June 20, 2003

RunnerDuck Home

WELCOME BACK:   Wow, what a busy week we've had. First we want to thank everyone who sent kind words of sympathy about our loss. While nothing will replace our sweet puppy the thoughts sure do help.

We had a full Fathers Day weekend starting first by going to Marilyn's sister's place in Eatonville, Washington to celebrate her dad's day. Good food and good times were had by all. Then Sunday it was Ken's turn to go to his daughter Jenni's home to celebrate with her, her husband and grandson Camden. It was a beautiful day and we had a grand time.


Grandson Camden playing drums for grandpa Kenny on Fathers Day

On Monday Ken's brother Ron showed up from Elk, California. He is recently retired and out traveling the country. While he thinks he's on vacation we have other plans for him. The first restful thing he got to do was weed whack the hill behind our house, go Ron! Next we started the repair of our waterwheel. Some time ago the 1" steel shaft that the waterwheel rides on broke in half. It's like it was brittle or something. After some struggling and muscling it around we got it out of the pond and now have it ready to repair. For anyone building our waterwheel we'd recommend using a plain old cold rolled steel shaft. I think the one we used was tempered.

We are continuing our search for crafters who would like to sell their creations through our web site. We currently only have one persons crafts on display, Ron Godin, but would love to add more. We are talking with a couple of people right now but the more the merrier. Drop us a line and some pictures of your art and we'll see if we can work together.
     You are logged on to this newsletter as [[-Email-]] and receiving it because you are a friend of mine or a friend of theirs.
     If you would like to be removed from receiving this newsletter just send an email to unsubscribe@runnerduck.com leaving the Subject and Body blank.

Thank you,
Ken and Marilyn

Check out our time saving QuickLinks.
Quick Links
(CLICK)

VISIT OUR HOME PAGE AT www.runnerduck.com

Check Out Archive Newsletters Here
Please visit our affiliate
sites listed below. Your
purchases help us keep
this newsletter going.
Thank you!

20% off $75 expires 5/31/03

Click here for thousands of old-time goods!
Search Now:
In Association with Amazon.com
Please vote for our newsletter at
120_60_2
SitStay.com
Launch your
web site for
only $9.95 per
month with your
special Duck Discount at

What's New This Week? Summer Solstice is tomorrow. While some of you have been waiting for summer to get here and others have been sweltering in the high heat. We've actually had a summer like spring and won't notice much of a change. Of course being Western Washington rain is forecasted for the first day of summer. We hope your summer is a grand one and you can find time to have lots of fun.

We got to go see the world's largest sternwheeler boat before it was launched. It's the Empress of the North and was built by the Nichols Brothers on Whidbey Island, Washington. Last Monday it was launched and made its maiden voyage over to the Port of Everett. It will be in the Port of Everett, Washington, for the next few weeks getting the finishing touches. This sternwheeler will be used as a tour boat up in Alaska.


At the construction site before launch

It's a mighty impressive site to see. If you are in the Everett, Washington area over the next few weeks it would be worth trying to sneak a peak of it. You can find out more about the boat at, www.nicholsboats.com/current_projects.htm

DigiTalk

      This week we have sort of a digital/money comment for you. Ken's brother was talking about a suggestion that his bank made about using his debit card. They recommended using it as a credit card to avoid additional charges. That sort of surprised us since using it as a debit card is totally digital with no additional paper to print and sign. I decided to check with my bank to see what they say.
They said that some stores charge more money if you use it as a debit card. The majority of these are gas stations. I checked with our local Independent station and they charge an additional $.35 per debit card use. If you use it as a credit card there is no charge. The bank also said that if you use it as a credit card and sign the paper receipt you get money back from the bank as a frequent shopper. This doesn't accumulate if you use it as a debit card. They also have contests where every time you use it as a credit card you are entered for a contest.
We must be missing something here because it sure seems like totally digital would be a much simpler and cheaper way to go. Our recommendation to you is, check with your bank to see what their policy is. Also check with your merchant before you make a purchase to see if they charge additional fees for using your debit card. It shouldn't be this difficult to use a convenience item but it seems to be.
Good luck and have fun spending your hard earned money. Hopefully you will even spend some of it at your affiliate stores, www.runnerduck.com/shop.htm.

SITE OF THE WEEK

     When you are watching TV, a movie or reading a magazine are the pictures real or CG (computer generated). It's getting harder and harder to discern the difference between what's real and what's fake. Since I like computers and spend quite a bit of time messing with graphics I figured I could tell pretty easily one from the other. This week's web site proved me totally wrong and I really need to take a closer look at the images I see. They have a set of ten pictures at a time of which some are CG and others are photographs. The first challenge I took I was too skeptical and thought more were computer generated that actually were. I only got three out of ten right. Take a shot at it and see how you do, it's tougher than you think.
Just go to www.fakeorfoto.com and see how you do. It's even more fun if you do it with someone else. It can make for some good arguments until you see the results.


MARILYN'S CORNER

American Flag Pin

     There is a lot of patriotism showing all over the country and here's you chance to show a little. This project is great for kids but may need a tiny bit of adult supervision. Make a bunch of these and give them to friends and family.


Here is a list of the things you will need.
  • 1 1" brass safety pin.
  • 9 size "0" safety pins.
  • Red beads
  • White beads
  • Blue beads

Start by putting the small safety pins onto the big safety pin. Thread the small hole on the end of the small safety pin onto the needle of the large safety pin.
Force the safety pin around the spring part of the large pin so it ends up hanging from the non opening side of the safety pin.
Repeat this with all nine small pins. Make sure that each one is put on the same direction.
Open up the small pins and start threading the beads on each pin as shown below.:

B  B  B  B  R  R  R  R  R
B  B  B  B W W W W W
B  B  B  B  R  R  R  R  R
B  B  B  B W W W W W
R  R  R  R  R  R  R  R  R
W W W W W W W W W
R  R  R  R  R  R  R  R  R
W W W W W W W W W

Close the hasp on each small pin and you are ready to show your Colors.
You can use this same approach to make many different designs. Just let your mind run wild and let your creativity show. Make lots of pins to wear or give as gifts. Your friends will love them.

     We hope you enjoy Marilyn's Corner and look forward to all the fun things she brings you each week. If you have a fun project that would be suitable for our newsletter we'd love to share it with our readers. Just contact marilyn@runnerduck.com and we'll do the rest.

Remember we have all of our past projects archived on our web site at www.runnerduck.com. Just click on the Projects or Kids Only Eggs.


      Well J. K. Rowling has done it again with another Harry Potter book. This book has the most presales of any children's book in history. You can order it here at a great price and be intensely submersed in this fantastic tale in no time at all.


Click Here

The Tempos
News and CD of the Week

The Tempos rehearse at a local school and that school is now closed for the summer. Let's hope we're good enough to entertain all you fine folks at our summer concerts. The next event that you'll be able to see the Tempos at will be the Air show in Yakima, Washington on July 26th. We'll start playing at 7:30 and go until 11:30. If you are in Yakima that weekend make plans to swing by the Air show to check out some really wonderful antique airplanes and hear some equally wonderful music. If you decide to go over for the weekend you might want to reserve your hotel room soon because these places fill up fast. We'll bring you more information as we get it.

You can check out our summer schedule at the Tempos web site www.thetempos.com/jobs.htm. If you are making plans to visit Seattle this summer try to fit in one of our fun free concerts.


     Don't forget that The Tempos big swing band is available for hire. If you have a special event that could use the wonderful music of a classic big band be sure to contact thetempos@runnerduck.com.

      It seems like the Tempos are getting more and more Frank Sinatra charts. One good reason for this is because they are all so fantastic. This week we are recommending a wonderful 2 CD set by Frankie called The Very Best of Frank Sinatra. It has a number of songs that we play along with a whole bunch more. If you like Frank Sinatra and don't have this CD then click on the link below to get one of the very best.


(Click)

Remember, we have a link on our web site, www.runnerduck.com, to our ever popular Grammy® Shopper site. If you haven't been there yet just click HERE to see all the 2003 Grammy® winners complete with links to purchase any one of them.



Questions and Answers

Welcome to our Q&A center.
Got questions? We've got answers.
Got answers? We've got questions.

Q: John wrote: I loved last weeks site, www.digitalblasphemy.com, but I'm not sure how to use the pictures on my computer.

A: No problem. When you find a picture you like just right click on it and select "save picture as..." This will open a box that asks where you want to save your picture and in what format. Type in your filename.bmp and save it to your Windows folder on the C:\ drive.


Once the file is in the Windows folder right click on your desktop, make sure that you are clicking on the desktop and not a program. Select "Properties" and then the Desktop Tab. You should be able to scroll down through the background images and find the file you just saved. Click on the file and then select "Apply" at the bottom right. You new desktop should appear.
This will vary a little from Windows version to version but it should get you in the ball park.

Otto sent a reply along the same lines only dealing with screen savers using these or any other pictures.
"I have found that there is a shareware piece of software that works quite well for displaying those pictures as a screen saver. I have been using it for some time without any hitches. I can't speak for the latest versions, but I think they are worth a look. All the developer asks is that you offer a donation.
Anyway, here is the link, www.nabocorp.com/picsaver/index.php."
Read the statement on the opening page of this site. It tells you that you don't need it for Windows XP or ME but works well for 98 and 2000.


CONSERVATION TIP

      Here's a little tip we picked up at Ken's daughter Jenni's during our Fathers Day celebration. During the summer when you have a party you more than likely have a cooler full of ice and cold drinks. After the party what do you do with the melted ice (water)? They pour it into a watering can and use it to water their potted plants. If you figure there is a little over a gallon of water in each bag of ice that will add up to quite a bit of watering. Nice tip kids, thanks!

If you have a conservation tip please send it to conservation@runnerduck.com and we'll post it in our newsletter.

The RunnerDuck web site is hosted by

If you are looking for a great hosting service at a terrific price check them out at www.fastwirenetwork.com. If you mention that you heard about them from RunnerDuck you will get a $5.00 per month "Duck Discount" for as long as you have your account.

   THIS WEEK'S FREE RECIPE

Red Top Salad
      This is a very old recipe from Ken's late aunt Vi in Iowa. He had it as a kid and still remembers how good it is. This is made upside down and then turned over onto a serving try when everything is set up.

  • 1 Package Strawberry Jell-O
  • 2 Cups Hot Water
  • 1/4 teaspoon Strawberry Flavoring
  • 1 Package Lemon Jell-O
  • 1 Cup Hot Water
  • 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Flavoring
  • 10 Large Marshmallows
  • 1 Cup Crushed Pineapple
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped Celery
  • 2/3 Cup Shredded American Cheese
  • 1 Cup Whipped Cream
Dissolve the Strawberry Jell-O in 2 cups Hot Water, add Strawberry Flavoring.
Pour into mold and let congeal.
Dissolve the Lemon Jell-O in 1 cup Hot water, add Lemon Flavoring and Marshmallows.
Return to low heat until dissolved.
Cool until starting to jell then add the rest of the ingredients.
Pour on top of the Strawberry Jelly and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Flip over onto a serving platter and enjoy.

Remember, if you have a recipe you'd like to share please send it to marilyn@runnerduck.com.

     Every month we post a new recipe on our web page. Be sure and check out the NEW June recipe at the RunnerDuck Kitchen Store.
We'd be happy to post your favorite recipe there or in our newsletter and give you credit. Just drop a line to marilyn@runnerduck.com.


COOKBOOK
SUGGESTION OF THE WEEK


(CLICK)

"The Joy of Jell-O Molds" by Better Homes and Gardens (Editor), Meredith Books

      To complement our recipe of the week we thought this cookbook would do the trick. It's packed with wonderful pictures and recipes for Jell-O. One person that reviewed this book had this to say: "This book is great. It has all of the classic Jell-o recipes you remember from when you were a kid, like Under-the-Sea salad, rainbow molds, ribbon salad. The book also has more modern recipes for the more recently developed "sparkling" jell-o. Great color photos throughout the book.
Jell-o desserts had fallen out of fashion over the last few years, but with the retro food craze, I think we will see a revival. This book is a great place to start. My only complaint is that I wish there were more recipes.

Be sure and visit the RunnerDuck Cookbook Store for other great savings on cookbooks and cooking supplies.


GREAT DEALS FOR RunnerDuck SUBSCRIBERS

The barbecue's are hot and ready for some great summer cooking. One of the things you really need is a good set of barbecue tools. This 18 piece set is just the ticket for handling all those great meals you're going to be cooking. Just click on the link below to check out this great deal.


PROJECTS

Bird Feeder

     Even though there is lots for the birds to eat this time of year it's still a lot of fun to feed them and watch the different species. If you put out different types of seed you will get different types of birds. Mix it up and see who comes visiting.


Here's what you'll need:
  • 8" X 10" X 3/4" Cedar
  • 1 1/2" X 20" X 3/4" Cedar
  • 1 Cedar shingle 5" wide or 2 1/4" X 12" X 1/4" Cedar
  • 1/4" X 2" dowel.
  • Window screen 8" X 7"
  • 1 1/2" X 4' X 3/4" Cedar
  • 1 5/8" #6 deck screws
Cut out the back 8" X 10" with a 30 degree peek for the roof.
Drill a 1 1/4" hole centered 4 1/2" up from the bottom.
Drill a 1/4" hole centered 1/2" bellow the large hole.
Cut two sides 1 1/2" X 6".
Cut the front 1 1/2" X 8".
Cut the two roof pieces 2 1/4" X 5 1/2".
Cut the post 1 1/2" X 4' with a point on one end.
Cut the screen 8" X 7".

Pilot drill and countersink two holes in the back to mount the sides.
Glue and screw the two sides onto the back.
Glue and nail the front piece onto the two side pieces.
Staple the screen to the bottom. Cut any excess off.
Cut the 1/4" dowel to 2" and glue into the 1/4" hole.
Glue and nail the two roof pieces on.
Glue and nail the stake onto the back of the feeder.

That's it! This is a really fun family project that your kids can help with. It's a good opportunity to teach them a little wood working on a simple project.

We hope you've enjoyed this project and have good success with it. Remember, if you ever have any problems with our projects just drop us a line and we'll try to help. Since we build every one of these projects we have a pretty good idea of how to get through them. We also make lots of mistakes so we can help avoid them. If you have a project that you would like to share please drop us a line and we'll help get it published in the RunnerDuck review. We are looking for woodworking, gardening, crafts and kids projects so send us your thoughts at projects@runnerduck.com .



JOKE OF THE WEEK

This is from our friend Roger H. who play trumpet with the Tempos.

It has been said these are stories and test question answers accumulated by music teachers in the state of Missouri. I'm sure they could be from any school district in the country.

Music Education

  • Agnus Dei was a woman composer famous for her church music.
  • Refrain means don't do it. A refrain in music is the part you better not try to sing.
  • A virtuoso is a musician with real high morals.
  • John Sebastian Bach died from 1750 to the present.
  • Handel was half German, half Italian, and half English. He was rather large.
  • Beethoven wrote music even though he was deaf. He was so deaf he wrote loud music. He took long walks in the forest even when everyone was calling him. I guess he could not hear so good. Beethoven expired in 1827 and later died from this.
  • Henry Purcell is a well known composer few people have ever heard of.
  • Aaron Copland is one of your most famous contemporary composers. It is unusual to be contemporary. Most composers do not live until they are dead.
  • An opera is a song of bigly size.
  • In the last scene of Pagliacci, Canio stabs Nedda who is the one he really loves. Pretty soon Silvio also gets stabbed, and they all live happily ever after.
  • When a singer sings, he stirs up the air and makes it hit any passing eardrums. But if he is good, he knows how to keep it from hurting.
  • Music sung by two people at the same time is called a duel.
  • I know what a sextet is but I had rather not say.
  • Caruso was at first an Italian. Then someone heard his voice and said he would go a long way. And so he came to America.
  • A good orchestra is always ready to play if the conductor steps on the odium.
  • Morris dancing is a country survival from times when people were happy.
  • Most authorities agree that music of antiquity was written long ago.
  • Probably the most marvelous fugue was the one between the Hatfield's and McCoy's.
  • My very best liked piece of music is the Bronze Lullaby.
  • My favorite composer is Opus.
  • A harp is a nude piano.
  • A tuba is much larger than its name.
  • Instruments come in many sizes, shapes and orchestras.
  • You should always say celli when you mean there are two or more cellos.
  • Another name for kettle drums is timpani. But I think I will just stick with the first name and learn it good.

  •      If you want to talk about something just drop us a line at duckmaster@runnerduck.com any time, we like to talk about most anything. We are always looking for content for our newsletter so if you have something to add we'd love to publish it. Assuming it meets our strict family oriented requirements!

         If you forward these newsletters to your friends just drop us a line and we'll do it for you. Just send us their email address and we'll do the rest. Remember, we never share our email list with anyone, period! Just drop me a line or go to our registration page and sign up your friend.

    If you enjoyed this newsletter please tell a friend, if you didn't please tell us but in a nice way, we're very sensitive.

    To unsubscribe just click HERE. or send an email to unsubscribe@runnerduck.com.

    duckmaster@runnerduck.com

    Please tell a friend about RunnerDuck Review

    It only takes a second and you can
    use the simple little form at
    www.runnerduck.com/
    register_a_friend.htm
    .

    All rights reserved, RunnerDuck Productions, 2000, 2001, 2002.
    RunnerDuck and its logos are property of
    RunnerDuck Productions.
    All other logos are property of the individual companies.
    We can be contacted at duckmaster@runnerduck.com.

    Past RunnerDuck Review Newsletters