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Jackson Bear Bopper Toy
Meet Jackson the bear — the ultimate play pal to tumble with, bounce, hug, and just plain enjoy. Aside from his friendly face, this innovative bopper toy is custom-fit with a super-soft cover that's made from 100% recycled plastic. Try as you might, you'll never quite knock him down; but that's all part of the fun!
Why it's a giggle pick Since Jackson's part of the Eco-Bonk Wildlife series, he was made with the environment in mind. His durable vinyl body is free from BPA and phthalates, which is kinder to the earth than conventional PVC, making him the perfect pick for the eco-smart family.
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Meets the following
giggle Criteria:
BEST BASICS: everyday baby essentials
MULTI-USE: versatile & long-lasting
HEALTHY: made with safe or organic materials
INNOVATIVE: smart products that do more
RESPONSIBLE: eco-friendly or locally produced
Material100% certified organic cotton, elastic, PVC
Dimensions18" x 36" x 20"
Weight1.5 lbs.
Age2 Years and Up
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text: The Eperdeme situation (L4D2 fanfic) part 1Savannah, 5 months after initial infectionCalmly sitting down on the balcony overlooking the river, you sighed happily as you finally managed to relax. Pulling a pack of tick-tacks out of your pocket and pouring a few into your mouth was all you had time for before a charger burst through a wall over the road from you."Just gonna be one of those days" you said to yourself ,bored.You had gotten used to talking to yourself, it was the only way you kept yourself sane in this day and age, after all as far as you knew, you were the only survivor.The beast seemed to be rampaging around in circles so you stood, kicked blue into your hands and aimed for the beast's head."All right, going for a head shot, nice and clean" you babbled, aiming through you scope. You nearly dropped the gun all together when you saw what the charger was charging at. A young man in a yellow 'Bull Shifters' t-shirt and overalls with a mechanics hat ran out in front of the thing screaming bloody murder, you had

subset: commoncrawl


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- 173Promote
Framed Art Print
Choose from a variety of frame styles, colors and sizes to compliment your favorite Society6 gallery, or fine art print - made ready to hang. Fine-crafted from solid woods, premium shatterproof acrylic protects the face of the art print, while an acid free dust cover on the back provides a custom finish. All framed art prints include wall hanging hardware.
Thanks so much Kim, Kathleen, Pegeen, Roger, Linda, Bianca, Irene, Carina & Rollerpimp. I really appreciate your wonderful comments. ♥
Hi Garima, I love you flowers, however they remind me a lot of marimekko design:
I hope you don't mind me asking?
I hope you don't mind me asking?
Randi, I love Marimekko and love to work with bigger, simpler forms and lots of colors. It's hard to do big flowers and color and not be compared to marimekko. But these are dogwoods that I collected and printed and love ...so it doesn't matter. I hope there is plenty of space for everyone to do big flowers.
oh, you did! I would love to have seen them too, however so fare away....You are lucky to be able to join and access such large fairs! I hope you had a good time and got to see lots of cool stuff??
yes..the booth and everyone's products looked beautiful and well made. They might be doing a show in Paris...so I hope you get to see it in person.
Thanks so much def29, Villaraco, Bev, Gale, Rebecca, Randi, Moni, Lindsey, Ingrid, Christine & Julia ♥
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New day. New Daily Deals. Get them before they are gone!
Can't find what you're looking for? Shop all ink and toner cartridges by brand
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New day. New Daily Deals. Get them before they are gone!
Item: 115204 Model: RCH33305
UltraFlex® male external catheters is 100% silicone for a comfortable fit that protects the skin. This latex-free construction combines with patented skin-friendly adhesive to provide a secure fit for greater comfort and confidence.
This Web site is intended for use by US residents only. See International Sites. See our delivery policy for full details. Copyright 1998-2014, Staples, Inc., All Rights Reserved.


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"Just go on and buy it already!"
I love Cassandra Clare anyway, so this was an easy option to check, especially if you want to recap before the release of Clockwork Princess and are short on time to sit and read. Victorian awesomeness, a great Shadowhunter mystery with a well thought out love story featuring the ever popular love triangle but with a hopeless twist that will delight those that thrive on fictional tragedy. If you liked Clockwork Angel, this definitely does not disappoint. I think I may even like it more than the first in the series.
With regard to the narration, Ed Westwick would win out anyway by virtue of the deep voice and the accent, even if at the start he tends to read it a bit melodramatically. This quickly resolves and I find myself waiting for his chapters- the reason largely being that although Heather Lind does a really great job reading many of the characters, she misses the mark with several key ones. Charlotte Bramwell, for example, in her twenties, is read like an ancient and stuffy English woman; both Lightwood boys are read like aristocratic caricatures. So while you find yourself enjoying the performance, it's occasionally interrupted by something akin to Disney acting- not bad, just really out of place.
I still really recommend this title. I can't wait for the last one to come out.
"Still scared to turn out the lights..."
Just when you think you completely understand what's going on, a kink gets thrown into the plot and you start to doubt everything you know so far. It's an addicting mystery and it kept me lying on the cough listening to what was supposed to be entertainment for my commute.
I haven't heard her other performances, but she does a great job. Nothing ruins a book more than a bad narrator- Lily Rains gave all the characters their own voice, and the overall narrative a great delivery.
Lisa, hands down. I still can't decide if there was a supernatural element to the book or not , but I do want to reach into that book and take that girl somewhere safe. Both Lisa and Evie- it's one of those stories where you start out witnessing the train wreck and spend the rest of it wanting to let everyone know what's waiting for them if they keep on.
I wish the ending were different, the only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars, but the rest of the book was great, and my thoughts on the ending aren't negative enough to stop me from recommending it.
"Waiting for Book 2"
I liked that it was a dystopian book where the main focus wasn't who you are/aren't allowed to love specifically in a romantic sense; it was more class divisions and loyalties. You need a balance of adventure and romance and Divergent does a good job of that.
Maybe something like Hunger Games in style and theme (though I liked Hunger Games much better, which is not to disparage Divergent, just a preference thing)
I feel like the author is trying way too hard to cram in a bunch of information that doesn't add to the story but instead seems intended to showcase just how much she knows about everything (you don't need to go into detail about the flow of poses in a yoga class, or what era every single piece of furniture in the main character's home is from, or have it described a million different ways how remarkably unamerican the main character is after living in England for so long... I get it! Yoga! Old Furniture! Expat! Let's move on with the actual story!)
Trim a lot of the fat. I know it sounds awful, but I feel like with some tighter editing it would have been an entertaining listen/read. Part of telling a great story is knowing how much is right and how much is rambling. When I realized the book was 24 hrs long, my heart fell. I commute about 10 hrs per wk, and I welcome long, entertaining books, but... I'm only human...
She makes everything entirely too dramatic. I never thought someone would try to romantically linger on words for something as prosaic as driving up a hill.
Buy a different audiobook to listen to.
I hate to sound mean. I was just really disappointed in this book, especially after seeing it highly recommended in so many places. I'm not some literature snob who thinks anything after Dickens or Hardy should just wither up and die (Far from the Madding Crowd is awesome, though). I mean, I love lots of different books, even Twilight! Take what you will from that last statement, I'll defend it to the end of time, or the end of A Discovery of Witches, whichever comes first. Maybe the book is better but I can't recommend the audiobook. Really glad it was on sale.
Fun chick lit
My only problem with the entire performance is that all the sort of love interest aged men in the book have odd, disinterested voices that come across as kind of above it all and schmucky. I don't think that's how they were written, just how they were performed. So there are definitely parts that were supposed to be light banter or plain conversation where I thought,


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Cabaye and Debuchy Walk The Line
Yohan Cabaye and Mathieu Debuchy are both a booking away from a one-game ban.
The pair were both shown yellow cards late in Wednesday night's 2-0 Capital One Cup defeat to Manchester City.
And Cabaye and Debuchy will face Chelsea at St James's Park in the Premier League tomorrow knowing another booking would see them miss the club's game against Tottenham Hotspur on November 10.
Source: Newcastle United Mad
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Black Friars
1) Name popularly applied in Great Britain to the members of the Dominican Order, because of the black mantle which they wore over their white habits.
2) Well-known districts in London and in Glasgow, so called because of the former location of Dominican monasteries in these places.
MLA Citation
- "Black Friars". New Catholic Dictionary. Saints.SQPN.com. 18 September 2013. Web. 6 March 2015. <>


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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
My Falling Out *spoilers*
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Sky Haven Temple I finished my journey back to the newly resuscitated stronghold of the Blades. It was a largely boring trip, I only faced one bear, a sabre cat, and several pitifully weak Forsworn that now feed the mudcrabs on the banks of the River Karth. Perhaps I should just use my one-handed sword against them, so I can get some thrill from the fight. No dragons attacked me on the way there. Indeed it seems that more of them are only interested in watching me from aloft ever since my debate with Alduin on the Throat of the World. I expected a warmer reception from the host of Sky Haven. Instead Uthgerd and Cosnach avoided meeting my gaze and Golldir solemnly informed that Delphine, the self styled Grandmaster, wished to speak with me. That suited me just fine, I had come here seeking Esbern's counsel and invite them to the negotiations on High Hrothgar. It turns out they already knew of both summit and my plans for Dragonsreach. They had another issue: the dovah leading the Greybeards, Paarthurnax. They had just now discovered his identity. They wanted him dead, they wanted me to kill him, and that I could expect no aid from them until such time as the deed is done. Esbern put a great effort in explaining how Paarthurnax was once an ally of Alduin and had committed great atrocities against mankind during that time. A revelation that surprised me little and moved me even less. He made appeals to 'justice', saying that Paarthurnax must be punished for his crimes. Delphine attempted to rationalize the order, claiming that Paarthurnax was less trustworthy for his betrayal of Alduin, that he could "return to his old master". Knowing what I witnessed on the Throat, I would have laughed were I not so filled with disgust. I admit that I thought about fighting Paarthurnax, it would doubtlessly be enjoyable. But I do not fancy slaying allies without cause. Justice? As if I would care what happened to the weak and the pitiful so long ago. So why would the Blades become so intent on punishing the crimes committed long before the Dragonguard even came to Tamriel? Perhaps Esbern genuinely believes in such a cause but Delphine? Hand of Mephala that one. A whole line of emperors saw fit to let Paarthurnax live and the Blades never dared contradict them. However, I was not an emperor to her. She did not want justice, she wanted to cut my ties with the Greybeards. I replied with three words. Fus Ro Dah. The unrelenting force of my thu'um sent both of them sprawled into Alduin's Wall. The three whom I dragged from the gutters of Skyrim and elevated to Blades came at me. I could have torn them all apart right then and there. I could have incinerated them with Yol or freeze them with Iiz. I could have taken my beast form and painted Alduin's Wall with their blood. Instead I sent them to their knees with one swipe of my Skyforge Steel Great Sword. If Delphine wants Paarthurnax dead, then she is free to try and kill him herself. I will not play the puppet of weaklings like the Blades. I only helped them because it suited me to do so. I told them as much and that if they want to help, they will come High Hrothgar and find me a way to summon a dovah to Dragonsreach. With that, I left the Karth Spire, slaughtered a camp of Forsworn along with their Hagraven matron, and made my way to Old Hroldan where I write this passage as I partake a tankard of mead and a ghost from the 2nd Era tries to pester me for my sword. Soansyke --- A.K.A Red Dingo | |
*Starts a slow clap* | |
Bravo. *continues slow clap* I'm working on a similar project. This was a nice read. --- To die without leaving a trace, that is the legacy of the Garo | |
res_black_death posted... *Starts a slow clap* *claps a little faster* --- "Screw the rules, I have money!!!" | |
10/10 way to go --- "there is no use lecturing pigs" kazuya shibuya. (ghost hunt)[GT:koutsu 88] [save timsplitter4] [Dragonlord of TBWNN] | |
silverhunter16 posted... res_black_death posted...*Starts a slow clap* *starts clapping randomly* --- Gt: RAW DJ | |
Genocide is unforgivable. --- Remember: IamI3rian told ya. I'm gonna marry that short haired chick from the Lumosity commercials. She's hawt. | |
sooo you want to punish genocide with genocide? ^ that means someone must punish you for genocide then they must be punished by someone else and ..... (goes on forever) do you not see the fallacy of such a statement? --- "there is no use lecturing pigs" kazuya shibuya. (ghost hunt)[GT:koutsu 88] [save timsplitter4] [Dragonlord of TBWNN] | |
IamI3rian posted... Genocide is unforgivable. In what way did I seem to give a **** about forgiveness? --- A.K.A Red Dingo | |
That was, outstanding. *stands up, begins standing ovation* |
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Event Name
- OR - Select an option belowJust 'cause a spot says it sells gelato, doesn't mean it's the real-deal. But at South Beach's Gelato-Go, the frozen treats are as authentic as they come. Their Italian-born gelato maker cooks up his concoctions with fresh fruits, low-fat milk and cream and no powdered nonsense or artificial stabilizers. Try their Roma (chocolate, coconut and cream), their Venezia (chocolate, hazelnut and whipped cream) or their Padova (Nutella, hazelnut and Kinder). Cups and cones come in small ($4.40), medium ($5.40) and large ($6.40). It's the perfect, guilt-minimizing summer treat.


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What are the dimensions of the cushions please
All-weather U-shaped Acrylic Outdoor 3-piece Settee Bench Cushion Set
This set of U-shaped outdoor chair cushions is a stylish and comfortable addition to any compatible patio settee or bench. This set includes one bench cushion and two loveseat cushions.
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This set of U-shaped outdoor chair cushions is a stylish and comfortable addition to any compatible patio settee or bench. This set includes one bench cushion and two loveseat cushions. This three-piece cushion set is available in solid colors such as lime, paprika, azul, avocado, lemon, sandstone, cocoa, cinnamon, wheat and mocha, allowing you to quickly dress up your outdoor space with a pop of color. Add a patterned accent pillow with contrasting or coordinating colors to complete your decor. Spot clean this cushion set as needed.Add some cushion to your patio seats with this set of bench cushions from Blazing Needles. The acrylic fabric is weather resistant to withstand the elements and features UV protection. The polyester filling allows for a comfortable seating experience, and the set is available in a variety of colors to match most decor.
- Color options: Lime, avocado, lemon, paprika, azul, cinnamon, sandstone, wheat, mocha, cocoa
- Materials: Acrylic outdoor fabric
- Fill: Polyester
- Closure: Sewn
- Weather resistant: Yes
- UV protection: Yes
- Care instructions: Spot clean
- Chair cushion dimensions: 19 inches long x 19 inches wide x 5 inches deep
- Bench cushion dimensions: 42 inches long x 19 inches wide x 5 inches deep
- Weight: 10 pounds total
Features | |
Color | Beige Blue Brown Cappuccino Green Khaki Orange Red Tan Walnut Yellow |
Style | Traditional |
Material | Acrylic Fabric Polyester |
Assembly | Assembled |
Pillow Shape | Specialty |
Cushion Type | Settee |
Dimensions | See description |
Materials | Acrylic Outdoor Fabric, Polyester Fill |
Model Number | 93180-2011-REO-SOL |
Customer Reviews
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Waterproof! Outdoors??? I like the looks of these but these are advertised as outdoor cushions and they are NOT--they absorb water like a sponge! I cannot keep them outdoors. I have to put them inside and take them out each time I want to use them. VERY disappointed. These were not cheap. waste of money
Read Morerubybee Jan 23, 2015 - Helpful 0
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Cushions for pool area I ordered many of these matching cushions for chairs and benches in my patio area. They are well made and thick. I purchased the cinnamon color and they looked fab with various pillows I purchased separately. My only complaint is that they rapidly faded to a very dull color. Because I did not flip them, next season, I will flip them to the newer looking side. This will give me a good two years of use. This is not a problem for me because I will switch to another color for variety.
Read Moreibgirl Dec 2, 2014 - Helpful 0
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Outside chair cushions Delivered in 3 days. I could not fine cushions local due to season. I'm very pleased.
Read MorePeggy Nov 8, 2014 - Helpful 0
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Very Good Buy! The cushions arrived on time, perfectly packaged and exactly as we hoped for! They are comfortable and fit our furniture beautifully. We couldn't be more pleased with them!
Read Morehollyhocks10 Nov 7, 2014 - Helpful 0
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positive I like everything about it but it is just a little too small.
Read Moresamisara Oct 23, 2014 - Helpful 0
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no density cushions looked good however when sitting they were so poorly filled that you can feel the bottom of the cane chair. Very uncomfortable. I wanted to send them back but they were shrink wrapped and i couldn't fit them in the box. I would still like to return them since I've had to bye other pillows. but don't know how.. Maybe customer service could help. barbara d.
Read Morebdahan Aug 25, 2011 - Helpful 4
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Totally Satisfied This is the first review I've written and am doing so now to counter the complaints others have about this product. The cushions look great, are adequately puffy, and sufficiently well made. Really, I got three cushions for the price of one settee cushion elsewhere. The quality is similar to cushions I bought at PierOne.
Read Morerestoretheshorenj May 10, 2013 - Helpful 2
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colorblind? I had ordered these cushions to match the cushions I had ordered for the chaise lounges I also bought on Overstock. I saw the Lime color swatch, and decided it would really "pop" against the white wicker. The chaise cushions (also in Lime) arrived first, and when I opened the box, I thought there had been a mistake. This "Lime" color is actually a sage or celery green, very muted, and not at all what the color looked like (at least on my PC screen) . All have been returned.
Read Moreunclegar Dec 26, 2012 - Helpful 2
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Really Comfortable Cushions Really comfortable cushions available in many color options. I selected the cinnamon which goes well with the deck. The quality is good and makes my deck furniture more appealing. It doesn't look cheap and I've received quite a few compliments on the feel and look of the cushions. Really nice look and feel, I definitely made a good choice.
Read Morelq1986 May 19, 2014 - Helpful 1
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A good fit for our porch furniture We purchased this set to go with a wicker conversation group. The cushions are comfortable and durable.
Read Moreokieinbama Sep 24, 2013 - Helpful 1
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Questions & Answers
Hello marionvj, this item has a chair cushion of approximately 19 inches long x 19 inches wide x 5 inches deep. The bench cushion is approximately 42 inches long x 19 inches wide x 5 inches deep. Thank you for shopping with us.
The picture shows one settee and two chair cushions. The description states one bench and two settee cushions. Which is correct?
Hello Don, this set includes one bench cushions and two loveseat cushions. Thank you for shopping with us.
where do I find the size for these cuhions
Thank you for your question, ginakiser. The All-weather U-shaped Acrylic Outdoor 3-piece Settee Bench Cushion Set measures approximately, Chair cushion: 19 inches long x 19 inches wide x 5 inches deep and the bench cushion: 42 inches long x 19 inches wide x 5 inches deep. Have a great day.
Is there any way to get a swatch of the paprika color? I'm looking for dark red and want to make sure they aren't too orange
Hello deanne322! We do apologize, we do not offer swatches for items. Thanks for shopping with us! -Amanda P
Would these cushions fit product # ?10364675
Hello nordicgirl92, Unfortunately, these cushions would be too long to fit the pieces in that set.Thanks for shopping with us!
What color is Azul; looks kind of dark blue in picture?
Hello ljf1234, azul is the spanish word for blue. We hope this information helps you. Have a wonderful day!
I purchased this color, it is a really nice navy color, we were very pleased
Do these cushions have ties on them?
Thank you for shopping with us kimbojo99. The cushions do not have ties. Have a great day!
Will you have this set again in Azul?
Hi Hello chijessica, Items are restocked as they become available; however we cannot guarantee an Item will be restocked. Thank you for shopping with us.
is this sunbrella fabric?
Hmm, I don't know. It's thick and coarse weave.
Hello madameburke, this is not sunbrella fabric. Thank you for shopping with us.
Is the fabric of these cushions " sunbrella" ?
I don't think these are Sunbrella fabric as I understand it. They are very nice, but would fade and wear in direct sunlight.
Thank you Ana2012 for your interest in the All-weather U-shaped Outdoor 3-piece Settee Bench Cushion Set. We are unable to disclose the manufacturer of some of our products; however, Overstock.com stands behind every product we sell. When necessary we can contact suppliers if a product issue arises. Thank you for shopping with us!
Can you tell me what color the cushions are in the picture on the web site that shows the three cushions?
The color is cinnamon.
what are the dimensions of the cushion set REO-SOL-5. Thank you, Kelly
Chair cushion dimensions: 19 inches long x 19 inches wide x 5 inches deep Bench cushion dimensions: 42 inches long x 19 inches wide x 5 inches deep
Shopping Guides
FAQs about Patio Sets
When the weather is nice, using your patio set to enjoy a meal outdoors is the thing to do. Instead of heating up the kitchen with your oven, why not grill, relax on the deck and enjoy the weather from the comfort of a great patio set. When you're ready to invest in a quality patio set, you might have some questions: Read on for the answers to frequently asked questions about patio sets.
How to Buy Outdoor Furniture Cushions
It's easy to update your patio furniture with fresh outdoor furniture cushions. Since the fabric of your outdoor cushions and pillows fades and weakens over time with exposure to rain and sunlight, you'll need to replace outdoor cushions every once in a while. Whether you need cushions for chairs or for benches, you can use these tips to find the perfect styles for your home.
Most Crucial Pieces of Patio Furniture
The patio is a place for relaxation, dining, and fun. The right pieces of outdoor furniture can help you enjoy your patio to its fullest. These are the perfect patio pieces that you need to turn your backyard into an outdoor oasis.
How to Clean Wrought-Iron Patio Furniture
If you're looking for strong, low-maintenance pieces for your yard, why not buy wrought-iron patio furniture? Wrought iron is frequently used for fencing and outdoor furniture because of its superior strength and durability. With its weathered, ancient appearance, wrought-iron outdoor furniture can add a lot to your home decor. However, you may have a few questions about cleaning your wrought-iron patio furniture, especially when you've used it in your garden for awhile. Read on for tips on caring for your wrought-iron patio furniture.
Best Reasons to Choose Wicker Patio Furniture
It's easy to update your patio with durable, timeless pieces when you buy wicker patio furniture. Whether you want simple wicker patio chairs for extra seating during an outdoor party or a wicker patio set that includes a table and enough chairs to entertain eight guests, there are many benefits to owning wicker furniture. Read on for the best reasons to choose wicker patio furniture.
Patio Tables Buying Guide
When the weather is nice outside, nothing beats eating dinner or doing other activities outdoors on the patio. Whether you want to have your morning coffee, throw a dinner party or have an outdoor surface for books and projects, patio tables are just the thing for you. There are several factors to consider before purchasing a patio table; fortunately, this patio table buying guide walks you through the process of choosing the best patio table.
How to Choose Wooden Garden Furniture
Outdoor furniture is available in many materials to suit different outdoor areas. Steel and wicker outdoor furniture are both perfect for the porch or balcony, while a wrought-iron bistro set looks great on the patio. Wood garden furniture, from outdoor benches to dining tables, looks fabulous in the garden. There are many different kinds of wood to choose from, so finding the right outdoor furniture for your garden is easy no matter what style of garden you have.
Best Porch Swings for Your Home
It's easy to relax outside with your family when you buy hammocks and swings for your porch. Even the simplest porch swings can add a peaceful atmosphere to your porch and become a quiet place to sit when you want to read or just watch the sun set. Whether you want wooden porch swings that are durable enough to hold all of your kids or a pretty iron swing for you and your sweetheart, the following suggestions will help you find the right swings for your space and your lifestyle. Read on to learn more about the best porch swings for your home.
How to Store a Patio Umbrella for Winter
When summer winds down, it's time to start thinking about clearing off the patio. Begin by putting away patio furniture before winter sets in. Typically, patio furniture and table covers do the job. However, if patio umbrellas are stored incorrectly, mold and mildew can grow on them, leading to an unpleasant surprise the following spring when you want to set them back outside.
Patio Umbrella Buying Guide
You've furnished your patio with new patio furniture, but you aren't done yet. Not all decks and patios are perfectly shaded, and you can't always set up your outdoor furniture under shade-giving trees. Protect yourself and your family from the sun with patio umbrellas and shades. Buying patio umbrellas is easy when you know what to look for.
How to Choose the Best Wood Patio Set
A beautiful patio furniture set enhances a home's unique ambiance, but before purchasing a patio set, you must consider what style best suits you and your home. There are many great materials for outdoor garden furniture such as patio sets, with wood being a popular favorite. There are actually several beautiful and durable woods that make fantastic patio sets and accentuate the natural setting you're probably looking for in outdoor patio furniture.
How to Protect Outdoor Furniture
During those warm summer months, a lot of time is spent outside enjoying patio furniture, whether at a barbeque, by the pool or under a shady tree. Outdoor furniture can be a large investment: It's something you can enjoy for many years to come. In order to maintain your garden and patio furniture as long as possible, you will need to defend it from the elements. Fortunately, learning how to protect outdoor furniture is easy. Here are a few steps to make that process easier, giving you plenty of time to relax and enjoy the warm weather.
Must-Have Pieces of Patio Furniture
Few things are better than enjoying beautiful weather from the comfort of your own patio. Sitting outside when the weather is nice, sipping a cool beverage, and relaxing are the things that makes summer great, and the perfect patio furniture will make it even better. Comfortable chairs, properly sized tables, even a hammock or swing: These are the things you need to make summer the best it can be.
Bistro Tables for Outdoor Dining
Sharing a meal with family or friends outdoors is a refreshing change from sitting around the dining room table. Bistro tables add elegance and charm to any outdoor patio, balcony, porch or garden area when entertaining. When set for two, a cozy bistro set encourages conversation in close proximity. Whether you're sharing a meal with an intimate date or having brunch with a few friends, bistro tables make the experience quaint and enjoyable.
Patio Dining Furniture Buying Guide
Relaxing on your patio is a treat, and the right patio furniture can help you set the mood for properly reveling in your down-time. Imagine sipping drinks at a bistro table or enjoying a family dinner outside at a eucalyptus table-and-chair set. This guide will help you imagine patio dining possibilities for your garden and aid you in picking what's right for you.
Best Patio Sets for Your Home
Impress friends and family during your next barbecue when you buy stylish patio sets for your backyard. Whether you want an elegant teak patio set to complement a polished deck or a wicker patio set for a more vintage feel, the following suggestions will help you find patio dining sets that fit your space and balance your home's decor. Read on for tips on finding the best patio sets for your home.
Caring for Patio Dining Sets
With stylish, comfortable patio dining sets in your backyard, your barbecues and even casual evenings with your family become much more relaxing and enjoyable. You may have a few questions about caring for your patio furniture, however, and keeping it looking like new. Whether you need guidelines for cleaning your wooden patio dining tables or would like information about caring for wrought-iron patio sets, the following suggestions will help you preserve your outdoor dining furniture for future events. Read on for tips on caring for patio dining sets.
Tips on Caring for Your Patio Set
Keep your deck or patio looking fresh each year by caring for your patio set. Whether you need to protect your iron patio set from rust or waterproof a teak patio set so it doesn't warp in the rain or snow, these tips will help you keep your patio furniture looking like new.
Tips on Buying a Patio Dining Set
There's no reason to eat indoors in summer; with a stylish patio dining set in your backyard, you can make even the simplest meals more enjoyable outdoors. Whether you want wrought-iron patio furniture to entertain guests elegantly or wood patio furniture sets for a classic style when you're barbecuing, the following suggestions will help you find outdoor dining furniture that works for your home and your family. Read on for tips on buying a patio dining set.
How to Maintain Outdoor Benches
True to its namesake, an outdoor bench is probably going to spend a huge amount of time in the harsh outdoors. Even on your patio, an outdoor bench can undergo some undue wear and tear unless it is cared for properly. If you want your outdoor bench to last, you must give it the care and cleaning that it requires. Outdoor benches may come in a variety of different materials to match your outdoor patio furniture, and each one requires its own type of maintenance. Most likely, your bench will be either wicker, wooden or metal. A wicker bench is perhaps the easiest to maintain, and many wicker benches are made to be weather-resistant. Either way, here are a few ways to ensure your patio furniture lasts as long as possible.
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Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Maine
Oddometer: 47
No Bugs, No Bears, No Bikes Trans Lab Sept 2013 Alone
Yeah, yeah, another report on the Trans Lab. Hopefully I'll include new and shiny tid-bits to help those who want to make this trip.
For myself, I kept hearing it's all going to be paved soon so you better go! So, well, I did. I couldn't go in July or August so I decided to make it happen in September. I repeatedly was told of bears, wolves keeping you up at night, black flies and mosquitos carrying you away, a multitude of tire changes, running out of fuel, and the whole gamut of dangerous (and worse) mishaps. I was warned of being stranded because of ferries leaving without you and the constraints of meeting those ferries. People warned me of the GSA being too big, the systems too complex, and not being able to pick it up and the perils of driving alone. Cool. Anything could happen everyone warned! First I needed to scratch out a weather window. Not for the trip mind you, but for my work. This is Hurricane Season and I'm in the boat business. When a Hurricane comes it's a zoo. On Sept 5th I could see Tropical lows forming off Africa yet it didn't look like it would amount to much. Green light. I packed and repacked, got some Canadian cash and on Sept 7th I was off on my BMW R1200 GS Adventure. Late start at 3:00 PM EST. In this report I hope to point out things I didn't glean from reading all the great Trans Lab reports circulating out there. Also, I would be tracked with a satellite transponder and a GPS the entire trip and have good data to share with distance covered, speeds, fuel economy, etc.. My proposed track was the equiv of driving from New York, NY to Guatemala. The paper maps showed 1.8 million square miles of territory. The general route was over 3000 miles. I had ten days to do it. I'd leave from and return to Maine. This map is 1600 miles wide x 1200 miles high. The longest ferry ride would be almost 300 miles. My choice was to run the trip clockwise from Maine through Quebec, Labrador, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick back to Maine. I have never been to Labrador, Newfoundland, or Nova Scotia. The clockwise decision stemmed from my concern the tires might wear too much before reaching the gravel. I was careful to put minimum pre-trip miles on the TKC 80 on the front and the Heidenau K60 Scout on the rear. Day 1 Begins At 3:00 PM I headed towards the Canadian border. I wondered what I forgot and what was onboard that was superfluous. It felt good to finally make the break. The bike felt good. The stuff was holding together, and I was the only bike on the road. Driving at night was something I wanted to avoid if possible. My GS is equipped with freight train lighting facing forward if needed. I can light up the woods on either side looking for the Tapetum Lucidum eye reflection of deer, coyote, and other creatures. But still, since I've hit deer with cars, I preferred not try that with a bike. So I had just barely enough time to make the border before or just after dark. The Garmin Montana GPS wanted to take me up right up to Rt 2 across the border and hug the border on the Canadian side in New Brunswick until Quebec. I wanted to stay in Maine until Van Buren as I have not seen Houlton, Presque Isle, or Caribou yet. So I overrode the Montana and went paper all the way to Houlton. It was raining when I got close, getting dark, and dropping into the forties. I found two motels and checked into Iveys Motor Lodge. I hadn't really had the time to map out the journey as of yet and took the opportunity to do so in the motel bar. There was a large screen TV playing a "sexiest country music video" count-down. The other screen was a Nascar event. The two went together. Everyone was drinking Budweiser. I ordered Harp. The middle aged bartender seemed to like me because I said "thank-you, yes ma'am, and please". My observation was that women in the videos were attractive girl-next-door-happy-to-be-in-the-pickup types and the men wore cowboy hats and three day beards. The kitchen was being rebuilt so dinner was a container of stew from the reception desk shelf. I was allowed to heat it in my room's microwave and then eat it in the bar. With maps spread out I figured I needed to leave no later than 8:30 AM to make the ferry at Matane, Quebec. DAY 1 9/7/13 162.46 miles travelled 41 MPG Average Avg Speed 42.08 mph Trip Hours 4 hrs 30 min. Day 2 Morning found the bike to be outside in the cold rain. I had put the cover on the night before in part to hide it but also just give me something dry to assemble with the bags I brought in the night before. Yuck. Cold Wet Yuck. A "free" breakfast. At a quick refuel at the local Irving station I met up with 4 guys from Fredericton, NB. They had their sport bikes in the back of pickup trucks and were headed off to Louden Race Track in NH. One had done the Translab on a BMW 650 and warned me of dumping in the gravel right out of Manic Five Dam. This is the second person to have told me about their personal experience with the bike off its tires. The US Canadian Border in Van Buren, Maine. You can't use the Garmin Citimaps for the access road as it has been changed with new construction. Just follow the traffic. There were no obvious signs when I was there. Customs was quick. "Got guns? Got Pepper Spray? Got $10,000 or more on you? No? Here's a map of Tim Horton's locations!" I was concerned about making the ferry in Matane, Quebec. My GPS was showing an arrival time with some buffer. Once I crossed the border I saw an hour added to the arrival. Later I discovered the GPS switched to Atlantic Time from EST. I also wanted to take Route 17 directly to my destination and the GPS was constantly trying to reroute me to Rt. 2 which I knew to be longer. I eventually had to stop the navigation until I was much father down the road. I was taking the most direct route possible through New Brunswick to Matane, Quebec. Quebec wins for the prettiest border sign. Moving through dramatic hillsides once in Quebec I saw huge log yards. At one I estimated perhaps 500,000 logs sitting at a lumber mill stacked three stories high by several city blocks in area. On the final run moving at speed about 20 miles outside Matane I heard a loud thud and scraping noise. My left pannier fell off! A quick glance to confirm and to see if anyone was going to hit it. I circled around facing south and went back as cars whizzed past. I brought the now scratched pannier back to the bike and I noticed one of the clamps was missing on the bottom. I figured I could strap that section on. As I went to place the heavy pannier on the bike I pushed to hard and the bike fell right over. It was balanced to much on a vertical on a very slight slope. The wheels were practically sticking up in the air. Great! I have only a 15 minute buffer now to catch the ferry! I unloaded everything and made several attempts to get the bike vertical. It was simply on too much of a slope now. This was going to take quite awhile without a second person. As this is all happening, with my bike right on the side of the road with the wheels nearly vertical at least ten cars went right by me without even a thought of seeing if everything was all right. No one had any inclination to help. About a quarter mile away a house had people gathering on a raised deck watching. There was no movement of anyone making their way over to see what was going on. It was essentially a reality TV show for them. Normally I'd make some props and raise the bike up to a good position but I knew I didn't have the time. So with my best "poor me" look I stared at a few cars coming at me. That worked! A mini van backed up with a woman inside and a small sedan with a guy and a gal also stopped. Within one minute the bike was up thanks to this one fellow in the sedan. So, the key in Quebec, is to make yourself completely pitiful, then you will get some attention! I should have known this as this is my French speaking strategy too. I arrive to be second to the last in line to board. I had no reservation. Other than being late, I really didn't need one this time of year. In front of me were five bikes and dozens of cars. Two guys on street bikes were from Lewiston, ME and were off to Quebec City. Two other bikes were Harleys with French Canadians, and in the front was a KTM 1000. More on that one in a bit. Onboard and near the door. There is one thing I forgot about Quebec and that is the inclination for women to dye their hair oxblood red and wear form-fitting leather . The guys on the other hand wore silk or sported Harley apparel. The men glared at my ballistic nylon while the women commanded a gaze longer than I'm to accustomed in the land of Potatoes. Flying proudly from the masthead and boldly emblazed on the smoke stack of Camille Marcoux Ferry was the Fleur de Lys. The Canadian ensign was too small and wrapped around the flagstaff. My schoolboy Provincial French was just enough to get the on board restaurant staff to take pity and answer me in English or carefully re-pronounce my French. Surprisingly they were pleasant to the English-only patrons who figured if they spoke English louder and repetitively they would get their French fries and gravy. I don't think that would happen on shore though… The fellows from Lewiston, Maine had approached and told me that the rider from Labrador with the new KTM 1000 was planning on riding straight to Labrador City upon arriving in Baie Comeau. They had wondered if I could accompany him at least as far as I was going that evening which I thought might be the Manic Five dam. I think because my bike kind of looked like the bat mobile down there on the garage deck I might be more Charlie Boorman than Walter Mitty. I mean, it 'looked like' I was half way on an around the world journey. Little do they know I just pushed my bike over and completely upside down! There in Baie Comeau I had my first encounter with chip reading gas pumps reading cost per liters. My credit cards do not have chips so I needed to go into the store to use it. Being a convenience station I stocked up on some canned food and one of the items I found that turned into one of the most cherished items on the trip which I repeated often and that is an extra large Snickers bar to stuff into the tank bag. I can't tell you how important that candy bar stash was in the middle of nowhere. Brad was concerned about staying awake on the trip to Labrador City (which he gauged to be about 8 hours or an overnight ride out). He found some two liter Pepsi on sale and wanted to get two bottles to bring and it turned out the sale wasn't so good so he settled on a six pack of Pepsi Max. I suggested Red Bull as that was smaller. ***Correction: Brad says it was either a 12 or 24 pack and that's how I could be offered one every 30 minutes! Brad sporting one of the Pepsi Max's. Brand new bike, bags, and gear on the way to home near Labrador City. Brad has been thinking about this bike for over two years. With full fuel in both bikes, some canned Turkey Dinner, and snacks we were off to find the subway to get a sandwich to bring with us. Upon locating the Subway (Brad knew just where it was) I got one foot long, ate half, and Brad got two and ate one. I began to think how stinky they were and wondered about bears sniffing them out later. Off into the sun heading west. I figured we had 1 hour plus a bit of sun light. I knew people tracking me on the OnReach would start seeing I was starting the trip driving in Moose country at night. The road out of Baie Comeau towards Manic Five was full of twisty mountain switchbacks with good vertical and descents. We had just enough light to enjoy that first section of it. Temperatures went down with the sun. Brad was leading. As the headlight patterns started showing up on the roads we slowed down especially in the hollows where moose could be just over the hill or around a corner. As the dark of night reached pitch black I noticed Brad to be flicking his lights on high and low often in front of me. It wasn't foggy. I think he was having trouble seeing. Turns out the stock lights on the KTM suck just like the stock lights on the BMW do. He pulled over and I cam up along side. Brad was surprised how bad the lights were. He could tell my lights were better and asked if I could lead. He was also lamenting that his heated grips were still to be installed and in the trunk. I think he was also getting hypothermic. We took the opportunity to put on more clothing. I hooked up my heated gear only to later find it wasn't working. I led the way and turned on the LEDs and everything else. I drove about 40 mph in 31 degree F temps. Near swamps, lakes, and anything not protected by a guardrail or sheer cliff I scanned for moose and deer like a Cylon in the Battlestar Galacta TV series. No, not this kind of Cylon. This Kind. I was careful not to look back for Brad other than to know there was a head light reflecting in my rearview mirror. The moose I've seen in Maine have usually been just standing there. We had the advantage of decent visibility with me lighting up the night like a baseball field. The deer were more of a concern. They could come out from nowhere. There were times I'd slow down to 30 mph or less if the terrain supported the ability to allow deer or other animals to travel from the side of the road. That meant slow cold going to Manic Five. Occasionally Brad would disappear behind a corner behind me. I knew once he lost my tail light he couldn't see. I was also concerned he was getting too cold. The windshield on the KTM was minimal and his Harley Davidson cloth jacket wasn't super hi-tech and his gloves and helmet weren't particularly arctic rated. I pulled over in area that felt in the middle of nowhere. The stars were peppered overhead in a dome of deep space. Brad commented on the Milky Way. He put on more clothes and I fiddled with my heated clothing. The GPS said another hour… Scanning for this. Or this. I'm 6'2" and when I first got the GSA the air from the windshield would offer turbulence and buffeting at anything over 30 mph. I out a Wunderlich winglet on top of the windshield and you'll notice in the photos that it is installed upside down. It actually changes the wind flow enough to allow me to run without the visor down. I do run with the visor up mostly except I wear clear shooting glasses or sunglasses for the bugs or other projectiles. This night I had the clear on of course. This combination allowed no reflection and maximum visibility, as if I wasn't wearing any glasses at all. This helped with the aforementioned Cylon scanning. [IMG][/IMG] Dark ride to Manic Five Manic Five was ticking closer and closer. Brad had decided to camp with me and not run at night on dirt on a new bike pre-hypothermic and tired with just 4 Pepsi Maxes left to keep him company. He asked where I had in mind. I described something that looked like a small traffic circle or cul de sac I saw in a ride report. He didn't recall it. I knew we'd be searching in the cold and dark for it when we got there. [IMG][/IMG] We arrived at the gas station/motel/restaurant at 11:37 PM local time. After a fueling and a a warm coffee (I tried to get less caffeinated Hot Chocolate but the machine gave me coffee anyway). We rode to the dam and pulled over in the parking lot across from the service housing trailers. I studied the parking lot and recognized that was were I saw the previous posters position. Now there were Jersey barriers there. We found a corner inside the barriers and I pitched my tent in the tall grass and Brad his right on the asphalt. Next was the concern for bears smelling those Subway sandwiches. We ate them away from the campsite. Brad asked if the trash cans nearby were bear proof as that would be indication if there were problems in the past. The cans were actually cement and there were lids that would be hard to lift with paws. Sort of bear proof. Stupid bear proof maybe but not black bear proof we thought. Brad parked his onion smelling KTM about 100 yards away. It was 28 degrees Fahrenheit. [IMG][/IMG] DAY 2 9/8/13 394.87 miles travelled 41 MPG Average Avg Speed 33.75 mph Trip Hours 14 hrs 42 min Temperatures 55 deg F to 28 Deg F Stay Tuned for Day 3 "Trouble at the 51st Parallel" ~wsrock~ screwed with this post 09-30-2013 at 06:36 PM |
Studly Adventurer
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Inverary, Ontario, Canada
Oddometer: 955
Ontario Vstrommer
Joined: Jun 2008
Location: Kingston, Ontario
Oddometer: 196
Red Bay
Save some time for a long stop in Red Bay at the museum, UNESCO site.
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Jun 2013
Location: SE / PA.
Oddometer: 176
I'm so jealous!
beautiful pics and sounds like a great time. ride safe brother..
Heading out on a ride with no destination in mind. |
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Aug 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Oddometer: 276
Looking forward to more of your ride. Great pics, especially the Cylons! lol.
The best executive is one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done and self restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it. Theodore Roosevelt |
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Maine
Oddometer: 47
No Bugs, No Bears, No Bikes Trans Lab Sept 2013 Alone Day 3
Day 3
The next morning was gray and cold. We got up at first light and luckily had no visits from bear or more of a concern some hard hat wearing guy in a white pickup telling us we violated the law of the land by camping within site of the worlds widest dam. A sleeping bag inside of a sleeping bag. Not wearing "everything" I had. That would come later... This is before sunrise. The blue tinted early morning light went well with all the concrete. Brad happy not to be in some bear's digestive system. Notice the frost in the foreground and the Subway Sandwich Equipped KTM way in the background. We had the tents down quickly and it took a bit over an hour to repack everything. Almost packed. We were told the night before the restaurant opened at 4:00 AM. With that tidbit I knew that we were in a territory that meant its occupants were hard workers. Breakfast was Omelet Jamon et Fromage, sausage, juice, and coffee. The Jamon et Fromage was a reoccurring theme in Quebec as I could pronounce it. Wildlife at last! This little red squirrel was the company pet I think. This guy broke the language barriers with all the restaurant staff and diverse customers. The bikes, a narrow dark blue KTM with side panniers, a small trunk, and two white garbage bags with clothing tied on the seat and a black & silver BMW GS Adventure looking like a gypsy caravan were sitting outside our window. Sitting across the booth was a nurse coming in from Goose Bay. She got to the motel just after we left to find the mysterious camping spot. She also got the last room at the motel. And that would be the room we never took. That was fortunate as she slept in her car in Goose Bay. It was also fortunate because Brad and I snored loud enough that we would have been driven out of the motel. I think that is also why we had no ursine visits in the middle of the night. I never got the name of the lovely lady pictured here. I'll call her Marie. She talked of driving the road from Port Hope Simpson, where she served as a temporary emergency room nurse. Driving for days completely by herself she said she had GPS or Gods Protective Service. Marie said; You are all alone out there. Really alone. And she then added; And I like that. Brad left for Labrador as I stayed to explore the dam a bit. He was to be the last motorcycle (with one 2 second exception Ill explain later) Id see until Red Bay on the other side of the TransLab 1,415 kilometers later. Manic Cinq (Five) as seen from the bike's video camera. Pardon the rain drops. Required Photo I received and read of warnings of the gravel right out of Manic Five. It was to be a deceiving surface camouflaging a soft underbody that will send you on your butt. I found a reddish graded surface with crushed stone over finer gravel. The asphalt ends here. 201 Miles to the first turn (near Fermont, QU) Yumm! Grader Dirt! It was squirrelly. I drove it slow. I let any traffic, mostly trucks, pass me by pulling a bit to the side, slowing down to maybe 15 mph and putting on my blinker. I wanted to have no concern of people following me. All my concentration was to be in front of me. A couple of miles in I lowered the pressure in the TKC 80 in the front and the Heidenau K60 Scout in the rear. That helped quite a bit. The road was a mixture of just graded or not. I preferred the non-graded. The air was wet, the trees were aromatic and somewhat taller than expected. Soon I was to surpass my earlier 100 mile gravel practice run (shown here in Maine) and I was feeling reasonably confident. Pulled over to lower tire pressure. The asphalt suddenly reappeared 30 miles into Rt 389. And disappeared a few miles later. All had been "just ducky" as they say in my part of the woods that is until I pulled over for a photo at the 51st Parallel. I confidently stopped and... forgot to put the kickstand down! Here I was with not a human within miles and 700 lbs of bike and gear on its side. I twisted the handle bars inward, sat my butt on the bottom edge of the seat and pushed with my legs. My boots dug nto the soft gravel and pushed outward and the bike slipped further towards the side of the road. Wonderful. I re-configured, dug in my heels, and puuusssshed. Bingo, up came the bike. I put the kickstand down and snapped the following photo. You can see the scuffle marks in the gravel. The advantage I had here was the very slight incline actually in my favor this time (vs. before on the way to the ferry). The incline is why I didnt have to remove all the bags and gear. Lesson learned. Last time Id do that. Onward and outward to Relais-Gabriel. My confidence was increasing. But so was the weather. Rain beset the next few dozen miles or more. An advantage of sorts as there was never any dust as of yet. The silence is what tells you you're somewhere near nowhere. They say you can hear a highway ten miles away. There's a slight noise even from overhead high altitude aircraft. On the nature side you can heafr the wind, or birds. Many times when stopping and shutting off the engine I could detect no noise whatsoever, no wind, nothing man-made, no birds or bear charging through the bushes. Nothing. Silence. I pulled into Relais-Gabriel properly dirty and about the same color as the Hydro trucks (and that was camo-dirt) sitting at the little restaurant gas station in the micro settlement . A good & welcome restaurant along Rt. 389 in Relais-Gabriel (one of the few buildings there alongside the road) I half staggered in with lock-jaw knees from the ride. Again, the only bike. The other patrons were French speaking construction workers. I got a few who the f**k are you looks but respected, because, you know, being an American biker, I might just go Quentin Tarantino on them for sport. The girls behind the counter were nice. Again, I butchered the Provincial language and received smiles and a response in English. I got a bowl of soup and a sandwich and re-loaded on candy bars. I was told I could get wifi if I stand near the stairs (I couldnt but didnt really need it). I didnt need fuel either so I was blasting down the road to find Gagnon, the abandoned mine town. There are sections of tar extending quite far out now from Relais-Gabriel. Its not going to be too long where the entire road from Manic Five to Goosebay will be asphalt. I was glad I still found some gravel. Remnants of the fire earlier in the summer. The abandoned town of Gagnon. Once home to 4000 people. I wondered of the town, the school, the school kids, stores, community of Gagnon. I wondered if it would be re-established. Would there be a string of towns along this road once all asphalt? Onward to Lab City. But first a long stretch to the Iron Ore mine at Fermont, Quebec. Long straight sections pushing towards the border with Labrador. Emergency Telephone. About 41 miles to the mine the roads are again gravel. A large man made hill to the left of mining tailings. It was covered with the only grass I saw nearly the entire trip. The only words to describe how big the Champion mine was is "Gimongous" At first I noticed the bright green grass of to the left in the distance. This is after endless crossing of railroad tracks and Ruta 40 type crosswinds over 30 knots. Holly sh*t. Is that green grass a giant hill of mining tailings? Wow, look at the lake, its all red. The trains, how many cars on the friggin thing? Its two miles long. Wait, theres two of them. Two trains with umpteen ore cars. The mine, huge. Just HUGE. Entire mountains moved. Im not exaggerating. There are mountains of rock that are entirely man made. And a mountain missing was there once was one. Giant dump trucks running everywhere. And those tires you see everyone taking pictures of on the Trans Lab ride reports, well there a lot of them making a sand barrier. And they are in reasonably good condition. Used, but not shot, but used enough to justify the giant process it must be to replace them. A big dirt pile A red lake from the mining activity. This train (and another along side it) are about 2 miles long equipped with ore-cars. I noticed the practice of trucks having a big orange bicycle flag flying off the rear bumper. This must either be for the big mining vehicles to see them or for the rescue crews to see the little flag sticking up after the truck runs off the 6 embankment of doom at the edge of all the roads on the trans lab. I caught a rush hour of an armada of buses leaving the mine for Fermont to possibly Labrador City. They dont fool around and drive at warp speed (as does anything with eighteen wheels). I decided to see where everyone was going and drove into Fermont. This is a mining town pure and simple with about 3000 people. Big building holding all the essentials downtown. Workers had decent vehicles and plenty of the national favorite form of transport, the veritable Ford F150. Yep, the F150 is everywhere. Out numbers GMC/Chevy and certainly Dodge by a large margin. I noticed the heliport to be a muddy parking lot. Must be nice on the blades. Labrador was right around the corner. Asphalt from the mine all the way to and a bit past Labrador City. I was curious to see how Labrador faired compared to Quebec Corporation. Quebec, in this area, was great expanses of untouched wilderness, and then sudden concentrations of very touched wilderness be it lumber mills with millions of board feet in the form of logs stacked on site, moon like mines, endless gravel pits, hydroelectric dams only to be rivaled by China. All, kind of, in the middle of nowhere. Notice the wind in the flags. It was starting to get late. Approaching Lab City I wasnt sure what to expect. Coming over the hill and around the corner I could see the city off to the right. Brad, who is from Labrador City, told me of the entire self-sustained community of 10,000 people. I could see it was sizeable in terms of layout. The city borders Ashuanipi River. There is a suburb to called Wabush. There is a Tim Huttons, a McDonalds, a few hotels, small shopping centers, and carefully planned neighborhood of what looks like mostly manufactured housing. Everything is low maintenance vinyl sided. Yards are grass and neat and tidy. Cars are mostly of a recent vintage. Family toys included snowmobiles, ATVs, and some aluminum skiffs. Usually there is a pickup for him and a sensible 4 door sedan for her. Kids were on bikes and hanging around in the spots kids usually hang around in. Catholic Churches were among the tallest structures. Not too many trees, perhaps none downtown? It was cold and gray when I was there. I went into a McDonalds for a sandwich and coffee. Basically the same as those in the states. They had wifi. A patron warned me of snow. Also told me that if you were in Lab City you had to have something to do with the mine. Brad worked in the mine. Everyone worked at the mine or with someone that supported the infrastructure. Brad had told me to look for a billboard downtown that had his wifes business on it. I asked a couple of kids and some other teenagers where it was and they pointed me in various directions. I couldnt find it and ended up Googling it. I called but no one was there. Brads wife had a B&B and I thought, it was late and I might just try that out. But since no joy I set to just out of town after asking the guy at the gas station about places to pull off on the road ahead and there was to be plenty. A few miles down the road a I found a turn off that looked like it has not had traffic on it recently and drove up a hill to a secluded spot. A bit too secluded perhaps because it looked kind of like someone was creating trouble there. There was a burned out structure, evidence of party fire pits, and a trashed car. In a way it may have been used for local bad boy human sacrifices. However, it was late, getting dark and I needed to set up camp. The spot was in the lee of the trees because it was still windy. I pointed the bike outwards for quick packing in the AM and settled in for the night. To me it looked like bear territory. I didnt see and prints or scat but just had a feeling about it. I set out my hatchet, knife, and air horn within reach just in case. It was windy and cold. The tent has a fly on it and it deflected most of the wind. Occasionally the inner tent would move a bit with the wind. DAY 3 9/9/13 218.79 miles travelled 42 MPG Average Avg Speed 26.31 mph Trip Hours 9 hrs 28 min Temperatures 55 deg F to 40 Deg F And then sometime around 2 AM the fabric tent wall was suddenly pushed inward near where I was lying... Day 4 Coming Up. |
Studly Adventurer
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Inverary, Ontario, Canada
Oddometer: 955
Keep it coming
"Driving for days completely by herself she said she had GPS or Gods Protective Service. Marie said; You are all alone out there. Really alone. And she then added; And I like that. "
That's the spirit - now sadly in short supply. Too many damn lawyers, insurance companies, tossers and softies! Except, of course that you can hardly slow down to take a pee on these northern roads before someone slows to check to see if you OK. Try that in the urban centre of your choice. Nick |
Joined: Sep 2013
Location: Lethbridge, Newfoundland & Labrador
Oddometer: 18
Great RR and pics so far, Looking forward to day 4!
2003 HD Heritage Softail |
Batblade Crusin'
Joined: Sep 2013
Location: Gotham City - underground
Oddometer: 2
Don't keep us in suspense already!
Cold Adventurer
Joined: May 2012
Location: The far east of the far east of North America
Oddometer: 1,756
Good to see you made it back from "The Far East".
R1150 GSA, KLR650, K75s, RD350, PS250 (Big Ruckus), R65, 990 Spyder If I still had every dollar I spent on motorbikes I would be a richer man but a poorer person. |
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Aug 2013
Location: New Hampster
Oddometer: 202
Nice report so far keep up the good work. Can't wait for more.
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Maine
Oddometer: 47
No Bugs, No Bears, No Bikes Trans Lab Sept 2013 Alone Day 4
Day 4 (early AM)
It's been blowing all night. I was behind a screen of dark scraggly trees, which absorbed the brunt of the wind yet there still seemed to be a switch in directions every few minutes. During the night occasionally the inner tent would punch in and punch out as the gusts circled the campsite. I was sleeping OK except for the cold. I now had on hi-tech and heavy duty long underwear, extra shirts, a light sweater, heavy socks over wool boot socks, a down vest, a hat, and a balaclava. My sleeping bag was inside of a sleeping bag liner I brought. I had a thermo pad underneath and a bean bag pillow wrapped in a sweater. Around 2:00 AM there was a subtle change in the tent fabric movements. This time the tent punched in and stayed there. It wasnt the general floppy rounded shapes like before. This one was more pointed and purposeful. The shape was right by my head. I reacted instantly and punched the side of the tent and said; GIT!. I turned on an LED light. Whatever it was, if anything, never came back. I knew black bears and wolves to be somewhat shy. And even if something wanted to attack the tent they would be befuddled by the layers for a millisecond. That, hopefully, would be enough time to utilize one of the nasty (and I mean nasty) edged tools I had inside lying at the ready alongside. As a precaution I moved more to the center of the tent for that extra advantage... Only three things could have that nose height. This one or ... or this one... or that one! The AM brought the sun rising through the trees. Like the previous morning there was heavy frost on the tent fly and the bike cover. I cooked some coffee and ate a pastry I had (in a Ziploc bag) in the trunk. I was told by a friendly fellow in the McDonalds parking lot that there was only 90 km of dirt road left between Labrador City and Churchill Falls. He was right. Progress was almost complete for Western Labrador. I re-inflated my tires. The camping location was a bit precarious for the bike. I made sure to take my time getting rolling. I was on the highway quickly and on my way for Churchill Falls. About 29 Deg F here. Beautiful color at sunrise. Early AM Time to take it apart. Frost on the cover. The "highway" out of Labrador City towards Churchill Falls. This is the Trans Lab running east. After lots of basically nothing up came this. A boat ramp complete with sign, a dock, and several boats on moorings! Around 8:00 AM the temperature started dropping. And drop it did! Snow! The blue sky told me this was just a squall. Certainly not this as posted by Newfiebullet the day before near Cartwright Junction. Making some progress! The dirt section required me to deflate my tires a bit. If you are a good Boy Scout and have prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse you'd a have a truck/camper that has a 1000 mile fuel range. You've got one right? Well, if you drove that truck exactly and precisely 1000 miles Northeast from where I live this is where you'd be starting your new life. Approaching Churchill Falls was new asphalt. Completed right before I got there! Hurry boys and girls. Soon it will be who rollerbladed the Trans Lab first. I used this pump often. Que es mas macho? The only motorcycles I saw on the entire Trans Lab. Three 1200 GSAs at speed heading west. The second one turned more than the others and telepathed "Wait! That's a cool photo op! Let's stop!" But they didn't... It was a one second encounter. In planning this trip I sort of expected to see motorcycles in the middle of nowhere and stopping to say hi. Or perhaps come into whatever outpost town and gather with other adventure brethren. Nope, it was just me. And it seemed I was a singular oddity when I talked with people. I saw more helicopters than bikes actually. I would have liked to have taken a better one here however the guy in the blue pickup was giving me a suspicious look. I think the one aircraft at the Churchill Falls Airport was sufficiently guarded. Churchill Falls Airport.There was a nicely dressed woman coming out of the administrative building. She got in a clean recent car. It was kind of odd as I still expect to see ratty cars (and people) this far from anywhere. Churchill Falls has two entrances. I took the first. I drove past the Police Station, a school with kids being marched outside, a few pre-fab neighborhoods, and made my way to the Midway Hotel and Restaurant. In Churchill Falls I drove around a bit. The streets and buildings were neat and tidy. This is the view from... This. I was in the Midway Hotel and Restaurant section of the big building featured in the ride reports. It was being re-faced when I was there and was covered in a blue material. It actually was a decent modern look. The inside featured the school, shops, a pool, a very modern and well stocked grocery store, a hotel, restaurant. I gathered from signs in the restaurant that theyve had problems with people getting rowdy as signs said people were responsible for wrecking the furniture. I talked with a group of contractors I think from Montreal. One asked if I could speak French, Instead of my usual Je Parles un petit peu Francais I simply said no. I thought that a bit quick. But he didnt seem to mind and in basic English he told me he was a GS rider and we discussed the technicalities of riding the Trans Lab. I bought a box of Ziploc bags in the store as well as some lunchmeat and other basics. I only needed a few of the bags to seal up food and approached a lady leaving the building if she wanted the others in the box. She didnt run and scream but rather graciously accepted them and hoped that I later wouldnt have need for them. People in Churchill Falls work for the Hydroelectric industry there. I should mention when I first rode into town I was snooping around (actually looking for an outfitter to buy bear pepper spray) and wandered a bit too close to some industrial buildings when a guy in another blue pickup asked if he could help me find something. I asked if he knew of a gas station (which I already knew where it was) and he guided me there. It was a little convenience store with a couple of pumps in the dirt parking lot. There was a twenty something lady there pumping fuel. She let me do my own as she was a bit freaked about putting gas in a motorcycle that large. I went in and they had some bear pepper spray inside a case along with a bunch of pellet pistols which I thought strange promoting handguns as they are illegal in Canada. The boxes all had images of the great gangsta' gun battles you could mimic with these placid replicas. I asked how much the spray was and she told me $40.00. I though, hmmm, and she said; You dont need it for our bears. Just yell at them. She proceeded with a couple of anecdotal stories to support that. Also, this store is the first place I met indigenous inhabitants. I wanted to say Intuit but Im sure that was not quite correct. *NunatuKavummiut or Inuit-Metis is closer I later discovered* The local white population called the Metis aboriginals. Im sure thats not correct either. The particular people in the store I met looked a bit subdued. (Later that changed markedly.) Everyone was pleasant with one another, but stood in their own groups. One fellow was with his buddies in a car with canoes on top. He was local (that is from somewhere within 1000 km) and was visiting all the rivers he could throw the canoe in. Everyone was extremely helpful. Traditional and Prevalent. More Churchill Falls. The Now. More Happy Valley Goose Bay. Goosebay was 311 kilometers away. The road was all asphalt. Times were a changing. Older asphalt on the way into Happy Valley-Goosebay Notice the hills beginning. And the curved roads starting. 500 km since the beginning of the Trans Lab. I was surprised that the terrain was as mountainous as it was. You would expect from the ride reports all scrub pines as you see in the pictures but instead it looks more like West Virginia. On the way in I passed the entrance to Route 510. That would be the road Id want to take the next day to Red Bay and the longest and most precarious stretch of gravel yet. I saw the sign everyone stops at and decided Id get the photo tomorrow. I needed to find a camping spot before dark as I wasnt going to pay the $165 I heard of for motels in Happy Valley Goosebay. I got some intel from a friend who ran the loop in July. He recommended a spot on the lawn of a big building in town. I found a secluded spot in a sand pit near the hospital. Like before, I was in late and out early to try to be as invisible as possible when camping. DAY 4 9/10/13 300.84 miles travelled 41 MPG Average Avg Speed 35.21 mph Trip Hours 10 hrs 41 min Temperatures 28 deg F to 62 Deg F Next: The day of reckoning. Stay Tuned for Day 5. |
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Maine
Oddometer: 47
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Maine
Oddometer: 47
No Bugs, No Bears, No Bikes Trans Lab Sept 2013 Alone Day 5
Day 5
A bit chilly this AM. But a couple hundred yards away was this... I dragged my feet a bit too long here. I recharged batteries both literally and figuratively. I called and reserved the Ferry from Argentia, Newfoundland, and took a look at this... I asked the nice lady at Maritime Atlantic what they thought they would do if they canceled the ferry from Argentia. She thought they *may* run it a following day. The ferry ride I booked would be the last one for a week. If I got there and missed it that would mean I'd have backtrack 862 km to the other ferry to Nova Scotia in Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. I wanted to explore Happy Valley (the town) and Goose Bay (the complex near the airport) Mindful that I had a ferry to catch about 1000 miles from here in Argentia, Newfoundland Sat. I didnt want to dawdle. I rode around town and also headed out to the airport hoping to see some military aircraft. I saw civilian and several helicopter charter companies. It was interesting that the helicopters were all state of the art and expensive versions sitting next to very basic buildings with five to ten year old pickups sitting in the parking lots. They were there to service the mines and hydro projects. There was enough business for three to four small companies to have more than a million dollars worth of helicopters each. Looks like you could get a good deal on this hanger. Time was ticking on so I had to make tracks for Route 510. Take the picture seen here. Ta-Da! The Access to Rt 510 Labrador Coastal Route (it's only coastal the last few miles) is right behind the camera. Soon after entering the turnoff I got to experience the bridge that was designed with absolutely no motorcycles in mind. In fact, I think it was put there to discourage them. It turned out to be the hairiest part of the trip to date. That friggin bridge! They built it with straight grids running the length-wise. That was really difficult to drive with knobby tires. The bike was all over the place. And to make things more exciting I think they have trucks waiting up on the hill to barrel down when a bike is spotted. On the rear of the truck there also must be bags of dust in a spreader. Oh, and their windshield should be encrusted with red mud too. I encountered several metal grate bridges later but none were built like this one. Curving up the hill I passed gravel and rock pits being used to construct the roads. This would become commonplace. Use the local geology for the roadbed. The first road covering was shattered granite. These were sharp rocks by the millions laid out as gravel. This is where the tires pop. Heres the secret for miles and miles of this stuff. Drive fast. If you drive below 42 mph it will be squirrely. If you drive the speed limit of 70 kph or 47 mph you glide over the top of it. I travelled 47 mph to 50 mph. I didnt want to go faster as it would be more dangerous with the sides of the roads dropping six to eight feet with a bolder substrate (remember the orange flags on the trucks?). The silence is what tells you youre somewhere near nowhere. They say you can hear a highway ten miles away. Theres a slight noise even from overhead high altitude aircraft. On the nature side you can hear the wind, or birds. Many times when stopping and shutting off the engine I could detect no noise whatsoever, no wind, nothing man made, no birds or bear charging through the bushes. Nothing. Nothing. Youve seen the photos of roads infinitely traveling into horizon. The American west comes to mind. The roads here can stretch miles front to back. If its dry there may be a dust cloud way ahead moving like the Tasmanian devil. Behind you approaching head lights could be seen as far as the Earths curve would allow. Generally you had good warning if someone else was approaching or you them. My philosophy on the entire trip was to let people by me. Id make up for distance needed by duration not speed. When approached by a dust truck I'd close the face shield over the goggles. Generally you have a good snapshot of what the road looks like without the dust. If I didn't have a good picture I slowed down to a crawl. I heard in Labrador City and Goose Bay of a person on a motorcycle getting killed last year near Goose Bay. The Labrador people were genuinely upset about it and concerned enough to offer it as a heads up. I think it's possible that upcoming traffic remembers this and slowed down a bit on approach. Later in the trip I was to learn more of that accident and meet people who were friends. I'll backtrack when we get that part of the report. I made it a habit to wave at every grader and road crew. I generally nodded at passenger cars. Trucks were more difficult as you needed to be on your game for flying stones, dust, and the more limited road choices as they flew by in the other lane. When driving on this stuff your mind must go into autopilot. You seek the section of the road less graveled. And, heres the tire saving technique, you avoid all sharp rocks in those sections. Now, you cant do that consciously. You need to do it automatically. And you must do it 1,002,322 times over the next 542 kilometers. http://youtu.be/1NHAWRtcj7M The above link is raw video for about 3 min. The road changes as quickly as the geological formations change. Some sections are brown clay with gravel, some are silver clay with gravel, tan rock, sandy rock, and so on. Still, though, is the secret of speed. Unless you encounter dust. And without rain you will. You see it ahead of you and you see it behind you. You know when a vehicle is coming at you or are approaching one such as the carnival trucks I had to do my first dust storm navigating in. Heres the secret there. Unless you want to enter a dust cloud not knowing what is in front or under you, you need to position yourself in clear area behind the truck, car, or ferris wheel on a trailer in front of you. Then you wait for it to start climbing a hill. Theyll slow down just enough to do make it happen. Youll have the opportunity to see up the hill before you get there. When the behemoth starts climbing you take him. Always turn on your signal lights as this is Labrador and people are polite. Bridge with honey comb pattern. No Problemo. This is actually a 30 kph construction zone. The red truck was doing 70 kph. Pile of Dirt for you. A little bit like a ranch road here. Clay bases were easier. Hours and hours and hours... Activate shields! Fun! Once you're off the road good luck! Sandy area. 250 km to the next Snicker's Bar. It's been about 10 hours or so and 456 km and I needed to decide on riding in the dark a few more hours to Red Bay or find a campsite. There were no offshoots from the road to even drive on. It's been raining and getting foggy. The roads were sloppy and the sun has just gone below the horizon. And then came Mary's harbor. (Day 5 to be continued...) |
Batblade Crusin'
Joined: Sep 2013
Location: Gotham City - underground
Oddometer: 2
Mary's Harbor. Sounds like a magical place. Looking forward to the next chapter!
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Mexico Expects Solar to Surge as Country Seeks to Meet 2026 Goal
Feb. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Mexico expects installations of photovoltaic panels to surge 150-fold by 2020, driven by the country's "abundant" solar resource, according to the Ministry of Energy.
Installed capacity will increase to 1,500 megawatts by the end of the decade from 10 megawatts connected to the grid now, Claudia Hernandez, the ministry's director or renewables, said at a conference in Mexico City today. That will require about 31.4 billion pesos ($2.46 billion) in investment. Wind capacity will increase 10-fold to about 12,000 megawatts over the same period, she said.
The growth will help Mexico meet a goal of getting 35 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2026, up from about 23 percent now including large hydroelectric plants.
The government approved the goal in April 2011 and plans to set targets for specific generation technologies this year, she said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Marc Roca in London at firstname.lastname@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at email@example.com


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Interval Training will Improve Heart Health By Meagan Kline April 04, 2014 Interval training is a great way to improve your health, but if you aren't sure what interval training is, or how to implement it into your workouts, you're missing out on the benefits. In this week's My Heart Challenge exercise post, I'm going to share with you how to do interval training and encourage you to make it part of your routine. Read More
Firefighter Goes 'Cold Turkey' on Sodas and Energy Drinks By Jason M Carlton April 04, 2014 It's not easy to make lifestyle changes in an effort to become more heart healthy. One of the 15 firefighters competing in the 2014 My Heart Challenge has gone 'Cold Turkey' on sodas and energy drinks, and nearly three weeks into the challenge is doing great. Though he admits to still craving that liquid sugar. Check out how David Larsen from South Salt Lake Fire Department is changing for the better. Read More
Inaugural 'My Heart Challenge: Play at Home Edition' Launches By Jason M Carlton April 01, 2014 It's no joke that today, April 1, the My Heart Challenge: Play at Home Edition launched, placing 25 people from Salt Lake County in a contest for better health. Between April 1 and May 31, community members will be competing to become more heart healthy. Read More


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Aug 13
BrewDog Shepherds Bush | 7pm
Tasting Beer with Melissa Cole
Beer writer and sommALEier, Melissa Cole, will be joining us for the evening to teach us how to taste beer and identify flavours in various beer styles, as well as tasting some off flavours that can occur in beers, where they come from and how to detect them. A night not to miss!
Places are limited, tickets are available at the following link; http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tasting-beer-and-beer-off-flavours-with-melissa-cole-tickets-12223357391


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Edward Norton Recruits Runners for Charity Marathon in NYC
Edward Norton is one of our favorite philanthropists. His work for multiple charities has not gone unnoticed. He has fought for sharks, helped low-income people find affordable housing, encouraged education
How The 2011 Emmy Awards Are Going Green
The Primetime Emmy Awards are going eco-friendly! This year's show will bring green to the red carpet. According to Mother Nature Network, Fox is working to "neutralize the event's carbon
A Dallas Vegan Celebration: The Texas Veggie State Fair
We recently told our Ecorazzi readers about the University of North Texas' brand new "Mean Greens" vegan dining hall, complete with an ever-changing menu of plant-based options. It turns out, vegans
Hear Robin Wright Talk About The Conflict Free Campus Initiative at Georgetown
Robin Wright just got back from the eastern Congo, a trip she took with the organization Raise Hope for Congo. Now, she's ready to share her experience and inspire others
Sting and Trudie Styler to Be Honored by Bill Clinton for Their Rainforest Work
Sting and his wife Trudie Styler will soon be honored by former president Bill Clinton for their work to conserve the rainforests. Recently, we wrote about The Rainforest Foundation, started
'Patterns for Paws' Fashion Show Raises Money for Charity and Finds Homes for Dogs
Last week, a fashion show was held in Los Angeles to benefit a dog and cat rescue organization, but this fashion show featured dogs on the runway. Patterns for Paws
James Cromwell and Other Stars to Perform in Musical 'Cats' for Charity
Do you love cats? How about the musical Cats? Well then you are in luck. A variety of stars will combine their talents this weekend for a one-night only performance for


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#51 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333 | Phone: 207.624.6290 | Fax: 207.624.8729 | Maine Relay 711 | Visitor Information
Members of the Commission are appointed by the Governor for staggered terms of 5 years each. No more than 3 of the members may be of the same political party. The members are subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over judiciary and confirmation by the Legislature. The Governor designates one member to be the chair.
ARNOLD S. CLARK of Calais was appointed by Governor Lepage as Commissioner in September 2011 and later as Commission Chair in August of 2014. He is employed as an attorney at the law firm of Fletcher & Mahar. Before returning to Calais, where he grew up, Arnie practiced law at Friedman Gaythwaite Wolf in Portland, doing catastrophic personal injury defense, insurance coverage, product liability, and complex litigation. Prior to joining that firm, Arnie had practiced law in Waterville; during this time Arnold also served as Director of Maine Heritage Policy Center's Center for Constitutional Law. Before that, Arnold served as a law clerk to the Honorable Justice Paul L. Rudman of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, after teaching at Quinnipiac University School of Law in Connecticut for two years as a visiting associate professor of law. He received his law degree from Quinnipiac in 2000.
SALLIE CHANDLER of Lebanon was first appointed as a Commissioner by Governor Baldacci in 2007 to fill an unexpired term. She was re-appointed for a full term in August 2010, and her term expires in August 2015. Sallie was the first African-American woman elected to public office in Maine (town clerk for Lebanon). She currently is a successful business owner, President-elect of Sanford-Springvale Rotary Club, the chair of the York County Commissioners, current Vice-President of the Coastal County Workforce Inc., and vice president of the Portland branch of the NAACP. She has served as a commissioner on the Maine County Commissioners Association and as a state committee member of the Maine Democratic Party. She also was the first woman president of the NAACP - Bangor Chapter, the first female dispatcher for the Bangor Fire Department, a real estate agency owner, and a former Little League coach. In 2009, Sallie was honored as a "Catalyst for Change" by the Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity at the University of Southern Maine.
DEBORAH WHITWORTH of Portland was first appointed as a Commissioner by Governor LePage September 2011 to fill an unexpired term. She was appointed for a full term in August 2012; her current term ends in August 2017. Deb is owner of HR Studio Group—a human resources consulting firm located in Portland and serving businesses and nonprofits throughout Maine and Seacoast New Hampshire. Deb serves as Director of the Maine State Council of the national Society of Human Resource Management ("SHRM"). She was honored as 2012 Human Resources Leader of the Year by SHRM Maine State Council. Deb is the co-chair of the Advisory Council for the Maine Development Foundation Maine Employers' Initiative and also is an instructor at the University of Southern Maine in the Human Resources Certificate Program. She is adjunct faculty with Thomas College. Prior to being elected as Director of the Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management, she served as President of the largest SHRM chapter in the state—the Human Resources Association of Southern Maine. Deb previously was employed by Mercer, a global human resources firm, Managing Director at Lebel and Harriman, Vice President of Human Resources at the Waldron Group of Companies, and the Regional Human Resources Manager at Central Maine Medical Center. Deb holds a Bachelors' Degree in Communications from Kent State University in Ohio. She earned her Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation from the Human Resources Certification Institute of SHRM in 2002 and was among the first HR professionals in the country to earn her SHRM-SCP (Senior Certified Professional) designation in 2014.
JOHN NORMAN of Portland was appointed to the Commission by Governor LePage in May of 2014. [The term for this seat on the Commission had begun in 2013. When Governor LePage did not fill the position at that time, the Commissioner still in the seat (Paul Vestal) continued to serve until replaced.] Commissioner Norman's term ends in 2018. John is the Manager of Insurance and Claims at Iberdrola USA Networks, the "Shared Services" operations of Iberdrola USA (best known here in Maine as the parent company of Central Maine Power). Over the past 22 years John has worked primarily in the areas of Risk Management, Insurance and Claims with Central Maine Power Company, including its parent and affiliated companies; his areas of responsibility have also included parts of Human Resources and Labor Relations. Prior to that John worked in the insurance industry for Maine Bonding and Casualty Company. John is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. He holds a Master's Degree in Business Sciences from Husson University, and in December 2013 completed a Master's Degree in Business Administration through Husson University as well. In addition to his work and educational experiences, John has served as a board member of the Maine Council of Self-Insurers and of the Maine Self-Insurance Guarantee Association, and is a past board member of Utilities Mutual Insurance Company. He also holds professional designations in the insurance and management fields.
A. MAVOURNEEN THOMPSON of Peaks Island was first appointed as a Commissioner by Governor Baldacci in August 2009; her term expired in August 2014. Mavourneen is a public policy consultant performing program evaluations for recipients of NASA education REASoN grants, among other research projects. Previously, she was co-founder/owner of PolicyOne Research, Inc. Mavourneen's public service includes the following: Commissioner on the Maine Ethics Commission, Legislator in the Maine House of Representatives from 1980 to 1984, member of the South Portland School Board, and member of Governor McKernan's Task Force on Maine School Funding. For six years, Mavourneen conducted education research at the Maine Education Policy Research Institute at the University of Southern Maine where she researched and wrote reports for the Maine Legislature, including several editions of The Condition of K-12 Public Education in Maine. A former teacher of Advanced Placement English and classes for immigrants and refugees at Portland High School for 15 years, Mavourneen holds a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Maine as well as postgraduate studies in education, public policy, and theology