Unlike most other equine breeds, the Thoroughbred industry requires live cover.
Making sure breeding is safe and efficient requires diligence on the part of all
handlers involved. Stallions obviously play an integral role and it takes time and
experience to properly prepare a stallion for his duty.
Close to nature
Adcock is the first to admit he keeps his stallions in a different manner from
many Thoroughbred farms, but the system works exceptionally well for Red River.
Unlike the majority of Thoroughbred breeding operations where stallions are housed
together in one complex, Red River’s stallions each have their own paddock and
stall, with the ability to stay outside as much as they like.
Paddocks range in size from one to 11⁄2 acres and each has plenty of good grazing.
Within each paddock is a wooden stall, (ranging in size from 12x12 feet to 12x16
feet), which has an automatic waterer, hay manger, and feed bin. Stalls have
rubber mats to provide safe footing, but bedding is unnecessary as the horses
rarely stay inside longer than it takes to eat and drink. The back door to their
stalls is always open to the paddock.
“My stallions have the ability to stay outside 24 hours a day,” said Adcock,
whose farm will stand ten stallions for the 2010 season. “Giving them the option
lets you know what the horses really want, and they want to be outside.”
The stallion paddocks are not isolated from the rest of the farm’s equine
population. For safety, there are alleyways between all paddock fencing so horses
cannot reach each other over the fence, but mares are pastured as close as ten to
30 feet away.
“All the stallions can see mares from their paddocks,” Adcock said. “They are
exposed to lots of activity; these horses see mares coming and going all the time.
Obviously, they pay attention and they’re active, but they’re not running up and
down the fence or trying to climb it. You’d be surprised how much activity
stallions will have out there on their own, especially when there are horses all
around.”
Due to round-the-clock turnout, stallions get plenty of exercise. They are not
blanketed during the cold months, but thanks to Louisiana’s relatively mild
winters, they do not get especially “woolly.”
Stallions are fed Purina crimped oats and Omolene 300, a 16% protein sweet feed.
Adcock avoids ¬supplements unless absolutely necessary and said no stallions
received any supplements last season. During breeding season, they will be fed
straight alfalfa, but through the rest of the year they will receive alfalfa/grass
mix hay so they do not put on excess weight when the grass comes in.
Adcock has routinely handled nearly three dozen stallions since he graduated
college in 1981 and got into the horse business. Keeping stallions this way has
worked exceptionally well—for both the horses and handlers.
“They don’t have libido problems or mental issues and they don’t have pent-up
energy,” he said. “When I go catch them to show or breed, they are well behaved.
”
Breeding season
Red River Farms stays busy during breeding season, and the farm consistently
breeds 350 to 400 mares per year.
Adcock, who handles each stallion himself, has developed a safe, efficient method
for breeding. Mares are prepped and led directly into the stallion’s paddock for
breeding.
“We bring the mare to the stallion so he’s in his own environment,” Adcock
said. “Their whole world revolves around the confines of their own paddock and
stall. The stallion knows what the story is when you bring in a mare, and the time
in the pen is very short. It’s a quick turnaround; it actually takes longer to
get the mare ready than it does to breed her.”
Holding stalls located convenient to the stallion area are used for mares that
ship in for breeding, while resident farm mares are simply walked over to the
stallion’s paddock. Each mare has her tail wrapped and is washed in preparation
for breeding.
Although the farm regularly uses a teaser to check for mares in heat, when it is
time to breed, Adcock uses the stallion to tease the mare. This lets the stallion
get ready and be washed before he goes to mount the mare. A twitch on the mare’s
nose and an ankle hobble ensure that she will stand. Two handlers hold the mare, a
third holds the tail, and Adcock handles the stallion.
He admits that the only downfall to not using an actual shed is that all breedings
take place outside, no matter the weather.
“If it’s raining and isn’t going to quit anytime soon, we all get wet,” Adcock
said with a laugh. “But I’ve never seen a stallion turn his nose up at breeding
in the rain and it doesn’t stop mares from getting pregnant.”
Another benefit of this breeding arrangement is that foals are not banned from
accompanying the mare, as happens with many breeding sheds.
“We don’t lock the foal up somewhere,” Adcock said. “Nothing good can happen
if you leave a foal screaming in the van and upsetting the mare. If a mare has a
foal at side, the foal comes right along to the paddock. Our stallions are exposed
to foals and I’ve never had a problem.”
Manners important
Perhaps the main reason things runs so smoothly is that Adcock spends time with
every new stallion, teaching him what is expected.
“I’m very comfortable saying my horses are very well behaved,” he said. “We
put a chain over their noses, but you could breed all these stallions with a lead
rope. You won’t see any of them running up on their hind legs to attack the mare.
I don’t have any stallions that try to savage a mare or any stallions I have to
muzzle. I honestly think letting them be outside, exposing them to mares, and
teaching them manners in the beginning plays a big part in it.”
Whenever a stallion joins the Red River roster—whether fresh off the racetrack,
never been used for breeding, or moving from another stallion operation—his
introduction to mares will be as a teaser for about the first 45 days.
All mares, both barren and those with foals at side, come into the barns twice
daily to be fed. During this time, Adcock will walk the new stallion from stall to
stall to visit and tease them. No mares are kept under lights, so teasing of
barren mares begins in late January, and most are ready to breed by the end of
March.
“Most of these stallions I’ve started out myself,” said Adcock, whose farm has
stood as many as 15 stallions at one time. “My stallions have manners and it’s
not drastic to teach them. You just have to teach them correctly from the start
and you usually don’t have a problem. I just have a chain over the nose, nothing
severe.
“You can’t afford to have an ill-behaved stallion. I want him to keep his feet
on the ground and not rear up. I don’t tolerate pawing, rearing, or biting. It’s
like playing a ballgame: You have to practice before you play. You have to teach a
stallion what’s correct and what’s not; you iron out all the problems before you
start.”
Adcock will tease with a stallion for 30 to 45 days, even after breeding season
has started if that particular horse needs it. Once a stallion knows the routine,
nothing changes with his routine when breeding season rolls around. The farm does
have two designated teasers, so when Adcock is confident about the behavior of his
breeding stallions, the teasers take over the task of checking mares for heat.
He emphasized that no stallion is “too good” to be used as a teaser to learn
manners in the beginning.
“I’m the one holding the stallion for breeding, so I want him to stand and
behave until it’s time to do his job,” Adcock said. “Leestown was, by far, the
best horse I’ve ever touched and I teased him to start out. He was so well-
behaved, you could have held him with a hay twine [for breeding]. Private Vow is
the same way, and I teased him up to the first week in March. He will walk up and
stand five feet away from the mare while we put the twitch on and hobble her. Once
I take a step forward, he knows he can mount her.”
2011年4月20日 星期三
2011年4月19日 星期二
Deal with troublesome behavior
Veterinarian explains how to be firm with the aggressive stallion and encourage the timid one
SUCCESS in any breeding operation depends on quality stallion management, including proper handling and a good rapport between the stallion and his handler. These are essential because some stallions are more challenging than others.
According to Marlin C. Baker, D.V.M., who operates Alpha Equine Breeding Center in Granbury, Texas, stallions whose behavior presents a challenge can be divided into three categories: aggressive, timid, and those with erectile dysfunction. The key is to figure out the situation in which the stallion will perform the best and then handle him the same way each time. Because each stallion is an individual, it is important to match the horse with the handler who works best with him and then have that same person handle the stallion each time, because consistency is important to achieve the best results.
Aggressive stallion
When handling an aggressive stallion, Baker uses a cotton lead shank with a 30-inch chain. The chain is put over the horse's nose or through his mouth, depending on how aggressive he is.
"We try to never be mean to the horse, but some we have to get quite firm with," Baker said. "The worst thing about an aggressive horse is he'll either try to bite and savage the mare or try to strike."
To solve a biting problem, Baker puts a muzzle on some stallions or he might put a heavy pad around a mare's neck and withers to protect her. To safeguard the mare from being kicked, Baker said he always tries to back the stallion away from the mare after the stallion dismounts rather than turn him around with his hindquarters toward her.
Baker said it is important for the stallion manager to know the personality of each stallion to determine what will work best. For some aggressive stallions, the handler will exercise them to take the edge off before bringing them into the breeding shed.
"Others we bring directly out of the stall, wanting them to be as fresh as possible," Baker said. After breeding the mare, the stallions are turned out in a paddock or hand grazed as a reward.
Some stallions need to be schooled in breeding etiquette, so when one is overly aggressive, Baker has the handler remove him from the breeding shed and then return. This might take several attempts until the horse learns acceptable behavior.
"Some are so aggressive they can't enter the vagina of a mare properly or easily," Baker said. "With some, we use a little xylazine [tranquilizer] to take the edge off their aggression, and this helps them ejaculate a little bit better. It only takes about three-quarters of a [cubic centimeter] to be effective for this purpose."
When the stallion is washed, "we always approach him from the shoulder and then work backward," Baker said. "I am a real stickler about having the same crew working together each time."
As a general rule, once the stallion has teased the mare--starting at the mare's head and shoulder and working back toward her flank--Baker's crew tries to get him to mount from directly behind the mare to avoid problems.
"This is not always easy, especially with a young stallion you are training," Baker said. "Some of them want to get up on the side of her hip. With those we try to turn the mare under them or push them into proper position. Probably the most difficult ones, however, are the stallions that are very timid."
SUCCESS in any breeding operation depends on quality stallion management, including proper handling and a good rapport between the stallion and his handler. These are essential because some stallions are more challenging than others.
According to Marlin C. Baker, D.V.M., who operates Alpha Equine Breeding Center in Granbury, Texas, stallions whose behavior presents a challenge can be divided into three categories: aggressive, timid, and those with erectile dysfunction. The key is to figure out the situation in which the stallion will perform the best and then handle him the same way each time. Because each stallion is an individual, it is important to match the horse with the handler who works best with him and then have that same person handle the stallion each time, because consistency is important to achieve the best results.
Aggressive stallion
When handling an aggressive stallion, Baker uses a cotton lead shank with a 30-inch chain. The chain is put over the horse's nose or through his mouth, depending on how aggressive he is.
"We try to never be mean to the horse, but some we have to get quite firm with," Baker said. "The worst thing about an aggressive horse is he'll either try to bite and savage the mare or try to strike."
To solve a biting problem, Baker puts a muzzle on some stallions or he might put a heavy pad around a mare's neck and withers to protect her. To safeguard the mare from being kicked, Baker said he always tries to back the stallion away from the mare after the stallion dismounts rather than turn him around with his hindquarters toward her.
Baker said it is important for the stallion manager to know the personality of each stallion to determine what will work best. For some aggressive stallions, the handler will exercise them to take the edge off before bringing them into the breeding shed.
"Others we bring directly out of the stall, wanting them to be as fresh as possible," Baker said. After breeding the mare, the stallions are turned out in a paddock or hand grazed as a reward.
Some stallions need to be schooled in breeding etiquette, so when one is overly aggressive, Baker has the handler remove him from the breeding shed and then return. This might take several attempts until the horse learns acceptable behavior.
"Some are so aggressive they can't enter the vagina of a mare properly or easily," Baker said. "With some, we use a little xylazine [tranquilizer] to take the edge off their aggression, and this helps them ejaculate a little bit better. It only takes about three-quarters of a [cubic centimeter] to be effective for this purpose."
When the stallion is washed, "we always approach him from the shoulder and then work backward," Baker said. "I am a real stickler about having the same crew working together each time."
As a general rule, once the stallion has teased the mare--starting at the mare's head and shoulder and working back toward her flank--Baker's crew tries to get him to mount from directly behind the mare to avoid problems.
"This is not always easy, especially with a young stallion you are training," Baker said. "Some of them want to get up on the side of her hip. With those we try to turn the mare under them or push them into proper position. Probably the most difficult ones, however, are the stallions that are very timid."
2011年4月18日 星期一
Along Gulf, spill still defines state of mind
In the small brick church just across the road from the chocolate waters of Bayou Lafourche, the Rev. Joseph Anthony Pereira unbuttons his collar as the last parishioners pull out of the lot. Tonight, nearly a year after the BP oil spill began, he's asked his congregation of shrimpers and oil industry workers to think about lessons learned when survival is in jeopardy.
But Pereira doubts that many from the 5pm Mass are ready to take his Lenten message to heart.
"You speak about this to them because they forget what they went through," says Pereira, who pastors at St. Joseph's Church in Galliano, La., a community that ties its fortunes to the Gulf of Mexico. "Because BP has spoiled them, given them all this money, they've gone back to the old ways. They give them big bucks and they forget."
A year after BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, killing 11 and triggering a four-month battle to contain and cap the gusher, the people who make their lives along the Gulf's coastline face countless variations of the trade-off that troubles Pereira.
They are anxious to banish the spill to memory. But that is very different from being ready to forgive. They are proud to call themselves independent, yet unsettled to be relying on a company and government many distrust. They want nothing more than for their home places to go back to the way they used to be, and in some of the most visible ways, they have. As proof, they point to sand scoured to a dazzling white by cleanup crews.
But uncertainty lingers, and anger, too. What might be hidden under the waves? When, if ever, can people so tied to the water be made whole?
As the anniversary of the spill approached, an Associated Press reporter travelled more than 966km along the Gulf Coast, from Louisiana's bayous to the beaches of the Florida Panhandle, through many twists and turns in the region's ever-evolving state of mind.
At every milepost, there were reminders of the region's bounty and its resilience. People, voicing faith in the Gulf's power, are eager to tell anyone who will listen that that their seafood is safe to eat, that tourists are returning, that the crisis was overblown - that they will not be bowed.
If only, some say more quietly, it was that simple.
---
At dawn, the sky south of New Orleans is fringed with violet and pockets of thick fog mix with the odour from Chevron's Oronite fuel additives plant. But another 23km down Louisiana Highway 23, the sun breaks through, and Mark Brockhoeft climbs into a flat-bottomed boat painted camouflage, motoring into a marshland that is its own world.
A flock of mottled ducks erupts from the high grass. The fins of fat redfish slice the water like torpedoes. Brockhoeft, who sports a thick moustache and a Saints cap, has been plying this bayou as a fly fishing guide since 1993. But the familiar scene still kindles a smile.
"You can take it for granted," he says. "We did. Until we were about to lose it."
Before the spill was capped, thick slicks moved into Barataria Bay, connected to the bayou about 16km south. The oil was the last in a series of setbacks for Brockhoeft, who once worked on the water 250 days a year. But that was before the September 11 terrorist attacks prevented tourists from flying down to fish. Hurricane Katrina swamped this part of Plaquemines Parish, putting it off limits for weeks and taking the lodges that accommodate anglers out of commission. The area rebuilt, but the recession kept visitors away.
If oil made it to the marshes, Brockhoeft knew, it would be over. When BP flooded the region with money, Brockhoeft rented out a boat and crew to a cleanup contractor at US$1,560 a day for 82 days. Meanwhile, he sent back customers' deposits and talked with friends about moving.
"Where the hell are we going to go? We were born down here. We spent our lives down here. Our livelihood is here," says Brockhoeft, who is 58 and worked for a mosquito control company before becoming a guide.
Crews kept the oil at bay long enough to keep these backwaters open to fishing and to cap the well. Now, when clients call to ask, Brockhoeft assures them that "it's beautiful. Come on down."
But the guide says he'll be glad this year to get bookings for more than 130 days on the water. And, while he's upbeat about the health of the estuary, he watches for signs the oil and chemicals used to disperse it might eventually filter into a world that sees fish and other wildlife migrate between bayou and Gulf.
"The way things are going now, I wouldn't bank on the way things are going to be five years from now," he says. "We might not even be here."
Across the Mississippi River by ferry, in the hamlet of Pointe a La Hache, oysterman Stanley Encalade is far more certain of the spill's toll. Encalade and others say they are barely hanging on after their shellfishing grounds were flooded by river water unleashed by officials to keep out the oil, but killing the oysters.
Before Katrina lifted his family's boats out of the harbor and into the road a half mile away, Encalade says he made about US$50,000 a year. But BP payments are based on the most recent years' business, when he was climbing out of hurricane-induced debt. So far, he's gotten a US$12,000 check from the compensation fund set up for those whose livelihoods were affected by the spill.
Encalade worries it could be years before the oyster beds come back. So he's refitting his boat, Lady Pamela, with shrimping nets. But that is not a long-term answer, he says, his voice filling with anger.
"You're going to put me out of business for five or six years and you're going to pay me for the worst two years of my life? No man, I don't think so," Encalade says. "It's not over by a longshot."
But Pereira doubts that many from the 5pm Mass are ready to take his Lenten message to heart.
"You speak about this to them because they forget what they went through," says Pereira, who pastors at St. Joseph's Church in Galliano, La., a community that ties its fortunes to the Gulf of Mexico. "Because BP has spoiled them, given them all this money, they've gone back to the old ways. They give them big bucks and they forget."
A year after BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, killing 11 and triggering a four-month battle to contain and cap the gusher, the people who make their lives along the Gulf's coastline face countless variations of the trade-off that troubles Pereira.
They are anxious to banish the spill to memory. But that is very different from being ready to forgive. They are proud to call themselves independent, yet unsettled to be relying on a company and government many distrust. They want nothing more than for their home places to go back to the way they used to be, and in some of the most visible ways, they have. As proof, they point to sand scoured to a dazzling white by cleanup crews.
But uncertainty lingers, and anger, too. What might be hidden under the waves? When, if ever, can people so tied to the water be made whole?
As the anniversary of the spill approached, an Associated Press reporter travelled more than 966km along the Gulf Coast, from Louisiana's bayous to the beaches of the Florida Panhandle, through many twists and turns in the region's ever-evolving state of mind.
At every milepost, there were reminders of the region's bounty and its resilience. People, voicing faith in the Gulf's power, are eager to tell anyone who will listen that that their seafood is safe to eat, that tourists are returning, that the crisis was overblown - that they will not be bowed.
If only, some say more quietly, it was that simple.
---
At dawn, the sky south of New Orleans is fringed with violet and pockets of thick fog mix with the odour from Chevron's Oronite fuel additives plant. But another 23km down Louisiana Highway 23, the sun breaks through, and Mark Brockhoeft climbs into a flat-bottomed boat painted camouflage, motoring into a marshland that is its own world.
A flock of mottled ducks erupts from the high grass. The fins of fat redfish slice the water like torpedoes. Brockhoeft, who sports a thick moustache and a Saints cap, has been plying this bayou as a fly fishing guide since 1993. But the familiar scene still kindles a smile.
"You can take it for granted," he says. "We did. Until we were about to lose it."
Before the spill was capped, thick slicks moved into Barataria Bay, connected to the bayou about 16km south. The oil was the last in a series of setbacks for Brockhoeft, who once worked on the water 250 days a year. But that was before the September 11 terrorist attacks prevented tourists from flying down to fish. Hurricane Katrina swamped this part of Plaquemines Parish, putting it off limits for weeks and taking the lodges that accommodate anglers out of commission. The area rebuilt, but the recession kept visitors away.
If oil made it to the marshes, Brockhoeft knew, it would be over. When BP flooded the region with money, Brockhoeft rented out a boat and crew to a cleanup contractor at US$1,560 a day for 82 days. Meanwhile, he sent back customers' deposits and talked with friends about moving.
"Where the hell are we going to go? We were born down here. We spent our lives down here. Our livelihood is here," says Brockhoeft, who is 58 and worked for a mosquito control company before becoming a guide.
Crews kept the oil at bay long enough to keep these backwaters open to fishing and to cap the well. Now, when clients call to ask, Brockhoeft assures them that "it's beautiful. Come on down."
But the guide says he'll be glad this year to get bookings for more than 130 days on the water. And, while he's upbeat about the health of the estuary, he watches for signs the oil and chemicals used to disperse it might eventually filter into a world that sees fish and other wildlife migrate between bayou and Gulf.
"The way things are going now, I wouldn't bank on the way things are going to be five years from now," he says. "We might not even be here."
Across the Mississippi River by ferry, in the hamlet of Pointe a La Hache, oysterman Stanley Encalade is far more certain of the spill's toll. Encalade and others say they are barely hanging on after their shellfishing grounds were flooded by river water unleashed by officials to keep out the oil, but killing the oysters.
Before Katrina lifted his family's boats out of the harbor and into the road a half mile away, Encalade says he made about US$50,000 a year. But BP payments are based on the most recent years' business, when he was climbing out of hurricane-induced debt. So far, he's gotten a US$12,000 check from the compensation fund set up for those whose livelihoods were affected by the spill.
Encalade worries it could be years before the oyster beds come back. So he's refitting his boat, Lady Pamela, with shrimping nets. But that is not a long-term answer, he says, his voice filling with anger.
"You're going to put me out of business for five or six years and you're going to pay me for the worst two years of my life? No man, I don't think so," Encalade says. "It's not over by a longshot."
2011年4月17日 星期日
Coasting along
Unlike the adorable tortoise, this project will be moving quite quickly.
ON a recent visit to the photocopy shop, I told the boss that I managed to recycle and combine the sheets of plasticized paper wrappers he’d passed to me into a multi-layered folder. “Jolly good! Here are some more for you to use,” he said as he gladly rolled up a few more of the sunny yellow sheets.
This time round, I decided to capitalize on the waterproof quality of the paper and made coasters for mugs. Squares are folded into shapes for the head, feet and tail. This is similar to the way needle-workers fold fabric pieces to hide the raw edges before joining them into mats. As the paper is plastic-coated on one side, it takes a while for the glue to set. Use a rubber-band to hold the folded pieces together as you work on the squares. Leave them aside to let the glue dry.
Another design variation is to use eight of these folded pieces around the circle and form a starburst, like the one that the mug rests on in the photo.
ON a recent visit to the photocopy shop, I told the boss that I managed to recycle and combine the sheets of plasticized paper wrappers he’d passed to me into a multi-layered folder. “Jolly good! Here are some more for you to use,” he said as he gladly rolled up a few more of the sunny yellow sheets.
This time round, I decided to capitalize on the waterproof quality of the paper and made coasters for mugs. Squares are folded into shapes for the head, feet and tail. This is similar to the way needle-workers fold fabric pieces to hide the raw edges before joining them into mats. As the paper is plastic-coated on one side, it takes a while for the glue to set. Use a rubber-band to hold the folded pieces together as you work on the squares. Leave them aside to let the glue dry.
Another design variation is to use eight of these folded pieces around the circle and form a starburst, like the one that the mug rests on in the photo.
2011年4月14日 星期四
Fixes for 101 things in your house
When asked at a dinner party when he was going to write a book on home design, James Swan gave it some wine-fueled consideration. Though he had no such plans, the Beverly Hills tastemaker came up with a provocative title: "101 Things I Hate About Your House," (HCI, 2011). His friend Carol Beggy persuaded him to follow through, and she shares credit for the book, released in March.
Unlike all those dust-collecting "coffee table tomes," "101 Things" provides advice and quick fixes that people of modest means can implement right away to make their homes more comfortable and inviting. Home design crimes – the things Swan "hates" – are pointed out and addressed with love.
If people look around and hate what they see, there's hope, in large part because their strong reaction signals an emotional investment, and also because "101 Things" shows how simple changes can help them and their guests get more enjoyment out of their living space.
Here, Swan free-associates about home design flaws, foibles and fixes:
The most hate-worthy feature: "Bad lighting can be unpleasant if not physically painful. I don't care how beautiful a room is. If it's over-lit, our ability to enjoy it is diminished. Plus, nobody looks good in glaring light." Install some smaller bulbs and dimmers for starters.
Details you think he won't notice: Drapes that don't come all the way to the floor ("it's like a man walking in a suit with his socks showing") and faux foliage ("plastic plants are fine for a hotel lobby, but they do not belong in a home"). Swan is more accepting of high-quality silk flowers: "But if you're going to create that illusion, carry it through to its logical end and freshen the arrangement" every so often.
Questionable first impressions: Dingy front doors, welcome rubber mats with cutesy sayings, pervasive odors, overburdened coat racks in the entryway.
The proper way to hang toilet paper: "Please orient the roll with the paper coming over the top toward those in need. Few things look as limp and forlorn," Swan says, as tissue going the other way.
Invisible irritants: Rubber-backed rugs in the bathroom provide for a skid-free experience, but for Swan they call to mind "rapidly multiplying colonies of bacteria and fungus."
An empty hearth is disconcerting because it registers as a cold brick hole instead of the warmth and conviviality we associate with fireplaces.
"Complete the picture," Swan says, "with classic fireplace tools and a properly filled wood basket."
Details matter
Little things mean a lot: Conveniently placed coasters are "monumentally important" to guests who want to protect your furniture and their own sense of propriety. You can never have too many candles: "Use them often and everywhere."
Sleeping tight isn't always a good thing: Teens and twin-sized beds do not get along. "Seeing a 6-foot teenage boy crawling into a twin bed seems inappropriate," Swan says, not to mention disrespectful to the youth who is growing and maturing. "As a rite of passage, I'm a strong believer in a double bed arriving on or around any young person's 16th birthday."
You asked for it…: If you opt for glass cabinet doors in the kitchen, be prepared to maintain orderliness within. Otherwise, you are all but inviting Swan to ask why your cabinet interiors "look like the sales tables at Filene's Basement."
Unlike all those dust-collecting "coffee table tomes," "101 Things" provides advice and quick fixes that people of modest means can implement right away to make their homes more comfortable and inviting. Home design crimes – the things Swan "hates" – are pointed out and addressed with love.
If people look around and hate what they see, there's hope, in large part because their strong reaction signals an emotional investment, and also because "101 Things" shows how simple changes can help them and their guests get more enjoyment out of their living space.
Here, Swan free-associates about home design flaws, foibles and fixes:
The most hate-worthy feature: "Bad lighting can be unpleasant if not physically painful. I don't care how beautiful a room is. If it's over-lit, our ability to enjoy it is diminished. Plus, nobody looks good in glaring light." Install some smaller bulbs and dimmers for starters.
Details you think he won't notice: Drapes that don't come all the way to the floor ("it's like a man walking in a suit with his socks showing") and faux foliage ("plastic plants are fine for a hotel lobby, but they do not belong in a home"). Swan is more accepting of high-quality silk flowers: "But if you're going to create that illusion, carry it through to its logical end and freshen the arrangement" every so often.
Questionable first impressions: Dingy front doors, welcome rubber mats with cutesy sayings, pervasive odors, overburdened coat racks in the entryway.
The proper way to hang toilet paper: "Please orient the roll with the paper coming over the top toward those in need. Few things look as limp and forlorn," Swan says, as tissue going the other way.
Invisible irritants: Rubber-backed rugs in the bathroom provide for a skid-free experience, but for Swan they call to mind "rapidly multiplying colonies of bacteria and fungus."
An empty hearth is disconcerting because it registers as a cold brick hole instead of the warmth and conviviality we associate with fireplaces.
"Complete the picture," Swan says, "with classic fireplace tools and a properly filled wood basket."
Details matter
Little things mean a lot: Conveniently placed coasters are "monumentally important" to guests who want to protect your furniture and their own sense of propriety. You can never have too many candles: "Use them often and everywhere."
Sleeping tight isn't always a good thing: Teens and twin-sized beds do not get along. "Seeing a 6-foot teenage boy crawling into a twin bed seems inappropriate," Swan says, not to mention disrespectful to the youth who is growing and maturing. "As a rite of passage, I'm a strong believer in a double bed arriving on or around any young person's 16th birthday."
You asked for it…: If you opt for glass cabinet doors in the kitchen, be prepared to maintain orderliness within. Otherwise, you are all but inviting Swan to ask why your cabinet interiors "look like the sales tables at Filene's Basement."
2011年4月13日 星期三
Get Your Deck Ready For Spring And Summer
As the days get longer, there's nothing like barbequing and entertaining friends on your deck. But before you pass out those invitations, make sure your deck has weathered the winter and is ready for its seasonal duty.
The abuse a deck surface takes from the weather, foot traffic, barbeques, and food and drink spills can create both surface and structural problems.
"To make your deck last, clean it thoroughly every one to two years and re-stain every two to four years," says Mark Clement, host of the radio program "MyFixitUpLife." "It also helps if your deck is made from a natural, durable wood, such as Western Red Cedar, which holds oil based finishes for an extended period of time."
Here's how to get your deck ready for use:
Clear Out: Clear all furniture and potted plants off the deck. Then inspect the deck for dirt and pollen buildup. Sweep it clean of debris that may have fallen during winter. For safety's sake, make sure there are no nails sticking up from the deck or from any posts.
Floss Between Planks: Clean between the planks and boards of any horizontal surfaces so rain can drain and air can flow between them. Reducing standing water and increasing airflow will limit the amount of moisture that can collect and stay on the surface of the plank, thereby making your deck last longer.
Keep the Finish Sharp: Application of a quality wood stain or finish and periodic retreatment over time will prevent discoloration and degradation of your deck and extend the wood's lifespan. Keep in mind that natural woods that are sustainable and durable, such as real cedar, can take and retain a variety of stains and finishes for more extended periods. Such woods are natural looking, as opposed to the faux finishes used on man-made composite products.
Elevate Planters: Direct contact between planter boxes and wooden surfaces can trap moisture and leave stains. Elevating them or placing them on rollers will release the moisture and make them easier to rearrange.
Beware of Welcome Mats: Mats can collect moisture and dry out too slowly, which can lead to water damage and/or wood rot. After precipitation, be sure to dry out the mat and allow the deck to dry.
Watch Out for Your Grill: Grease from your grill is hazardous to your deck, so place it in an inconspicuous spot with a hard rubber door mat underneath it to keep your deck free of stains. If grease drips onto your deck, use a household cleaner to wipe it clean.
The abuse a deck surface takes from the weather, foot traffic, barbeques, and food and drink spills can create both surface and structural problems.
"To make your deck last, clean it thoroughly every one to two years and re-stain every two to four years," says Mark Clement, host of the radio program "MyFixitUpLife." "It also helps if your deck is made from a natural, durable wood, such as Western Red Cedar, which holds oil based finishes for an extended period of time."
Here's how to get your deck ready for use:
Clear Out: Clear all furniture and potted plants off the deck. Then inspect the deck for dirt and pollen buildup. Sweep it clean of debris that may have fallen during winter. For safety's sake, make sure there are no nails sticking up from the deck or from any posts.
Floss Between Planks: Clean between the planks and boards of any horizontal surfaces so rain can drain and air can flow between them. Reducing standing water and increasing airflow will limit the amount of moisture that can collect and stay on the surface of the plank, thereby making your deck last longer.
Keep the Finish Sharp: Application of a quality wood stain or finish and periodic retreatment over time will prevent discoloration and degradation of your deck and extend the wood's lifespan. Keep in mind that natural woods that are sustainable and durable, such as real cedar, can take and retain a variety of stains and finishes for more extended periods. Such woods are natural looking, as opposed to the faux finishes used on man-made composite products.
Elevate Planters: Direct contact between planter boxes and wooden surfaces can trap moisture and leave stains. Elevating them or placing them on rollers will release the moisture and make them easier to rearrange.
Beware of Welcome Mats: Mats can collect moisture and dry out too slowly, which can lead to water damage and/or wood rot. After precipitation, be sure to dry out the mat and allow the deck to dry.
Watch Out for Your Grill: Grease from your grill is hazardous to your deck, so place it in an inconspicuous spot with a hard rubber door mat underneath it to keep your deck free of stains. If grease drips onto your deck, use a household cleaner to wipe it clean.
2011年4月12日 星期二
New Volkswagen Amarok Details Released
The British division of Volkswagen revealed today technical specifications for the new Amarok, a serious contender for the pick-up market. The vehicle comes available in two engine variants, a 2.0-litre TDI developing 122 PS and 340 Nm of torque from 1,750 rpm, and a 2.0-litre Bi-turbo TDI developing 163 PS and 400 Nm from 1,750 rpm. All models are fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox.
Taken separately, 122 PS engine can achieve 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 13.7 seconds, while the 163 PS unit reaches 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in 11.1 seconds.
This pulling power is matched by a maximum towing weight of up to 2,800 kg (6,173 lbs) for the Amarok Highline with permanent 4MOTION, or 2,690 kg (5,930 lbs) for models with selectable 4MOTION.
Styling options include a front bumper trim, exterior decor sets, side steps, plus stainless steel side rails and styling bars for the loadspace, and the option to upgrade to 19-inch alloy wheels.
Accessories available include a lockable toolbox designed to fit between the wheelarches, across the load bay. Alternatively, to cover the entire loadspace there is a choice of tonneau covers, or a complete body-coloured hardtop. Tonneau covers range from a soft waterproof cover which can be rolled out the way, or a choice of aluminium or body-coloured hard plastic covers which are lockable and hinge open for access.
To help protect the Amarok’s interior and exterior, there are seat covers and rubber or carpet floor mats for the cab, parking sensors, mud flaps, an aluminium liner for the loadspace, plus a black steel grid for the rear window. Offering extra protection during off-road driving, gearbox and underbody protection packs are also available.
Taken separately, 122 PS engine can achieve 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 13.7 seconds, while the 163 PS unit reaches 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in 11.1 seconds.
This pulling power is matched by a maximum towing weight of up to 2,800 kg (6,173 lbs) for the Amarok Highline with permanent 4MOTION, or 2,690 kg (5,930 lbs) for models with selectable 4MOTION.
Styling options include a front bumper trim, exterior decor sets, side steps, plus stainless steel side rails and styling bars for the loadspace, and the option to upgrade to 19-inch alloy wheels.
Accessories available include a lockable toolbox designed to fit between the wheelarches, across the load bay. Alternatively, to cover the entire loadspace there is a choice of tonneau covers, or a complete body-coloured hardtop. Tonneau covers range from a soft waterproof cover which can be rolled out the way, or a choice of aluminium or body-coloured hard plastic covers which are lockable and hinge open for access.
To help protect the Amarok’s interior and exterior, there are seat covers and rubber or carpet floor mats for the cab, parking sensors, mud flaps, an aluminium liner for the loadspace, plus a black steel grid for the rear window. Offering extra protection during off-road driving, gearbox and underbody protection packs are also available.
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