Monday, March 12, 2012

Picnic Blankets versus Picnic Tables: Which Is Best?

Are you interested in having a picnic in the near future? If you are, you will have a number of different decisions to make. Whether you are interested in having a large picnic, with guests that include your friends and family members, or if you are looking to have a small picnic with just your immediate family, you may want to examine your placings, also commonly referred to as your intended seating.

As you likely already know, you have a number of different options, when it comes to picnic seating. Two of your most common options involve using a picnic blanket or a picnic table. If you are unsure as to how the guests at your next picnic should sit you may want to continue reading on.

When it comes to determining which type of seating arrangements you should have at your next picnic, there are a number of important factors that you will want to take into consideration. One of those factors is how many guests you plan on having. Although picnic tables come in a number of different sizes, you will find that most are designed to seat four to eight people. If you are planning on having a large picnic party, you may not have enough seating room for all of your guests. If that is the case, you may want to look into buying another picnic table for yourself or you can ask that your guests bring their own lawn chairs. With that in mind, you can also have picnic blankets available for your guests to use.

Speaking of using picnic blankets, you will find that picnic blankets are ideal for just about any type of picnic, as long as the weather and ground are dry. With that in mind, you may want to opt for using a picnic blanket, as opposed to a picnic table, if you are looking to use your next picnic as a romantic getaway. Picnic blankets often tend to create a little bit of romance, as they allow for quite a bit of closeness. So, if you are interested in having a romantic date with your partner, in the form of a picnic, you may want to consider purchasing a picnic blanket for yourself or even just using a throw blanket that you may already own.

Although picnic blankets are a nice way to create a “real,” picnic look and feel, they are not right for everyone. If your picnic guests include those that are overweight or elderly, you may find that some of your guests have a difficult time sitting down and getting comfortable enough to eat. That is why it is advised that you look into picnic tables. If you regularly enjoy eating outside at your home, whether it be for a picnic or a simple barbeque, a picnic table may be a wise investment for you and your family.

As previously stated, it is possible for you to find picnic blankets available for sale, but you can also use some of the many blankets that you have around your home, particularly those that are relatively small or medium in size. If you are interested in purchasing one or more picnic tables for your home, you may want to examine your local home and garden stores. You do have other options, when it comes to buying a picnic table for yourself, but home and garden stores often have the largest selection of products available locally.

Monday, March 05, 2012

Caves

by Val Shortt


There are many different types of caves all over the world and people of all ages have a great fascination for visiting caves and exploring them.

Caves are formed in a variety of different shapes and sizes and formed in different ways over thousands of years. Some caves are available to the public and some are not as they can be extremely dangerous.
As I have mentioned previously there are different types of caves. The most common type of cave is the limestone cave. They are also usually the longest and deepest caves.

They are formed over a period of thousands of years by water. It happens when there is rain water mixed with a chemical either in the air or in the earth that creates an acid that dissolves away the limestone.

The action of acidic water dripping inside a cave can create stalactites and stalagmites by depositing minerals as the dripping takes place.These are amazing and beautiful formations that can often be seen in limestone caves.

There is a type of cave that is relatively rare called a Sandstone cave. These caves are formed by wind and wave action carrying away grains of sand. They are generally found close to an ocean. Close to the Sandstone cave is a Sea cave.

These caves are also formed by the action of waves, as many caves are formed, as the water pounds against the land. These caves are generally found toward the ocean and are not usually very long in length.

The next type I will mention is a Lava cave which name speaks for itself. It is formed when volcanic lava flows through what is known as a lava tube during an eruption.

This type does not have the stalactites and stalagmites of limestone caves but have a different type of formation caused by the movement of the lava.

If you are adventurous to go out visiting caves you need to be aware of some of the dangers you may be facing.

Caves can be wet and slippery and there is the possibility of falling rocks.

Wearing a hard hat when going through caves is always a good idea. If there has been a recent rain there is the potential for a flash flood. Watch for an indication of recent water flows in the cave. There is also the possibility as well of bad air pockets due to rotting vegetation and landfill seepage. There could also be areas lacking oxygen. To look for these areas watch the flame of your lantern or a candle. If it seems to be getting dim you need to leave that area immediately. Another risk can be the occupants such as rattle snakes and bats, or a variety of other animals.

Its a good idea when going through the caves to never have less than 3 people. If one person gets injured there are 2 to carry the other person out.

One of the important rules when visiting a cave is to not leave anything behind and not to take anything with you such as plants or animals.

Definitely do not disturb the geological formation. Remember that caves took thousands of years to be formed and can be damaged in just a few thoughtless minutes. As a native of Southern Ontario there are surprisingly a number of areas with caves.

Here is a list of just a few of them, Chipmunk Cave near Hamilton, Falcon Cave also near Hamilton, Cricket cave near Niagara Falls,

Second Chance Cave near the Niagara Escarpment, Bed of Glass Cave near Lake ErieLeft, Door Cave also near Lake Erie, Razor Cave also near Lake Erie,

Rockwood Conservation Area in Guelph, Collingwood Scenic caves, Bruce Caves in Wiarton, and Warsaw Caves in Peterborough.

As you can see there are many that I have listed and still many I have not. If you are looking for something to do and are interested in visiting caves you don't have very far to go for a fun and adventurous activity.