Reedy Creek Park, A Charlotte Picnic Haven

Do you live in the Charlotte, NC area? Are you trying to save some money this summer by staying close to home for your vacation? You'll love going on a picnic in one of Mecklenburg County's great parks! The Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation Department has broken the County into five Park Regions. In this series of articles we'll feature at least one park from each of these regions. In this article we'll start with Reedy Creek Park from the East Park Region.

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Reedy Creek Park at 2900 Rocky River Road has something for everyone from the adventurer to the laid back soul to the kids to the family dog. It features one indoor and nine outdoor pavilions that can be reserved for your family reunion or corporate event. Each of these pavilions has grills and plenty of picnic tables for your event. There are also plenty of individual picnic tables spread around the park for your convenience.

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If you're looking to work up a sweat, there are several options for you at Reedy Creek Park. My favorite is the 18 hole disc golf course. This course takes playing frisbee to a whole new level. The object is to throw your disc through a chain link "hole" several hundred feet away. The hilly course winds through the woods and crosses water to challenge even the most skilled disc golfer. You'll be surprised at the workout this game will give you. If disc golf isn't your game, there are volleyball courts, softball fields, a basketball court and soccer fields to keep you busy. One of the soccer fields can be configured into a regulation cricket pitch. Did you know that anyone even plays cricket in the United States?

The park borders on the Reedy Creek Nature Center and Preserve. The Preserve has 10 miles of well marked hiking trails that will offer you the opportunity to get back to nature with a great variety of wildlife. The trails will take you up and down hills, across streams and through meadows as you see a variety of birds, mammals and assorted plant life. The trails vary in difficulty from easy to quite strenuous so make sure you stop at the Nature Center and check out the map before you start hiking. Dogs are allowed on the trails as long as they're kept on leashes no more than six feet in length. Please clean up after your dog.

The Nature Center itself is open Monday - Saturday from 9:00 to 5:00 and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00. The Nature Center features live animals, an exhibit hall and a gift shop. Perhaps the best thing about the Nature Center are the educational programs they offer. During the summer season they have almost daily programs that range from "Hovering Hummingbirds" to "P.L.A.N.T. Club" (Preschoolers Learning About Nature Together). For more information, search for Reedy Creek Park's Facebook page.

For those of us who like to take things a bit slower, Reedy Creek Park has horseshoe pits, fishing in two different ponds and plenty of space to just kick back and relax. If you're going to fish, you'll need a license if you're aged 16 or over. There are also playgrounds for the kids.

Remember I said there was even something for the family dog? Barkingham Park is a four acre fenced in dog park where you can let your best friend off his leash and let him run around. Dogs have to be fully documented and current in their vaccinations to be allowed in the park and children under 12 have to remain outside the dog park.

In our next article, we'll pay a visit to Freedom Park in the Central Park Region. Freedom Park is thought of as Charlotte's version of New York's Central Park. Stay tuned.

Reedy Creek Park, A Charlotte Picnic Haven

This article was written by Alan Kassirer. By day I work at Youth Advocate Programs, Inc., a large not-for-profit agency that serves 10,000 youth and families each year.

By evening and weekend I wander around checking out interesting places and meeting interesting people. I also own Picnic Baskets and More, an internet store specializing in wicker picnic baskets [http://www.picnic-basket-set.com/picnic-baskets.html], barbecue tools and other picnic accessories [http://www.picnic-basket-set.com].

CHARLOTTE

The Peter Shandy Series by Charlotte MacLeod

Between 1978 and 1996 Charlotte MacLeod published ten Peter Shandy novels, all of them wild, wacky and witty. Her characters range from the straight laced to the totally demented. Her plots are frequently laugh out loud funny. If you like unconventional mysteries that are well written I suggest that you try this series.

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In the first book "Rest you Merry" we meet Peter Shandy, a professor at Balaclava Agricultural College and co-propagator of the Balaclava Buster rutabaga. It is Christmas time which means that it is time for the college's main fund raising event, The Grand Illumination. For years Peter's neighbor Jemima Ames has badgered him to decorate his house on the crescent. This year he decides he has had enough. After all but burying his house under gaudy decorations he escapes Balaclava for a sea trip only to be shipwrecked. Slinking back home to face his irate neighbors he finds Jemima's body behind his couch. Is it an accident or murder? Thorkjeld Svenson, college president, champion of the straight furrow and berserker Viking, assigns Peter to find out, without ruining the illumination.

CHARLOTTE

The second book is "The Luck Runs Out". Strange things are happening in Balaclava County. First some prankster turns all the horse shoes nailed up in the college barns upside down, letting the luck run out, figuratively speaking. Second, the silversmith's vault is emptied in a daring robbery while the newly married Peter and Helen Shandy just happen to be there picking out their silverware. Third, Belinda of Balaclava, the college's prize sow is pignapped and the local farrier is found dead in the sty's mash feeder. Peter is once again assigned to sort out the mysteries.

Third is "Wrack and Rune". Professor Timothy Ames is visiting the Horsefalls farm in Lumpkin Corners when their hired man dies in a very nasty way. After calling the police and doctor, his next call is to Peter Shandy. Now Peter must find out why someone has been harassing the Horsefalls. Is the death another prank that has gone wrong or cold blooded murder? How does the old Viking rune-stone on the property fit into the mystery? To find the answers, Peter must deal with pranksters, large crowds of sightseers, and the college president's 102 year old uncle Sven's pursuit of an older woman.

Number four on the list is "Something the Cat Dragged In". Retired professor Ungley rents Mrs. Lomax's downstairs apartment. When her cat Edmund shows up with his hairpiece in his mouth, her only thought is to return it before the professor misses it. When she finds him not home and his bed not slept in she goes looking for him and finds him impaled on a harrow peg behind the Balaclava Society's clubhouse. Police Chief Ottermole calls the death an accident but Mrs. Lomax doesn't believe it and when Edmund finds another clue it leads straight back to the college. Overnight Balaclava County is the scene of a power struggle between town and gown that could destroy Balaclava Agricultural College. Naturally President Svenson assigns Peter Shandy, the Hercule Poirot of the turnip fields, the job of uncovering the murderer.

"The Curse of the Giant Hogweed" is the fifth book in the series. In this book Professors Shandy, Ames, and Stott have traveled to England to assist with the problems being caused by the growth of giant hogweed. When they set out to do field work they cross the border into Wales and find a world they didn't expect. Trapped in the hogweed and confronted by a giant looking for the King's pet griffin, it doesn't take them long to realize that life has become even more bizarre then usual.

Number six is "The Corpse in Oozak's Pond". It's Ground Hog day and all of Balaclava has turned out to see if the College ground hog will see his shadow. They get more of a show then they expect when a corpse pops up through the ice on the pond. When two more deaths follow, it's up to Peter to find some answers.

In the seventh book, Vane Pursuit, Peter's wife Helen is photographing antique weather vanes for the historical society. It seems like no sooner does she her pictures then the weather vanes come up missing. When someone fire bombs the Lumpkin soap factory shortly after their weather vane is photographed and someone dies in the fire Peter starts to investigate. Before he finds the answers he will tangle with a motley group of survivalists, assist a heiress who's hiding out, and fear for the life of his beloved Helen.

Eighth in the series is An Owl Too Many. When Emory Emmerick, a site engineer for the college's new TV station gets stabbed to death during the annual owl count Peter Shandy is once again on the case. A dead man who isn't who he said he was, a secretary who keeps getting herself tied to trees, and a wild ride down a raging river in a tug boat make this a rollicking adventure as well as a good mystery.

Number nine is Something in the Water. Peter has gone to check out reports of beautiful, lush, lupines growing where they shouldn't be able to grow at all. Staying in an old inn, he is waiting for his desert when the town's most disliked citizen keels over face first into his diner. Foul play is suspected but Peter is much more interested in the lupines. Interested or not Peter soon finds himself trying to solve three mysteries. Who killed Jaspar Flodge, how are such lush plants growing in such poor soil, and who is the unknown artist who refuses to admit to painting such beautiful canvasses.

Number ten, the last but not least in the series is Exit the Milkman. Professor Feldster, Balaclava's dairy expert and the Shandy's neighbor has disappeared. Last seen on his way to one of his many lodge meetings he is seen getting into a big car with tinted windows and then nothing. He never shows up at the lodge, doesn't come home and doesn't show up for his morning class. Before he is found his obnoxious wife dies in a bizarre manor. Once again Peter must leave his turnip fields and classroom to play Sherlock Holmes.

The Peter Shandy Series by Charlotte MacLeod

Barb reviews books and series at http://beckymildansbookreviws.blogspot.com/ and is proprietor of ThePlayRoom at Etsy.com

CHARLOTTE

Raising Chickens at Home For Eggs - Know the Basics

Raising chickens at home is one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. The excitement of selecting the cute little baby peeps that will one day provide you with nutritious eggs is contagious. Before you know it the whole family will be in on it.

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When first starting out you should decide if you want to raise the chickens as peeps or try to find older hens for your flock. It is sometimes possible to buy five-month old pullet hens that will lay eggs shortly, but more than likely, you'll have to raise your own baby peeps. If raising baby chicks, it will take a 5-6 month growing period before you get any eggs.

CHARLOTTE

Leghorn chickens lay white eggs. Breeds such as Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks or New Hampshire's lay brown eggs. Some say there's no difference in taste, but I, personally, like brown eggs better.

In your small flock, 10 hens should lay between 8-9 dozen eggs daily once they get going. Bad weather, darker days, frozen water and no feed will affect egg production adversely.

As hens grown older they will slowly lay fewer eggs. A flock of 10 hens will slow up to about 6-7 eggs daily after a little longer than a year of egg production. During that time each hen should produce 20 dozen or so eggs and eat almost 100 pounds of chicken feed.

Chickens do very well indoors. A fenced in run would be beneficial for the birds so they can get outdoors during weather. Your birds, however, should not be allowed to roam freely or they may start laying their eggs under buildings, in the brush, or anywhere in the yard. You don't want to have an Easter Egg Hunt in the middle of summer!

Hens require light to lay eggs. Provide at least 14 hours of total light daily from September through May. If you don't have a timer, let the light on throughout the night. Ensuring adequate light exposure will keep your hens laying eggs during the shorter days of the year.

Laying hens can sometimes start pecking each other or their eggs. This usually occurs if the birds are stressed, bored, crowded or hot. Sometimes lights that are too bright can bring on the pecking as well.
Be sure they have adequate space and ventilation. Darkening the room a bit may help also.

Healthy egg laying hens should eat and drink regularly. Your chickens should stand with their heads tall and tails elevated. Their overall appearance should be clean and bright. The beaks, combs, and wattles of egg-laying hens should be pale in color.

Once in a while you may lose a bird for no apparent reason. Call your vet if any other birds start to look ill. You may have a disease in your flock.

Before beginning your chicken raising adventure, though, be sure to check your local zoning and building ordinances. Laws and ordinances in some communities may restrict or ban the raising of poultry or livestock in your area.

With proper care your egg-producing hens should provide you with quality eggs for the foreseeable future. Take good care of them and they will always provide for you.

Raising Chickens at Home For Eggs - Know the Basics

Charlotte Winslow knows the fun of raising chickens at home for eggs. She also knows that the more informed you are, the better chance you have at succeeding in your chicken venture. At http://raisingchickensathome.info you'll find everything you need to know in order to get started right away.

CHARLOTTE

Repo Cars For Sale - Affordable "Luxury" For Savvy Shoppers

Owning a vehicle enables people to enjoy so many conveniences that it's difficult to forgo such an asset. If you do not have the luxury to entertain offers from new car dealerships, tracking down quality repo cars for sale could be your ticket to ride. Indisputably a great source of good used cars, repo cars have saved the budget conscious buyers thousands of dollars.

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For those who are not familiar with the term, repossessed cars, better known as "repo cars", are vehicles that have been claimed by banks and other financial institutions after a borrower has failed to uphold his loan obligations. Typically, a secured loan offers the lender security in the form of a collateral. In this case, the collateral pledged on the debt was the vehicle, be it a car, truck, or motorcycle. Once the borrower has made it clear that he/she can no longer continue with timely payments to repay the money owing, the lender is free to take back or repossess the automobile. Aside from bank repo cars, there are also government repo cars. Government agencies have seized vehicles from illegal activities.

CHARLOTTE

Banks and other financial institutions are not thrilled to have repossessed vehicles on their books, particularly since these assets are prone to drastic depreciation. These lenders make money by charging interest on issued loans and not by possessing a lot full of pre-owned cars. Therefore, they are keen to sell the vehicles as quickly as possible to recover their bad debts and minimize storage costs. Typically, the banks will engage the services of an auction house to facilitate the bank repo car sales. Similarly, governments divest of their seized car inventory through government car auctions.

If you are shopping for a used car, you should definitely consider repo cars. It is not unheard of to acquire a good vehicle for a discounted price that makes even Scrooge smile. Getting one of these fantastic deals is indeed an affordable "luxury" for the new owner. However, it does require some patience and time to track down the ones that meet your needs. But if you're willing to put in the effort, you will be well rewarded with great savings.

Repo Cars For Sale - Affordable "Luxury" For Savvy Shoppers

Charlotte enjoys sharing information on repo cars for sale and communicating that repo cars for sale are worth looking at when buying a used car.

CHARLOTTE

9 OHL Alumni on the Charlotte Checkers Roster

The New York Rangers system consists of the main team, their AHL affiliate in Hartford and their ECHL affiliate in Charlotte. 24 Ontario Hockey League alumni played during the 2009-10 season between these three teams. The Charlotte Checkers are a shared affiliate of the Rangers and the Colorado Avalanche. There are 9 OHL grads on the Checkers.

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Ryan Munce played three seasons between the pipes for the Sarnia Sting from 2002-03 to 2004-05. He has played most of professional career in the ECHL with short stops in the AHL, amounting to 13 games. From junior to the pros, Ryan has consistently attained a.914 save percentage, never dropping below.904.

CHARLOTTE

Trevor Hendrikx put in five solid seasons on the blueline with the Peterborough Petes from 2001-02 to 2005-06. A recent aquisition by the Checkers, Trevor started the season with the ECHL's Johnstown Chiefs. A Columbus Blue Jacket draft pick, Trevor has yet to reach higher than the ECHL.

Steve Ward played five seasons in the OHL. 2002-03 and 2003-04 were spent with the Sarnia Sting and he was a Plymouth Whaler from 2004-05 to 2006-07. 2008-09 was a year of travel for Steve, to say the least. By the time he landed in Charlotte, he'd spent time on five other rosters over the course of the season. Starting with the Reading Royals, there were stops in Albany, San Antonio, Norfolk and Portland. He has settled in with the Checkers and has put in a solid season this year with just the one team.

Tyler Doig's first season in the OHL, 2003-04, consisted of just one game with the Barrie Colts. 2004-05 and 2005-06 were spent with the Guelph Storm. 2006-07 was split between the Storm and the Belleville Bulls. Tyler is currently the leading point-getter on the Checkers.

Devin DiDiomete played for the Sudbury Wolves for 3 seasons from 2004-05 to 2006-07 before finishing off his OHL career with the Sarnia Sting in 2007-08. Devin played a good portion of this season with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL before being sent down to the Checkers.

Daniel Tkaczuk had a stellar OHL career with the Barrie Colts from 1995-96 to 1998-99. He represented Canada at the World Junior Tournament in 1999 and came home with a silver medal. Daniel spent 6 seasons in Europe before returning to the North American game this season.

T.J. Reynolds played his first two OHL seasons, 1998-99 and 1999-00 with the Oshawa Generals. 2000-01 was split between the Generals and the St. Michael's Majors. 2001-02 was split between the Majors and the Mississauga IceDogs. This is T.J.'s first season with the Checkers and he is, by far, the team's PIM leader, averaging around 4.7 minutes per game in the box.

Randy Rowe played for the Belleville Bulls from 1997-98 to 2000-01. The highlight of his OHL career was a 64 goal performance in 63 games during the 2000-01 season. Randy is property of the Lake Erie Monsters (Colorado Avalanche) and has split this season between the Monsters and the Checkers.

Chris Chappell is a Charlotte Checker but is currently not on the active roster. Chris played for the Saginaw Spirit from 2005-06 to 2008-09. He spent time with both the Wolf Pack and the Checkers in this, his first pro season.

9 OHL Alumni on the Charlotte Checkers Roster

Tom is the author of http://www.ohlalumnicentral.com (OHL Alumni Central).

CHARLOTTE

Car Leasing - Be Wary of Unlimited Mileage Deals

You may have come across one of the many van or car leasing deals offering 'unlimited mileage'. Sounds great, but how do they work and are they as good as they sound?

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Vehicle leasing expert Jane Ramsey explains "These deals do sound good on the face of it, but as with most things in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is and there is a catch!"

CHARLOTTE

One of the finance packages used when leasing a vehicle is called Finance Lease. This is where a business leases a vehicle over a set period and at the end of the lease there is a balloon payment, that the customer is responsible for.

'Unlimited Mileage' deals are essentially Finance Lease and unlike other types of finance, there is no direct excess mileage charge. This does not mean that the mileage is 'unlimited' though as there is a residual balloon figure which is based on a set mileage.

For example, if the Finance Lease is set up on the standard 10,000 miles per year when you actually do 30,000 miles per year, you can guess that a vehicle with 90,000 miles on the clock will be worth substantially less than one with just 30,000 on the clock.

Herein lies the problem. If you have been sold an 'unlimited mileage' lease and you do more than the mileage stated on the contract, you can pretty much guarantee that the vehicle will not be worth the balloon figure at the end of the lease.

This means that you have to pay the difference, so in effect you are paying for the additional mileage anyway.

Another issue

The second issue, which is not always pointed out, is that the customer is also responsible for selling the vehicle at the end of the lease.

Unlike Contract Hire where you just hand the vehicle back, you have to find a buyer for the vehicle and pay the finance company the balloon figure.

So where does Finance Lease work?

We would recommend Finance Lease to builders or trades people where vans may have a hard life and it would not be worthwhile paying the damage recharge if it were on Contract Hire.

Car Leasing - Be Wary of Unlimited Mileage Deals

Charlotte Cavanagh is a vehicle leasing specialist. For more useful tips and information on private car leasing and company car leasing visit http://vesource.co.uk

CHARLOTTE

Camper Shoes - Classics From Spain

Camper is a shoe company with its roots deeply embedded in Spain. Founded by Lorenzo Fluxa in 1975, Camper now owns and operates over fifty stores throughout the USA and Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia.

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Camper shoes are made with a lot of creativity. The company's motto 'imagination walks' is certainly very true to its word as there are dozens and dozens of models to choose from for men, women as well as children. Consumers can purchase this footwear at both Camper retailers as well as in thousands of stores that are authorised to sell this great line-up of casual and comfortable shoes.

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Camper takes great pride in the fact that every single pair of shoes it sells are made with comfort at the forefront. Campers are immensely comfortable, making them ideal for wearing for long stretches of time. No matter if you are pounding the pavement in a large metropolitan area, playing a quick game of basketball at the local park or just strolling through the countryside on the weekend, your feet are sure to be as comfy when you finish as they did when you first slipped them on in the morning.

Camper shoes are designed to offer you maximum lightness thanks to their soles that are made from an incredibly lightweight material that is strong, durable and offers a great grip - no matter what type of surface you are on. Also characteristic of this shoe line is the fact that they are stitched all the way around the shoe, which offers the assurance that they will not split or come apart, even after a considerable amount of abuse. Shoes of lesser quality are often stitched in sections, making them very prone to splitting.

Camper shoes are classic in their styling which is very reminiscent of the retro boat shoe, which was very popular in the latter part of the 1960s through the 1970s. There is a rainbow of colours available as well as dozens of styles of both shoes and boots. Sailing teams all over the world go with the Camper brand to provide them with classic great looks when out on the high seas as well as the trusted grip they offer so that the yachtsmen can remain sure-footed when up on deck.

There is little doubt that you take your free time seriously. When you wear Campers, your feet will be very well supported and made as comfortable as possible in one of the best looking and most lightweight casual shoes on the market.

Camper Shoes - Classics From Spain

Charlotte Wilson has been writing for retailers within the fashion industry, such as online shoes retailer Sarenza, for over 10 years. To view a wide range of Camper shoes, visit the Camper collection at Sarenza UK.

CHARLOTTE