the soil.

Except in highly porous soils, the earthworm must eat its way through. Having no teeth, everything before it, if not too large to swallow, is sucked into the mouth. It is a ravenous eater.

Every morsel of soil and decayed vegetable and animal matter taken in by the earthworm passes through its digestive system. This is equipped with a gizzard-like organ. Here the food value in the swallowed matter is extracted for use by the worm. The rest is carried by muscular action down through, and out of, the alimentary canal. This waste matter is called castings.

An Introduction to the Earthworm

Obtain Your Free Annual Credit Score

A recent amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (F.C.R.A.) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting agencies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months.

Although your credit score is generally not included in the free annual credit report that is available from the website annualcreditreport, they do state that you can purchase your credit score from any of the three credit reporting agencies by contacting them individually or you can purchase them from annualcreditreport when ordering your annual credit reports through their website. Either way you are paying a fee in order to obtain each reporting agency's valuation of your credit score.

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What the website annualcreditreport does not tell you is that you are able to obtain your free credit score from each of the three agencies along with a free annual credit report by signing up with special programs being offered by the three agencies. These programs are connected with a monitoring service being offered by these agencies, and people who sign up for these programs are given a free credit report along with a no-cost credit score just for signing up during a no-cost 30 day trial period.

If you are ever dissatisfied with the service, you can cancel anytime within the 30 day period without incurring any service fees. This means that essentially you are able to obtain your free annual credit score along with the federally mandated annual free credit report by trying out their service. As long as you cancel the trial service within the 30 day period, you will not be charged any fees.

You must be careful though when signing up for one of these programs in order to obtain your free credit score as there are other companies, which may or may not be scrupulous, advertising these same services and benefits. If you are tempted to use one of these services in order to obtain your free credit score, keep in mind that many of these companies are not as interested in getting you your report as much as they are getting hold of your information. Just be aware that the company you are signing up with is one of these three agencies and not a separate company.

Why is it important to obtain your credit score along with your credit reports from all three reporting agencies? Because this gives you the opportunity to see the differences in credit scoring as well as to check through each credit report for erroneous items. If you can successfully dispute an item on a credit report, that item must by law be removed from your report, thus allowing your credit score to rise. The reporting agency is given 30 days to resolve disputed items. If an agency cannot successfully validate a disputed item, then the item must be removed from your report.

There are some occasions on which you are allowed to request a free credit report and score from the credit reporting agency used by a company. If you fall under any of the following categories, you are allowed to request to see the credit report if a company denies you credit, insurance, or employment (if this was a part of your employment application) provided you request a report within 60 days of this denial.

* You have been denied credit in the past 60 days

* You are unemployed

* You are on welfare

* You believe your credit report contains inaccurate and unverified information

Obtain Your Free Annual Credit Score

The Debt Aftermarket and It's Effect on Your Credit Score

Consumers should be aware of the debt aftermarket and how it can affect your credit report. I call the sale and resale of debt from the original creditor to a third party "the debt aftermarket."

Many consumers who have outstanding obligations, especially older obligations, receive collection letters from companies they have never heard of. Sometimes they simply ignore them and assume its a mistake because they don't recognize the creditor.

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The business of the sale of debt portfolios is "big business" and prevalent in today's financial circles. Therefore, it is likely that some of your debts have been or will be sold.

When reviewing your credit report, be very careful to ascertain the identity of every creditor entry. This sometimes can be a difficult task on some older obligations because they have been sold several times. A common practice for these buyers of bad debt is to place a new entry on your credit report which would look like you incurred a new obligations and defaulted on it. This creates a new set of problems for you. First, it impedes your road to rebuilding credit because it appears as if you continued to default. Secondly, the time period before the adverse entry would be deleted starts over. Thus, assume you owed an obligation to Orchard Bank and the last contact with them was 6 years ago. With nothing else done during those six years, that entry would be deleted in one year and then would not adversely affect your score. However, if Orchard Bank sells the bad debt to a debt buyer, they then enter a new entry on your report for a 6 year old debt. Your time-frame to have that entry deleted would start over.

The debt aftermarket is the sale of obligations you owe to a particular creditor, to a third-party, to whom you do not have an obligation or a business relationship with. This does not mean you do not owe the obligation as your original creditor does, in fact, maintain assignment rights. However, consumers need to be aware of the identity of their creditors in order to repair their credit and increase their credit score.

This is an everyday occurrence in the debt and credit industry and, although done without your knowledge, has certain impact upon you. It is crucial to your credit building process to understand the complex niche of the purchase and sale of debt. Transactions involving third parties relating to the sale and resale of your debts present a clear and present danger to you and your worthy aspirations of good credit.

If a review of your credit report discloses various entries from creditors whom you do not recognize, it could very well mean that your debt was sold by its original owner (the party you contracted with). The debt, in fact, could have been resold as well, thus complicating the matter further. It is critical that you ascertain the original creditor to whom the particular obligation is attributed to. This investigation is crucial to a proper analysis of your credit and in the phase of effectuating a plan of resolution.

Let's explore the debt aftermarket.

The debt aftermarket provides a method by which creditors can generate immediate revenue from their accounts receivable or customers. The creditors can and do sell pools (or groups) of "bad debts" to a third party agency. These pools are usually obligations of some age after in-house efforts to collect were attempted and not successful. These pools may vary in age greatly. The original creditor usually sells these pools of debts in volume for pennies on the dollar to generate revenue on a non-performing account. By doing so, they save money on collection efforts, commissions, legal fees, etc.

These actions are purely a financial business decision made by the creditor. Many problems can arise by this type of secondary industry of debt collection and precisely, the results of this practice lead us to highly recommend periodically reviewing your credit report.

Frequently, when these pools of debts are sold, there is not a proper review of the individual obligations to determine the viability of the debt. Examples of debts that are not viable or collectible by any creditor may be debts discharged in bankruptcy or debts upon which the Statute of Limitations to pursue have expired (discussed hereinafter).

As a result of the rapid growth of outstanding consumer credit and the corresponding increase in delinquencies, credit granters have increasingly looked to third party service providers in managing the accounts receivable process. In addition, rapid consolidation in the largest credit granting industries including banking, healthcare, telecommunications and utilities, has forced businesses to focus on core business activities and to outsource ancillary functions, including some or all aspects of the accounts receivable management process. This mindset has led businesses with receivables to determine the best and most cost effective approach for their business. Businesses have several options of collecting outstanding debt, which include in-house collection, contingent fee arrangements with outside collectors and the sale of bad debt.

To understand the debt aftermarket, we need to understand the collection process itself. Thus, lets diverge to the process briefly. Creditors typically attempt their own in-house collection efforts upon a debt becoming delinquent. Many consumers are well aware of the initial calls received from the creditor when an obligation is late. This can be a call received within days of the obligations due date. Thereafter, the in-house collection calls may increase for a period of 30 to 120 days At that point, the creditor may deem the obligation uncollectible and place the non-performing account with an outside collection agency.

The collection agency, under these circumstances, is not the owner of the debt. They are merely hired by the creditor on a contingent or fixed-fee basis. If you have ever been contacted by a collector, you probably have felt the urgency of their necessity to collect. This is a result, most likely, of a contingent fee agreement, whereby the party contacting you does not get paid by the creditor unless and until you pay them. Thus, the urgency on their part. This urgency has been the prominent factor in collection attempts or contact that has been less than ethical. There is a Federal Statement enacted to protect consumers from abusive, illegal, and unethical collection efforts. This is called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

A collection agency, generally, is not empowered to pursue an obligation beyond telephone and correspondence contact. Although they may threaten "putting a judgment or lien" against you or levying a bank account, these actions require an attorney and require legal action and due process must be exercised.

At this point, if the creditor feels the outside agency is unable to collect, the creditor has the option of hiring an attorney to file a lawsuit for collection of the debt. These are considered legal collections and many attorneys specialize in this area. The attorney can file a lawsuit, with notice to you, and obtain a judgment if successful. Once judgment is obtained, there are avenues of collection that may be pursued. Of course, by this time, the actual debt owed is 3 to 4 times its original amount due to accrual of interest, costs and fees. There is much more involved in the collection process but the subject of another article and not totally germane to our subject herein.

As you can see, the collection process for a creditor can be time-consuming, effort-consuming and costly. Therefore, many creditors are now resorting to the debt aftermarket which is selling the obligation itself.

While contingent fee (outside collection agencies) remains the most widely used method by creditors in recovering non-performing accounts, portfolio purchasing has increasingly become a viable alternative. The industry has grown to be a 5 to 7 billion dollar per year industry and continues to grow. The largest percentage of portfolios of bad debt being purchased originate from the bank credit card and retail markets and are routinely purchased at a tremendous discount from the principle value of the accounts. Once these accounts are purchased, the new "owners" of the debt will employ traditional collection techniques to obtain payment. The difference at this point is that the new creditor may be into a bad debt of ,000 for only 0 or much less. This creates an interesting analysis of the obligation itself, the settlement ability and proper reporting on a credit bureau.

Thus, it is always important to distinguish between who your actual creditor is. Specifically, do you owe the debt to the original creditor or any one of subsequent buyers of the debt.

So, now that you understand what the debt aftermarket is, have you ever received a collection letter and not recognized the creditor? These are the problems created by the debt aftermarket.

There are various problems that can be created as a result of this aftermarket industry. These problems include the aforementioned attempt at collection of debts which may not legally be able to be collected (this has to be distinguished from whether they are reportable on a credit report). Some debts cannot legally be collected. These would include debts discharged in a bankruptcy and debts beyond the governing Statute of Limitations for collection of the type of debt at issue. For example, each state will have a Statute of Limitations on the collection of an obligation, which is generally a contract action. If a certain period of time has expired from the date of default or last payment to legal action (example: 6 years), then the creditor may be barred from pursuing legal action to collect debt.

However, a third-party aftermarket buyer may continue to pursue the obligation regardless of the ability to file any legal action to pursue same.

Another problem to consumers as a result of this industry is the sale and purchase of debts, in portfolios, which have already been discharged in bankruptcy. This is a prevalent problem in the industry. The creditor who arranges the portfolio of bad debt to sell does not take the proper precautions to ascertain whether the debts included in the portfolio were discharged in a bankruptcy. This issue is even more complicated. Because the creditor has to determine and identify debts actually discharged in Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy as opposed to debts listed in a pending Chapter 13 case, which may be discharged in part and paid in part, discharged altogether or survive in the event of an unsuccessful bankruptcy case, which is common.

As a result of all the complications of tracking, mistakes are frequently made and some experts feel these creditors are negligently and/or intentionally selling obligations that are not collectible.

After the sale by the original creditor, the purchaser becomes the holder in due course of the obligation and may become liable to the obligor or consumer for any collection violations. In addition to the spotty information which the purchaser of the debts obtains regarding uncollectible obligations, they routinely receive very little paperwork on the obligation itself, including complete histories, signed applications, etc.

Thus, these purchasers may be unable to pursue legal collections of the obligation due to a failure of the ability to prove their case in a legal action if defended properly. However, the vast majority of legal actions on consumer accounts go undefended resulting in default judgments being entered against the consumer.

Now, we need to distinguish an obligation which cannot legally be pursued to an obligation which can still have a negative impact on your credit score. Although an obligation may have exceeded the Statute of Limitations to pursue legal action, that may not stop the new owner of the obligation from attempting to collect by other means. These other means include traditional collection efforts other than legal action.

Note: In the event legal action commenced prior to the expiration of the Statute of Limitations, the statute does not apply. If a judgment was entered, the judgment will last a specified period of time (Usually 20 Years) and is usually renewable.

One of the biggest problems for consumers as a result of this industry is the proper reporting of the obligation on a credit report. Commonly, the new owner of the obligation will report a delinquency on a consumer's credit report upon receiving their new portfolio. This reporting can list their name as creditor rather than the name of the original creditor and places a current date on the delinquency. This results in the time period changing for the duration of the adverse credit entry. For example, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, many consumer obligations which have been reported on the bureaus will last 7 years from the last entry. Thus, you may have maintained an obligation to American Express which has been delinquent for 5 years and reported as such to the credit bureaus. American Express then sells the delinquent debt to E-Cast Settlement (a third-party debt buyer). E-Cast then reports a debt to E-Cast settlement by you and reports it as delinquent. Normally, without the sale of the debt by American Express, the credit bureaus would have to remove the adverse reporting in 2 more years. Now with the new entry, the adverse reporting will last 7 more years.

Some experts claim that the third-party debt purchasers act willfully and intentionally in these actions to coerce payment to resolve. Other theories are that eventually, consumers will resolve the obligation as a result of necessity to clear a credit report to obtain a mortgage or auto loan.

In any event, it is critical to understand these processes in order to identify to whom you may owe money to and how it should be reported.

Another problem for consumers as a result of this industry is identifying who the original creditor is. When the debt has been sold and resold several times, this can become a difficult process. Below, we discuss more on this issue under how to minimize your risks to the debt aftermarket industry.

Assuming you now can identify the original creditor and resolve any reporting inaccuracies, the next hurdle to deal with, as a result of this industry, is the actual amount of the obligation. The obligation which you create with the original creditor is generally pursuant to the terms of a contract. The contract with the creditor sets forth all the economics of your business relationship with them. When that debt is sold by the original creditor to a third-party purchaser, the purchaser becomes the holder in due course and is entitled to all the rights which the original creditor would have been entitled to.

Frequently, the purchaser of the debt includes the balance of the obligation, their own costs and fees, to which they are not legally entitled to collect from you. Your obligation is to be calculated upon the agreement you sign with the original creditor. Consumers need to be aware of this and should analyze the amount of the obligation as well as the viability, legality, and identity of same.

As a result of the aforementioned concerns for consumers regarding the debt aftermarket industry, consumers need to be vigilant to these actions, especially those looking to repair and rebuild credit.

The debt aftermarket has also created an ability for consumers owning obligations to settle those debts for amounts substantially less than the actual amounts due. Because the new owner of the debt may have paid five cents on the dollar (example), a settlement of twenty-five cents on the actual debt is not totally unreasonable. This would create a windfall to both the new owner of the debt and the consumer. The new owner (creditor) could make five times their investment and the consumer could obtain a 75% savings. Obviously, these amounts are examples and would be adjusted to what the purchaser actually pays and what the consumer settles for.

The important aspects of the debt aftermarket for consumers are to review their credit reports very carefully, identify who the actual creditors are at the present, identify the actual amounts due, and assess a plan to resolve.

The Debt Aftermarket and It's Effect on Your Credit Score

Bed and breakfast

A bed and breakfast is a charming and unique place to stay when on vacation. It is typically more personal and more incommunicable than a hotel or motel. Most small inns offer special amenities not available at any hotel.

Most bed and breakfast innkeepers make meals fresh for their guests daily. They will take special order and bond to exact diets. If they offer a menu you are not satisfied with, do not be afraid to ask for a change. As a further luxury, most innkeepers will offer a cocktail hour or late night snack time. Some will even allow guests way to the fridge and cabinets if they are hungry while a non-meal time.

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Some bed and breakfasts are larger and offer a amount of rooms. Some places are themed and more entertaining. The innkeeper may offer cocktail or snack hour and entertainment. If you are finding for a fun time with a lot of interaction with the innkeeper and other guests, this type of bed and breakfast would be for you. Others prefer a more incommunicable and romantic environment. These inns typically only have a few rooms that are very detach from each other. In most cases, guests will rarely run in to each other. These rooms will have incommunicable views and offer amenities such as hot tubs and breakfast in bed. The more incommunicable bed and breakfasts tend to cost more, but they are well worth the price if you are finding for a romantic getaway.

Consider location when choosing your accommodations. Do you plan on locking yourself away in your room to relax on the trip or do you want to go out and sightsee? Do you want to be close to the ocean or mountains, or closer to a big city? Call and ask the innkeeper what types of places are nearby. If the location is on the coast or in the mountains, it is also important to think weather. Will there be high seas or a lot of snow? Be certain the location will be a safe place to stay.

Safety and safety is a big concern of most travelers regardless of the destination. Study the area to be sure it is in a safe place. Ask about if the surrounding areas are safe to travel too. At the bed and breakfast, ask the innkeeper if they have a safe for storing expensive items. If they do not, be sure to keep your room locked and all your expensive items with you as much as possible.

A bed and breakfast is a spectacular, accommodation to think if you are finding for a smaller and more incommunicable vacation location. There is more interaction with the innkeeper that will be there to help with any need you may have. They are great honeymoon locations as they can be very romantic and secluded, giving guests abundance of incommunicable time to celebrate their marriage. All in all, a bed and breakfast is a nice turn of pace from suitable vacation accommodations.

Bed and breakfast

Your Business Name - Is it Old-Fashioned?

The top ten baby girls' names in the UK in 2007 were Grace, Ruby, Olivia, Emily, Jessica, Sophie, Chloe, Lily, Ella and Amelia. For boys, the top ten were Jack, Thomas, Oliver, Joshua, Harry, Charlie, Daniel, William, James and Alfie. That is a completely different picture from the 1950s, when Susan and David were the most popular names, closely followed by Margaret, Janet, Barbara, Judith, Robert, Brian, Philip and Stephen.

What has that got to do with naming your business? Well, if you call your boutique Margaret Fashions, or your hair salon Barbara's, then you are not going to attract today's teenage girls and young women through your door. They will regard your name -- and thus your business -- as old-fashioned. If your target market is the 18-24 age group, then lots of them will be called Lauren, Jessica, Sarah, Samantha, Matthew, James, Christopher or Alexander. Calling your fashion, jewellery or hairdressing business by a name that was popular in the 1980s will resonate with this group; you will sound like one of their friends, someone who understands them.

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Fashions change in words and language, just as they do in clothes and personal names. Words and expressions go out of fashion because society has changed and the name is no longer seen as relevant. The UK relationship organization Relate was previously called The Marriage Guidance Council, but couples who weren't married thought the services of the charity weren't available to them, hence the change of name. The Spastics Society, which helps people with cerebral palsy, became Scope because spastic had become a derogatory word. Charities these days like to stress what disabled people can do, rather than their limitations. Managers of the Leonard Cheshire charity said that the name was a barrier to the achievement of the organization's goals, since four out of five people under the age of 35 have no idea who Leonard Cheshire (a British WW2 hero) was. They suggested the alternative names of Equability UK and eQual UK but so far, pressure from Lord Cheshire's family has kept the status quo.

Young people speak a completely different language, and if you want them as your customers, you too have to be fluent in this lingo. Their friends are their crew, the opposite sex is buff or fit and things aren't fab or excellent, they're mint, cool, bad or wicked!

Your Business Name - Is it Old-Fashioned?

Managing change -- Endings Are Just Doorways to New Beginnings

Every May we celebrate Mother's Day--a time to tell mothers anywhere how much we love and honor them. In the midst of all the holiday revelry we should take some time to reflect on just what this day represents--the end of nine months of waiting and the passage straight through birth's doorway to a new beginning.

When I became a mother, this holiday took on a whole new meaning--especially when my daughter graduated from college. Graduation ceremonies at her university were always held on Mother's Day as a extra tribute to the mothers who labored hard right along with each learner and who rejoiced to see the ending and new beginnings. I was one of those mothers and 27 years prior to that day, my mother rejoiced on Mother's Day to see me graduate from the same university.

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Yes, Mother's Day creates happy endings and memories; but endings in and of themselves are not always happy occasions. We live in a world of new things. Endings roughly always yield longing and melancholy, and new beginnings engender a excellent compound of joy and trepidation.

What We Don't Like About Endings

They are so final. When something ends, a door closes. Things are never the same way they were before the ending. They can be heartbreaking. There's a nostalgia and bitter sweetness connected with endings--a sense of regret for what we have lost even when the ending is a happy one. They force us out of our ruts. Endings are so insensitive. They don't care either or not we are ready to transition into other things. When something ends, we are forced out of our paradigms, habits and routines.
What We Like About Beginnings

They are fresh and new. Everybody loves to be refreshed. Each new day welcomes in a host of blessings and new beginnings--at work, home or play. They provide new opportunities. If we remain open and alert to them, beginnings can provide brand new and innovative prospects to pursue as well as challenges to overcome. They are great Do-Overs. Beginnings give us a chance to literal, mistakes, to start over believing that this time we will get it right and succeed.
Endings Are Doorways to New Beginnings

Stop looking at your endings as negative things that happen to you even when they bring pain and stress. Instead, see them as doorways to new beginnings full of blessing, new possibilities and fruitfulness.

The bridge between our endings and new beginnings is like a increase spurt. Every human on the planet experiences a increase spurt every now and then. They don't stop just because we're all grown up!

What is a increase spurt and how do you know you're going straight through one?

Growth spurts happen. For adults, they can be short (a matter of days) or last for years (when this happens you think they are going to last forever). Some citizen protest more about them and others seem to sail straight through them with the many of ease. The pattern of increase is different for everyone. Some citizen grow in big spurts followed by periods of miniature or no growth. A person's environment can help as well as hinder his or her growth. The problem with increase spurts is anticipating their arrival. You never know exactly when they will occur. When they occur, you must have patience, understanding and spend a miniature more time in skill-building, studying and exploring any new opportunities that surface.
Identifying Your Endings, increase Spurts & New Beginnings

What's happening in your life right now? Are you going straight through a increase spurt, and if so, what's ending for you? Have you identified any new beginnings yet?

All these questions can be answered with a miniature soul-searching and some effort. Use this simple tool to help in your search:

First, list what's ending for you right now. Next, recognize the small to large increase spurts that seem to be hovering nearby the endings. List any new beginnings you have discovered and put a plan into place to capture supplementary ones as you continue to value your endings.
A Final Word of Advice

Don't allow increase spurts to rob you of your confidence. Remember, they bridge your endings and new beginnings. Without them, you come to be stale, lose ground and fail. With them you grow, form and succeed.

Managing change -- Endings Are Just Doorways to New Beginnings

reputation Cards That Will Pretty Much Approve everyone

At this time economic distress, not a few people rely on prestige just to get by. The high cost of living combined with the job and pay cuts of new years have made it very difficult for the median people to have enough funds to cover all their daily necessities. The past concentrate of years have seen quite a number of homes and vehicles being repossessed, mass lay-offs, and bankruptcy filings. Yet, prestige card associates and other lending facilities have made ready for a great majority of the people instruments that they can use in order to go from one day to the other with food on their tables and clothing on their backs. There are plastic cards that pretty much approve anyone. All that's required of those who are applying for these cards are a number of personal and financial information.

For those with good prestige scores, there are a number of associates that offer instant approval when you apply online. In as short as a concentrate of hours, you can already receive your approval. The best your prestige scores, the more the likelihood of you getting your approval faster. It is very favorable to apply for your prestige card this way. You do not even have to leave your home. What's more, you get to select which plastic you want to apply for since most of these online application sites include links to a number of prestige card issuers. Some of them even have phenomenal money rescue offers like zero interest rates for the first year, fee waivers, and bonus rewards points.

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Those who have less than desirable prestige scores or those who do not have a prestige history could opt to get a secured prestige card. It would be quite difficult for them to get approved for a regular one. Secured plastic cards are categorically just the same as your regular plastic. The only dissimilarity is that there is a protection deposit that is required. This protection deposit will be applied to his equilibrium if and when the card holder defaults on his payments. These type of cards are prestige cards that approve anyone. This is a worthwhile explication to those who cannot get regular plastic under general application procedures. This is also a good way to build prestige history or to mend an impaired prestige record.

Whether you go for regular prestige cards or prestige cards that offer easy approval, it is leading to guard your credit. You have to make sure that you are able to carry on your debts or your charges. It does not matter if you have a bad past with your credit. The leading thing is to look at your present and hereafter spending habits. Using prestige cards is a way to tide you over until the next payday. But, you do not want to spend more than what you can categorically pay for come cost due date. Over spending can get you in a lot of prestige trouble. Such issue you do not need to add to all the responsibilities and concerns already on your plate today.

reputation Cards That Will Pretty Much Approve everyone

GreenDot Prepaid Card

The Green the prepaid debit card was created for individuals with a damaged credit history. This is because there is no credit check or check systems check.

It provides an alternative to a checking account. You can access online bill pay for free to pay your bills. To use this feature you must log-in to your online account and then go to the bill payment center, fill in the name of the business, the date you want them paid, and the amount. Then a payment will be made in your name to the business.

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This is an effective way to manage your bills and additionally can be done for free which will save you money on purchasing money orders. You also get free direct deposit this feature will save you from having to pay check cashing fees.

This card will be issued as a Visa or MasterCard. You can use your card to make purchases online and over the phone. Additionally it can be used to rent a car, book a hotel room, purchase airlines tickets...

Green dot also provides an additional benefit to cardholders; you can access ATM's nationwide for free. Almost every other prepaid card will charge you a fee to access an ATM. There are over 15,000 ATM's located nationwide, that you will be able to access for free. And don't forget you can always request cash back without a fee when you make purchases at the grocery store.

In addition you will be given free activation. We have seen the other offers charge up to .99 for this. There is however a .95 monthly fee but if you use your card to make 30 purchases in a month or deposit at least 00 on your card, then the monthly fee will be waived. In other words you won't be charged any monthly fee.

There is no minimum balance and you'll never be charged an overdraft fee or a late fee. You can check your balance by calling customer service, logging in online, and signing up for free text alerts. Also when you sign up for direct deposit you can get a free bonus.

This card can be purchased at CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, and many more retail locations... however when you get this card at a location you will have to pay .95 to purchase it. If instead you choose to get it online you will not have to purchase it or pay .95. You can also reload funds at any of these retail locations.

GreenDot Prepaid Card

How to Start Teaching Colors to Toddlers

In teaching whatever to young children, repetition is the key! Colors is one of the first concepts that toddlers are capable of learning. The best way to introduce concepts like colors to toddlers is to continuously talk to your child about colors. This should go hand in hand with teaching your child to talk. Rather then naturally saying, "Look at the puppy," use phrases like, "Look at the brown puppy", "See the brown puppy?" etc.

When I first start teaching toddlers colors, I like to start out simply. I will give my toddler a red crayon and a white sheet of paper. Allow your toddler to freely scribble on the paper. As they are coloring, reinforce the fact that their crayon is red by saying, "That is a pretty red picture," "Are you using a red crayon?" "This is red" or "See your red picture?" You can also find a printable photograph of an object that is red like an apple, and have your toddler color that photograph by giving them a red crayon. Other simple craft project that you can use to teach your toddler colors is to naturally cut out circles from red construction paper and help your toddler glue them to a piece of paper.

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Another way to teach colors to toddlers is to originate a recognition page that you can show and talk about with your toddler. You can do this in two ways. One way is to put pictures of red objects together on a document on your computer and print it out. Other way is to collect red pictures from a magazine, etc. And glue them to a paper. However, with either way you choose to originate a recognition page, make sure that the pictures you are using are 99% red. It is okay to have some other colors on the photograph like a brown stem on a red apple. But, you don't want to confuse your child by mixing dissimilar colors in your picture. To use the page naturally sit your child down and talk to them about the red things that are on the paper. Use phrases like, "See the red apple," "The apple is red" or "See the red picture."

You can also use activities and games to teach toddlers their colors. A great performance to teach the color red is to originate an orchard of red apples. Do this by cutting out apple shapes from red construction paper and laminate them. Place a small piece of Velcro on the back and place them on a bulletin board. Have the toddler "pick" the apples and place them into a red box or create. Reinforce to the child that they are picking Red Apples" as the child does the activity. As the child grows and learns more of their colors, you can mix in yellow and green apples as well. Use a red create, a yellow originate and a green originate and have the child place the corresponding apples into their color create.

By repetition and reinforcing what the child is learning by talking to them, your toddler can actually learn their colors in order to put in order them for their time to come in education.

How to Start Teaching Colors to Toddlers

7 Tips for Shopping in Singapore

Do you love to shop? Well, if you're traveling to Singapore, shopping along the Orchard Road belt and Suntec City is an event you must not miss. There are sales all round the year, especially during July (The Great Singapore Sale) and the Christmas season. This article shows you some special tips for shopping on the island state.

1. Prices and Bargains

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Before you buy anything, make sure you check and double-check the price. In the major shopping malls (e.g. Takashimaya) - it's usually safe to assume that prices are fixed. However, if you're shopping in 'bargain' area like the Bugis Village flea market, Lucky Plaza, Little India, Chinatown or Sim Lim Square, make sure you bargain and try to bring down the prices.

2. Credit / Charge Cards

Most major shopping centres and malls, along with restaurants, will accept credit cards and charge cards. However, be sure that you bring along a more acceptable kind of card like Visa or Mastercard. I can't vouch for the wide acceptance of other cards like American Express or Diner's Club.

3. Money Changers

There are many money changers on the island. What I'd be careful with regarding money changers is this - watch out and make sure they are licensed. In Little India and probably Chinatown, there tends to be many unlicensed changers who may short-change you if you're not careful. To be safe, you can change money at a bank or the hotel - but it will be more expensive.

4. Sales

As mentioned, there are sales throughout the year in Singapore. One of these is the Chinese New Year sale around end January each year, along with the Great Singapore Sale (June and July) and the Christmas sale (Dec). Be sure that your shopping trip coincides with one of these sales if you want the best bargains.

5. Deposits

Some stores will accept an initial deposit and allow you to pay up the balance upon delivery. Make sure you understand the exact terms and conditions of such arrangements before you sign on the dotted line.

6. Goods and Services Tax (GST)

All goods and services in Singapore are subject to a 3% GST tax. Be sure you're aware of this when you're out shopping. Check the receipt to ensure there is no over deduction.

7. Exchanges and Refunds

If you find that the stuff you bought is faulty merchandise, you can bring back the original receipt or proof-of-purchase and ask for an exchange or refund. But note that mostly only the bigger department stores will honor such a policy. If you have fault goods from a small street side vendor, then don't expect to be able to do this.

Conclusion

Well, I hope you've learnt a thing or two about shopping in Singapore. Shopping in Singapore is a great experience - there are tons of things to buy at great prices. But be aware of the special shopping tips above - and you'll be an even happier shopper. Good luck and happy shopping!

7 Tips for Shopping in Singapore

25 Fun, Cheap, And Easy Things To Do With Your Kids This Summer

Summer is a great time to finally squeeze in all of those activities that you don't have a occasion to do while the school year. Here are 25 fun, cheap, and easy ideas for keeping your kids busy until the school bell rings again in the fall.

1. Map out all of the distinct parks in your county and hit each one (on a distinct day) with a picnic lunch.

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2. Teach the kids some jump rope rhymes from your own childhood.

3. Find a new trail to hike.

4. Plan a scavenger hunt. All you need to do is list 20 or so items that are often found in nature. Then distribute the list to each of the kids. The first someone or team to find everything and bring them back wins a small prize.

5. Tour a local installation or museum.

6. Take the kids to a scenic area with a set of watercolors and ask them to paint what they see.

7. Visit a local botanical garden.

8. Call your local group library to ask if they are sponsoring any reading contests or special story times.

9. Get a group of friends together and take the kids to the nearest water park or amusement park.

10. Start your own reading incentive schedule for the kids. For every three books, treat them to a sundae or a special trip to the bookstore.

11. Check your local newspaper for fun community events, such as local dance performances or magic shows.

12. discover a new bike path.

13. Each Friday, eat a picnic lunch somewhere new.

14. Teach the kids how to cook or bake something delicious.

15. Teach the kids how to decorate cakes and let them experiment with a few cupcakes.

16. Bake a dozen muffins and take them to your spouse's office. Visit for a bit.

17. Take turns with other parents in your community teaching the kids about distinct crafts.

18. Get a nice new workbook. Before the school year ends, ask the instructor what books she recommends, so your child will keep up with her studies.

19. Plant a vegetable or flower garden together.

20. Ask your children to research a charity and brainstorm ways that they can raise money for it.

21. Visit a local farm or orchard and help out for an afternoon.

22. Ask the kids if they would like to learn a new sport or activity. The summer is a great time to try something new without the commitment that often comes with starting it for a school year.

23. Assign the kids a pen pal, and encourage them to write notes and letters every incorporate of weeks.

24. Have the kids try out a new musical instrument.

25. Make an obstacle procedure with sidewalk chalk and time each other on how long it takes to faultless the course.

Get creative and think of your own ideas to enjoy some fun in the sun, and don't forget to spend some unstructured time, doing no ifs ands or buts whatever you want.

25 Fun, Cheap, And Easy Things To Do With Your Kids This Summer

funds Tips For Eating salutary After Weight Loss surgery

After gastric bypass, gastric banding or gastric sleeve weight loss surgical operation we know we must succeed a healthy high protein diet in order to lose weight and voice weight loss. In these difficult economic times it is natural to be involved about the cost of a specialized diet. succeed these helpful tips to support your weight loss surgical operation diet without breaking the bank. By making a extra exertion when planning, shopping and making ready meals it is painless to save money and succeed a nutritional program to advantage our health today and in the future.

Make a weekly menu of evening meal meals. Focus on protein dishes that can be repurposed as lunches. Side dishes should be fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits or freezing vegetables requiring minimal preparation. Plan two or three "routine" morning meal selections. Most Wls patients have a lower tolerance for food upon waking and eventually find a few things that consistently conclude well on their stomach pouch first thing in the morning. Have these disposition selections on hand at all times to avoid starting the day off with a grumpy pouch. Follow the weekly grocery sale adds and take advantage of specials and coupons. Use grocery store loyalty cards for added savings. Avoid sales for processed simple carbohydrates (junk food) because these foods are referred to as "slider foods" and they often cause weight gain in Wls patients. Remember, a slider food on sale is still a slider food. Purchase items that can be used in complicated recipes and for different meals such as canned beans, eggs and flash freezing poultry and fish pieces. Stock up on sale items and repackage bulk purchases for particular meals or particular serving sizes and freeze to avoid waste. When shopping, succeed the "Protein First" rule and make protein selections first. Look for fresh lean meat, pork and lamb in the meat department. Add poultry and fish from the meat branch or freezing meat section. Shop for low-fat dairy protein and go for low-fat cottage cheese and yogurt as well as eggs. Add vegetable based protein to your diet with canned beans, dried beans and legumes, and tofu products. Take advantage of locally grown produce available seasonally at roadside stands and farmers markets. For an rehearsal bonus acquire your produce at "pick-your-own" farms and orchards to save money and burn calories. Eliminate pricey beverages from your diet in favor of filtered tap water. It is less costly and good for the environment. Flavor water with a squeeze of fresh lemon or fresh ginger. Add freezing berries for a refreshing treat. Make sun tea with tea bags instead of buying artificial tea beverages. You will get a purer beverage and save money too. Prepare your meals at home rather than eating out. You can operate the ingredients and avoid things that interfere with your healthy dietary goals following weight loss surgery. Build on your perceive each week to come to be a health savvy and allocation wise shopper so that you can enjoy your healthy life following surgical weight loss.

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funds Tips For Eating salutary After Weight Loss surgery

Umpires Over Technology - Dinosaurs In 21st Century Cricket

In an era when we read about corporate scandals--including former reputable bank managers, extremely respectable pastors and trustable politicians-- cricket has established a Mount Olympus of virtue: a list of elite umpires in a mythical tower of infallibility. The last time I checked the list of Popes, from their inception by the Cardinal of Bishops in 1099, history could have strangeness assigning the adverb "respectful" to names of corrupt Popes like Pope Pius 111, Pope Fernan Martin V, and Pope Philip Le Bel or "Fair Philip" 1285-1314. Let us not forget that the only non-Muslim male that the Holy Koran cites as an example of Pious living, Isa Ibm Miriam (Jesus son of Mary)--He chose an elite list of 12, and one betrayed him for money.

In St. Lucia years ago, a local bowler missed his opening at fame when he cleaned bowled an English test icon with the first ball. The opening was a visit from an English touring club. When he asked the umpire afterwards why he called no-ball when his foot was behind the crease, the umpire simply said, "People packed the stadium to see their British test heroes. They can see you bowl anytime."

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Viv Richards, arguably one of the worlds' most prolific cricketers, was robbed of hundreds or even thousands of runs because of bad decisions-accidental or otherwise. He was so feared that whenever he visited a host country to play, most appeals against him for Lbw were granted by the host nations. To minimize accidentally unfavourable decisions--which were frequent while his career-- he would take his guard on the leg stump, and then move six inches exterior the same leg stump, giving all bowlers full view of his three stumps. His lightning quick reflexes did to balls exterior off, what lizards long tongues do to insects exterior their reach. When he did that, questionable stumping decisions were the umpires' next weak areas. In one game I saw, he leaned back to late cut and halted the stroke when he saw the keeper's snout hanging over his stumps. Had he executed the shot, he would have damaged the keeper. When the keeper caught the ball and knocked down the stumps, Viv was given out stumped. He was, and still is one of the players that believe when you are out, even when the umpire does not think so, you should walk. He not only did that, but as captain of the West Indies, he enshrined that in his players.

That is a far cry from the public behaviour of successive Australia teams, who have benefited from not-so-subtle umpires' intimidation and players' over-reaction. In the second test India vs. Australia, I waited for Andrew Symmonds to walk at least twice while the innings, and was very disappointed when Australia ended with the victory and Andrew ended with 137 not-out-absolutely disgraceful. My simple request is this: if all elite lists of selectees over centuries err, whether accidentally or when enticed by large financial rewards, why do officials who administer the game of cricket insist on shoving down our throats the myth that their elite list is beyond error or infiltration-deliberate or accidental?

The last India vs. Australia series is a perfect example why we must rely on contemporary technology in a game where one bad decision, much more many, can not only influence the outcome of a series, but damage the careers of professionals as well. For years, the cricketing public swallowed hard when umpires erred, sometimes blatantly. any way the just closed test series Australia vs. India, the Indian fans said "enough is enough." After watching Andrew Symmonds granted two not-out decisions in the same innings, I am not afraid to say so in print "I supported the Indian fans 1000%."

Enough Is Enough.

I would have thought that since the Stanford2020 and the Indian 2020 games are contemporary entities with new rules, they would have replaced the dinosaur-era principles of "umpire's decision final" whether erroneous or not, with electronic monitoring--which they have anyway. Every questionable decision should be referred to the third umpire. A player should have the right to request decisions that could damage his or her career.

In the 2020 format of the game, how can you have men using their eyes only to make split-second decisions when batsmen face youngsters bowling white balls at night at speeds in excess of 100-miles per hour? That is an open invitation for erroneous decisions and they have been happening--often.

In Antigua, one of Cricket's latest and most involving forms of the game, Stanford 2020 Cricket was played nightly over three months, to the backdrop of top Caribbean stars, visiting movie stars, and yes-even Eli Manning, who was treated to the rudiments of Baseball's sister-game. while the Nevis vs. Jamaica game, Nevis had Jamaica struggling in the first five overs. When the umpire failed to give Chris Gayle out L.B.W, the ghost of big island/small island injustice ran on the filed and killed the spirit of the game. Jamaica narrowly won the game. In like manner, the tempo of the Barbados game changed wholly with one unfair dismissal going in Barbados' direction. Not that the outcome would have been any different, but it killed the spirit of the game---similar to what happened with Bucknor's bumbling while the 2007 World Cup final in Barbados.

In Test Cricket it is even worse. How can you have men in their late 60's and 70's using their eyes only to decree the fate of players' future? It appears to me that the implanting of their autocratic "Elite List" of infallible Mt. Olympians is their way of saying: "we control this game... Do as we say or we will not sanction you." I will predict this much. Within three years, you will whether have wholesale rebellion in test cricket, leaving only the shorter 2020 versions (which they do not control) or they must upgrade and use contemporary technology.

On 12 March-this past month, the Icc sent out a press release to the effect that they have "selected their best 8 cricket umpires in the world." The new "elite panel" members consist of: Steve Bucknor from the West Indies, Asoka De Silva from Sri lanka, Daryl Harper from Australia, Rudi Koertzen from, South Africa, Dave Orchard from South Africa, David Shepherd from England, Russell Tiffin from Zimbabwe, and Srinivas Venkataraghavan from India. Two umpires from the Elite Panel will stand in all hereafter Test matches and there will be one member standing with a home umpire for One Day Internationals. England's Peter Willey was invited to come to be a member of the panel, but after important consideration, he declined the invitation. He cited his stringent family commitments as reasons for declining the offer.

Commenting on the appointment of the game's important umpires, Icc Chief menagerial Officer Malcolm Speed said that umpiring at the highest level now has to be a full time profession, rather than a part time job. "The eight men chosen to join the Elite Panel are all proven performers at Test level, who command the respect of the captains and players. All Test match captains were asked to make nominations for the Panel on profit of their teams. These contributions were given serious consideration in making the final choices from the current panel of 20 international umpires." The other major factor in selecting the Panel were the marks achieved by private umpires over the past four years. Those are the marks awarded by captains at the end of each Test match, which assess the umpire's performance against a range of criteria.

According to Malcolm Speed, chairman of the Icc, "Umpiring is one of the toughest tasks in international sport and this panel represents the best decision makers in the game. Their skills will help improve the broad thorough of umpiring at international level and set an example for the next generation of top class umpires to follow." Final selection of the Panel was made jointly by Speed, together with Sunil Gavaskar, Chairman of the Icc's Cricket Committee-Playing.

My request is still this: why not use contemporary technology, which they have, if they all agree that decision-making is tough? In Lawn Tennis, any player can request the assistance of technology when a decision is in doubt. any way there are restrictions as to how many incorrect challenges you are allowed. Why doesn't cricket borrow a page out of the lawn tennis manual? I am going to break with tradition. I will keep saying that any principles that leaves open the possibility for men to err-regardless how honourable they might be, they will err. I am not implying that any member is shady; I am stating simply that it is impossible for a 21-year old to get every decision correct-much more a man in his declining years. Players' unions need to refuse to go on any tour unless they have options to appeal questionable decisions. After all, it is their careers at stake.

Umpires Over Technology - Dinosaurs In 21st Century Cricket

I Don't Know If It's the Right Time to Approach My Ex! Learn If It's Too Late to Get Your Ex Back

A sincere answer to the question would be that it is never too late to mend. If your ex girlfriend or boyfriend is still not committed or married, the job could be much easier if you are actually sincere about getting them back. Just follow these points & figure out if you can still get your ex back or not...

Learn from the past mistakes
The first thing to do is to learn from past mistakes. You will have to understand what went wrong and be able to correct yourself. Only if you are sure that you wouldn't make similar mistakes can you move on.

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Ask Your Ex Out for a casual dinner
This is a good idea especially if you want to break the ice between you and your ex. If you have common friends it would be a great idea to go together as that will help avoid uneasy silences and would provide more excuses to talk normally.

Show that the bitter experience has transformed you for better
Most people wouldn't want to repeat mistakes. This is why when you want to get your ex back you have to actually prove that you have come out of the bad phase and are a more matured person. Heartbreaks are not something people would like again and again and to get your ex back you will have to convince them that it wouldn't be repeated again.

Show your ex how special he or she is
You will have to realize that you cannot take your ex for granted again. A good idea would be to wish your ex on special days and send cards and presents. Even though it wouldn't do the trick immediately, you will be able to earn a soft corner.

Try to recreate the lost moments
If you want to get back to your ex you will have to recreate the old moments and remind each other how it was when you first fell in love.

Look attractive
Looks contribute a lot to attraction and if you have been ignoring yourself lately, then you must pay more attention to your looks as it will make your company more pleasing for sure.

Convince your ex that you were destined to be together
Whether you believe it or not most relationships have a fair share of confusion. If you are sure, your ex is the one for you, you will have to express your feelings. If not immediately, then at least get working on things when you have become good friends again.

I Don't Know If It's the Right Time to Approach My Ex! Learn If It's Too Late to Get Your Ex Back

Wallace Nutting Hand - Colored Photographs

Wallace Nutting sold more hand-colored photographs during America's 1900-1940 "Golden Age of Hand-Colored Photography" than any other photographer of his time. It is estimated that between 5,000,000-10,000,000 of his pictures decorated the walls of middle class American homes during the early 20th century. Why was Wallace Nutting so successful? And why are his pictures still being widely collected today? This article represents a basic introduction into the world of Wallace Nutting Pictures.

It was shortly after 1900 that Wallace Nutting retired from the ministry due to ill health (he was a Congregational Minister in Providence RI at the time). As part of his recovery, he began touring the New England countryside by carriage or car, taking photographs of rural New England. Nutting was one of the first to recognize that the American scene was changing. Industrialization was altering the way our country looked and our pure and picturesque landscape would never look the same again. He seemed to feel it his divine calling to record the beauty of America for future generations.

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Beginning first in Vermont, then Massachusetts and Connecticut, and eventually throughout the rest of New England, Nutting began photographing country lanes, streams, rivers, lakes, orchards, blossoms, birches, and mountains. Wallace Nutting would take the photograph, assign a title, and instruct his colorists how it should be hand-tinted. Each picture that met Nutting's high standards of color, composition, and taste would be affixed to its matting and signed by his employees with the distinctive "Wallace Nutting" name. (He hardly ever signed any pictures by himself). Those pictures that did not meet his strict standards were destroyed. Beginning first with outdoor (Exterior) scenes in New England, Nutting eventually traveled throughout the United States and Europe, taking photographs in 26 states and 17 foreign countries between 1900-1935. Overall, he took more than 50,000 pictures, 10,000 of which he felt met his high standards. The balance were destroyed.

It was around 1905 that Nutting began taking his first indoor (Interior) pictures. Supposedly one day while it was raining outside, Mrs. Nutting suggested that he take a more "Personable" picture indoors. So, he set up a colonial scene, near a kitchen hearth, had an employee dress up in a colonial fashion, and took several different pictures. These sold relatively easily which encouraged him to expand more into this area. Nutting's love of antiques, his passion for the pilgrim period, and his unquestionable desire to turn a profit led him to eventually purchase and restore five colonial homes:

Webb House, Wethersfield, CT Wentworth-Gardner House, Portsmouth, NH Cutler-Bartlett House, Newburyport, MA Hazen-Garrison House, Haverhill, MA Saugus Iron Works (Broadhearth), Saugus, MA

Nutting purchased these homes because he felt each represented a different period of early colonial American style and taste. It was here, along with his own homes Nuttinghame (Southbury, CT) and Nuttingholme (Framingham, MA), that the majority of his Interior pictures were taken. Nutting's desire to provide the most correct and appropriate settings for his Interior scenes led him in his quest to gather one of the best collections of early American furniture ever assembled. He would use the best examples of early American furniture in his Interior scenes and, when he couldn't find it, he would reproduce it. (We'll focus on his reproduction furniture in a subsequent article).

Working in Southbury CT from 1905-12, and then in Framingham MA from 1912 until his death in 1941, Nutting sold literally millions of his hand-colored photographs. He claims to have sold around 10,000,000 pictures although, knowing his habit of exaggeration, that number is probably somewhat high.

Whatever the true number, it was large. Wallace Nutting pictures were sometimes called "poor man's prints". Sold throughout the first quarter of the 20th century, well before the invention of color photography, these pictures initially sold literally for pennies. His market was primarily the middle and lower middle classes...those households which could not afford finer forms of art. Because of their low price, Wallace Nutting pictures were purchased in large numbers. By 1925, hardly an American middle-class household was without one as they were purchased as gifts for weddings, showers, Christmas, birthdays, and for just about any other reason imaginable.

Nutting sold many pictures directly through his studios where he also provided his own framing services. But he also sold his pictures through many other outlets as well: department stores, drug stores, and gift shops, all around the country. He even had full-time salesmen on the road whose sole job was to sell his pictures to these retail establishments. Salesmen whom, he claims, sold enough pictures to retire quite handsomely themselves.

The height of Wallace Nutting picture popularity was 1915-25. During this time Nutting had nearly 100 colorists in his employment, along with another 100 employees who acted as framers, matters, salesmen, management, and assorted administrative office personnel. Let there be no mistake about it...Wallace Nutting's pictures were big business. But by the late 1920's, people began to tire of Wallace Nutting. As with any other fashion or style, tastes began to change with time. Wallace Nutting pictures became passé and sales showed a steady decline. Even the introduction of different matting styles, greeting cards, pen-type silhouettes, and lower priced machine-produced process prints could not rejuvenate sales.

The Wall Street crash of 1929 and the following depression all but sealed the fate of the Wallace Nutting picture business. Although it remained in operation even after his death, the output was inconsequential after the early 1930's. Over the years, millions of Wallace Nutting pictures were probably thrown away. Many of those that remain show the signs of 60-90 years of wear after being stored in attics and basements, with water stains, broken glass, dust, dirt, and mildew.

As the original owners of Wallace Nutting pictures have grown older or passed on, their Wallace Nutting pictures have also been passed on to another generation. Some were given directly as gifts, others were inherited by children and grandchildren. Those that weren't passed along to families were sold at auctions, estate sales, tag sales, and flea markets where they re-entered the collectibles mainstream during the 1975-2000 period.

What are collectors looking for? Just as in Wallace Nutting's time, Exterior scenes have the widest appeal. Interior scenes have a more limited appeal, but since they are rarer, they typically command a higher price than Exterior scenes. However, we have seen that as America's fascination with the "Country" look has diminished over the past 5-10 years, interest in Nutting's Interior scenes has softened as well.

The most desirable pictures to serious Nutting collectors are Miscellaneous Unusual Scenes. These are pictures which fall outside the more standard Interior and Exterior scenes: Architecturals, Children, Florals, Foreign, Men, Seascapes, Snow scenes, and a select few geographical rarities. Nutting's original sales in these categories were significantly lower than with his Exterior and Interior scenes, hence their "/i>rarity" attracts collectors. Just as in other areas of collecting, the rarest examples, in the best condition, are the easiest to sell, regardless of price. But just as important as rarity and subject matter is condition. Collectors want pieces in excellent condition and imperfections such as water stains, blemishes, poor coloring, or damaged frames can all significantly reduce value.

As of 2010 the Auction record for a Wallace Nutting hand-colored photograph stands at ,300.00, which is quite reasonable within the high-priced world of Antiques & Collectibles. However, as the economy has softened, so too have Wallace Nutting prices and perhaps 90% of Wallace Nutting pictures are selling in today's market for less than 0-0. And many can be had for - or less. Which means that if you appreciate Wallace Nutting Pictures, this is probably the best time to buy them in the past 25 years.

Wallace Nutting Hand - Colored Photographs

Government Grants For Farmland correction

The government issues safe bet grants for land categories like historic areas, open spaces, natural areas and farmlands. These grants are meant for their preservation or reform. Agriculture is very deep-rooted in America, but the recent suburban upheaval has cost these lands dearly.

Lands are evaluated according to the capability of the soil and the status of the irrigation. Government funds are distributed to farmers to reform and support farmland as well as heighten the infrastructure. They allow farmers to farm as they deem fit. The funds are also meant for improvements like irrigation, fencing and manure storehouse facilities.

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Farmers can also design land reform plans and implement them with the funds received. Some of the funds also have aid programs attached to them, which contribute farmers with the kind of facilities and help that are needed to protect their land.

Most states also use the agricultural conservation easement as a base farmland safety method. This permits landowners to put a voluntary restriction on their land, which stops development or limits it to enable the land to support its natural resources. There are no minimum or maximum grant award levels for personel grants. Any number can be ready for farmland improvements, policy and planning combined.

Some of these programs contain partnership developments with parties that are interested and can bring in enough resources for the implementation of the projects. The grants give more preference to such ventures. Applications for the distribution of funds are based on the number of matching funds and similar services. It is also leading to profess all records pertaining to the grant until the state makes the final payment. This is required so that all facts will be handy when the time comes to settle the total cost. A typical example of a farmland revision grant is the California Farmland Conservancy program.

Government Grants For Farmland correction

credit Cards Messed Up My Credit, Why Do I Need Them?

Credit Cards may have been the guess your reputation got the way it is. So you decided not to ever have one again. I know reputation cards are evil, but they are a significant evil to build credit. Let's assume you have messed up your reputation report with reputation cards in the past. So now you must re-establish your credit. What is the quickest way to build new credit? Most people don know this but gain reputation helps your rating.

You need 1 to 2 cards reporting to your reputation report. Ok, but back to the re-establishing reputation after some issues. You need to go get a gain reputation Card, this is the quickest way to get your score on the rise. Yes, you need to deposit money with the bank, but it's your money, and you quickly start the process of reporting good reputation to all 3 bureaus. Here are some great gain cards I highly suggest that does not have a bunch of outrageous fees.

Orchard Card Bank

1. Orchard Bank

2. First Premier Bank

These two commonly start reporting to the Bureaus to build good reputation with in 60 days. These cards will quickly allow you to get your score in the right direction. You want to keep your balanced that is expensed on your card 30% or less of allowed reputation limit. While you are doing all of this, you can keep in the back of your mind, that every six months these fellowships commonly will allow you to ask for reputation limit increases as long as you are in good standing. Remember once your balanced owed drop below 30% of your allowed limit, your scores will increase.

Who cares if you have had problems in the past, I am sure by now you have learned not to make the same mistake twice. reputation Cards are significant to get the best rate on that loan; it is someone else way to show your capability to pay back a creditor. This is what reputation reports are all about, who is reporting you, and your capability to pay back obligations. In a nutshell ,credit is significant so if you don't have one I would get the process going.

credit Cards Messed Up My Credit, Why Do I Need Them?

How to Negotiate Debts - Part 2

In my last article I started discussing how to negotiate debts. In this article I'll cover the remainder of what you can and cannot do when addressing old debt.

Old debt doesn't go away unless you pay it off. It's that simple. The original creditor might have charged it off. It might be very close to the Statute of Limitations. When you have this knowledge, and some money to pay your old debt, you are in a position to negotiate terms. Remember in the last article when I stated to not talk to collectors on the telephone? That person most probably does NOT have any authority regarding your account. You have every right under the law to seek PROOF OF THE DEBT.

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You might want to offer a "settlement offer". That means that in consideration for the creditior/collector accepting agreed upon funds, they have to agree to accept your offer as "paid in full". There have been a great number of letters written regarding paying off "charged off accounts". Present FICO scoring methodology works in this fashion. If an account is reported as "paid charged off account", this action LOWERS your credit score. Today many creditors/collectors are being more and more aware of this failure in the system and have agreed to report the account as "Paid As Agreed" or have "DELETED" the paying history entirely.

There are many pros and cons regarding this type of reporting. However, we cannot agree with the FICO manner in which credit scores are lowered when one tries to pay off old accounts. I have read both sides of the argument and one fact stands out. When you have the money, you have the power. Feel free to excercise your leverage in negotiating your payment terms.

Look at this from the perspective of the creditor/collection agency. Imagine you"re a businessman and you have 100 accounts owing you 00 each and haven't heard anything for 4 years and suddenly all these past due accounts offered you 0 as payment in full for your updating the credit files. Would you take the money? That's a no-brainer. The most important part of this strategy is that no one has to resort to litigation, which is costly. The original creditor is happy and you might even get a new calendar at Christmas.

If you negotiate under this scenario and you do not have enough money to pay the debt all at once, then by all means negotiate monthly payments. DO NOT agree to make a payment by a certain date. Simply agree to pay so much per month. That way if you are a day or two late, you are not in violation of any agreement.

Now lets say you agreed to pay the account off over a period of 12 months. Well at the end of a six-month period you can show your lender that you are indeed serious about addressing your back debt. You have virtually turned bad credit into good credit. You have gotten the original creditor to discount your bill by 50% and he has agreed to finance you. You didn't borrow a dime to pay him back. Is that smart? You bet it is!

That pretty much sums up how to negotiate your debt when you have money as leverage. Later I'll go over doing the same if you have no money. In my next article I'll cover how the Statute of Limitations works.

How to Negotiate Debts - Part 2

Vineyards of the Outer Banks

After months of saving, planning, and packing, you're finally ready to embark on your vacation to North Carolina's beautiful Outer Banks. You have the itinerary memorized - days and day of play on the beach, with maybe an excursion to the Currituck Beach lighthouse or the Wright Brothers memorial in Kitty Hawk. The trip promises to be wonderful, but if you are a fan of the grape it could be enhanced with tours of area wineries.

Yes, wine is made in the Outer Banks. One might never expect this area to be associated with good wine, but if you plan ahead you will be able not only to enlighten your palate during a vineyard tour, but possibly join the locals and other wine aficianados for an evening of tasting, food, and fun. Think these additional stops on your tour of the Outer Banks.

Bank Orchard

Moonrise Bay Winery

Set against the calm waters of the bay in Knotts Island, Moonrise Bay has produced a amount of tasty vintages since the turn of the century. Here visitors are offered a option of dry reds and whites, and sweet whites from the ever popular Muscadine. Among the wines ready are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Norton, Syrah, Chambourcin, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Tours run daily from noon to five, or by special appointment.

Sanctuary Vineyards

If you are visiting from out of state, best to buy your Sanctuary wine here, as they only ship to North Carolina and Virginia. Sanctuary not only offers wine from other area vineyards, but also sells unique blends under their own label. If you enjoy full-bodied blended reds with a peppery finish, or possibly a semi-dry blend of Chardonnay and Sangiovese with a sweet finish, find sanctuary in a tour of this vineyard. For directions and more data on area vineyards, be sure to visit http://www.VisitCurrituck.com and ask free brochures.

Martin Vineyards

The sandy soil of Knotts Island produces great wine, and at Martin Vineyards one will find acres of Muscadines waiting to be picked. In expanding to a collection of dry and sweet table wines, guests at the vineyard may also pick seasonal fruits from the surrounding orchards. July is especially welcoming, since the vineyards hosts the annual Knotts Island Peach Festival. Bring the family for a picnic by the sea.

Mother Vineyard

Like a bit of strangeness with your wine? Well, more than likely you won't find anyone to sample at the mum Vineyard, because the vines are on incommunicable property, yet visitors flock to this area near Manteo anyway if only to catch a behold of the oldest grapevines in North Carolina. It isn't known who planted these vines, believed to be over 400 years old, but the sheer enormity and thickness of the vines (to say nothing of the sweet Muscadine grapes growing from them) always leaves visitors in awe, and thirsty!

A vacation in the Outer Banks is wonderful, yet one enhanced by tours of area wineries adds a sweetness one is confident to savor.

Vineyards of the Outer Banks

Jobs For Convicted Felons - Everyone is Accepted!

How many times have you applied to a job, and been rejected because of your criminal record? Jobs for convicted felons are scarce.

Just because someone made a mistake in their life doesn't mean they cant be a good worker. They pay for it later in life when they are unable to find a job. Does this sound familiar? There are places that will pay you money to work for them, regardless of your criminal history. They dont care whether you are the president or the guy with the world record for felonies (If this is you, please contact me!).

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What is this all about?

What are these "places" I speak of? They are called "GPT" sites. It's a great way to earn money online. Let me take a moment to explain how GPT sites work, how they can make YOU money, and why this is one of the best jobs for convicted felons.

GPT Sites will pay you to complete offers and promotions, to complete surveys, and more! Advertisers need people to try their products, and they need information about consumers. This is worth a lot of money to them, and they are willing to pay for it. For example:

Jimmy has developed a new weight loss pill that he wants people to buy!
Jimmy tells GPT Site "A" that for every potential customer they bring to him, he will pay GPT Site "A" 10 dollars.

Then, you sign up under GPT Site "A". They tell you to try Jimmy's product. You try it, they earn their 10 dollars, and pass a percentage onto you. This is the basis for all GPT sites, and is also why they are so successful.

What do I have to do?

To earn money on GPT sites, you complete what they call "offers". An offer can range from completing a survey to entering your email address to trying out a free product. Each one, when completed, pays out a certain amount of money. Offers payout up to , and generally take anywhere from 1-10 minutes to complete. Certain offers, like ones that have you sign up for a free trial, require a credit card and usually payout more money, but if you dont want to use a credit card, you dont have to! There are plenty of free offers to go around. Its completely free to sign up and start making money.

Jobs for convicted felons are usually hard to get, but luckily GPT services accept everyone. You can get started with this today, and earn about +/hr once you get the hang of it.

Jobs For Convicted Felons - Everyone is Accepted!

Making the Perfect Gift Yourself with Homemade Gift Ideas

One of the best and surefire ways to make gift buying easy this year and save a little money in the process is by creating and giving your own homemade gifts. Depending on your skill or expertise, you can make hundreds of different unique gifts which everyone will be wishing they got like ornaments or detailed quilts instead of a new pair of socks.

True gifts are often seen as a sign of love and caring but that doesn't mean you need to spend large amounts of money to show someone you care about them. Everyone can make a celebration or holiday memorable with just a touch of imagination. Gather all your savvy, creativity and available resources such as money, time, energy, talent, and skill.

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Get into creating homemade gifts by using your imagination, plan ahead and having enough room to store everything. Here are a few ideas to get you started and on your way.
The best way to show someone you care about them is with food. For centuries, food has long been associated as a sign of love and caring. After all the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach as the saying goes. So not surprisingly, gifts involving food rates pretty high among homemade gifts. There is nothing more popular than sweets but there are other options available. Bake some fresh bread like banana bread, minestrone soup or chili. Put together a fruit basket with some tasty, fresh fruit. Take the time and build something yourself that they will be able to use. While everyone thinks of a spice rack for this type of gift, there are other ideas you can try. Build a birdhouse or a picture frame. They are both easy projects and make nice gifts. You can go very creative by presenting food mixes for someone to use in the future such as ingredients to make cookies or brownies. Get a jelly jar and then layer the dry ingredients of a recipe. Another variation of this gift requires you to mix a dry bean soup in an attractive bag or a hot cocoa mix in a tin. Add a little flair to the presentation by attaching the instructions to the container. Think about making some herbal personal care products. With aromatherapy being as popular as it is, build a gift basket full of lotions, bath oils and powers. It's simple. Add some bath salts to the basket by combining a tablespoon each of baking soda and borax with 1/2 cup table salt and then mix in 1/4 teaspoon of a scented essential oil. Use some digital photos saved on your computer to create a neat gift. Build a montage of someone's favorite photos or framed a photo that is special for the gift receiver. Printing a digital photo album for grandma and grandpa works wonders. Programs such as Microsoft Publisher or even Adobe Photoshop can help you build an album. They even allow you to insert some text for a story about your family. Craft something with your hands to create something precious. If you're a skilled knitter weave a pair of gloves or a hat. Quilters can piece together special quilts with meaning. Someone skilled with needlepoint can make some attractive wall decorations. If you don't feel as though you're that creative and handy, then offer the gift of time. Help out a family member by offering to cut their grass over the summer or your babysitting services.

Making the Perfect Gift Yourself with Homemade Gift Ideas

Kinnaur - The Virgin Paradise On Earth

Much is written about varied beautiful places on earth but if one were truly to meet heaven on earth then Kinnaur is the place. Nestled in the lap of three sky-kissing and majestic mountain ranges namely the rugged Zanskar, the towering Greater Himalayas and the Dhuladhar, the middle and the accessible section of Kinnaur lies at the elevation of approximately 3000-5000 meters above sea-level. The pristine valley encloses the Satluj, Spiti, Baspa and its offshoot tributaries in its unruffled ambit.

The beauty of the magnificent terrain is amplified in multifold with booming orchards, swaying fields, thick woodlands and rich tradition and culture, unique to this land of the Gods. The slopes are intercepted by small but scenic hamlets spread here and there. The region is galore with rhododendron, cypress, fir, pine, junipers and several other alpine vegetations. Kalpa region in Kinnaur is the only in the country which grows chilgoza, plantations of which are abundant in Iran.

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This district is situated strategically on the Hindustan-Tibet border in the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. A susceptible thoroughfare referred to as Nh-22 perched under the hanging cliffs of high mountains undertakes serpentine whirls along the banks of river Satluj and enters Tibet through the Shipki La Pass. Kinnaur is markedly a culturally and ethnically distinctive region and was set open for outsiders in 1989. It is one of the smallest districts of India. Rickong Peo is the town for secretarial machinery of the region.

Kinnaur is a place where time appears to have come to a standstill. The natives of Kinnaur rightly call them selves as the kinners, meaning gods personified. Their upright honesty, spiritual values and religious beliefs are nowhere near lowly mortals. Genetically they are of Indo-Caucasian and Tibetan origin mixed in varying degrees depending upon the region and elevation. It becomes more towards Tibetan side in the upper ranges lying in close proximity to Tibet. Mythology and kinners say it univocally with strong conviction that a bunch of gods were once going some where and on their way they planned to get down at Kinnaur for rest, the place rather the entire region of Himachal Pradesh is called the Devbhumi, meaning the land where the heavenly figured loved to play and dwell. This land of the Gods still retains its traditional milieu and with much impetus given to the tourism sector, it now has given the humans with an opening to expore the vistas ones considered endemic. Here Hinduism and Buddhism, the two great religions of the world flourish side by side vibrant with traditional brotherhood sans any conflict.

Kinnaur is a peaceful land; the folklore is abounding with remarkable stories of its divine origins. It is believed that the great Pandavas of the Mahabharata fame choose to come here during their exile. The much revered Shivalinga sits atop the consuming Kinner Kailash Mountain and is believed to be the dwelling of Lord Shiva.

The government of Himachal Pradesh is chalking out innovative plans to flush in tourism in this spectacular high-terrain region bursting with adventurous bounties. The 'Parikrama of Kailash-Kinner' and other stunning tracks are identified and developed for this purpose. Kinnaur is adorned with the Nako Lake, three wild life sanctuaries which is the home to the endemic and unique flora and fauna distinctive to the region besides other picturesque panoramas.

In the lower and temperate climbs of Kinnaur are found the trees of chestnut, oak, birch, maple, apple, apricots, magnolia and several others. The dzos and the yaks are reared by the local farmers. The Himalayan black bear and small ponies are also found in the region.

Kinnaur - The Virgin Paradise On Earth