It is a known fact that weather conditions can affect the quality of calls you make. Extreme weather conditions have the power to affect your device’s performance. Some of the weather conditions that can adversely affect your signal reception are:

Heat

Extreme temperatures are not good for any cell. Extreme heat can disable your cell from picking up signals properly. The radio waves that make up the cell signals get distorted or often totally lost due to the extreme temperature. Very hot weather can even cause the battery to leak.

Quoting Motorola’s warning here, “A car’s internal temperature can exceed 80 degrees Celsius, and the temperature of a dashboard with direct exposure to the sun can exceed 120 degrees Celsius.”

The statement highlights how dangerous extreme heat is not just to the signals, but also to your cell phone. Make sure you keep it in a proper atmosphere – away from heat, fire, and direct sunlight.

Cold

If heat can affect your phone – so can cold. Through research, it has been proven that extreme cold can affect a cell phone’s ability to catch signals properly. It can also destroy its components and cause greater damage in the long run.

A study at the Environ Laboratories in Minneapolis showed the adverse affects that cold temperature can have on cell phones and their performance. According to the result, the screen started to dim at 10 degrees Fahrenheit. As the temperature started decreasing, the conditions only worsened. At minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit, some phones experienced battery issues with signals also dropping. And at minus 40 Fahrenheit most of the phones just could not perform and shut down.

The best way to combat such weather conditions is to cover your cell phones in a piece of cloth and to not put it in an open atmosphere.

Storms and Lightning

Storms add moisture to the air, which heavily distorts cell reception. Network companies have failed to come up with a fool-proof solution to this problem, as lightning and thunderstorms are not in their hands. Such adverse conditions can affect your cell’s ability to receive signal for a short span of time. Such effects are temporary and go away once the weather is back to normal and the moisture is absorbed from the atmosphere.

On the other hand, lightning also causes poor signal reception as it discharges particles into the atmosphere that interfere with signal waves.

Rain and Humidity

As per many researchers and cell phone resource journals, a cell’s ability to receive signals can be affected by humidity. Signals find it difficult to travel when the atmosphere is humid. A little moisture is okay for the signals, but heavy showers can hugely affect signals and cause poor reception.

These are the weather conditions that can affect your cell phone’s ability to catch signals and cause poor reception. Remember to always refer to your cell phone manufacturer’s guidelines in order to find out the best working conditions and improve signal reception, to have a smooth experience and prevent malfunctions. In many cases using a signal booster can increase coverage in adverse weather conditions.

Backing winners when the going is heavy can be a nightmare with some winter meetings turning out to be a punter’s graveyard but if you know what to look for then you can find winners at long odds during this difficult winter period.

Form acquired in firm and dead going is not necessarily a good guide to a horse’s chances in wet ground. It is however an indication of fitness therefore we cannot dismiss such horses with reasonable form on decent tracks when they face a change of going because some horses handle most types of going. We cannot rule out horses with poor form either especially if their recent racing has been in going which is not their preferred type. This becomes a balancing act, one which can frustrate form students who having weighed up the pros and cons of each horse’s chances will watch in despair as an unbacked longshot with absolutely no form in bad ground romps home.

It is important to put things into perspective. A 20/1 winner means you only need to get one winner in every 20 bets yet some people will try a system once and when it loses complain that the system does not work. If you give up too easily you run the risk of missing out on winners that would have recouped your previous losses had you stuck with the system.

Here are some systems that you may like to try;

The Beaten favourites last time out in heavy going system. You can also forgive a horse for failing in bad ground. There are so many types of heavy going such as puggy ground where the mud had dried therefore making the ground sticky which many horses struggle on or a loose heavy going where the horses are getting through it but some cannot handle the shifty nature of the going.

Horses on a seven-day back-up are worth considering in heavy going because current fitness is all important and a horse that finishes out of the money recently cannot be discounted because heavy tracks are notorious for producing form reversals. In the event that there are several horses in the same race on a 7-day back-up then the one that has won the most races in heavy going has to be preferred.

Another strategy is to back horses that won their last race in heavy going. The reason this often works is because any horse that wins in testing conditions is obviously very fit and fit horses can overcome a lot of negative factors.

Living in the South with all the hot weather in the summer can be an extremely dangerous time for your Poodle. Dogs don’t handle the heat as well as humans do. We’re able to stay outside quite a long time enjoying the heat and soaking up the sun. Our way of cooling down is to sweat. Dogs cool themselves by panting, which is often inadequate and can place them in a life-threatening situation if they become overheated.

Dogs can develop heatstroke quite quickly. Just going on your normal walk or letting your dog play in the yard is enough to get your Poodle overheated. The best time for walking your Poodle or for playtime during hot weather is in the early morning or evening.

Never leave you Poodle in the car unattended during hot weather. It doesn’t take long for it to turn into an oven, even if you leave the windows open a little. If my husband and I are in the car with the dogs and we need to go to the store, one of us stays in the car with the air conditioner on with the dogs.

If your Poodle’s hair is long, it is more susceptible to overheating. If your dog is overweight, has heart disease, is old, or a young puppy, they can get heatstroke easier as well. If you’re not showing your Poodle, having it clipped in a nice short summer clip will make it feel more comfortable during hot weather.

Try to stay off hot pavement during hot weather. It can burn your dog’s feet as well as raise its body temperature faster. Check the temperature of the pavement with your hand. If it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for your Poodle! Try to walk in the shade or on the grass.

If your Poodle is kept outside during the day, make sure it has plenty of shade. Our kennel has a roof and shade cloth all around it. It is also situated under shade trees.

Make sure your Poodle is provided with lots of clean drinking water. Our kennel has an automatic water dish. If you’re traveling with your dog, bring plenty of water along.

Some Poodles like to play in water. You may want to get one of those plastic wading pools for it to play in. My Poodle Bob, likes to bite at the water coming out of the sprinklers! Make sure they are supervised before doing either of these activities.

Recognizing Heat Stroke

Be alert to your Poodle’s body temperature during hot weather. A dog’s normal temperature is around 101 degrees, much over that can cause problems and is an emergency! If it gets up to 108 degrees, the internal organs start breaking down and can cause permanent long-term damage or death!

If your dog starts breathing rapidly, has a rapid heartbeat, dry mouth, nose and gums that turn dull grey or red, these are signs of heatstroke. You need to cool your Poodle down immediately, by putting him in a tub of cool water or cooling him off with the hose, then get to the vet fast! Your Poodle can still be in danger even if he looks OK on the outside.

By following the advice above, you and your Poodles can have a fun and safe summer season!

September can bring occasional hot summer days to southern California but the generally mild days and nights are the ideal growing conditions for a fall garden.

Start Vegetables From Seeds: Just about as many vegetables can be planted in fall as can be planted in spring. These include beans, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, chard, kale, lettuces, peas, potatoes and radishes.

Freshen Up Your Flower Garden: Most summer annuals are beginning to look ragged by now. If your garden has bare spots, fill them in with cool-season flowers. Remove dead plants, loosen the soil and add garden planting mix. Plants that do well in fall are pansies, calendula, chrysanthemums, foxgloves, snapdragons and asters. Once planted, add mulch about an inch away from plant stems. Mulch will protect plants from damage caused by frost later in the year.

Keep Roses Blooming: Roses can bloom through fall in southern California. Prepare for new growth in September by removing dead flowers and seed pods. Do some light trimming to shape the bush. Expect new blooms in October or early November.

Prune Hedges and Shrubs: Hedges and shrubs have been growing rapidly all summer. By now, they may have lost their shape. Reshape by cutting back straggly stems and trimming sides and tops. This will encourage new growth before winter. Don’t remove growth in the interior of the shrub. A compacted plant protects itself from frost.

Add Bulbs For Spring Color Surprises: Add bulbs to your garden and see what pops up in spring. Plant bulbs that do best in warm weather including calla lily, Dutch iris, freesia and nerine. These perennial bulbs will keep coming back year after year with little care. Unlike other types of bulbs that must be dug up and refrigerated, these bulbs can be left in the ground.

Keep Potted Plants Moist: Outdoor potted plants need more water than plants in the ground. They may need to be watered daily, especially if Santa Ana winds start up in September. These strong winds can dry out a potted plant in a matter of hours. Add fresh mulch to the pot to help hold in moisture.

Prune Fig Trees Once All Fruit Is Harvested: Fig trees produce an abundant amount of fruit. If you wish to trim these fast-growing trees, wait until all the fruit is harvested (usually by early fall). Figs develop on new limb growth so if you wait too long to prune, figs will not be able to grow.

Various grave accidents and disasters involving tower cranes have been written down in history. Most of these unfortunate incidences happen when the weather conditions aren’t at their best. This is mainly because tower cranes are supported by a small structural mass which is found below it and as such, they tend to be susceptible to the elements. Under strong winds, they will sway in any direction and can cause accidents and damages to its surrounding area.

If there is a tower crane being used or present in your construction site, there are different steps and ways you can observe and follow to ensure that your crane survives extreme weather conditions and mitigate possible accidents and structural damages. These include the following:

1. Make sure that the operator follows the correct protocols after using the crane. There are certain procedures crane operators have to do before leaving the equipment. If they are using a luffing jib, the crane should be left with the jib luffed up in parking position. In case they are operating a hammerhead or flat top crane, before leaving it, the hook block must be brought back to the jib and left slightly away from the cabin. By doing so, the operators will ensure that the hook block will not blow in the wind freely and hit the cabin or swing around and injure anyone below the equipment.

2. In addition, the operator should release the crane parking brake and left in free slew when high winds are expected. Operators must ensure that there is nothing that can make contact with the jib within a 360 degree radius around the crane. Following these safety practices enable the slew ring to move freely with the wind and not fight against it. In case the parking brake is left on and the slew ring is parked in a fixed position, there is a huge risk that the wind will blow against the jib and impose loads on the crane that it’s not engineered to sustain.

3. Make sure there are no tools, bolts, nuts or any debris that can blow off the top of a crane during severe weather. This means removing anything on top of the tower crane that can be blown off and fall down. Failure to do so can result in a major incident or fatality for not only the workers on the job site, but also innocent pedestrians which are passing by the construction area.

4. Finally, once the weather condition has normalized, have the tower crane undergo a thorough examination before using it again. This is to ensure that everything is in working order. Have the operator perform a max load test to make sure that there hasn’t been significant damage to the crane during the storm. Have the site structural engineer inspect the tie-in points of the tower crane to the building to ensure that the structural stability of the crane has not been compromised because of the additional wind loadings on the crane and building.

There are countries that experience hot and dry weather conditions nearly all year round. Most of these countries can be found in Asia and in the Caribbean. In such places, you’ll feel that it’s summer even in the months when it’s supposed to be rainy or winter. You can enjoy some mild and cold days in such areas but they usually won’t last long and before you know it, you’re back to feeling hot and sweaty again.

Although living in such countries may be uncomfortable since you’re always sweltering and sweaty, there is a noteworthy advantage that comes with it – you can lose weight easier in such places.

There are various studies that have proven that people tend to lose weight easier in hot countries. If you live in a country that’s virtually summer all year round, below are the reasons why you will lose weight easier in such an area:

You tend to show more skin in a place that enjoys hot weather.

Women and men will be more comfortable and feel cooler when they go out while wearing something that shows off more skin. Of course, if they have to go to the beach or pool, they need to wear a swimsuit.

If you wear a swimsuit or an outfit that shows off more skin, of course, you want to be in your best shape while wearing them. Slipping into a bathing suit or any skimpy outfit can seriously motivate you to lose weight and get toned. As such, you will be more driven to eat correctly and to work out regularly to get a fitter and leaner body.

A sunny and nice weather can drive you to be more active. When the weather is warm, you tend to exercise more frequently. One research showed that exercise tends to be seasonal-in general, people are more active in the spring and summer and tend to slack off during the fall and winter. If you live in a hot or warm country, this wouldn’t be a big problem for you. Since the sun is always outside or the weather is great even in the evening, you can work out whenever you want to.

Finally, the hot weather can help suppress your appetite. Everyone wants to eat ice cream, one of the high-cal foods, whenever it’s hot. But aside from this, you may find that the hot condition may just compress your appetite. A 2013 study showed that people who worked out in a hot environment ate less afterward than those who exercised in a cooler setting. As such, red-hot temperatures may reduce your desire to eat even after a really tough workout.

The saying goes – “there is no such thing as weather, just the wrong clothes.”

As I write, the UK has just had its coldest March since blah blah blah, so in an effort to invigorate spring and induce a heatwave, here is some cold weather sailing advice.

So try these when the need arises:

1. Take more clothes to the club than you think you might need. Carrying them should warm you up for a start! If your sailing wardrobe is inadequate, raid the cupboards for an old fleece or two. And it may be time to get the credit card out
2. Basic principle: Never under-estimate the cold – it’s far easier to strip a layer off if too hot than heat yourself up if you get chilled
3. If your boat lives ashore rather than on a mooring, dress warmly in civvies whilst you rig up, including extra layers, hat, gloves, etc. No harm in sneaking thermals under the jeans or putting a (dry) sailing waterproof on together with your coat
4. But if it is also chucking it down with rain, get the sailing gear on first
5. Rig with a sense of purpose, this is no time for faffing about. If someone fancies a chat, save it for the changing room. Move the boat out of the wind if practicable. Check the toe-stap strings and the like – this is hardly the day for gear-failure to induce a swim
6. Eat well before going afloat – this is not a time for low blood-sugar levels. And use the toilets too. Stripping-off to answer nature’s call whilst out in the elements is not going to help keep you warm
7. I have a theory that your head is a good source of wind-information. But if it aches with cold, forget that. Put on at least a beanie hat and better yet a balaclava – or both!
8. Don’t over-heat in the changing room, get sweaty then immediate freeze as you walk outdoors. Save putting on the last couple of layers until you have left the changing room, perhaps even until you go outside
9. Don’t wade into the water to launch if you can avoid it. If you really have to go deep water paddling regularly, get yourself a drysuit. Making the crew do it to save yourself is unacceptable
10. Take an extra layer or two afloat – but store them somewhere dry – in an accessible tank or a dry-bag
11. Don’t wear leather sailing gloves – they keep your hands wet, which sucks the heat out of you. There are several alternative materials
12. To some gentle exercise to get the blood flowing
13. Don’t launch too early
14. But once afloat, get busy. Don’t sit there feeling miserable
15. If you must hang about (due to general recalls for example) heave too and get out of the wind as much as you can. Also, if possible, sail to somewhere sheltered but not too far away from the start
16. If you fingers get cold, suck them – you will be amazed
17. Do some more gentle warming up afloat around the time of the 5-minute gun
18. Do not be psyched out by the weather – embrace it and laugh; doing so will give you a real edge on the miserablists
19. Light airs and cold are the biggest challenge all that sitting still
20. If you come ashore feeling really cold, get warmed up, showered and changed before packing the boat up (but do take the sails down first)

There are lots of things to do and to see in the wintertime; beautiful winter scenery, snow skiing, hunting, riding snowmobiles and much more. It’s no wonder so many people enjoy using their RV’s year round. When winter approaches each year I get numerous e-mails requesting information about using RV’s in cold temperatures. One reason I haven’t written on this subject in the past is because it would require more than just a short article to thoroughly cover this topic. Another reason for not writing about this in the past is that there are no guarantees that your RV can or will be 100 percent protected from the harsh winter elements by following written advice on the subject.

What I can do is offer you some suggestions and ideas that will help to protect your RV if you plan to use it during the cold winter months. I just can’t guarantee that it will be 100 percent protected. These suggestions and ideas are for short term winter camping in your RV. If you plan to take extended RV trips in cold weather there are many other precautions and measures that need to be considered, like using insulated skirting around the bottom of the RV for example.

Note: What we will be concentrating on is how to protect your RV during cold weather camping. It is extremely important that you also understand how to protect yourself and other campers in cold temperatures.

One of the first considerations for cold weather RVing is if you will be traveling in temperatures below freezing. If this is the case, and there is water in the RV water system, your plumbing lines or water heater tank could freeze, resulting in costly repair bills, not to mention ruining your winter wonderland RV trip. To avoid this from happening I travel with the water system winterized. It is actually much easier to winterize an RV than most people think it is, and it’s not very expensive either. I have winterized and de-winterized our RV as many as four times in one winter. Note: Our “Winterizing & Storing Your RV” DVD will teach you how to winterize your RV, by yourself, and save money, especially if you enjoy using your RV during the winter months.

The good news is it is still possible to use the bathroom facilities when you are traveling with the RV winterized. We take one gallon jugs filled with water to use in the toilet, and if your holding tanks are not heated you can put some RV antifreeze in the holding tanks to prevent the contents from freezing. Add the RV antifreeze through the toilet for the black water holding tank and down the shower or tub drain for the gray water tank. The antifreeze will also protect the shower or tub P-trap which is usually located below floor level. The amount of antifreeze required for the holding tanks will be based on the size of the tanks, and it will be necessary to add more RV antifreeze as waste water is added to the tanks to prevent the antifreeze from being diluted.

Don’t allow the holding tanks to fill completely, before emptying them, during cold weather camping. This will reduce the chance of freezing, resulting in damage to the holding tanks. Take bottled water along for drinking and other needs like cooking, washing up and brushing your teeth when the RV is winterized. We have a five gallon jug that we always take on trips, filled with tap water from our house, for our pet’s drinking water and our other needs. This comes in handy when the RV is winterized.

When we arrive at our destination I try to select a site that will be exposed to the sun throughout the day, but also where there is some type of wind break available. Position the RV on the site so the front or rear will be facing the brunt of any wind, not the side of the RV. If there is an electrical hook-up I de-winterize the water system so we can use everything. All of the water lines in our motorhome are above floor level, in a heated space, so we don’t need to be too concerned about the water system freezing as long as the RV has heat. We leave the water heater turned on whenever the water heater tank is full so there is no chance of it freezing. Some water heaters operate off of LP gas and electricity. Keep in mind if it’s in the electric mode it will use 9 to 13 amps.

It’s important that you know where all of the plumbing on your RV is located. Some RVs have heat ducts going to the basement storage areas where the water system is exposed to outside temperatures, but many RVs do not. If portions of the RV water system are below floor level, in areas that are not heated, it is possible for it to freeze and damage the water lines. If you are hooked up to an external water supply one option is to leave a faucet in the RV dripping, to keep the water moving, and decrease the possibility of water lines freezing. Another option is to use heat tape to protect the exposed water lines. Heat tape can be purchased at most hardware or building supply stores. Make sure it is suitable for the types of water lines in your RV, and if you plan to use it on a water hose.

If it is extremely cold outside and the possibility exists that the outside water supply could freeze, or if the campground water supply is shut off for the winter, I fill our fresh water holding tank and use it for all of our water requirements. Again, keep in mind where your fresh water tank is located; ours is above floor level in a heated area. If the campgrounds shower facilities are still open it’s a good idea to use them to avoid the gray water holding tank from filling so quickly. In this situation it might be in your best interest to keep the RV winterized and just use the campgrounds facilities.

Tip: If you haven’t purchased your RV yet and you know you will be using an RV in cold weather make sure to include an artic package option when you buy it. Some packages include higher R-factor insulation, enclosed underbelly, heated holding tanks, dual pane windows and more.

Happy Camping,

Mark

Copyright 2006 by Mark J. Polk owner of RV Education 101

Among the variety of benefits that are offered by owning a shearling coat, including fashion sense and price, shearling coats are also perfectly suited for all types of weather. Unlike most other types of coats and jackets made from animal skin, these coats possess all of the qualities that allow them to be worn in most types of cooler weather, from cool to very cold. It is for these reasons that shearling coats are considered a “best buy” among consumers.

Like other garments made from animal skin, a shearling coat’s primary function is keeping the wearer warm during the colder months – while looking great at the same time. But because shearling coats are made from sheepskin, they are thinner and lighter than other garments made of fur and can be worn comfortably in relatively warmer temperatures.

How is this possible? Shearling coats and jackets contain insulated lining and are able to “breathe,” meaning they allow some interchange between the air inside and outside the jacket. This means that in either warm or cold temperatures the coats don’t allow the temperature inside the jacket go too far into one extreme or the other. In colder temperatures, the temperature inside the coat or jacket is warm, but not hot or stifling; and in warmer temperatures, the material allows some air-flow to keep the wearer cool.

You can tell which type of coat it suited for the varying weather conditions by the length of the coat. Jackets and cats that extended to the waist are intended to be worn during the temperatures that can range from cold to warm, generally between 50 and 70 degrees. The longer the coat is, the colder the weather it is intended for.

Of course, where you live will influence what style of coat you will need. The higher the latitude (i.e., the further north you are if above the equator, the further south you are if below the equator), the colder the winter months. That means the need for warmer coats. Be sure to buy a coat that matches the weather conditions of your area; otherwise you’ll be either too hot, or to cold in your shearling jacket if you have not bought the appropriate coat.

Shearling coats and jackets owe most of their usefulness to being thin and light. These qualities make these coats stand out compared to other garments made of fur. The coats are made of sheepskin of the highest quality from professionals who use hundreds of years of experience to create them. Most of these professionals are from Spain and South America, and have a history of tailoring many different types of clothes form the material. The coats are made to withstand any weather condition while remaining flexible and strong, keeping the wearer comfortable at all times.

In conjunction with the fashion and hardiness of shearling coats, they are also a great buy, with prices for these coats maintaining a steady price over the last several years. For the buyer interested in finding suitable clothing for colder temperatures that can also be fashionable outside the winter months, shearling coats are a must buy.

When you are writing a diary for your child, one of the simplest and most dramatic ways to begin a diary entry is with a description of the weather or something about nature you’ve recently observed. Why? Writing about the weather and nature invokes a spiritual response in us, inviting an awareness and appreciation of this moment, this day. And, when we awaken our own spirituality, we pass this onto the future reader of the diary as well.

Centering the Spirit

Taking a few moments to describe our physical environment in a diary entry is like taking a deep breath, noticing our feelings, our mood – the emotional climate of the Self on a given day. Reading May Sarton’s published journal, House by the Sea, inspired me to begin every diary entry with a description of the day’s weather. When Sarton wakes up, opens her journal, and notices the natural world around her, she wakes the reader too:

Saturday, November 16, 1974

“A serene dawn. I saw the sun first bathing my bureau in rich orange light, sat up, and caught the red disc just as it stood for a second exactly on the horizon’s rim. It is so silent all around that a moment ago when a single wave broke I was startled by its gentle roar.”

~ May Sarton, The House by the Sea

Writing about nature puts us in a reflective mood, offering a meditative opportunity to center ourselves before embarking on a busy day with children, job, chores, too much to do, or too many places to be. Writing about beauty in the landscape lifts our spirits, generating energy and enthusiasm rather than irritation and stress. And, as Sarton reminds us, writing about the landscape at the end of the day can help us realize and take account of our blessings:

Tuesday Evening, October 7th, 1974

A marvelous day here. . . and now the most perfect Fra Angelico blue sea, no wind, the sunset just touching the end of the field. Perfectly still, except for the cry of a jay far off.

I must try to note exactly what happened, for it was such a great day. . .

~ May Sarton, The House by the Sea

Setting the Stage

Beginning an entry with a description of nature appeals to the dramatist in me who likes to set the stage for the action that’s about to occur. Whatever geographical region we live in, we can observe subtle or dramatic aspects of our physical world that make the diary writing more satisfying to us as writers, and more compelling for our readers, who, reading our diary stories, perhaps many years into the future, will rely on our description of the observable world for a sense of place, time, mood and meaning.

Flipping back to last year’s pages, I pinch off a fragment from each child’s diary, stitching together a brief story about our family’s move last year:

To Frances, (age 5) November 21, 2002

Foggy. Cold. Gray. Bleak. I have laryngitis, Dad is away ’til tomorrow, Landon missed bus causing Domino effect – had to drive everyone – you were mad because you’re embarrassed to be late and I’m sick w/Land’s cold, so I’m not as sensitive and understanding as I’d like to be and the house is on the market!

To Perri (age 10) February 5, 2003

Cold, but manageably so! Dark. You rest on the couch watching TV and drinking tea. You have a terrible sore throat. . . .

Well, we sold the house yesterday.

Gulp!

To Landon, (age 14) March 26, 2003

My first entry since moving in Friday night. Door to my balcony thrown open, birds singing,, a sweet, light warm breeze blowing in, flooded w/ sunlight. It’s spring. And we’re home!

The first thing you and Joey did Sat. morning after moving in was climb over the rail of my balcony and sit on the roof! . . .

Symbol, Metaphor and Meaning

Whether we intend this or not, aspects of nature that we observe in our children’s diaries may become fascinating symbols that add unanticipated emotional depth to the stories we save. Much like favorite poems and stories we re-read over the course of our lives, diary entries contain symbols whose meaning may become clearer or more compelling as we grow and change.

The other night, I opened my youngest daughter’s diary from last September when she started first grade – a transition that has not been easy for her. I was struck by the power of the symbols I spontaneously captured in the first few entries. I begin the second entry with a description of her stress about learning to read, then digress into a fictional story I make up on the spot about the real baby snapping turtles we keep finding on our walks, newly hatched, beginning their lonesome, treacherous journeys to the life-sustaining Charles River which they must reach to survive:

To Franci (age 6), September 29, 2003

You’re in school, feeling “pushed” by a Mrs. O— who acts all nice to the parent’s faces, but turns into a meanie in the classroom in front of the kids. The kids she’s pushing so hard to learn to read.

But, never mind that now. I have notes to write – a story to tell, that’s taking shape, for you and me:

Tini (with an “i”)

June burst into bloom. The river swelled. The great mother turtle lumbered up the muddy bank, away from the rushing water, across the grassy field, to the edge of the woods. She was searching for a hidden patch of soil.

“There it is!” she grunted with exertion. She would make her baby’s nest. Almost at dark, she began digging. Then, one by one, she lay the soft, leathery eggs in the dirt, positioning them w/her foot. She counted each as it fell. “One. . . two. . .twenty. . . thirty-five. . . fifty eight. . . At dawn, she covered the nest carefully. Then, taking one last look, she turned to go. . . .

The great mother turtle did not know which – or how many – of her darling eggs would survive. Many would begin the journey to the river. A few would make it. She hoped she might meet one of them some day, swimming swiftly past her in the current.

When Tini the turtle bit through the last shard of egg, the late summer sun shone brightly. . .

Creativity, Clarity and Comfort

And so begins the story of the mother who must separate, who must trust that one of her special eggs will find her way to the river of life, and find her way back to her! I didn’t know consciously why I was compelled to write a story about turtles in my daughter’s diary at that moment. Perhaps the fairy tale quality of the story my daughter told me about her teacher inspired my fiction.

Upon reflection, I realize the story is guiding me to My Great Mother’s wisdom, helping me navigate the emotional complexity of my daughter’s journey into the world of the classroom. The creative impulse opens a magical door in my heart and I wonder – How might thinking about my first-grader as Tini the Turtle help me support her as she learns to read? Tini, who reads like a turtle in a roomful of hares? Ah, yes, the Tortoise and the Hare! Slow and steady wins the race!

Writing this diary story helped me find the clarity and express the comfort we both need as we make our separate ways in the world in the context of a deep and abiding connection to each other.

Copyright 2004 by Kelly DuMar, M.Ed.