Thursday, July 28, 2016

FREE performance festival comes to West Beach

By  on July 28, 2016
Mark your calendars, because this September, West Beach will come alive as Save the Dunes will be partnering with the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore on the 2016 Dunes Blowout: A Festival of Performance and Ecology.This FREE family-oriented festival will take place from 12-7 pm on September 24 and 25, 2016 at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore’s West Beach in Porter County.
The festival is inspired by the historic Pageant of 1917, a large outdoor event that galvanized the movement to protect the Indiana Dunes. The Pageant brought together many different walks of life to show just how much the dunes meant to people in the area.
The 2016 Dunes Blowout will once again bring many people together for two days of performance and exploration of the dunes. This year, the blowout will feature many exciting things, including:
  • Indiana Ballet Theatre dancing on the beach in the historic style of the 1917 Pageant
  • South Shore Dance Alliance in an original contemporary ballet depicting the struggles of the dunes with music by Indiana native Kenneth Ware
  • No Exit Performance of Indianapolis guiding audience members through the trails during a family friendly ecology based adaption of familiar fairy tales
  • Pine Elementary Magnet School for the Arts in an original dance performance focused on native plants of the dunes
  • Emerson Jazz Tornadoes in a musical performance
  • Sacred Sands Reader’s Theater in a performance based on “Sacred Sands” by Ron Engel written by David Hoppe and directed by John Green, the chair of the theatre department at Columbia College
  • Patti Shaffner with an original song about the dunes and an interactive improvisational singing circle
  • Serena Sutliff of the Westchester Township History Museum presenting the history of the 1917 Pageant
  • The Duneland Plein Air Painters will be painting all along the trails
  • There will also be many family-friendly interactive activities brought to you by Save the Dunes and the National Park Service
  • Local food trucks will be on hand with a variety of different food
The 2016 Dunes Blowout is sponsored by ArcelorMittal, NIPSCO, Efromyson Family Fund, and Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation. It is a signature project of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, and is made possible, in part, with support from the Indiana Arts Commission. More information can be found here  or on Save the Dunes Facebook event page.

The pageant of 1917 brought many people together. This year they hope to do the same!
The mission of Save the Dunes is to preserve, protect and restore the Indiana dunes and all natural resources in Northwest Indiana’s Lake Michigan Watershed for an enhanced quality of life.
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 412 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit them at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016






STAY AT SONGBIRD PRAIRIE AND VISIT THE VALPARAISO POPCORN FESTIVAL
Downtown: Saturday, September 10, 2016 from 7 AM to 6:30 PM
Celebrating its 38th year and named the “Best Festival of the Region” by The Times readers, the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival continues to offer family-fun activities for all ages.
Over 250 arts & crafts booths, 30 food booths, kids’ games, five-mile Popcorn Panic, two live music stages and the nation’s first Popcorn Parade are only the beginning of the excitement of this incredible festival. 219-759-4274 SONGBIRDPRAIRIE.COM
 
 
 
 




The Cedar Waxwing, which feeds on mostly berries with the occasional insect, is one of many seed, nut and berry-eating birds which will be most threatened by higher temperatures. Photo: Yuri Timofeyev

From the melodies of songbirds to the drumming of woodpeckers, birds have long been associated with the sound of spring. Unfortunately,  recent research suggests that climate change is driving changes in the calendar period we currently call spring—and that these changes are harming herbivorous and mostly-herbivorous birds.
Specifically, the research observed how different “springtime events” associated with the reproduction of various species has changed with climate in the United Kingdom. The study found that temperature, rather than precipitation, had the largest influence on the timing of breeding in birds and flowering in plants. Although these dates shifted for most animals, the most harmful consequences were found in primary consumers. Primary consumers are essentially the middle of the food chain, or animals that eat plants but are prey to other animals.
While primary consumers include insects, it also means seed-eating birds such as Larks, Cardinals, Finches and Sparrows. Environmental toxins and hunting have often threatened our higher-in-the-food-chain predators such as the California Condor and the Brown Pelican . Unfortunately, climate change is beginning to threaten the smaller birds too—the ones we may sometimes take for granted as an inherent part of our springtime surroundings.

Posted by Ada Throckmorton 

Saturday, July 23, 2016


        12 Secrets of Massage Therapists




DON’T CALL THEM MASSEUSES

Getting a good massage can be a blissful experience. Whether you get a deep tissue, shiatsu, reflexology, or Swedish massage, you'll hopefully feel serene and pampered afterward. But massage therapists do much more than simply knead your muscles and decrease your stress. We spoke to a few to learn their secrets of their relaxing trade.

“I think that all massage therapists cringe at the term masseuse,” Stevie Duren, a certified massage therapist at Blissful Bodywork in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, tells mental floss. Although some people use the terms masseuse and massage therapist interchangeably, Duren says that masseuse has a sexual innuendo and implies a lack of education. Regulations vary by state, but most massage therapists undergo hundreds of hours of training, learn multiple bodywork modalities, and pass an exam to become certified or licensed. And they must complete continuing education credits to stay up to date with the latest research and techniques.

The word masseuse, however, doesn’t bother licensed massage therapist Nicki Dekunchak, who owns Philadelphia’s Hands at Home. “Most people don’t know the proper term is massage therapist,” Dekunchak says.



THEY HOPE YOU'LL SHOWER FIRST

Because massage therapists get up close and personal with your body, the way you smell doesn’t go unnoticed. Although you may be planning to shower after the massage, be considerate and practice good hygiene before your massage as well. But don’t worry if you haven’t shaved your legs—massage therapists aren’t looking at your stubble, and it doesn’t affect their treatment plan.

If you shower before your massage, allow enough time for your hair to dry. According to licensed massage therapist Michelle Doetsch, wet hair can cause moisture to seep through the sheet on the massage table into the padding underneath. If the padding gets wet, Doetsch has to change it before her next client’s appointment and do an extra load of laundry. 


THE BENEFITS GO BEYOND THE PHYSICAL

Massage can be both a complementary healthcare practice (accepted by some medical insurance plans) for people with chronic pain and injuries and a relaxing, spiritually nourishing activity.

According to licensed Illinois massage therapist Rick Smith, no field is quite as rewarding as massage therapy. “When someone comes to me for help, I'm truly honored. In only a few sessions massage therapy can relieve, to one degree or another, physical stress and discomfort, muscular pain, emotional stress and tension, limited range of motion, and that overall feeling of malaise. And all without drugs or invasive procedures,” he says.

YOUR MULTITASKING MIGHT NOT INSULT THEM

Although getting a massage can be the ideal time to unplug, relax, and forget about emails, some people text, work, or tweet on their phones while they get a massage. In her office, Duren doesn’t allow clients to have their phones turned on (except for extenuating circumstances), but if she’s working elsewhere, she lets the client choose.

“I would rather have a client make time to receive bodywork and feel that they can still do what they have to do, rather than using the excuse that they don't have the time to get bodywork,” she says. Dekunchak echoes that sentiment, explaining to mental floss that she has a handful of clients who need to work during their massage. “My motto is it’s your time. Do what you want with it!”



THEY CAN SPOT POTENTIAL SKIN CANCER.

Because they see parts of your body that you might not be able to easily see—think the back of your hips or behind your knees—massage therapists can spot irregular or suspect moles. If you get regular massages with the same massage therapist, it’s even more likely that he or she will notice any changes in your skin and suggest you go to a dermatologist.

Although you remove your clothes (and underwear, if you wish), lie on a massage table, and receive physical pleasure, don’t mistake your massage therapist for a sex worker. The American Massage Therapy Association’s Code of Ethics states that massage therapists shall “uphold the highest standards of professionalism” and “refrain from engaging in any sexual conduct or sexual activities involving their clients in the course of a massage therapy session.” Therapists are also required to properly drape their clients, only undraping an area while they’re massaging it. 

IF YOU’RE NOT PUNCTUAL, THEY MIGHT HAVE TO SKIP LUNCH.

Because massage therapists are usually paid for their time, don’t be late to your appointment. You’ll either miss out on the full time of your massage, or you’ll make your massage therapist’s day more stressful.

Besides massaging clients, therapists might need to change the linens, sanitize the table, return oils and other tools to their proper places, and respond to emails and phone calls. Showing up late means that your massage therapist might not have enough time to complete all their responsibilities and eat lunch.
THEY RELY ON TIPS TO MAKE ENDS MEET.

Most massage therapists don’t make a ton of money ($43,000 was the mean annual wage in 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics), and because the work hours are irregular, some of them also work a second job to pay the bills. Unless they own their own business, they only earn a percentage of the price you pay.

So whether they work as an independent contractor in a spa or for an hourly wage in a medical clinic, most massage therapists rely on tips to make ends meet. If you’re satisfied with the quality of your massage, tip your therapist 18 to 20 percent.


THEY MIGHT KNOW IF YOU NEED MORE FIBER IN YOUR DIET

Your body gives clues about its state of health or disease, and massage therapists can read these clues—a hard stomach, tight lower back muscles, or knotted hamstrings—with their hands. “A therapist can often tell if a client is constipated by working the intestinal area. I usually only do this kind of work if specifically requested,” says Duren.


SILENCE IS GOLDEN.

If you’re a nervous talker during a massage, don’t worry about filling the silence. Some clients enjoy talking on the table, but others prefer silence to savor the moment and fully relax. Whatever you choose, your massage therapist will probably be fine either way, as long as your time on the table is calming, soothing, and therapeutic.  


THE BURNOUT RATE IS HIGH. 


Three to five years after graduation, the burnout rate for massage therapists has been estimated at between 50 and 88 percent. Because they work on their feet, using their hands, arms, and elbows to massage, therapists can get carpal tunnel, tendonitis, and trigger finger. Even if massage therapists take breaks between massages, repetitive stress injuries can make their jobs painful, contributing to a large number of therapists who leave the field each year.




GOOD MASSAGE THERAPISTS ARE IN TUNE WITH YOUR BODY.


Judith Levinrad Norman, who teaches massage therapy at New York City’s Swedish Institute,tells Oprah Magazine that good massage requires really tuning in. Comparing massage to meditation, she explains that she clears her mind, focuses on being present, and connects to her client’s body. No matter what area of the body she works on, Norman tries to encourage her clients to let go and loosen up. “After you've worked on a lot of bodies, you see with your hands. You don't see with your eyes anymore. I don't need to look—my hands know,” she says. 


 


THEY GET MASSAGES, TOO.


Because their work is physical, massage therapists definitely get massages, too. Massage therapist Julie Azzopardi admits that she trades massages with her colleagues at the spa where she works and tries to get a massage once a week or once every other week. Duren says she gets massages because she has to. “The work that I do is intense and strenuous and I have to keep myself in good repair to offer the kind of work I do to my clients,” she says. Dekunchak admits that she gets regular massages, even at 9 months pregnant.


 


Wednesday, July 6, 2016



Hi!  my question is……why do the Chickadees in my garden go to a stone wall with a ledge, land and then spread their wings toward the sun??  This seems to be a group activity.  Thank you for your help!


Right now a group of baby birds with new plumage and in late summer adult birds that are growing new outer feathers, often sun themselves. Like ironing our clothes, the heat of the sun might help make it easier for birds to shape their new feathers. And along with easing discomfort associated with molting, the sun may also help dislodge parasites so the bird can preen them off more easily.

Some ways birds maintain feather quality is through water, dust, and sun bathing. Instinct to sunbathe is not always to warm the body. Like humans they probably enjoy a few rays but their main reasons for sunning is probably to keep their feathers in top shape.
 

Most birds have a preen gland or uropygial gland at the base of the tail. With their beak, birds realign the barbs correctly, remove any dirt or parasites and apply preen oil. If the bird sunbathes the oil is exposed to the ultraviolet light from the sun. Then the uropygial gland secretions convert to an active form of vitamin D which is ingested with the next preening. This may explain in part why some birds sunbathe.
 

Monday, July 4, 2016




                            Dunes Sand Sculpture 2016

                        is Bicentennial Legacy Project!

The 19th Annual Indiana Dunes Sand Sculpture Contest is approaching fast. Join us for this year’s theme of “Indiana” and carve out your own creation in the sand on Saturday, July 9. The registration table opens at 9 a.m., but teams may begin working as early as 7 a.m.
Sculptures that follow the theme will earn extra points from the judges. Prizes will be awarded in two categories, one for teams of children 15 and younger and another for individuals and families numbering less than eight. Watchers can also vote for their favorite in the "Viewer's Choice Award" between noon and 1 p.m.Come on out and enjoy the fun!