What's New This Week? September 2003 is still pretty new. It's hard to believe that school is upon us and fall is just around the corner. Here in Western Washington we have had the most incredible summer in years. We broke the all time record for most days over 70 degrees F, 62 days and counting. The good and bad news is that we have had the driest summer since 1951. It's good since we love the sun and all the summer activities but bad because of all the fire potential. We continue to hear about a new forest fire just about every night on the news. Our poor friends up in Canada have really been hit hard with a hot dry summer that has created a condition for the worst forest fires in their history.
If you plan to take a late vacation to the great northwest this fall please be careful with fires and cigarettes. We certainly don't need any more fires starting. The good news is that rain is on the way. The weather prognosticators are predicting rain off and on for the next week at least. That should give some well deserved relief to all those brave fire fighters.

     It sure would be nice to change your wallpaper on your walls as easy as it is on the computer. Well it isn't but we did find another great site to get pictures for your desktop wallpaper. Mandolux is one of the premier websites for high-end aerospace, paper money, and art desktops on the Internet. As of September 2003, Mandolux has over 2100 desktops available online. The person behind Mandolux is Mando Gomez has a BA in Computer Science and has extensive knowledge of IT Management, Graphic Design and Photography.
The web site is very easy to use although at first it's not obvious. In the bottom left corner there is a box with >>NAVIGATION and a down arrow. Just click on the down arrow and then select the picture group you are interested in. A set of pictures will appear and you can choose the resolution you are interested in. When you click on the resolution a new web page will open up with the picture. Right click on the picture and select Save Picture As. Save it to your Windows folder as a .bmp file. To make it your current wallpaper right click on your desktop select Properties and then the Desktop tab. Choose the picture that you saved to make it your current wallpaper.
For these great pictures go to www.mandolux.com.

Book Cover

     School has started and that means that you have lots of books to cover. As long as you have to cover them you may as well make them pretty.
CAUTION: Be careful with the scissors or get your parents help.

Here's what you'll need:

Paper grocery bag
Pictures from magazines, photographs or calendars. Since it's September you should have lots of pretty pictures from the previous eight months.
Glue
Scissors

Cut down the seam of the paper bag and unfold the bottom.
Cut the bag length wise about 4" wider than your book.
Measure your book cover, spine and back. Cut the bag about 4" longer than your book.
Fold the long sides in 2" on each side.
Fold the short ends in 2" on each end.

Slip the ends over the cover and back of the book.
Now the fun begins. Cut some fun pictures out of magazines, calendars or photos. It's really fun to use pictures of your friends.
Glue the pictures onto your book cover. Add a title to identify your book and you are ready to go.

Click on the picture or a bigger image
This might just make going to school a little more fun.

     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.

     The Tempos big swing band is available for hire. If you have a special event that could use the wonderful music of a classic sixteen piece big band be sure to contact thetempos@runnerduck.com. We perform all over the Seattle area for all sorts of events.

      We've recommended all types of CD's from classical to jazz but for some reason we've not featured too many drummers. Since I'm a drummer I guess I should do a better job of that. So, this week we bring you one of the all time greats, Gene Krupa. Drum Crazy was released in 2001 and features many of his greatest songs.
Reviewer Jim Taylor from Hazel Green, AL writes; If you like Swinging, Big Band music you'll love this CD. The Gene Krupa Orchestra, The Benny Goodman Orchestra, The Gene Krupa Trio... All on one album. From the opening song, Apurksody (Krupa spelled backwards... a slow swing tune); to Drummin' Man (the song that got me interested in Gene Krupa); to the Original Live, Swinging, Exciting performance of Sing, Sing, Sing (featuring Harry James, Benny Goodman, Jess Stacy, and the BG Orchestra, all being Drivin', Swingingly by the Swinging Rhythm of Gene Krupa); through to Wire Brush Stomp (The Trio showcasing the superb expertise of Gene's intricate drumming with Wire Brushes). The recording quality is good, and the presentation is really good... I only have two wishes, more text, and more Gene Krupa CD's like this. If you are a Big Band Swing Jazz FAN you must get this CD.

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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.

      We are continuing to get a good response to our request for conservation tips. We'd like to get more so if you have one please send it to conservation@runnerduck.com.

This week's suggestion came from Sheilah K.

We go camping a lot and instead of buying a lot of fire starters I roll up old news paper and tie with a cotton cord. I try and not to roll the paper extremely tight so it has a little opening in the middle. That way it has that little oxygen draft pulling it through. Also save your toilet paper rolls and stuff them with dryer lint it works wonders saves money and helps not fill up a landfill. Don't forget on those nature walks take a sack and pick up pine cones they work good for kindling when starting the camp fire.

Thank you Sheilah for this tip. We'll have to give it a try once they start letting us have campfires again.

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

   THIS WEEK'S FREE RECIPE

This is especially good when served with vanilla ice cream, yum! 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 September 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.

"Stone Fruit: Cherries, Nectarines, Apricots, Plums, Peaches (Northwest Homegrown Cookbook Series)" by Cynthia Nims

There is more to fresh peaches than our Peach Crisp. Check out all the possibilities for peaches and many other fruits in this wonderful cookbook by Cynthia Nims. It will be a great addition to your cookbook collection.

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

Plywood Carrier

Click on picture for bigger pictures of this project.

     One of the more awkward things to handle around the shop is big sheets of plywood. With my bad shoulder it's almost impossible but with this handy device it's a breeze. Put the plywood in the notch, pick it up with the handle and balance the top with your other hand. Now that's a lot better than the alternative!

Here's what you'll need:

• 24" X 16" X 3/4" plywood
• 1" dowel 6" long
• 1 1/2" screws
• 2 1/2" screws
• Glue

Cut out the two sides using the dimensions shown. It should be 24" long with a full radius on top.

Cut the bottom 4 1/2" X 5 1/2".
Drill two 1" holes centered 1 3/4" down in the top of the handle.
Glue and screw the bottom to the sides using the 1 1/2" screws.
Glue and screw the handle to the sides using the 2 1/2" screws.

That's all there is to it. Just center your piece of plywood on the carrier and get to moving.

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 .

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