:Forest Folk

Formula One motor racing is basically the summit of karting. It’s the professional configuration of the sport in its entirety. Formula 1 is huge phenomenon, a business empire that receives millions and millions of ? per annum from advertising, funding, and radio income sources. Expert Formula One drivers with a millionaire existence race these astounding motor cars that are unprecedented with technical kit - everything from very hard to develop lightweight frames that glide the machine to tires with incomparable grooving style that supplies the power on the circuit.

There is at this time no other sport that best epitomizes the saying “international sport” like Formula One motoring. Many countries serve as active contributors in shaping the Formula 1 racing road show - Malaysia for example, is a hot spot for F1 racing (Fernando Alonso, a Spanish-born Formula One racing driver driving with Team Renault very recently won a F1 race there) and Italy plays a vital role in designing and making first class, top-of-the-line go karts. Competition is usual in karting - giving an edge of anticipation with each zip of the bend and nitrous increase of the machine. Keep up to date with Formula One with detailed guides on all the past and present F1 Grand Prix Circuits.

F1 motor vehicles can be summed up in 2 words: technological miracle. These sleek, low riding gems ripping trough laps at speeds topping one hundred & eighty miles per hour consist of nothing more than merely a chassis, an engine, & four wheels. For starters, the engine is placed behind the cockpit as opposed to normal motor vehicles. Find great offers on sports equipment.

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Chamonix Haute Savoie is a prestigious ski resort with the infamous Monte Bianco and tumbling glaciers. Everyone like to go snowboarding or sometimes wandering around. I usually get a flight from Granby and stay at a Chamonix lodge during my holiday.

My family and I previously visited Doubletree Hotel and Executive Meeting Center Berkeley Marina unfortunately it never matched its its advert: With panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline, the Doubletree is approximately 10 miles from Oakland International Airport. This property is located right on the Berkeley Marina with full access to jogging trails, fishing, sailing, windsurfing, and other water activities. Hotel amenities include the two indoor swimming pools, two hot tubs, sauna, complimentary fitness center, gift shop, and room service. In addition, the Bay Grille and Bay Lounge sit on the water with views of the bay.

However in Chamonix town the luxury catered chalet is nearly always good. Also dining in our groups number one bar, Beef Chop Suey, munching oyster stew is a pleasure. Chamonix France is a big enough village to insure that there is lots of things for the visitor to do. Including a sports and swimming complex and a plethora of shops, Chamonix provides a combination of skiing, French alpine charm and tourist attractions which few resorts can hope to rival.

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Boating and hunting are certainly two of the most popular outdoor activities. In the following article we will take a look at each of them and discuss some of the safety risk involved.

Boating
The term boating usually refers to the recreational use of a pleasure craft. Fishing and waterskiing are two common boating activities along with many other sports. Millions of boaters can be found all around the world as it is an incredibly popular activity.

Boating Safety
For most people when they go out boating on the water the last thing on their mind is emergency preparation. This is a mistake which over time has cost many people their lives. Being prepared for an emergency is absolutely vital if you are going to go out boating. Common boating emergencies include someone falling overboard, boat breakdowns, boat leaks and capsizing.

Proper safety equipment is not only recommended but is mandatory in most places. Boating safety equipment includes life buoys, life jackets and ladders. A horn and bailer are also recommended and/or required in most areas. Survival suits are also recommended especially when boating in cold water where the risk of hypothermia is greater.

Proper maintenance of your boat is essential to ensuring a safe trip. Without proper maintenance your boat has a much greater risk of breaking down which will put the lives of everyone on board including yourself at risk.

Hunting
Hunting can be defined as the practise of pursuing some type of animal while attempting to capture or kill it. Hunting dates back many, many years and is a very celebrated pastime.

Hunting Safety
Unload all firearms when not in use. Although you may know that your firearm is loaded, the people around you may not. Never hop over a fence or climb into your tree stand with a gun that is loaded. When travelling on an ATV or other vehicle unload the gun as well.

Be sure that not only do you know what is in front of your target before shooting but also be aware of what is behind it. Many hunters leave this part out as they assume that they will not miss. That however is not the case.

The most important safety tip that we can offer you is to use common sense at ALL times. While hunting, do not at any time allow your emotions to override common sense.

Taking a compass and map with you will aid if you get lost. Even a flashlight is a good idea in case you become lost in the dark. The flashlight will also help in avoiding snakes and other potentially dangerous animals.

Following these tips will allow you a much better chance of having a safe and enjoyable time boating or hunting.

Our Boating section provides articles and safety tips for boaters, while our about
Hunting section contains the same for hunters.

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Last week in Australia, one man’s day at beach could have turned into a disaster: He was attacked by a seven-foot bronze whaler shark while surfing about 100 yards out from Sydney’s Bronte Beach.

Fortunately, the man, Simon Letch, stayed calm and “shoved the board at [the shark] like a barge pole.” After taking two bites of the fiberglass board, the shark swam away and Letch surfed back to shore.

“It was only about 10 or 15 seconds that I was waiting for a wave but it seemed like an eternity,” Letch said.

You’d think that this Jaws-style attack would have kept Letch on land, at least for the rest of the day, but the lifeguard said he came back 30 minutes later, replacement board in hand, ready to surf.

Afraid to Get Back in the Water?

Just how likely are you to come across your own “Jaws” while wading in the surf or snorkeling with some Angel Fish?

According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), 1,909 confirmed shark attacks have occurred around the world-between 1580 and 2003! Of these, 737 happened in the United States, and 38 people died as a result. Hardly alarming numbers, but the actual number of shark attacks isn’t really known because many areas keep them under wraps so tourism isn’t affected.

Unprovoked shark attacks, the kind where a shark in its natural habitat attacks a (live) human without any apparent reason, do seem to be on the rise, though, say the researchers behind ISAF.

In 2004, there were 61 unprovoked shark attacks recorded worldwide (seven were fatal), up from 57 in 2003. Overall, this number has been growing for the past 100 years, and more people were attacked in the 1990s than in any other decade (and so far it seems that the current decade will break last decade’s record).

***** Your odds of being attacked by a shark? 1 in 11.5 million, says the International Shark Attack File. Being killed by a shark? 0 in 264.1 million. Your risk of drowning, for comparison? 1 in 2 million. *****

Keep in mind, though, that if you’re involved in a shark attack that’s deemed “provoked,” that attack will not be included in the tally. What constitutes a provoked shark attack or an attack that’s not “unprovoked”? Those that involve:

* Sharks and divers in public aquaria or research holding pens

* “Scavenge damage” to already dead humans (typically drowning victims)

* Attacks on boats

* Attacks in which a human initiates contact with a shark (such as a diver grabbing a shark)

Why are shark attacks on the rise? It’s less complicated than you may think … Say the researchers at ISAF, it’s because humans are spending more time in the water.

Where Are Shark Attacks Most Common?

Though images of Great Whites gliding through Australia’s Great Barrier Reef may come to mind, most shark attacks happen in North American waters. Within the United States, shark attacks happen most often in Florida and then in:

* California

* Texas

* Hawaii

* North Carolina

* Alabama, Oregon and South Carolina (tied)

Worldwide, after North American waters, the most shark attacks occur in:

* Australia

* Brazil

* South Africa

* Reunion Island (in the Indian Ocean)

* The Bahamas, Cuba, Egypt, Fiji, New Zealand and Venezuela (tied)

***** In the United States, you’re more likely to be killed by a deer (through auto accidents), dog, snake or mountain lion than you are by a shark. *****

How to Prevent Shark Attacks

First and foremost, if you want to be sure a shark won’t attack you … don’t go in the ocean. Next on the list is, don’t go in the water if you see a shark, and then don’t go in if you’re bleeding-sharks can detect even minute amounts of blood from very far away (this applies even to menstruating women). The Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department offers these other shark safety tips:

* Swim in groups-sharks are most likely to attack a person who’s alone.

* Don’t swim too far from shore (you’re farther away from help and more isolated).

* Don’t go in the water at night or during twilight hours when sharks are most active.

* Leave shiny jewelry at home-a shark could mistake it for shiny fish scales.

* Don’t swim in areas used by commercial or sport fisherman where bait is used often (if there are diving seabirds around, it’s likely this is the case).

* Don’t swim if you have an uneven tan-sharks don’t like tan lines! (seriously, the contrast could attract them).

* The same goes for bright colored clothing-sharks may be attracted to it.

* Don’t splash excessively or swim with pets (who may thrash around and attract a shark).

* Be careful around steep drop-offs or when between sandbars (these are two areas sharks love).

What to do if a Shark Attacks

In the unlikely event that a shark does attack … swim … and fast. Seriously, if you see a shark the best thing to do is stay calm and swim quickly, but smoothly, back to the shore or surface.

If the shark actually attacks, you should first try to hit it on the tip of its nose (use whatever you have with you-a spear or camera if you’re diving, a surfboard as Letch did, or your own fist). The shark should go away long enough for you to calmly, but quickly, swim away (Discomforting side note: If you can’t get away, and the shark comes back, hitting it on the nose will become less and less effective).

If the shark bites and you’re stuck in its mouth, be as aggressive as you can. Go for the sensitive areas of the eyes and gill openings and hit the shark, hard. Don’t “play dead,” as this won’t help. As soon as the shark releases, get out of the water as quickly as you can (don’t hang around because once there’s blood in the water, the shark will likely come back to attack again).

Chances are very, very small of being attacked by a shark, though, so don’t let Hollywood’s version of a man-eating Jaws (or the disturbing images of the film “Open Water”) keep you from enjoying the surf.

If it makes you feel any better, there are plenty of other things to worry about while you’re at the beach that are more likely to happen than a shark attack … things like dehydration, jellyfish and stingray stings, cutting your foot on a seashell, sunburn, and sand getting wedged in private places, just to name a few.

————

Sources

Seattle Post-Intelligencer April 19, 2005

International Shark Attack File

Sharks!

From the FREE SixWise.com e-newsletter, the Web’s #1 most read newsletter with original articles in all 6 areas of life leading to complete wellness.

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Another offering by the father of landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, the 1876 Mont-Royal Park is his only creation outside of the United States. It features trademark twisting paths that lead gently to the top of 765-foot Mont-Royal. The mountain, from which the city takes it name, was climbed by Jacques Cartier in 1535.

At the summit, reached via Douglas MacArthur Bridge from Jefferson Avenue, are
views of downtown Montreal and across the St. Lawrence River into New York’s
Adirondack Mountains. You can leave the wide paved trails and explore dirt paths in
the upper regions of the park that pass through light woods. At the base of the
mountain are plenty of grassy lawns to sprawl with your dog.

About one-half hour north is Chemin de la Presqu’le. Long ago, “Chemin de la
Presqu’le” was the name of the horse and buggy road that linked Mascouche and
Repentigny. To commemorate the road that led citizens to Repentigy lands recessed
between Assomption river and the Saint-Lawrence, Jean-Marie Desrosiers decided
to give the same name to the vast network of trails he created in Le Gardeur in
1978.

The Presqu’le Trail boasts a network of four well-marked, pleasing hiking trails
ranging from a little over a mile to about 3 miles. Since the early 1990s, dogs have
been welcome on the park trails and can even be walked without a leash.

The canine hiking is at an easy clip on the flat trails along the Le Gardeur section,
however the hike becomes more challenging along the undulating loops that meet
the Mascouche section. Small ponds provide a spot for dogs to cool off but also
bring squadrons of mosquitoes. Bring plenty of insect repellent for you and your
dog - the females get so hungry for a blood meal that hikers are not charged
admission in summer.

The dog-friendly park is located in Le Gardeur and reached from Highway 40 or
640, Exit 97.

Doug Gelbert is the author of over 20 books, including The Canine Hiker’s Bible.
To subscribe to his FREE Newsletter on hiking with your dog and receive a copy
of Rules for Dogs in 100 of the Most Popular National Park Service Lands, visit
http://www.hikewithyourdog.com In the warmer months he leads canine hikes
for hikewithyourdog.com tours, guiding packs of dogs and humans on hiking
adventures. Tours, ranging from one-day trips to multi-day explorations, visit
parks, historical sites and beaches.

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Residential outdoor lighting is a billion dollar a year industry
in the United States. It is getting so popular, there is now a
corporation that franchises individual businesses dealing only
in exterior landscape lighting design, supply, and installation!
Line voltage systems used to be the only option for outdoor
lighting but in recent years, low voltage lighting systems and
solar powered lights have made exterior decorative lighting
available to every home owner -not just the rich ones.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 67% of adult Americans are
homeowners (2004 statistics). Renovation, remodeling and home
improvement are massively popular activities that only reflect
the priority that consumers give in making their property as
comfortable and pleasing as possible. Gardening has always been
a past time homeowners enjoy in beautifying their property, both
for themselves and to raise the “curb appeal”, but up until a
decade ago, beautifying the nightscape was not a mainstream
idea.

Hotels, resorts and similar type commercial properties have
always used light to create beautiful atmospheres on their
grounds, but given the cost of an outdoor lighting system,
residential lighting applications were mostly limited to basic
security needs. Landscapes were enjoyed during daylight hours
but when the sun went down, the outdoor portion of a homeowner’s
property was not used.

Low Voltage outdoor lighting systems

Low voltage lighting systems and solar powered lights are
changing this. A low voltage lighting system plugs into a
transformer and takes household current down to 12 volts. This
means real energy efficiency and eliminates the building code
requirements for burying cables 18 inches for line voltage
systems. The lights can be used for any outdoor lighting
application, although they still need to be wired together.
Trenching and some cable burying will also probably be required.
Additionally, the capacity of the transformer must be sufficient
to cover the combined power draw (watts) of every light in the
system.

The Solar landscape lighting option

Solar powered lights are not wired to anything and require no
transformers. Installing them is as easy as sticking them in the
ground, or mounting them wherever you need them. The draw back
is that the photovoltaic charging panels (usually mounted on the
top of the light fixture) that capture the sun’s energy need
direct sunlight during the day to charge the batteries that
provide power to illuminate the light at night. And in higher
latitudes where the period of darkness is longer in winter
months, there is a good chance that the lights will not get
enough sun during the day to be able to illuminate for the
entire period of darkness.

Even so, solar powered landscaping lights are becoming extremely
popular although this was not always the case. Up until two or
three years ago, solar lights were not as bright as many
consumers wanted, didn’t illuminate for long periods and too
often, did not operate longer than a year or two before becoming
defective. Today however, solar lights are bright enough for
almost any outdoor application, will illuminate for the entire
night and -provided you get quality models - will last 20 years
without maintenance or defect.

These dramatic increases in solar outdoor lighting reliability
are due to recent advances in two areas of technology:
photovoltaic cells and the introduction of the Light Emitting
Diode (LED) bulb.

The photovoltaic cell is the technology that “captures” the
sun’s energy. In the 1980’s, these cells could absorb only about
5% of the sunlight they were exposed to. Today this figure is
moving past 15% and as further development of the compounds used
in these cells continues (they are now silicon based but other
compounds are being studied) they will only get more efficient.

Perhaps even more exciting has been the introduction of the
solid state LED bulb. This technology involves manipulating
electrons and moving them in a certain direction so that photons
are produced. This creation of photons is the visible light.
Unlike the traditional incandescent bulb, there is no excited
gas, no burning filament, and therefore next to no heat
production. Almost all of the energy produced is used as light.
The bulbs last for 10,000 hours, require no maintenance and draw
on average only three to five watts.

Today’s solar lights are excellent value

One of the biggest critiques of solar lights in the past has
been the intensity of brightness they produce. This was a fair
comment, but today’s solar lights are much brighter. Many
mistake the term watt as a measure of brightness, which of
course, it is not.

A watt is the measurement of the power required to operate
something. If talking about only one type of light bulb, then
there is a relationship; a 40w incandescent bulb will not be as
bright as a 60w bulb. But when dealing with different
technologies, this comparison is not fair. Indeed, one LED bulb
drawing between three and five watts will produce the same
brightness as a 40w bulb. And many solar lights are now
manufactured with multiple LEDs, therefore producing light much
brighter than the glow of a traditional 40w incandescent product.

More and more consumers are realizing that outdoor accent
lighting really does have an enormous effect in creating a
beautiful nightscape environment. Some prefer a low voltage
lighting system because they will illuminate for the entire
period of darkness and are reliable and energy efficient. Other
consumers prefer the solar outdoor lighting solution because
these lights are now just as reliable, are far easier to install
and can be moved around at whim when trying different effects.
There is also a satisfaction in getting free energy from the
sun! But whatever the choice, there is no denying that
residential outdoor lighting systems are becoming a standard
feature on millions of properties.

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