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4 Super Soft Egyptian Cotton Bath Sheets - 10 Colours!£16.99 instead of £79.99 (from Groundlevel.co.uk) for four super soft Egyptian cotton bath sheets - choose from 10 colours and save 79%
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- Get four Egyptian cotton bath sheets.
- Super soft and hotel quality.
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- Add luxury and comfort to your bathing experience.
- Each towel is 80cm x 140cm.
- Choose from seven colours including mauve, cream and royal blue.
The Fine Print
- May buy multiples.
- Voucher valid until 29th Oct 2016.
- Postage costs an additional £4.99 per voucher (excludes Channel Islands).
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Unless there's been a deal for candyfloss or clouds, we pretty sure this is the fluffiest deal yet…
We're offering you four Egyptian cotton bath sheets for just £16.99, saving you 79% off Groundlevel.co.uk price of £79.99. (correct as of 23.9.16).
Give your bathroom a stylish and fluffy refresh with a beautiful new set of four bath sheets. Made from high-quality 100% Egyptian cotton, you will stay comfortable and cosy between these bath sheets as soon as you jump out of the water. Available in 10 different colours, you can pick your style to suit your mood and interiors, and whether you go for crisp white or soft mauve, we know your bathroom will look fresher in an instant. In addition, these gorgeous towels will retain their original colour after many washes! Cosy!
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Luxury Memory Foam Gold-Threaded Bio-Natural Mattress£129 instead of £1199 (from Midnight Dreams) for a single luxury memory foam gold mattress, £149 for a small double or double, £169 for a king - save up to 89%
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text:
Comparing Business and Household Sector Innovation in Consumer Products: Findings from a Representative Study in the UK
Eric A. von Hippel
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Sloan School of Management
Jeroen P.J. de Jong
Utrecht University - Utrecht University School of Economics
Steven Flowers
affiliation not provided to SSRN
September 27, 2010
In a first survey of its type, we measure development and modification of consumer products by product users in a representative sample of 1,173 UK consumers aged 18 and over. We estimate this previously unmeasured type of innovation to be quite large: 6.1% of UK consumers – nearly 2.9 million individuals - have engaged in consumer product innovation during the prior three years. In aggregate, consumers' annual product development expenditures are more than 1.4 times larger than the annual consumer product R&D expenditures of all firms in the UK combined.
Consumers engage in many small projects which seem complementary to the innovation efforts of incumbent producers. Consumer innovators very seldom protect their innovations via intellectual property, and 17% diffuse to others. These results imply that official statistics partly miss relevant innovation activity, and that existing companies should reconfigure their product development systems to find and build upon prototypes developed by consumers.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 29
Keywords: Household Innovation, Consumer Innovation, User Innovation
Date posted: September 28, 2010 ; Last revised: June 10, 2012
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Brent Budowsky: Democratic House challengers in 2014 will clobber GOP House incumbents in 2014 who vote against Medicare and Social Security.
The Bill Clinton Mega-Bounce
Brent Budowsky: Nobody remembers what Mitt Romney said at his convention, but everybody remembers what Clinton said at the Democratic convention, which gave Obama a mega-bounce that has lasted for more than a week.
Why the Right, GOP, Some Dems Fear Elizabeth Warren and Occupy
Brent Budowsky: The right and the Republicans fear Occupy Wall Street and Elizabeth Warren because they know that a majority of voters agree with them about eliminating financial abuses that plague so many Americans.
Why Hillary Would Clobber Sarah or Nikki in 2016
Brent Budowsky: Hillary Clinton stands for equality and fairness while Palin and Haley represent the interests of elites who profit from unfairness and inequality.
Obama, Reid and Pelosi Lead Charge Against Tea Party Millionaire Party
Brent Budowsky: There are smiles today throughout the Democratic base because the fighting spirit is back for the Dems.
Cut the Crap and Create Jobs
Brent Budowsky: While the Republican Party at the national and state level is doing everything it can to destroy jobs, the Democratic Party is failing to fight for jobs with the intensity that Democrats have historically done.
Let's Rebuild America Now
Brent Budowsky: The voters want jobs. They do not want Washington to descend further into a Dark Age of vindictive partisan gridlock. We need a Rebuild America Bond to raise private capital to build roads, bridges, schools, military hospitals, vets centers and other shared priorities.


text:
1ADHE00166-Exterior Door Handle
hablamos español:
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1995-1998 Eagle Talon Exterior Door Handle Passenger Side1ADHE00166-255451
This part replaces:
- Dorman 77494
- New
This aftermarket replacement automotive door handle is just what you need to get your vehicle in good looking form again!
- Passenger Side
- Injection molded Black plastic
- Buyer can install as is, or paint it to desired color
- Direct replacement for original handle
- Reuse original lock cylinder
- High gloss black
This part is a direct bolt on and is built to strict quality control standards. It is a great replacement and has substantial cost savings over a dealer unit.
Lifetime Warranty
This item is backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty. In the event this item should fail due to manufacturing defects during intended use, we will exchange the part free of charge (excludes shipping charges) for the original purchaser. Please keep your invoice for proof of this warranty.
5.0 / 5.0
1 Review
The handle was identical to OEM even in color. It fit well and looks nice. I hope it will last as long as the other or longer. Installation is tough but can be done without removing the window. In the removal steps use the new part as a reference tool to determine where the bolts and clips are located and how they function. Take the panel off then remove the clip that holds the lock assembly. Move the lock assembly out of the handle and push it out of the way to access the bolt above it. remove this bolt first and then the easy bolt on the side (jam area) of the door. at this point, I pulled the handle out of the door from the outside of the car (but I had to break the top piece of the handle to make it fit). Then notice how the door lever rod is attached to the handle and unsnap the plastic latch to free the rod. Installation: I would recommend trying to snap the lever rod in onto the new handle outside of the car as to get familiar with how it fits and the snap closes. I couldn't quite fit the new part back in from the outside with the lever rod attached so just put it in the door and then secure the handle with the side bolt before you try to reach inside and attach the lever rod. This was the hardest part of the whole thing for me. I managed to get both my hands inside there to reach the lever rod and plastic snap. They must align perfectly or the rod will not fit in the hole and the snap must fit around the rod so that it can secure it there. I had to use some pliers to bend the door metal back a bit to fit my second hand in there better. I also had to prop the inside handle open just a bit to help move the door lever rod down some as it was up too high to align with the hole in the handle. Once you get the rod attached then put the bolt in above the lock hole and then push the lock assembly in until the clip ring thing snaps around it to hold it in place. Put your door panel back on and celebrate. This took me close to 2 hours but I had to learn all these steps in the process. Now that I know what to do I could easily do it again in an hour. I felt confident doing business with 1A auto because the owners and employees make themselves known. On other auto parts sites all you know about the company is it's name... Some don't even list an address or phone#.
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January 20, 2010
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Vehicle Fit
- 1995-2000 Chrysler Sebring Coupe Exterior Door Handle Passenger Side
- 1995-2000 Dodge Avenger Exterior Door Handle Passenger Side
- 1995-1998 Eagle Talon Exterior Door Handle Passenger Side
- 1995-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse Exterior Door Handle Passenger Side
Part #: 1ADHE00166
Ships Same Day for orders placed by 5 P.M. ET
Free GROUND SHIPPINGCheck Shipping Rates
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Customer Feedback
"Thanks for the fast reliable service. Great price, and the headlights were as good as oem or better!!! Keep up the good work..."- Dwuan M.
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text:
503 posts tagged with costume.
Displaying 201 through 250 of 503. Subscribe:
Overthinking a plate of photons.
My son's costume (barrel of toxic waste) is covered with spray foam painted with glow-in-the-dark paint. What's the best way to charge it up ahead of time so it glows for a long time? [more inside]
Last minute Angels and Demons themed costume ideas?
Much to my dismay, my boss is forcing me to wear a costume tonight and tomorrow night. The theme is 'Angels & Demons' and my budget is low, like under $20 reeeeal low. What should I go as? [more inside]
costume identification
whose costume is this ? [more inside]
Help me be a (sexy) Turing machine!
I want to be a Turing machine for Halloween. I'm going to be surrounded by language nerds. They'll get it. But I need my 'fancy dress' (aka, costume) to be fantastic and I have limited time, money and supplies. [more inside]
Where can I find some awesome gynecological instruments?
I want to be an evil gynecologist when I grow up. And also for my Halloween costume! [more inside]
Which superhero am I?
Which superhero am I? Costume photo here.
Help me fear the beard
Help me dress up as Brian Wilson, the Giants reliever, for Halloween, in the Portland, OR area. [more inside]
chicago - need keytar for costume
i need a real/fake keytar/shoulder synth for a halloween costume party on saturday night. the cheapest one i can find is at guitar center for $1200. that's about $1150 over my budget. anyone have any ideas? already checked craiglist for chicagoland, which is where i am located.
Where can I clean up this Halloween just for dressing up?
I like to dress up for Halloween and have no earthly reason other than I'm childish enough to enjoy it--no costume party to go to this year. Sad face. So...Help me pick up all the loot we can on Halloween! [more inside]
Stan's Dad's Shirt
Where can I find a shirt as close as possible to the shirt that Randy Marsh wears? [more inside]
How do I convince a toddler to wear a hat this Halloween?
How do I convince a toddler to wear a hat this Halloween? [more inside]
dog, i am not yet the man
How can I be "The Man" for Halloween? [more inside]
8-Ball Costume
Help me brainstorm some funny Magic 8-Ball responses. [more inside]
King Coal
I'm thinking of a specific costume for halloween and I would like some help with execution. [more inside]
Help me be the male half of a "generic 1920s silent film stars" costume.
I'm the male half of a couple's costume, and the idea is "1920's silent film stars". I'm the guy, and I have no idea how to look 1) like I'm from the 1920's, or 2) how to look stereotypically "silent film". Help. [more inside]
Baby + Ugly Suit = Costume Nirvana?
I have a Halloween costume question... Sorry! How do we make the most of a 9 month old baby wearing an ugly suit for Halloween? [more inside]
I did read the costume archives. Really.
Costumefilter: Costume ideas for this dress? [more inside]
Gaga in the room so star struck cherry cherry boom boom
Which Lady Gaga should I be for Halloween? [more inside]
Men becoming wolves. Wolves becoming... spiders.
My dog hates costumes. I really want him to wear one for the doggie parade tomorrow. [more inside]
Help me build a list of props for a Zork adventurer Halloween costume.
Attention ZORK fans! Help me build a list of props for a Zork adventurer Halloween costume. [more inside]
Who Am I?
What late 1940s female celebrity am I going to be for Halloween? [more inside]
Yet another Halloween costume thread: '80s Edition
Yet another Halloween costume thread: '80s Edition. [more inside]
She's The Bees Knees! 23 Skidoo!
Halloween Snowflake Filter: Friends are having a halloween party with the theme "Dine With The Dead". Everyone is going as a dead celebrity/historical figure. Who will I be? [more inside]
No me gusta
I got invited to a "racial stereotype" Hallowe'en party. Umm, what? I don't like this idea but am not sure how to proceed. [more inside]
Grey Man Group
Ideas for a Halloween costume incorporating a gray zentai suit. [more inside]
You're like a fixed gear bike, fun to ride and hard to stop
For Halloweeen I'm going to be Valentine's Day and pass out homemade Valentines to people. I need a lot of repurposed pick-up lines and dirty jokes and terrible puns for the cards. Think "I CHOO-CHOO-CHOOSE YOU!" for drunken adults. [more inside]
The secret word is: Google-fu-fail
I need resources for how to do b/w makeup. [more inside]
How do I make the center pod/helmet of a Tie Fighter costume
How can I make a Tie Fighter costume like this helmet-mounted variety? [more inside]
Where can one find a fake muscle suit like the one Michael Cera wore in Arrested Development?
Where can one find a fake muscle suit like the one Michael Cera wore in Arrested Development? [more inside]
Hard cap is at three bells
Help me put together a royal navy costume I can play ultimate in. [more inside]
Halloween help: Where can I find a non-sexy flight attendant costume, online or in the New York City area?
Halloween help: Where can I find a non-sexy flight attendant costume, online or in the New York City area?
Little Bo Peep Has Lost Her Bloomers and Doesn't Know Where to Find Them
Where in NYC can I go to try on a pair of white bloomers to go with a Little Bo Peep costume? [more inside]
Peach of a Pair
Any good duo Halloween costume ideas for a 9-month-old girl and her mama? And maybe something for her dad as well. [more inside]
Put out that light!
Help finding a cute 1940s-era military-style navy skirt suit for an ARP warden costume? [more inside]
A man, no plan, a mohawk, Halloween!
I have a mohawk. What's a good idea for a Halloween costume? [more inside]
Dressing down when dressing up.
It's that time of year again... Help me find a Halloween costume!! [to fit my needs, of course!] [more inside]
Help my girlfriend dress as a cigarette girl!
My girlfriend and possibly some of her friends would like to go as 40's cigarette girls for Halloween. Where can we possibly get off the shelf parts to create this outfit, yet not buy a pre-packaged, cheap-o costume? [more inside]
How Cruella can I be?
How do I spiff up my Halloween costume? [more inside]
Non-costumey costume
What's a good costume for a little boy who hates wearing costumes? [more inside]
Skull Costume
Halloween-filter: Am I too ambitious to go as a damien hirst skull? Leaving aside hirst-hate of course, I'm thinking of tying my hair back and sticking rhinestones all over my face. How can I pull this off? Esp around eyes and teeth...
Safety In Disguise
I need an idea for a costume I can make out of a gray zip front hoodie. [more inside]
Help me not be the short fat guy in a costume
Help this short, fat guy look attractive in a cost-friendly Halloween costume for an adult themed party. [more inside]
Cardboard + Halloween + Time = ?
Halloween Costume Ideas. What would you make for a costume if you had unlimited amounts of cardboard and time? [more inside]
Leotarded is not a word!
Help me create a superhero costume. I need advice on supplies & techniques. Where can I find appropriate clothing in Toronto (for a man & a woman) and how do I make a nifty mask? [more inside]
Two Great Costumes That Costume Great Together
It's my friend's lot to be born on a date that forces her birthday parties to really be Halloween parties. [more inside]
Hey There, Big Boy
Where can I get overalls for a Big Boy costume? [more inside]
Help me be the awesomest paper bag princess ever!
Hallowe'en-costume-filter: Where can I buy a very large, old-fashioned paper grocery bag? [more inside]
Looking for a guide to sewing men's clothing
I'm interested in learning to make clothing. I'm looking for a book that goes from basic sewing skills to basic garments. Difficulty: for men. [more inside]
Sometimes it's just a prop.
Turning a cigarillo into a costume prop. [more inside]
Dreams and Nightmares Costume Ideas
I need costume ideas for the theme "dreams and nightmares"! [more inside]


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It's the absolute, unquestioned video of the day on the web: President Barack Obama sits down with Zach Galifianakis on "Between Two Ferns." Of sports relevance, Galifianakis asks a pressing question of the President at the 2:20 mark.
If you saw Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in the NBA All-Star Weekend celebrity game, you'll know that Presidental pickup game is a tough one.


text:
Smartlipo / liposuction
190 of 1194
Was this photo helpful? {{ voteCount + ' other' + (voteCountOthers == 1 ? '' : 's') }} found this helpful
The patient has persistent fullness despite exercise & weight loss. The Smartlipo is terrific as the fat reduction is accomplished through the liposuction and the internal laser treatment increases the degree of tightening of the skin allowing for a better contour.
This photo was provided by the manufacturer and posted with the understanding that proper patient consent was secured.


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Hi! My name is Sereana
I am a Persian from Acton, MA
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Age: 15 years old
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Education: run really fast
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Where I hang out: her tower
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What I love about my owners: her is cool
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Fortune's Magic Farmby Suzanne Selfors
View All Available Formats & Editions
Everything changes when Isabelle discovers that she is the heir to Fortune's Farm, a wondrous place where the final remnants of magic grow. For as long as she can remember, ten-year-old Isabelle has dreamed of escaping her home in Runny Cove, a gray village where it never stops raining, and where she is forced to work at Mr. Supreme's Umbrella Factory.
Everything changes when Isabelle discovers that she is the heir to Fortune's Farm, a wondrous place where the final remnants of magic grow. For as long as she can remember, ten-year-old Isabelle has dreamed of escaping her home in Runny Cove, a gray village where it never stops raining, and where she is forced to work at Mr. Supreme's Umbrella Factory.
Journeying across the ocean, Isabelle finds a sunny new home filled with magical delights, including Curative Cherry trees that can heal all kinds of sickness, and Floating Fronds that make her fly. But Isabelle still feels the call to return to Runny Cove and use the secrets of the farm to stop the rain. With the magic of Fortune's Farm behind her, will Isabell be strong enough to bring back the sun and stop the despicable Mr. Supreme? From the author of Smells Like Dog comes a magical journey about loyalty, family, and the magic within.
Editorial Reviews
Newly confident readers will cozy up to the tale's quirky characters and enjoy the many twists and turns of this magical adventure."Kirkus"
The beautiful writing, quirky characters, and an imaginative plot that slowly unfolds make this a good choice, showing how one little girl can use her spirit to save the world."Booklist
Gr 4-6
Ten-year-old Isabelle, who was found on a doorstep when she was a baby and adopted by an elderly woman, lives in a dreadful boardinghouse in a town in which it never stops raining. She works long hours at Mr. Supreme's Umbrella Factory labeling boxes to support herself and her ailing grandmother. One day she is told that Grandma has passed away, and she decides to escape from Runny Cove. Upon running away, she meets Sage, a 12-year-old boy who tells her that she is not an orphan, but rather a tender, a member of the family who lives in hiding in the last place on Earth where magic grows. Sage takes her on a journey across the ocean to Fortune's Farm. Isabelle finds her new home to be a sunny place filled with fruit trees and magical seeds that immediately change her pale, prunelike appearance into a healthy body. Isabelle is faced with some tough obstacles and challenges to her loyalty but ultimately she wins her grandfather's approval and is able to bring about change in Runny Cove. The story gets off to a slow start, but upon arrival at Fortune's Farm, the descriptions of this magical land make it worthwhile. Readers will cheer for Isabelle throughout the story and despise Mr. Supreme and Mama Lu, the despicable owner of the boardinghouse.-Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH
Product Details
- 9780316018197
- Publisher:
- Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date:
- 02/06/2012
- Pages:
- 288
- Sales rank:
- 260,979
- Product dimensions:
- 5.25(w) x 7.75(h) x 0.75(d)
- Age Range:
- 8 - 12 Years
Read an Excerpt
Fortune's Magic Farm
By Selfors, Suzanne
Little, Brown Books for Young ReadersCopyright © 2009 Selfors, Suzanne
All right reserved.
Chapter One
Isabelle stood beneath a sky as gray as a pair of filthy socks. A horde of factory workers pushed past her, eager to get home to their suppers. Having eaten only half a cheese sandwich for lunch, Isabelle ached with hunger, but she needed to run an important errand before going back to the boardinghouse—a secret errand that couldn't wait.
"I can't come with you," said Gwen, who knew all about the secret errand because she was Isabelle's best friend. "I've got stupid dish duty tonight. See ya in the morning." She wiped her runny nose on her sleeve, then disappeared into the crowd.
"See ya," Isabelle called, zipping her yellow rain slicker all the way to her chin. Poor Gwen. Dish duty was never fun, though secret errands almost always were.
Clutching an empty water bottle, Isabelle hurried away from Runny Cove's Magnificently Supreme Umbrella Factory, where she had spent the entire day standing at a conveyor belt pressing labels onto boxes. Not the way most ten-year-olds would choose to spend the day, but Isabelle had no choice. Even though the work left her fingertips raw and made the soles of her feet ache, she never complained. Her boring job was the only reason she could buy half a cheese sandwich and a rain slicker. Without the umbrella factory, Isabelle would have nothing.
She followed the gravel road that led from the factory to the village of Runny Cove. Raindrops drummed against the sides of her plastic hood, a sound so commonplace that she barely even noticed. It rained every day in Runny Cove. It had for as long as Isabelle could remember. Sometimes the drops were as fat as thumbprints; sometimes they were almost invisible, forming a veil of mist. Sometimes they beat down so hard that they stung Isabelle's skin, while other times they dropped lazily from the sky like parachutists.
Because the clouds never parted in Runny Cove, the village was perpetually cast in a depressing shade of sludge—the same color as the gunky stuff that clogs up bathroom sinks. Never had Isabelle basked in the sun's warmth or strolled in the moon's light. Never had she known what it felt like to be completely dry. That was the cruel reality of Runny Cove and that is why no one ever moved there. Isabelle couldn't blame them. Who would want to live in a gloomy place by the sea where it never stops raining, and where everyone's skin is puckered and pale and covered in mold?
While most of the villagers chose to sit around and complain about the mud, acting all dreary about the rain as if it had seeped inside their skin and had drowned their spirits, Isabelle's spirit refused to be extinguished, no matter how waterlogged it got. Ever heard the saying that if you've got lemons, you should make lemonade? Well, when you've got mud you might as well make mud pies, or mud forts, or mud slides. And that's exactly what Isabelle and her friends did. A lowly substance, mud, but with the right outlook it can offer up endless possibilities.
While the rest of the workers headed into the village, Isabelle took a sharp turn off the road and started across the sand dunes. Dusk was falling, but like everyone else in Runny Cove, she was accustomed to dim light. Up and over the dunes she went, her mind fixated on her secret errand. She needed to get it done quickly so she could get back to Mama Lu's Boardinghouse for supper.
Up and over, over and up she hurried, slowing only to cough. People who spend their days in damp undershirts and wet socks tend to get colds, which is the reason why most everyone in Runny Cove had a runny nose and a rib-splitting cough.
Though the crisp evening air tickled Isabelle's congested lungs, she kept her pace until she reached the driftwood forest. The logs lay in chaotic piles, some with sharp jutting branches, others with rotten patches that could break a leg. Isabelle had never seen a tightrope walker but she resembled one as she held out her arms and tiptoed across, still clutching the empty bottle. She didn't feel a bit scared, since she had ventured to the beach many times by herself to explore or collect treasures. Excitement drove her onward. Her errand meant doing something different, something interesting, and she was one of those people who always managed to find bits of interesting in places where other people never looked.
As she crossed the driftwood, she sang one of her little songs at just the right tempo to match her careful steps. She sang loudly because there was no one around to yell, "Hey kid! Stop making all that racket. Yer giving me a headache!" Here's what she sang.
The Nowhere Song
Beyond the town, beyond the mill
beyond the river, beyond the hill
lies the land of Nowhere
and Nowhere lies there still,
for no one goes to Nowhere
and no one ever will.
It was a song she had made up about the mysterious place of her birth. At least that's what her Grandma Maxine had always told her whenever she had asked, "Where did I come from?"
"Is it far away?"
"I don't know. No one knows."
As much as Isabelle loved her grandmother, the lack of information drove her crazy. A person has the right to know where she comes from. It's a perfectly reasonable request, not like asking for a new rain slicker when the old one only has a couple of holes. Gwen knew about her parents. She knew that her mother had died giving birth to her and that her father had died from a fever. It didn't make being an orphan any easier but at least Gwen knew. Isabelle knew nothing.
"You've got to know something, Grandma. Think harder and you'll remember."
"It's no use asking me so many questions, Isabelle. All I know is that I found you one stormy morning. Nothing else. Just you, lying on the doorstep without a stitch of clothing, screaming so loud you drowned out the wind and rain. It seemed like you just appeared out of thin air."
"But I must have come from somewhere."
"As far as I can tell you came from nowhere, so please stop asking."
A girl who begins her life on a doorstep, without a note or clue of any kind, has a choice. She can believe that she was abandoned because no one wanted her, and she can feel like the most unimportant person in the world. Or she can believe, as Isabelle did, that because her origins were shrouded in mystery, that she must be an extra important person. A special person. A person like no other person.
For a secret birth is like a secret errand—sure to yield something interesting.
Isabelle reached the edge of the driftwood forest and, with a graceful jump, landed in the hard, wet sand that lay at the water's edge. The cove formed a crescent as gray as the sky above, littered with the hulls of long-abandoned fishing boats. Creosote-covered pilings poked out of the water, all that remained of the docks that used to line the beach. Grandma Maxine had told her that the boats used to go out each morning and return each evening, overflowing with fish. But no one fished the cove anymore, not since the fish had gone away.
Isabelle twisted the cap off the empty bottle and waded into the water. As she submerged the bottle, air bubbles rose to the surface, bobbing between raindrops. When the bottle had filled, she recapped it and shoved it into her pocket. Her stomach growled. Mama Lu would be serving supper soon.
Her errand completed, Isabelle was about to start home when a roar rose above the rain's drumming—a roar far too loud to be her stomach.
Something moved in the water where the cove met the sea. Isabelle pushed off her hood, trying to get a better view. The something was much bigger than she, and swimming toward her. She took a few steps backward as it moved closer. She'd never seen anything like it. Could it be dangerous?
She ran up the beach to the edge of the driftwood forest, where she watched, open-mouthed, as the large thing emerged from the shallow water. It was a creature of some sort, and it pulled its enormous, blubbery body onto the sand with a pair of front flippers. The strangest nose hung from the middle of its face, swaying back and forth as it heaved itself up the beach. She couldn't see its mouth but imagined a vast row of sharp teeth. If it didn't eat her alive, surely it would flatten her like a skipping stone. Terrified, she scrambled up some driftwood but lost her footing and fell back onto the sand.
With a burst of speed, the creature galloped up the beach and parked itself at Isabelle's feet. She froze, remembering that the fishermen who had fished the cove long ago had believed in sea monsters that sank ships and ate the crew.
Hot breath seared Isabelle's face. Large black eyes, surrounded by folds of skin, stared down at her. "Please don't eat me," she begged, squeezing her eyes shut. Being eaten alive wasn't something she wanted to watch. She waited for deep, horrible pain. But a few moments passed and nothing happened. Slowly, she opened her eyes.
Still staring, the monster cocked its head. Raindrops rolled down skin that looked like rubber. It sniffed her hair with its long nose.
"Please, please don't eat me," Isabelle whimpered, scooting back against the driftwood pile.
It raised its nose and opened its mouth. Isabelle squealed and pushed against the wood, hoping to find a spot where she could disappear. But she was trapped. She was going to die without having said goodbye to her grandmother or to Gwen. She was about to become supper! "Help!" she cried, though she knew no one would hear.
The sea monster took a great breath, then sneezed. The force of the sneeze knocked Isabelle sideways. Slime shot out the end of the dangly nose and landed in Isabelle's short hair. Disgusting! "Cover your nose when you sneeze," Grandma Maxine always said. But Isabelle wasn't about to correct a sea monster's manners.
"You can sneeze on me as much as you'd like. Just please don't eat me." She pulled on her hood as the creature took another breath and sneezed again. This time, something else flew out of its nose and landed with a thunk in Isabelle's lap.
The creature tapped its flipper impatiently and grunted, as if waiting for something. The rain beat harder. Isabelle peered out from under her hood. She didn't know what to do. What could it possibly be waiting for?
"Bless you?" she whispered.
It continued to stare.
"Bless you two times?"
The nose reached forward and pointed at Isabelle's lap. She grimaced, expecting to find a giant booger, but found, instead, a slime-covered red apple.
A real, honest-to-goodness apple.
No apples grew in Runny Cove or in the wetlands that lay outside the village. Apples occasionally showed up at the factory's grocery store, but only Mr. Supreme's assistants could afford to buy them. Isabelle had never tasted one. She had never even held one. She picked it up. It would cost an entire day's wages to buy one half the size. The sea monster grunted again. "Oh, I'm sorry. Here." She held it out. Should she stick the apple back up its nose?
To her amazement, the sea monster shook its head.
"Don't you want it back?"
It shook its head again. Then, with a roar that vibrated Isabelle's teeth, it turned and made its way back to the water. It hadn't eaten her. It hadn't flattened her. It had only sneezed on her. "THANK YOU!" she yelled, waving the apple.
It turned and nodded, its nose bouncing up and down. Then, it swam out of sight.
"Wow," Isabelle whispered.
Other than being left on a doorstep, that was the most special thing that had ever happened to Isabelle. Even though slime coated her hair and face, and even though she had been scared half to death, she smiled. Gwen would never believe it. Wouldn't Grandma Maxine be surprised? No one in Runny Cove had ever met a sea monster. No factory worker had ever been given an apple.
She checked to make certain that the water bottle was safe in one pocket and tucked the apple securely into another pocket. Then she climbed onto the driftwood pile and ran back toward the village, feeling extra, extra special.
Chapter Two
Water sloshed against Isabelle's boots as she ran down Boggy Lane. The cobblestone lane dipped into the lowest part of the village, so it was always flooded. As her hood bounced at the back of her neck, rain washed all the sea monster snot from her face and hair.
Old, battered boardinghouses lined Boggy Lane. Lights glowed from kitchen windows. Greasy odors wafted through cracks in the house boards, aggravating Isabelle's hunger pains. She wondered if the apple would be edible after traveling inside a nose. She plucked it from her pocket and held it beneath a gushing rainspout. Bigger and shinier than any apple in the factory store, she could have eaten it right there, but then she'd have no proof of her adventure. Besides, something that wonderful had to be shared.
Boggy Lane took a sharp turn, then ended at Mama Lu's Boardinghouse. A vacancy sign swayed in the window, pushed by the wind and rain. No one had moved to Runny Cove for as long as Isabelle could remember, but Mama Lu still insisted on advertising. Isabelle ran up the stone steps and threw herself against the front door, which swelled in particularly nasty weather and needed a good shove to open.
"Yer late!" Mama Lu hollered from the kitchen.
"Sorry," Isabelle called, closing the door. Of course, she didn't regret her trip to the beach, not one bit.
The entryway felt chilly, as usual. The sour smell of boiled cabbage hung in the air. A frying pan sat on the floor, collecting water that dripped from a seam in the wall. Isabelle slipped off her boots and placed them neatly at the end of the boot shelf. She removed her rain slicker and hung it on the rack next to the other slickers. She decided to leave the filled water bottle in her slicker's pocket and get it after supper. The apple, however, was another matter. Mama Lu liked to snoop through pockets and while she'd have no interest in a bottle filled with seawater, if she found the apple she'd claim it for herself.
"This house belongs to me," she often reminded her tenants. "So everything in it belongs to me, too."
Isabelle tucked the apple into the waistband of her canvas pants. Her flannel shirt, a hand-me-down from another tenant, was four sizes too large, so it did a good job concealing the lump.
"Did ya check fer slugs?" Mama Lu bellowed. The boardinghouse's proprietor despised slugs. In fact, she hated them so much that the mere act of seeing one drove her into a tizzy. Unfortunately, Runny Cove possessed more slugs than any other place on earth. The little gastropods bred in every damp nook and cranny the village had to offer. They gobbled up anything the villagers tried to grow, leaving trails of slime in their wake. If a slug wanted to move across town, it would attach itself to a boot or pant leg when a villager walked down the street, or drop from an eave to hitchhike on a hood or in someone's hair. Mama Lu had decreed that anyone who brought a slug into her house would lose blanket privileges for a month. "Did ya check?"
In all her excitement, Isabelle had forgotten to check. "Yes, I checked," she lied, quickly sliding her hands through her hair.
"I hate those slimy things," Mama Lu complained from the kitchen. "I hate their quivery antennas and their squishy bodies."
Isabelle entered the kitchen, where six tenants sat around a warped table, coughing and wheezing, sharing the same cold. Even though only two of the tenants were related by blood, everyone looked alike. In fact, most of Runny Cove's villagers shared a similar appearance. Their skin, having never been exposed to the sun, was translucent, and their eyes were light blue. And every hair on every head was gray, even ten-year-old Isabelle's hair. Some said that the dreary sky had fallen into their hair, but Isabelle's grandmother said that everyone's hair was gray because gray is the color of sadness.
In the boardinghouse, only Mama Lu looked different. She dyed her hair with an expensive paste that turned it as black as a beach rock. She had spending money, a luxury none of her tenants had. In exchange for most of their factory pay, the tenants got an uncomfortable twin bed, a cold breakfast, and a lukewarm supper.
Isabelle reached for a tray. "Sit down," Mama Lu ordered. "Ya can feed yer precious granny when yer done."
Isabelle squeezed in between Bert and Boris, the elderly toothless twins who lived in the basement. "Hello, Isabelle," Bert whispered.
"Hello, Isabelle," Boris whispered.
"Hello." She liked to sit between the twins because they didn't smell too bad, not like Mr. Limewig, who thought that with all the rain, he didn't need to shower. The other tenants nodded, then, between coughs, slurped their soup. Mama Lu plunked Isabelle's bowl and soupspoon onto the table.
"Yer a rude one, being so late," Mama Lu said. "I've got better things to do than wait around fer you."
"Sorry," Isabelle said, knowing Mama Lu had nothing better to do.
"Sorry," Mama Lu repeated in a whiny voice. "Sorry don't mean nothing to my swollen feet." She pointed to her feet, which were crammed into pink fuzzy slippers. Swollen or not, they sure looked enormous.
Isabelle dipped the wooden spoon into her bowl and sipped. The thin broth, a tasteless brew made from cabbage and carrots, was still a bit warm and it felt good going down. Isabelle would have voluntarily worked dish duty for just a dash of salt, but Mama Lu would let no one touch her salt. She considered salt to be a sacred weapon in her one-woman battle against the slugs of Runny Cove. She always carried a canister in her bathrobe pocket and would pull it out quick-draw style upon spotting a slug. It wasn't a pretty sight when a slug got salted because the salt sucked all the moisture from the slug's plump little body, leaving a puddle of goo. Isabelle hated it when Mama Lu salted slugs.
But that evening, Isabelle wasn't thinking about slugs. I found an apple, I found an apple, I found an apple, she sang in her head.
Mama Lu tossed a basket of rock-hard biscuits onto the table, then went to powder her nose. Isabelle pulled the basket close, took one of the biscuits, and quickly warmed it between her palms. No one understood why, but Isabelle's hands had always been warmer than everyone else's hands. She never needed mittens, a luxury that few could afford. In winter, when the rain turned to hail and the front doorknob froze, she simply gripped the knob until it thawed. When her grandmother's arthritic knee acted up, she wrapped her hands around the knee until the muscle relaxed. But biscuit-warming could only be done in Mama Lu's absence, so Isabelle hurriedly warmed another and another, passing them down the table.
Mama Lu returned, her nose all powdery, and climbed onto her observation chair—a tall chair with ladders on each side that sat at the head of the kitchen table. The mysterious words LIFEGUARD ON DUTY had been painted on the back a long time ago. The chair creaked as Mama Lu heaved her large thighs up each rung, pausing halfway to catch her breath. At the top, she adjusted her blue bathrobe, then sat down with a loud "hmphhh."
From her perch, Mama Lu kept an eye on her tenants in case one of them tried to steal something. Bert had told Isabelle that sitting higher than everyone else made Mama Lu feel important. Being the only person in Runny Cove found on a doorstep made Isabelle feel important.
"Which one of ya stupid dunderheads is going to bring me my cheese?" Mama Lu asked, her two chins jiggling. "Get a move on. I'm starvin' to death."
Isabelle hoped it wasn't her turn, because if she had to climb that ladder, the apple might slip out from under her waistband. But to her relief, Mrs. Wormbottom climbed the ladder and handed up a platter that held slices of yellow and white cheese, some with holes, some with crusty rinds, and some with specks of blue mold. As Mrs. Wormbottom returned to her bland soup, Mama Lu began feasting.
"Moos gmph sumpin interumbling to smph?" Mama Lu asked with a mouth full of cheese. Even though they couldn't understand the words, everyone at the table knew the question because every night Mama Lu asked, "Who's got something interesting to say?" It was a dreaded question. Having something interesting to say was as rare in Runny Cove as an apple. For most of the tenants, each day yielded the exact same events so the days blended together, forming one gigantic blob of uninteresting. Since Isabelle often managed to find bits of interesting, it usually fell upon her shoulders to answer the dreaded question.
But on this night she held her tongue. No way was she going to tell Mama Lu about the apple.
"Rain came down extra hard today," Mr. Wormbottom said. "Sprang a leak in my window."
Mama Lu scowled and pointed a floppy slice of white cheese at him. "Ya wouldn't be complaining about yer accommodations, would ya?"
Mrs. Wormbottom gulped. "No, he's not complaining. Not complaining one bit."
"I'm just making conversation," Mr. Wormbottom said. "Interesting conversation."
"Pathetic conversation, that's what yer making. I don't want to hear no more about the rain. In fact, anyone who talks about the rain ever again will lose spoon privileges," she snarled. "One of ya morons better come up with something interesting."
All eyes turned toward Isabelle.
She sank low on the bench, burying her nose in her soup bowl. No way.
"Don't anyone got anything to say? Yer the boringest tenants in the whole world. Bunch of dimwits, the whole lot of ya."
"Got a rock stuck in the heel of my boot on the way home," Mr. Limewig said, widening his eyes hopefully.
"Rock?" Mama Lu cried. "What's interesting about a rock?"
"Found a mushroom growing under my bed," Mrs. Limewig said.
Like slugs, mushrooms cropped up all over Runny Cove—along the road, in ditches, under kitchen sinks. But only Isabelle grew them between her toes and no one knew why. And while most everyone in Runny Cove had to deal with itchy mold patches, Isabelle grew more mold patches than anyone else. She had a tendency to grow lichen on her scalp, as well.
"Mushroom? There's nothing interesting about a mushroom." Mama Lu's face turned red. "What about you?" She pointed at Isabelle. "Ya always got something to say. Ya think yer so special just because ya got found on a doorstep and the rest of us didn't." She shoved two cubes of orange cheese into her mouth. "My yus ya mate?"
Isabelle tried to disappear behind Bert's damp sleeve.
Mama Lu swallowed. "I said, why was ya late? Was ya playing in the mud again? Making stupid muddy things? Was ya poking around like yer always doing, looking here, looking there? Huh? Where was ya?"
The tenants stopped slurping. Only drumming rain and congested breathing could be heard. Isabelle strained to find a good answer. Say the wrong thing and Mama Lu could withhold tea or toilet paper privileges, or put Isabelle on all-night slug patrol. "I went to the beach," Isabelle replied.
"What?" Mama Lu leaned forward. The chair creaked and swayed. "What did ya say?" Boris gently patted Isabelle's arm, encouraging her to continue.
"I said I went to the beach. The beach is very interesting. Did you know that there are bugs that hop in the sand?"
Mama Lu scowled. "Why would anyone go to the beach? Only a brainless half-wit would go to the beach. There's nothing at the beach." She raised her bushy eyebrows. "Did ya find something at the beach?"
Isabelle shook her head. "No. Not a thing. Nothing at all. Just bugs in the sand."
"Them bugs better stay in the sand. I don't want no bugs in this house." Mama Lu picked a bit of cheese rind from her teeth, then slammed her fist on the armrest. "Is it too much to ask fer a little conversation? I slave away all day fer the lot of ya and all I ask is fer a little bit of interesting conversation."
Isabelle couldn't imagine Mama Lu slaving away. In fact, she had never seen her do any work besides throwing cabbage into a pot and boiling it.
"I demand that ya tell me something interesting. Something I've never heard before. If ya don't, then there'll be no food fer yer precious granny tonight."
Once again, all eyes turned Isabelle's way. Her grandmother couldn't go without food because she was sick and weak. Isabelle would have to reveal her secret. She placed her hands over the lump in her shirt. "I… I…"
Just then, the front door burst open.
Chapter Three
Gertrude Bolt, owner of Gertrude's Boardinghouse, stumbled into the kitchen, waving her hands as if they were on fire. She hadn't bothered to put on a slicker, so her green bathrobe sparkled with droplets. "Mama Lu, Mama Lu," she shrieked. "Wait 'til you hear, wait 'til you hear."
Relieved, Isabelle released a big breath. Hopefully, Gertrude's interruption would save her from having to reveal her secret.
The observation chair creaked as Mama Lu leaned over its armrest. "Did ya check fer slugs? I ain't listening 'til ya check fer slugs."
Gertrude shook her bathrobe. "No slugs."
"Then what is it, Gertie?" Mama Lu wrung her hands excitedly. "It must be something good to get ya out at this late hour. Is it something good?"
"They're thieves. That's what they are. Thieves."
"Thieves?" Mama Lu smiled, her upper lip stretching across her crooked teeth. She and Gertrude had built a friendship around the fact that they loved to say bad things about other people. "Now that sounds interesting."
It does sound interesting, Isabelle thought.
"I'm coming right down." The tenants averted their eyes as Mama Lu began her descent. No one wanted to see her enormous striped bloomers. When she reached the floor, the chair sighed with relief. "So, Gertie? Who is these thieves?"
Gertrude frowned at the sickly tenants. "Do we have to talk in front of them? Let's sit in your parlor."
Mama Lu led Gertrude into the parlor, where a weak fire burned. The damp peat sputtered and sizzled. She and Gertrude sat on the only couch while the tenants tried their best to stifle their coughs so they could eavesdrop. Fortunately, both of the landladies spoke in obnoxiously loud voices.
Gertrude cleared her throat. "You know my young tenant, that rotten little girl named Gwen?"
Isabelle sat up straight, pursing her lips angrily. How dare she call Gwen, her best friend, rotten? A person could call Gwen sad, on account of her being an orphan, and could even call her gloomy, on account of her having to work in a factory. But rotten was totally unfair.
"Yes, I know the one. Always has that snotty nose. What has she done? Has she done something wicked?"
"She brought home an apple," Gertrude said. "A red apple."
Isabelle nearly knocked her soup bowl over. She wrapped her arms around her precious lump. How could this be?
"An apple?" Mama Lu asked. "How could she afford such a thing?"
"She said it fell from the sky."
"Say what?"
Gertrude raised her voice. "She said it fell from the sky. Said a black bird dropped it on her head. I think she's lying. That's what I think."
Mama Lu snorted. " 'Course she's lying. A bird can't carry no apple. She stole it. No doubt about it. Where's the apple now?"
"I took it," Gertrude said proudly. "Put it in my icebox. If it's stolen property, the authorities should be told." The authorities boiled down to one person—Mr. Earl Hench, the umbrella factory's security guard and Gertrude's boyfriend.
Boris leaned close to Isabelle. "Do you think Gwen stole the apple?" he asked quietly.
Isabelle shook her head. "No way." If a sea monster could carry an apple, then so could a bird. But how strange that after a lifetime without apples, she and Gwen had each gotten one on the same day.
The tenants tilted their heads as the parlor conversation continued.
"She's a thief. They're all thieves. Why do ya think I sit in that chair?" Mama Lu asked Gertrude. "So I can keep an eye on my tenants. Which reminds me…" She stomped back into the kitchen and quickly counted the soupspoons. "Don't think fer one minute that just because I'm in the parlor ya numb-headed fools can steal from me."
The tenants, whose heads were slightly numb from the cold, but who weren't thieves or fools, didn't defend themselves. It would only result in double dishwashing duty or loss of towel privileges. They put up with the abuse because they couldn't afford to go anywhere else.
"Mama Lu," Gertrude called from the couch. "There's more, I tell you. Much more."
"More?" Mama Lu waddled back to the parlor. "Do tell, Gertie."
"Do you know that boy who lives with his father on Dripping Alley? The ugly boy with the birthmark on his cheek? He came home with an apple too. I know because my boyfriend, Earl Hench, saw him carrying it and confiscated it on account of it was stolen."
Isabelle couldn't believe what she was hearing. Leonard was the only boy in Runny Cove with a birthmark on his cheek. He sat at lunch break with Gwen and Isabelle. Being the only ten-year-olds in the factory, they tended to stick together. "He said that he was walking home when he saw an orange cat sleeping in the alley. When he tried to catch the cat it ran off but guess what it had been sleeping on?"
The tenants looked at one another and silently mouthed, an apple.
"Well? Can you guess?" Gertrude asked.
"Course I can guess. I'm not stupid." Mama Lu cleared her throat. "But… but ya go ahead and tell me anyway."
"He told Earl Hench, my boyfriend, that the cat had been sleeping on the apple. I think it's another lie."
" 'Course it's a lie. There ain't no cats in Runny Cove, haven't been since I was a girl."
"She's right," Mr. Wormbottom whispered. "No cats since I was a boy."
Isabelle had never seen a cat, but she knew what they looked like because her grandmother had described them. Three apples to three friends on the same day. Nothing this exciting had happened in Runny Cove since Mr. Philbert had gotten lost in the fog. Talk about interesting.
"I think they're conspiring," Gertrude stated. "Starting up a ring of thieves, that's what I think. First it's apples, then it's our jewelry, then it's your cheese."
"My cheese?"
Isabelle wanted to shout out, You're wrong! But such a statement would result in some kind of terrible punishment. Who cared what Gertrude Bolt and Mama Lu thought, anyway? Isabelle knew that her friends weren't thieves. She could hardly wait to see them at the factory tomorrow so they could share their stories. How slowly the night would pass.
Gertrude had more to say. "But when my boyfriend, Earl Hench, tried to take a bite of the apple, it turned all black and powdery like fireplace ashes. But the one I took from Gwen is good, all shiny and red."
"You know, Gertie," Mama Lu said greedily, "why don't ya go and get it and we'll bake it here. Nothing better than a baked apple, all golden and juicy."
Isabelle clenched her fists. That wasn't fair. Gwen should get to eat the apple. The landladies had more food than they needed. She'd definitely save some of her apple for her friends and give it to them at the factory tomorrow.
"Finish yer dinners!" Mama Lu hollered, sticking her dyed head back into the kitchen. No tenant was allowed to linger at the table after dinner or mingle in the parlor, so they wandered off to their rooms.
Isabelle was eager to get upstairs. She took a tray from the counter, then ladled the last bit of soup into a bowl and placed it onto the tray. She grabbed the last roll and spoon and placed them onto the tray as well. The front door creaked open. "Hurry back with yer apple," Mama Lu called. The front door closed. Isabelle moved quickly, filling a jug with tap water. After making certain that the apple was secure under her waistband, she picked up the tray and headed toward the stairs, but found Mama Lu blocking her path.
"Stop right there, Miss I'm So Special. What do ya know about them apples?" Her breath was as sharp as her cheddar dinner.
A cough tickled Isabelle's chest but she held it back. One cough and the apple might drop. Holding the tray over her hidden treasure, she smiled sweetly. "I don't know anything."
"But they're yer friends, ain't they?" Mama Lu adjusted her bathrobe's belt. "I seen ya walking with that runny-nosed girl every morning. And I seen ya talking to that ugly-faced boy. What do ya know? Ya been stealing apples too?"
"No." The apple slipped a bit. Isabelle pushed out her tummy to trap it against the waistband. But, unlike Mama Lu, Isabelle's tummy was as flat as a factory conveyor belt. The apple slipped again. If it rolled down her pant leg she'd be in big trouble. She tried to step around her landlady.
"Not so fast. What was ya doing with a bottle of dirty water in yer slicker?" Mama Lu asked, holding up Isabelle's bottle.
Isabelle couldn't tell her the real reason she had collected the seawater, the reason she had been collecting it each week for the past few months. She'd get punished if Mama Lu knew what the water was for. So she lied. "It's salty. I keep it in my room to pour on slugs if they try to get in through the window."
"Oh." Mama Lu scowled, her eyebrows knotting into a single bushy clump.
The hidden apple slipped a bit more. "Please, Mama Lu. My grandma needs her supper."
Mama Lu plunked the bottle of water onto the tray. "Yer granny had better get out of that bed soon. This ain't no hospital, ya know. She's lazy, that's what she is."
Isabelle narrowed her eyes and glared at Mama Lu. "She's sick, not lazy. And I pay the rent, don't I?" She immediately regretted her bitter tone, but Mama Lu had made her so mad she wanted to dump the seawater all over the landlady's swollen head.
"Ya'd better keep paying if ya want to keep that room."
Gertrude rushed back into the house, cradling Gwen's apple as if it were a precious infant. Mama Lu pushed Isabelle aside. As the landladies greedily smacked their lips and headed into the kitchen, Isabelle started up the stairs that led to the second floor. But halfway up she couldn't hold back the cough any longer. With the expelled breath, the apple rolled down her pant leg and landed at her feet. Thud. She grimaced, expecting Mama Lu to holler, "It's mine!"
Fortunately, the landladies were arguing over cooking temperature so they didn't hear the thud. What luck! Isabelle scooped up the apple and made her escape.
Chapter Four
Isabelle loved the fourth-floor bedroom that she shared with Grandma Maxine. Certainly the room had a few problems. The old shake roof hadn't been patched since Papa Lu's death five years ago and the walls had been built without insulation. The climb up the three flights was steep, requiring strong legs. And the climb back down to the second-floor bathroom could be treacherous, especially if Isabelle or her grandmother needed to use the bathroom during the night.
But Isabelle and her grandmother had endured all of those hardships because the uppermost room in Mama Lu's Boardinghouse came with an extra special bonus feature—for as long as Isabelle could remember, Mama Lu hadn't been able to heave herself all the way to the fourth floor. On three occasions she had almost made it. "I'm having a heart attack," she had cried, sweat pouring from her as if she had sprung leaks. "Lord have mercy, my heart can't take it." It seemed the only climbing she could manage was the ladder to her observation chair. Much to Isabelle and Grandma Maxine's delight, the fourth floor remained Mama Lu–free.
Isabelle hid her apple beneath a ratty napkin before she stepped onto the second-floor landing. The Wormbottoms and the twins stood in line outside the bathroom.
"Hurry up, Limewig, and do your business," Mr. Wormbottom said, pounding on the door. "It's cold out here and you're keeping me from my bed."
"Can't rush these things," Mr. Limewig replied from behind the door.
"You want me to help you with that tray?" Bert asked.
"I can manage," Isabelle said. She wanted to share the apple with Grandma Maxine before anyone else saw it. It would be the first time she had ever been able to give her grandmother a special treat.
Boris pulled half a dinner roll from his pocket and placed it on Isabelle's tray. "Saved that for Maxine," he said with a shy smile.
"That's so sweet." Isabelle stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick kiss on his pale, wrinkled cheek. Small acts of kindness were all the tenants had. Kindness kept their hearts from turning stone cold like Mama Lu's and kept their spirits from washing down the storm drain. Isabelle vowed to save an apple slice for Boris and Bert.
Up the stairs Isabelle went. Grandma Maxine used to climb the stairs with her but over the last few months the old woman's cough had steadily worsened. First, the trek to the factory had become too difficult. Then the trek up and down the stairs. Then she hadn't been able to get out of bed. As the weeks had passed, Grandma Maxine ate less and slept longer. Isabelle had taken extra shifts at the factory to cover the lost wages and she had cared for her grandmother as best she could. She loved Grandma Maxine with her entire heart and she couldn't bear the thought that one day the old woman would die.
She just needs more time, Isabelle told herself. Old people need more time to heal. That's all.
Isabelle reached the fourth floor and hurried into the bedroom. Grandma Maxine lay beneath a thin, striped quilt, made from old socks. Her chest rose and fell in steady snoring. Isabelle quietly placed the tray on the bedside table. She held the apple up to the room's single bulb. The light reflected gloriously on the shiny skin. Did it come from far away? she wondered. Do apples grow in Nowhere?
"Hello, Isabelle," Grandma Maxine said, startling her.
Isabelle tucked the apple under the napkin. "Hello, Grandma. Are you feeling any better?"
"Not really. But at least it's nice and toasty in here." The bedroom didn't have a fireplace or a heater but over the last few weeks the temperature had begun to rise. "I think it's the moss carpet that's keeping it so warm."
The moss carpet was a recent addition to the room on the fourth floor. It had started with a simple clump of dark green moss that Isabelle had found on her factory locker. For some odd reason, hers was the only locker that grew moss. "Clean that locker!" Mr. Supreme's assistants always yelled. But the moss always came back. Isabelle loved the way it felt when she brushed it across her cheek, so she had carried a clump to the boardinghouse where she had placed it on her windowsill, beneath a steady drip of water. The next morning the moss had doubled in size, and after a week it had grown down the wall. In two weeks' time it had covered the entire floor. Amazingly, the moss absorbed all the nasty roof leaks yet it never felt wet.
Excerpted from Fortune's Magic Farm by Selfors, Suzanne Copyright © 2009 by Selfors, Suzanne. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Meet the Author
Suzanne Selfors is the author of the Imaginary Veterinary series, the Smells Like Dog series, Fortune's Magic Farm, To Catch a Mermaid, and many other books. Rumor has it that she lives with her husband on a magical island in Washington State where they are raising two children, a dog, a cat, a flock of chickens, three marmots, two Curative Cherry trees, and an elephant seal.
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the cover does NOTjustify this story. So much humor, for adults and children ,well worth reading togeather. The humor will transport you and your children to a place where you can laught/To be enterained by the things that can unite/children/and adults.We all love to laugh and to be transported is a gift to be enjoyed.!!Do yourself a favor and read this book for yourself and for your children. I don't know, maybe you become more imaginative or the children become more alert. Either way, you come together in the enjoyment of this tale. It rocks.
So good that i didnt want to put it down! :)
This is the best book i've ever read
Ten-year-old orphan Isabelle has never seen the sun. Like nearly everyone else who lives in Runny Cove, where the rainfall never stops, she has to work at Runny Cove's Magnificently Supreme Umbrella Factory, the only business in town. Ever since Grandma Maxine fell sick, Isabelle has had to work double shifts to pay their rent at Mama Lu's boarding house, where residents are given two meager meals a day in exchange for leaky rooms and strict rules. Through it all, Isabelle finds scraps of happiness in Grandma Maxine's tales of when Runny Cove saw sunlight and prosperous times, and in the knowledge that she, as the only orphan in Runny Cove to have been left on a doorstep, may indeed turn out to be special and different. While on the beach one day after work, Isabelle is approached by a monster that crawls out of the sea, and leaves her with an item that only the richest in Runny Cove could afford--a single, red apple. Such an extraordinary experience in the dull life of a factory worker could only mean that Isabelle is special after all, and she finds out that this is true ten times over when she's told that the apple marks her as the heir to a magical farm. Isabelle sets off to begin her new, exciting life, but soon finds her loyalties put to the test when she's given a chance to use her new fortune to save her friends and the home that she once knew. This little book absolutely impressed me with its well-written story and deceivingly simple text that stirs up a wealth of emotion in spite of oneself. Reminiscent of novels by storytelling master Roald Dahl, this book draws young readers through steely gray sadness only to come out in a wash of color and happiness at the story's conclusion.
Isabel is one of the most exciting characters in children's literature. She could hold her own with Matilda or Madeline. The plot will keep you guessing to the very end. Read this with a young person you love.
Good book.
This was a really good book but it wuz boring in the beginning. Magical and i think sage and isabelle would make great couple :)
This book is about a girl named Isabell and she THINKS she is an orphan.But she still has a...........well you have to read this book to find out!!!!!!!
Even though I long ago passed the recommended ages for this book, I was totally wrapped up in this book's special magic. Full of quirky characters and laugh-out-loud moments, this book has a special sweetness to it that I absolutely loved. I'll be getting it for every kid on my list this year.
I'm twelve years old and I loved this book because it's about a girl who wants to find out where she came from and why she's different from everybody else. I really liked the elephant seal and the cute marmot. I laughed a lot when I read it.
A great book to read because a 10 year old girl has a mean landlady a lives in Runny Cave and she meets a boy named Sage and passes a test then she is the most truest tender. A tender is a person who grows things from there body. She goes back to make it be sunny again and fights against Mm Ean Mr.Supreme who only cares about money how rude.
Isabelle is a not an ordinary girl. Everybody who reads it will love her.
I have no idea how to read.
pleaseeeeeeee write another book to this pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee


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The Kiss by Rodin Statue Bronze Finish, Parastone Collection, Assorted Sizes -
In 1880 the French sculptor Auguste Rodin received the commission for the Gates of Hell, a decorative door full of statues for the future Museum of Decorative Arts (Musee des Beaux Arts), to be decorated with low reliefs inspired by The Divine Comedy of Dante. Although the Gates of Hell was never completed, some of Rodin's most famous and memorable pieces were originally done for it including The Thinker, Adam, Eve, and The Kiss. He sculpted them in several sizes and exhibited them extensively. This sculpture is based on a love story reported by Dante in his Divine Comedy and sculptured by Rodin for The Gates of Hell. Francesca's father arranged for her to be married to Gianciotto in a political union to end a war between Malatesta and Rimini. Gianciotto's younger brother, Paolo, was sent to advise Francesca. Upon meeting, they fell in love. Tricked into marriage with Gianciotto, Francesca pursued Paolo until one day they were found in her room. Gianciotto thrust a rapier towards Paolo, but struck both Francesca in her bosom and Paolo. The lovers both and were buried together in a tomb.
Their love has frequently been illustrated by artists, as Rodin captures the tenderness of their eternal kiss.
Statue replica is from the highly collectible Parastone Mouseion 3D Collection.
Material : Collectible quality, resin with hand-painted bronze finish.
Assorted Sizes:
- Miniature: 3.75 in H x 2 in W x 2.1 in D, 7 oz, gift boxed, PN# PA02RO
- Small: 6 in H x 3.5 in W x 3.5 in L, 1.2 lbs, PN# RO12
- Large: 9 in H x 5.75 in W x 5.5 in D, 8.75 lbs, PN# RO11
Do you accept returns? What is the return policy?
Yes, we accept returns if you advise us in a timely manner, preferably within (15) days of receipt. As we understand life is busy, we will accept returns up to 30 days from receipt for refund. Returns after 30 days will be considered for store credit only. Returns after 60 days will be declined.
Shipping, handling and return shipping charges are not refundable unless we have made an error.
Items must be packed well to avoid damage during return shipping. We reserve the right to reject the return of merchandise which is not in salable condition due to use and/or inadequate packing. Exchanges are treated as new orders and new shipping charges do apply.
Other return specifications:
- Holiday Season -- For orders placed during the Holiday Season between November 15 and December 31, we extend our return policy until January 10 or 30 days from date of receipt.
- Special Orders -- Special Orders have item(s) ordered especially for you which wedo not typically sell or are made for you in a finish you selected. Special Orders are returnable with a restocking fee of 25%.
- Custom Orders -- Custom Orders have item(s) ordered with special modifications for you such as size, color, finishing, shape, detail or other custom specifications. The item has been custom tailored to your request and as such is not part of our regular product selection. Custom Orders are not returnable.
- Sale Items -- No returns on sale items, exchanges only.
US Shipping - How much is Standard shipping? Standard Shipping (transit time estimate 2 to 8 Days) is $6.99 per order for continental US. When standard shipping is selected, we will select the most economical method for your order. This could be First Class Mail, Priority Mail, Fedex Smart Post, or Fedex Ground. We will provide a tracking number for every shipment.
International Shipping - Yes, we ship to many locations outside of the USsuch as Canada, Western Europe, Australia, Japan and many others. Some countries are not covered by our insurance, so these ones are excluded. Very large items / oversized items cannot be shipped overseas because of size restriction. In the event that we are unable to ship the item to your country, we will contact you. For international shipments, we ship via "insured" Priority Mail International or Express International. We select the most economical method with the best service based on your order. We will provide a tracking number for every shipment. The shopping cart automatically calculates shipping for foreign destinations prior to submitting your payment information. Duties and taxes are the responsibility of the recipient.
- NOTE: We reserve the right to cancel your international order if we are unable to provide safe transport to your country via our standard shipping methods.
If you want a personalized email about the items you want to order, the shipping cost, and an estimated delivery date, please email us with the item part number(s) and your shipping address. We will reply personally.
When will my order be delivered?
Our objective is to ship your order within 1 business day. However, some items have longer lead times.
We have three (3) classifications of items on our website: in stock, direct ship and preorder.
- In Stock: In stock items leave the warehouse within 1 business day.
- Direct Ship: Other items such as larger statuary items and oversized or bulky replicas are "Direct Shipped" from ship direct from our distribution points and require 2 to 4 business days for processing.
- Preorder items are made to order by hand for you. Production time varies as follows: black laminate pedestals 2 weeks, table bases 3-4 weeks, statuary 4-8 weeks.
Then add (+) transit time to you:
- Continental US: 1 to 5 business days.
- International: 1 to 2 weeks.


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Section » Planning guides
Australia talk – Q Society, Melbourne
Although Australia is 10-15 years behind the islamisation of Britain and Europe, it is ahead in terms of its response to this dire problem. It's main, and certainly its most coherent, response is the
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Free professional help resisting mosque planning applications
Hi, I'm a British planning lawyer, and I help local groups resist planning applications for mosques. Please contact me if you need professional help opposing new mosque proposals. The earlier you let me know, the more effective we can be. I don't charge to do this within the UK – it
Why would you oppose planning permission for a mosque in your neighbourhood?
Why would you oppose planning permission for a mosque? 1. If you oppose Islam on principle A mosque has never been just a place of prayer and reflection. It is modelled


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RCCF Annual MeetingDecember 7, 2016
Congrats to 2016 ASPIRE Grant Recipients:Ali Brian, Ben Roth, Sofia Lizarraga, Jessica Klusek, Rose Booze & Suzanne Baxter.
Congrats to Marco Geracifor receiving an R03 from NICHD...
Ground-breaking researcher helps others start careers...Congrats to Angela Liese.
PCORI awards $247,168 to Mark Weistfrom their Engagement Award opportunity.
The RCCF congratulates Sarah Rothenbergfor receiving $386,741 from NIEHS.
The (DRDC) is pleased to announcethe availability of three new grant opportunities...
Congrats 2016 Breakthrough Award WinnersAngela Liese - Leadership in Research and Michael Beets - Breakthrough Star
Congratulations to Kenn Apelfor being awarded the Honors of the Association by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
PFRC projectis looking for parents of young children with behavior challenges...
Jeff Twiss received awardsfrom both NIH and the Adelson Foundation
Kate Flory, Bethany Bell, and Josh Mann receivea two-year grant for $499,923 from the CDC.
NIJ awards Mark Weist 4.1Mfor School Safety project...
SC Society of Health-System Pharmacistsnames Christina Cox co-winner of the 2015 George D. Schwerin Mentor Award
Russ Pate receives 2015 Lifetime Achievement Awardfrom President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition


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Tap water may be out for days after W.Va. spill
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Several hundred thousand people in West Virginia remained without clean tap water for a third day Saturday following a chemical spill, and a water company executive said it could be days before uncontaminated water is flowing again.
Water sample test results must consistently show that the chemical's presence in the public water system is at or below 1 parts per million, the level recommended by federal agencies, before residents can turn on their taps again, West Virginia American Water President Jeff McIntyre said Saturday at a news conference.
The company told residents in nine counties to not drink their tap water or use it to bathe or wash dishes or clothes after a foaming agent used in coal processing escaped from a Freedom Industries plant in Charleston and seeped into the Elk River. The only allowed use of the water was for flushing toilets. The order applies to about 300,000 people.
Thirty-two people sought treatment at area hospitals for symptoms like nausea and vomiting. Of those, four people were admitted to the Charleston Area Medical Center. Their conditions were not immediately known, Allison Adler of the Department of Health and Human Resources said Saturday.
Federal authorities, including the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, opened an investigation into Thursday's spill. The Chemical Safety Board said Saturday that its investigative team is scheduled to arrive in West Virginia on Monday.
"This incident continues to impact the people of West Virginia -- our goal is to find out what happened to allow a leak of such magnitude to occur and to ensure that the proper safeguards are in place to prevent a similar incident from occurring," Chemical Safety Board chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso said in a news release.
On Friday, the company's president issued an apology to West Virginia residents.


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IMPRINT Comfort Mat Nantucket 20 in. x 36 in. Anti Fatigue Comfort Mats (Espresso or Cinnamon)
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If you have concerns about travelling to the listed destinations please contact us at 888-558-6654.
If you need further assistance, please contact us at 888-558-6654.
Luxury: exceptional accommodations, superior service and a full range of amenities
Superior: deluxe accommodations, excellent service and a wide variety of amenities
Standard: pleasant accommodations, good service with many amenities available
Modest: comfortable accommodations with some services and amenities
Basic: simple accommodations with few services and amenities
Hotel rating to be determined
Hotel Riu Playa Blanca is located on the shore of the Cocle beach in Panama. Its exclusive service and complete facilities offer a variety of activities, sports and entertainment to all clients, making each stay a wonderful vacation with family and friends.
In the hotel you will find different buffet and thematic restaurants to taste delicious Panamanian gastronomy, a refreshing swimming-pool and one gym in order to maintain the rhythm during your vacation. Throughout the day you will be able to join different
activities with our team. You will be able to dance, to sing, do some aqua gym, volleyball… and the children will find Riuland. At night you will enjoy the shows, live music, and the discotheque; or perhaps just enjoying a cocktail under the moonlight. Come
to Coclé Beach and enjoy relaxing days in Hotel Riu Playa Blanca.
Check-in Policy:
Hotel requires a credit/debit card authorization or cash deposit upon check-in for incidentals; this will place a hold on your funds.
Convention Policy:
Individuals attending a convention cannot book this property for their stay. If found attending a convention, guests may be subject to higher room rates upon arrival.
Hotel Spring Break Policy:
Minimum Age Condition: At least one person 25 years or older is required in every room February through April. This excludes families traveling with young adults (of Spring Breaker age).The Hotel reserves the right of
admission and may request guests show passport or official ID to prove age. During the remainder of the year, at least one person 18 or older is required in every room. Guests can and will be removed from the property at their own expense in case of any disturbance
or complaint from other guests or hotel staff. Parties in rooms are not allowed. Spring-break groups or unruly behavior is not allowed all year round at any property.
Transfer Policy:
A price may display when children stay free, if your vacation includes transfer to your hotel.
General Information:
Room taxes are included in vacation price.
Minimum night stay restrictions may apply.
Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel.
Double Room Courtyard View
View - Courtyard
Bedding - 2 doubles or 1 king bed - based on availability, requests are not guaranteed.
Occupancy limits- 3 adults, 2 children, 4 total combined.
Maximum of 2 children thru age 1 stay free with at least 2 adults.
Additional amenities- Liquor dispenser
Double Room Oceanview
View - Ocean
Bedding - 2 doubles or 1 king bed -based on availability, requests are not guaranteed.
Occupancy limits - 3 adults, 2 children, 4 total combined.
Double Room Oceanfront
View - Ocean front
Triple Room
Bedding - 1 Double bed and 1 king bed
*Must have at least 3 guests staying in room*
2 Bedroom Family
Bedding - 2 double beds and 1 king bed
Occupancy limits- 5 adults, 2 children, 6 total combined.
Maximum of 2 children thru age 1 stay free with at least 4 adults.
*Must have at least 4 guests staying in room*
2 Bedroom Family Suite
Bedding - 2 singles and 1 king bed - Integrated lounge with sofa.
Occupancy limits - 4 adults, 2 children, 4 total combined.
*Must have at least 4 guests in room*
Suite Oceanview
Bedding - 1 King Bed - Integrated lounge with sofa
Occupancy limits - 2 adults, 2 total combined.
Comp ROH
-Lobby Bar
-Lounge Bar
-Sports Bar
-La Plaza bar
-Poolside bar
Full American breakfast buffet and on the spot cooking stations
Continental breakfast/snack
Hot and cold buffet and on the spot cooking stations
Pizzas, pasta, salads and assorted desserts
Buffet with starters and some dishes prepared on the spot Buffet main course. Vegetarian options available.
Dessert buffet
Special evenings: Theme buffets (3 times a week)
Optional dining (reservations required in advance):
Asian restaurant
Italian restaurant
Grill and steak house
Formal dress is required for dinner (main restaurant: T Shirts with sleeves for gentlemen; theme restaurants: long trousers and T Shirts with sleeves for gentlemen)
Select a promotion to view details
Up to $600 Resort Credit!
Credits are in the form of coupons for savings off various purchased services and vary by purchase. Coupons are valid for savings of $20 off the purchase of Renova Combination Massage, $5 - $60 savings towards select scuba packages, discounts on Weddings
by Riu, valid on the Royal and Caprice Wedding Packages only, 4 - $25 coupons per person at Vista Mar Golf, (one coupon per round of golf). $39 coupon towards a 3-day car rental at ACE Rent a Car, $25 coupon towards select purchases at Photoshow Panama, 2
- $10 coupons towards purchase of $75 or more at gift shop, (one coupon per purchase).
Important Information: Offer is valid per room, per stay. Savings require purchase of listed services, balance of the remaining amount will be paid by the client to the hotel. Specifics of the resort credit will be provided upon check in. Additional
restrictions apply and vary by service
Valid Booking Dates: Now - 12/23/2016
Applicable promotions will display with your room selection. Some restrictions may apply.
Up to $900 Resort Credit!
Honeymoon Inclusions!
Guests celebrating their honeymoon with us will receive the following amenities:
• Surprise welcome gift in their room.
• Small bottle of Rum.
• King bed (subject to availability at time of check-in)
• Late check-out (subject to availability at time of departure)
• Complimentary upgrade to next available room category (subject to availability and upon request)
To receive this offer, just enter "Honeymoon" in the Special Service Request section during check-out or call our Customer Care Center and we will be happy to make the notation for you.
Important Information: Proof of marriage must be provided at check-in.
Valid Booking Dates: Now - 12/23/2017
Kids Stay Free!
Guests are allowed to have up to 2 kids age 12 and younger stay free of charge when sharing a guestroom with 2 adults.
All Inclusive Amenities
• All meals, snacks, domestic and imported alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages in all hotel bars and restaurants.
• Snacks and drinks 24 hours a day.
• Regularly refilled minibar and liquor dispenser in the guest room.
• In-room safe.
• Free sports, activities and entertainment program.
• Free entry to discotheque (drinks included).
• Wi-Fi in public areas of the hotel.
All hotel guests are required to wear an "All Inclusive" wristband for identification purposes.
• All meals, snacks, domestic and imported alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in all hotel bars and restaurants.
• Snacks and drinks 24 hours a day.
• Regularly refilled minibar and liquor dispenser in the guest rooms.
• In-room safe.
• Free entry to the discotheque (drinks included).
Valid Booking Dates: Now - 4/30/2017
Finca 43.668
Playa Blanca, Provincia de Cocle
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To meet the language needs of the community, CALA offers services to a variety of audiences. Please use the links noted below to see what services are available for your group of interest.
CALA's language-learning courses are ideal for adults of all ages (at least 13 years) and backgrounds. CALA offers cutting-edge language instruction that provides students rapid gains in a variety of languages inside a FUN and engaging classroom. Whether you are a high-school or college student looking to get a head start or jump start with the language you're learning in school . . . or an adult looking to study a language for the first time . . . or someone looking to pick up a language learned years ago, CALA language courses are perfect for any student. The CALA Summer Language Institute offers classes May through August . . . come join us!
- Resources for Current Students
- Brian Roberts' Classroom Site (O'More College of Design)
- Shelley Thomas' Classroom Site (Middle Tennessee State University)
Workshops / In-Service Training
CALA offers in-service workshops on the teaching and learning of world languages [including English as a Second Language (ESL)] based on brain research--with special attention to delivering comprehensible input in the classroom. TPR (Total Physical Response) and TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) are the most popular comprehensible input tools on which CALA customarily gives workshops. For a full exposition and coaching on TPR/TPRS, CALA recommends a total of 12.0 hours (TPR - 6.0, TPRS - 6.0) of in-service training, which can be divided as desired by the participating organization. Subject matter can also be tailored to meet the needs of schools and/or their counties or districts. Please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com to discuss a workshop that is just right for you!
In-Service Training Fee: $250/hour ($750 minimum) plus $100/day for travel/incidentals if outside Rutherford County, Tennessee.
Methodology Courses
CALA supports teachers in their mission to bring more effective language instruction into their classrooms. Available to teachers during its Summer Language Institute is a methodology course aimed at training teachers how to use the TPR/TPRS methods used by CALA in their own classrooms. Details for this course as well as CALA language-learning materials (i.e., workbooks) can be found on CALA's Marketplace/Registration Page.
- Resources for Teachers - Teacher Training and Language Learning Materials
Teacher Certification
CALA recognizes teachers' need for training and support to successfully implement comprehensible input strategies in their classrooms. We welcome you to read more about how to become a certified practitioner of TPR/TPRS and other brain-based comprehensible input methods through CALA's Teacher Certification Program.
Community/Business Groups
With the rapidly growing Latino population in Tennessee, it behooves our community and business groups to have an understanding of Spanish for basic communication and business transactions. CALA has partnered with government and industry groups to provide an accelerated, entertaining, highly effective language-learning experience ideal for busy professionals. Please contact us at email@example.com and we would be happy to meet with you to discuss how we can meet your language needs!
ESL (English As a Second Language)
CALA provides ESL instruction on a limited basis to individuals and groups. Please contact us at email@example.com for availability and additional detail.


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In our previous note, we discussed some problems that can arise when using standard principal components analysis (specifically, principal components regression) to model the relationship between independent (x) and dependent (y) variables. In this note, we present some dimensionality reduction techniques that alleviate some of those problems, in particular what we call Y-Aware Principal Components Analysis, or Y-Aware PCA. We will use our variable treatment package
vtreat in the examples we show in this note, but you can easily implement the approach independently of
Continue reading Principal Components Regression, Pt. 2: Y-Aware Methods


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At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. See the best views in the Smokies at the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi. Only Mt. Mitchell (6,684 feet) and Mt. Craig (6,647), both located in Mt. Mitchell State Park near Asheville, rise higher. It's about 25 miles from Cherokee, North Carolina, and 75 miles from Asheville. The road to the top is open April-November. (For 2016, reopens on March 26.)
A seven-mile road from Newfound Gap on U.S. 441 leads to a large parking area with very nice views, along with restrooms and a souvenir shop. For more spectacular 360° views of the Smokies and beyond, hike the steep half-mile paved walkway to the "flying saucer" tower at the top. On clear days, views expand more than 100 miles. Unfortunately, clouds, precipitation, and cold temperatures are common at Clingmans Dome. In fact, the cool, wet conditions on the summit make the spruce-fir forest there a coniferous rainforest.
Temperatures at the summit can be 10 -20 degrees cooler than in the surrounding lowlands. Dress in layers and be sure to bring a jacket, even in summer. We took some of these photos on a chilly July morning with temperatures in the mid 30s!
The road to the summit is closed December-March due to harsh winter weather and 80 inches of average snowfall, as well as other times for bad weather. There is no admission charge.
Besides the trail to the summit, there are several trails that start on Clingmans Dome Road and parking area. The Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses Clingmans Dome, marking the highest point along its journey from Georgia to Maine. The Forney Ridge Trail leads to Andrews Bald, a high-elevation grassy bald (read more about this hike).
Directions: From Cherokee, travel US 441 North (Newfound Gap Road) through the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Just before Newfound Gap, turn left on the 7-mile Clingmans Dome Road to the large parking area at the end.
Watch Video: Views from the top of Clingmans Dome from 2009


text: |For over 22 years, Wiley X Eyewear has been a leading provider of high-performance protective eyewear for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. From racers to law enforcement, Wiley X has become the eyewear of choice, based largely on the company's aggressive styling, superior visual performance and battlefield proven High-Velocity Protection™ (HVP) technology. Products include safety eyewear and sunglasses. Shop Wiley X safety glasses at CHIEF for low prices.


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When Steven Cooper's mother died, he gave a $1,000 donation in her memory to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Not a sad story, he said recently. She was 93, she loved animals, and she was tired of living.
Cooper's relatively small, impulsive donation led him to make a much larger, very carefully planned gift that benefited him as well as the ASPCA.
Both Cooper and the charity took advantage of a newly popular financial deal - a charitable remainder trust. Using this trust, he was able to give a donation in the mid-six figures, while providing himself with a new source of income.
Charity fund-raisers are increasingly hip to a dozen or so sophisticated financial tools; the charitable remainder trust is the most commonly used. Charity fund-raisers used to be, by and large, content to put a hand out for a check or cash. Now when they approach a potential donor, they sound like financial managers.
Planned giving through a trust is especially hot now because the booming economy means large numbers of people, including some with relatively low incomes, find themselves with stocks or real estate that has grown in value in ways they didn't expect.
Donors can transfer their stock bonanzas or real estate windfalls to an irrevocable trust that holds the assets for a charity. The donor not only gets a tax deduction for his gift but, because the assets are destined for charity, pays no capital gains tax on their increase in value. And the donor gets the interest as extra income; Cooper will receive checks for 6 percent of the fair market value of the trust's assets every year for the rest of his life.
The ASPCA gets what's left when he dies - that's the remainder part of the charitable remainder trust. Or, as Cooper, 52, put it, "In the event that I die, which I have no intention of doing, the ASPCA gets the balance."
Cooper, a retired law school professor who lives in Dallas, did some Internet research on his own and then consulted with ASPCA planned giving director Mari Ellen Reynolds. Together they worked out the deal where Cooper gave a lot more to charity than he ever imagined he could.
Cooper got an immediate tax deduction for his gift of his mother's home to the charitable trust.
The president of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives, Paulette V. Maehara, called the ASPCA's approach to Cooper "a perfect example of continued cultivation."
"This man made a modest gift," Maehara said. "Then someone was astute enough to recognize the potential for a larger gift in this situation. Memorial gifts are ripe for planned giving."
Up until 10 years ago, for many charities "planned giving" meant simply getting supporters to plan to leave the charity a bequest. Colleges and universities, though, with their large development staffs and captive alumni audience, were ahead of the pack.
For decades, universities have been offering variations on the simple bequest; there probably isn't a college graduate in the country who hasn't gotten a letter suggesting three or four new ways of giving. Charitable remainder trusts in their current form aren't brand new (they were created by Congress in 1969), but many nonprofit groups are playing catch-up in the planned giving field.
Charities wouldn't mind having a check in hand this minute, or an uncomplicated bequest, but the charitable remainder trust usually provides more money in the long run along with a certain added stability.
"If people are wondering whether we'll be here in 50 years, I can say, 'Yes, we will, because of people like Steven Cooper,' " Reynolds said.
Still, fund-raising leaders like the NSFRE's Maehara are afraid someone could poison the well. Fund-raisers, she stressed, have to take great pains not to seem to be exercising undue influence. The NSFRE ethics code emphasizes that the donor's interest must come first.
But the most notable recent shady deals occurred on the donor end. This past fall, the Internal Revenue Service shut down a form of charitable remainder trust nicknamed the "chutzpah trust." By this deal, marketed by for-profit financial planners rather than by the charities, donors could get back most of their trust largely tax-free by manipulating the timing of the pay-out. The charities ended up with little or nothing.
Increasingly the biggest financial companies are folding charitable giving advice into their financial packages for customers, according to Nelson Aldrich, who writes about philanthropy for Worth magazine.
The financial service-charity complex is "a huge and growing business," Aldrich said. "The mosquitoes come out in the spring when there's a lot of water lying around. There's an awful lot of liquid money lying around these days."
"The charitable institutions, the great cultural and scientific and medical institutions of this country, are bound and determined to get their lifeblood while they can," he said.
The competition among fund-raisers is growing, but they have to be careful not to push a hard sell. Cooper and Reynolds joke good-naturedly about the death part of the trust, but the sensitivity of the topic is inescapable. The essential message fund-raisers have to deliver is really pretty stark - "You're going to die. Give me your money."
The masters of the new forms know how to soften the blow. James Gillespie, a former minister with an extraordinarily soothing voice, teaches planned giving at the Indiana Center on Philanthropy, is on the board of the National Committee for Planned Giving, and runs a company that manages fund raising for clients including the Indianapolis Symphony and the Baptist Bible College of Indiana.
"They sure freak out when you say 'when you die,' " Gillespie said. "I use that euphemism 'When you're gone.' "
"You have to ease them into it," he continued. "When I talk to donors, I want to talk to them first about their love for these four or five charities."
His first obligation is to the charities he represents, though, and this is a moment full of tremendous opportunities.
"Take a look at the stock market and real estate values. We're just surrounded by appreciated assets," Gillespie said.
Back at the ASPCA, Reynolds sets the stage and then brings in the specialists. "First it's me and the donor, just chatting," she said. "If it's an annuity or a charitable trust or a lead trust, then we get the lawyers involved."
The ASPCA gives her a unique edge. Among the financial plans outlined in its brochures is a Pet Trust that "allows you to leave your companion animal in trust to the ASPCA. By bequeathing a gift to the ASPCA, the society will use its experienced resources to find your pet a loving home after your death."
Cooper wasn't primarily moved by sentiment; his take on his charitable remainder trust donation is practical and very much of this world.
"Like everyone, I can't imagine the possibility of my own death," Cooper said. "Basically this is a nice tax savings and the other part is almost irrelevant."
Irrelevant? Reynolds laughed, "He's a baby boomer; baby boomers think they will never die."
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Ida "Miss Ida" Guidry Borne
A Mass of Christian Burial was held Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, at 1:30 p.m. at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Crowley for Ida "Miss Ida" Guidry Borne, 69, who died Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011, at 7:15 p.m. in Crowley after a lengthy illness.
"Miss" Ida was a native and lifelong resident of Crowley. She enjoyed dancing and playing cards with her friends along with the casino trips with her daughters.
She retired as manager of Hilton's Finance and had worked many years for Credeur Credit Corp.
Fr. Gary Schexnayder, pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, officiated for the services.
The family requested visiting hours Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
A rosary was recited Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
Burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery.
She is survived by two daughters, Dena B. Richard of Crowley, Melissa B. Dugas and her husband, Steven, of Scott; five grandchildren, Kelsey, Katelyn and Kameryn Richard, Jaimee and Jessica Dugas; her mother, Eunice T. Guidry of Crowley; three sisters, Janet Cuccio of Crowley, Mona Guidry of Crowley, Faye Sloane of Florida; one brother, Bobby Guidry of Crowley; and a host of nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers were Steven Dugas, Bobby Guidry, Ramsey Guidry, Chris Myers, Chris Cuccio and Larry Primeaux.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James "Jimmy" Borne; her father, August Guidry; and her niece, Heather Nicole Guidry.
The family requested memorial donations in her memory to Southern Care Hospice, Inc., 109 Abigayle's Row, Scott, LA 70583.
The family wishes to thank the nurses and staff of Southern Care Hospice for their care and support in their time of need.
Words of comfort may be sent to www.geesey-ferguson.com.
Arrangements were entrusted to Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home, Inc. of Crowley.