Can you Haiku?





Roses are red

   Violets are blue

        I can Haiku

              Can you?

April is National Poetry Month and it’s your chance to be heard—no poetry experience necessary!  Just write your thoughts in 17 syllables, share on the Library’s “Haiku-Can You?” kiosk, and you’re a poet. 

Haiku [hahy-koo] is a major form of Japanese verse, written in 17 syllables divided into 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables, and employing highly evocative allusions and comparisons, often on the subject of nature or of the seasons. Stop by the Library for examples and to share your creativeness.

April 2012 Golf Pro Tip

Use two turns to hit the ball straighter
by Stephen Vedder, Silver Sage Golf Professional

Many accomplished golfers struggle off of tee with big misses, often pushes to the right, or snap hooks turning violently left.  Players then find they have to recover on a hole instead of attacking the hole and giving themselves a chance for birdie or guaranteeing par.

To eliminate these errant tee shots, you must first re-attack your address position and verify your aim.  More often than not, players aim well right of their intended target, which sets the body in such a closed position that they must flip their hands at the ball to square the face.  This is a timing move.  Unless perfectly timed, this will result in too late of a release creating a big push to the right, or an over release creating a quick hook left.  Once you are sure you are aiming correctly, focus on swinging with the body instead of the hands and arms.  “Transport the golf club with turn,” never lift the club to the top of the backswing and throw it down at the ball.  Instead, turn the body to the right on the backswing and, once complete, simply turn your left hip and shoulder left to release through the shot.  You should feel much more connected, and you will finish tall on your left leg at the finish of the swing. 

Hopefully, these keys will get you hitting the ball straighter down the fairway allowing you a chance at birdie.  Good luck!

What is geocaching?

by Josha Brown, Asst. ODR Director

I would like to extend a new outdoor activity I have started looking into; geocaching.  Now, geocaching is not a new development.  It has been around for years, but I have just recently started exploring its opportunities.  Geocaching.com has been my reference point to figuring out how it all works. Basically, a geocache is a hidden treasure placed in random places like hollow tree cavities, next to a boulder, etc.  Caches range in sizes from pill bottles to five-gallon buckets, most of which have some type of log book to say who has found it and when.  Some caches contain little trinkets or prizes, but if you decide to take the prize you need to replace it with something of equal or greater value.

Okay, so how do I find one of these hidden treasures you ask?  Well, you take your handheld GPS or smartphone, there’s an application you can download, log in the cache coordinates and your adventure begins.  The website explains this process pretty well, and there is no reason for me to reinvent the wheel, so check out how to find your first cache on the website geocaching.com.  You will have to create a profile to access cache locations, but a general membership is free.  Each cache is logged into the website giving you the size and difficulty for locating it.  There are hundreds of caches from which to choose.

Typing in Mountain Home on the search, I received 841caches within 25 miles and more than 7,000 within 100 miles.  This will keep you busy for quite some time and is an excellent opportunity to get out, explore your surroundings, and get to know your local area a little better.  Geocaching is like a grown-up version of Easter egg hunting, just on a larger scale and with more high-tech equipment.  So, when you find yourself with a couple hours and an itch to get outside, log on, grab some coordinates, and have some fun!  

Cooking with Rino #22

 

Are you Ready for Brunch Season?

Fresh Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

Ingredients

6 slices            bacon

4                       eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups     light cream
1/4 tsp            ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp            salt
1/2 tsp            pepper
2 cups             chopped fresh spinach
2 cups             chopped fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup          chopped onions
1 cup               shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup               shredded cheddar cheese
1 (9-inch)       deep dish pie crust

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whip together eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir in bacon, spinach, mushrooms, onions, 3/4 cup Swiss cheese, and 3/4 cup cheddar cheese. Transfer to the pie crust. Top with remaining cheese.
4. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 35 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

 “Enjoy and email me your favorites.”

Pellegrino.caruso@mountainhome.af.mil

April is Heartworm Awareness and Prevention Month

Dogs are considered the definitive host for heartworms ( Dirofilaria immitis). However, heartworms may infect more than 30 species of animals (e.g., coyotes, foxes, wolves and other wild canids, domestic cats and wild felids, ferrets, sea lions, etc.) and humans as well. When a mosquito carrying infective heartworm larvae bites a dog and transmits the infection, the larvae grow, develop and migrate in the body over a period of several months to become sexually mature male and female worms. These reside in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels. As mature adults, the worms mate and the females release their offspring (microfilariae), pronounced: (micro-fil-ar-ee-a), into the blood stream.
Offspring can be detected in the blood (pre-patent period) about six to seven months after the infective larvae from the mosquito enter the dog. The male heartworms (four to six inches in length) and the females (10-12 inches) become fully grown about one year after infection, and their life span in dogs appears to average up to five to seven years.

Canine heartworm infection is widely distributed throughout the United States. Heartworm infection has been found in dogs native to all 50 states. All dogs, regardless of their age, sex, or habitat, are susceptible to heartworm infection. The highest infection rates (up to 45%) in dogs (not maintained on heartworm preventive) are observed within 150 miles of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from the Gulf of Mexico to New Jersey and along the Mississippi River and its major tributaries. Other areas of the United States may have lower incidence rates (5% or less) of canine heartworm disease, while some regions have environmental, mosquito population and dog population factors that allow a higher local incidence of heartworm infection. Regions where heartworm disease is common have diagnosed infections in dogs as young as one year of age, with most areas diagnosing infections primarily between the ages of three and eight years. Although there are differences in frequency of infection for various groups of dogs, all dogs in all regions should be considered at risk, placed on prevention programs and frequently examined by a veterinarian.

The Mountain Home AFB Veterinary Treatment Facility is available to test your dog or cat for Heartworms as well as the three most common tick-borne diseases in one simple test which only requires 4 drops of blood.  Please contact us at 828-2221 to schedule your appointment and to purchase your Heartworm preventative today.

For more information please visit the American Heartworm Society website at http://www.heartwormsociety.org/

*Information in this article directly sourced from the American Heartworm Society website.

Fitness Tip #11

Brush off those winter layers and be prepared to spring into April! Not only does this month celebrate the Easter holiday with those we love but it also means a new beginning to a healthier body. April is the perfect time to start getting into shape and looking good in your Sunday best. There is no better time to start on that bikini body for summer than now.  Even if you’ve attained your ideal figure, don’t stop now.  Exercising a minimum of three times per week, for 20-30 minutes will help to burn off those calories consumed at a friend’s barbeque over the weekend. Here are April’s effective, no- equipment exercise tips that target each major problem areas and are guaranteed to keep you looking your best all year long!

Gun Slinging Fit-to-Fight Tip #11

Before you workout, make sure you perform your dynamic stretching also known as a warm-up.  Once you are thermally ready, after about 5-10 minutes, you are ready to workout.  Please note that these exercises should not be done unless you are in good physical/medical standard and have cleared all medical conditions which may become worse by doing these exercises.  If you have any questions about these exercises, the Gunfighter Fitness Center Staff will be happy to answer or demonstrate them for you.

Crunches - 2-3 sets/10-15 reps (Abdomen and Obliques)
Push-Ups - 1 min
Lunges - 1 min
Right Oblique Crunches - 2-3 sets/10-15 reps
Push-Ups - 1 min
Jumping Squats - 1 min
Left Oblique Crunches - 2-3 sets/10-15 reps
Push-Ups - 1 min
Butt Kicks - 1 min

CDC employees receive Child Care Credential




Jessica Thill

Recentely, CDC employees were awarded a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential in recognition of outstanding work of young children.  The Council for Professional Recognition in Washington DC awards credentials to early childhood educators who demonstrate the ability to constructively work with young children in group settings.

“It takes special knowledge, skills, and expertise to be an effective teacher of young children,” says Valora Washington, DEO of the Council.  “It’s a great honor to earn a CDA and it shows a commitment to quality early childhood education.”

Beverly King

The CDA is nationally recognized credential for excellence in early childhood education.  Each CDA candidate is observed working with young children and is assessed on his/her ability to develop the physical, emotional, and intellectual capabilities of young children.

Sherrie Brothers

The CDA community nationwide is having a positive effect on the quality of early childhood education by helping preschools, daycare centers, and family child care programs hire qualified and competent professionals who ensure the best care for our nation’s youngest.

Child care staff and parents wanting more information on CDA should visit http://www.cdacouncil.org/.



Cassie Scott



Cynthia Chatman



Rhonda Henderson