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Sports advocacy group canvasses fair deal for Warri Wolves

Sports advocacy group canvasses fair deal for Warri Wolves

Photo by Olumide Amos

A grassroots football group has tasked the NFF to be humane in their judgement on the botched league game at Ilorin as the Disciplinary Committee meets Thursday in Abuja

As the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation gets set to take decisions on cases of abandoned/inconclusive matches in the on-going premier league season, Grassroots Football Study Initiative (GFSI) has called on the football authorities to give Warri Wolves a fair hearing.

Rising from an emergency meeting, Grassroots Football Study Initiative, a non-governmental organisation committed to fair play and global best practices in the game of football, is irked by what it described as “selective justice” in cases involving Warri Wolves in the country’s elite division.

In a press briefing yesterday in Asaba, the Delta State Capital, the Executive Chairperson of the Group, Mrs. Sophia Odogwu said that they are perturbed at the impunity with which home teams take laws into their hands and get away with it.

Mrs. Odogwu said after a careful analysis of events as they unfold in the country’s football arena, the group was convinced that it amounted to double standard if El-Kanemi Warriors and Sunshine Stars respectively were awarded three points against their opponents for football violence while Warri Wolves are being ordered to do a replay when fans of Kwara United beat up a referee to pulp during a match.

“The group is forced to believe that there is a gang-up by some powerful forces to bring Warri Wolves FC down as the rules are being selectively applied, and in the process throwing Nigeria football into abyss,” read their statement.

According to Mrs. Odogwu, the whole world is watching the melodrama as Kwara United feels that it can ride on the back of the Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi for a soft landing. The group believes that the Sports Minister, who witnessed the ugly incidence in his home state during the said match in the stadium will not do anything that will rubbish his transformation agenda in the Sports industry.

Meanwhile, the group has called on stakeholders to prevail on the handlers of Warri Wolves FC to take the matter to the highest football levels, that is, at the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) and even FIFA,  if the decision of the Disciplinary Committee is anything short of Warri Wolves FC being awarded the three points at stake. An order to Warri Wolves FC to do a re-play is injustice carried too far, the statement concluded.


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thumbnail Hello, understands that the Old Trafford-bound boss and the disgruntled striker are set to meet to clarify the player's position at the club ahead of the summer transfer window

Manchester United manager-to-be David Moyes has heaped praise on Wayne Rooney ahead of crunch talks over the striker's Old Trafford future.

Sir Alex Ferguson comfirmed on Sunday that the England international handed in a transfer request earlier this month after becoming disillusioned with his role at the club, but it was swiftly rejected. understands Moyes and Rooney are set to meet in the coming days to clarify the 27-year-old's future with the club but, ahead of those talks, the current Everton boss has hailed the talents of the player he nutured at Goodison Park.

11/10 Man Utd are 11/10 with Paddy Power to finish behind Chelsea next season
"Wayne Rooney was and is an exceptional talent," Moyes told reporters. "When we sold him to Manchester United, he was fantastic. When he left Everton, he was already an outstanding player.

"Some of the things he used to do in training, we would stand back and look at each other, and say, 'How did he do that?’ You would see the staff exchange glances as if to say, 'Can you believe that?’

"He was brilliant, some of the stuff he did. He was football-mad – every training session he would run out, volleying the ball everywhere. He was just a really good 16-year-old footballer but the thing was, he could have left training and then gone out into the street and played with his pals and thought nothing of it.

"A lot of people use the terminology 'street footballer’ and I really think Wayne was the last of the classic street footballers. You could see him in the street, hitting the ball against the walls with his friends. Part of that culture has gone but, coming from Glasgow, I knew what it was like."

Rooney has developed a fractured relationship with the United supporters after news of a second transfer request in three years came to light and was booed during the title celebrations and end-of-season parade. exclusively revealed Arsenal and Chelsea have declared interest in Rooney's services, with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich also monitoring the striker's situation.

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Premier League

  • December 29, 2012
  • • 17:30
  • • Emirates Stadium, London
  • Referee: C. Foy
  • • Attendance: 60087

Arsenal 7-3 Newcastle: Walcott & Giroud help Gunners end the year on a high

Arsenal 7-3 Newcastle: Walcott & Giroud help Gunners end the year on a high

Getty Images

A late flurry of goals from Arsene Wenger's side glossed over a game that was equal until the closing stages, with the England international grabbing a hat-trick

Theo Walcott staked his claim for a new contract with a stunning hat-trick as Arsenal beat Newcastle in a breathtaking 7-3 thriller at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners took the lead four times during a chaotic match before eventually seeing off the spirited visitors as Walcott made the difference with a finishing masterclass in his preferred role as a central striker. Attention will now turn to whether the Gunners can keep the 23-year-old at the club, with his contract set to expire in the summer and no sign of a breakthrough in talks over a new deal.

Walcott had opened the scoring with a classy finish in the 20th minute but the sides went in level at the break thanks to Demba Ba's deflected free-kick two minutes before half-time.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain restored Arsenal's advantage five minutes after the re-start before Sylvain Marveaux tapped home a second equaliser just before the hour mark to the frustration and bemusement of the home crowd.

Lukas Podolski put Arsenal back in the lead from close range, yet his strike was quickly cancelled out as Ba volleyed home his second of the evening.

Then, in the 73rd minute, Walcott spun in the penalty area to slam the ball into the top corner from 12 yards. This time, there was no way back for Newcastle and substitute Olivier Giroud sealed the points with two late goals.

There was still time for Walcott to complete his hat-trick as he danced across the touchline and flicked a delightful finish over Tim Krul to claim the matchball - and give his agent some bargaining power as talks over a new deal continue.

The result lifts Arsenal up to fifth in the Premier League on the back of four wins in a row while Newcastle are on a dismal run having collected just six points from their last 10 matches.

Arsenal came into the game on the back of three league wins in a row and with four days more rest than Newcastle after their Boxing Day clash with West Ham was called off. Arsene Wenger made just one change to the team that beat Wigan, with Laurent Koscielny replacing Per Mertesacker, while Cheikh Tiote and Gabriel Obertan came in for Newcastle.

In a a cagey, one-paced opening period, it was Walcott who provided the spark and energy in Arsenal's play. As his contract stand-off continues heading into the January transfer window, the England international was again selected in his preferred central role - and he made his point to Wenger with the opening goal in the 20th minute.

It was a goal reminiscent of Thierry Henry in his pomp and the Gunners legend was leading the applause as he prepares to re-join the club on loan in January.

Podolski placed the ball into space behind the Newcastle back four and Walcott timed his run to beat the offside trap and spring clear down the inside left channel before opening up his body and placing a clean finish into the bottom corner.

Arsenal were struggling to open up the well-organised visitors but Walcott nearly doubled the lead after skipping past Fabio Coloccini but his left-footed shot was smothered by Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul.

Newcastle had already served a couple of warnings as to their threat in the final third before the scoreline was levelled two minutes before the break with a huge slice of fortune.

Ba struck his free-kick with power from 25 yards but Wojciech Szczesny appeared to have it covered before the ball was diverted in via a massive deflection off Jack Wilshere.

Arsenal began the second-half with purpose, Krul keeping out Kieran Gibbs from a tight angle before Oxlade-Chamberlain restored the home side’s lead in the 50th minute. The winger was given far too much room by the Newcastle defence as he collected Santi Cazorla's pass and he fired a low finish into the bottom corner from just outside the penalty area.

Nine minutes later, however, Newcastle were level. Gabriel Obertan danced into the Arsenal penalty area and crossed virtually across the goalline via a Koscielny deflection for Marveaux to tap home as the Gunners defence fell asleep.

Yet sloppy defending was a theme of the evening and Arsenal were back ahead in the 64th minute. Podolski was the eventual goalscorer but the credit belonged to Wilshere, who stormed into the box and clipped a delightful chip that Newcastle failed to handle, the ball bouncing off the crossbar before falling for the German to nod home.

There was more to come. On 69 minutes, Newcastle drew level for the third time as Gibbs once again got sucked in and Ba volleyed Marveaux’s excellent cross into the near post.

Four minutes later, Walcott was too sharp for the Newcastle defence as he spun in the area and fired high into the top corner from 12 yards.

Six minutes from time, Walcott turned provider as he crossed for Giroud to score with a diving header to relax the home crowd and ensure the victory. Three minutes later, the Frenchman scored his second as he collected the ball in the penalty area and smashed his effort past Krul at the near post.

By now, Arsenal’s appetite for goals was insatiable and Walcott crowned his wonderful individual performance in added time. Now the Gunners must do everything in their power to keep him at the club.


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Ahead of the Goal 50 on Monday, July 29, our countdown continues with each of Goal's regional managing editors this week choosing their best world XIs from 2012-13

At first look, this might seem a very offensive XI but, on closer scrutiny, it is clear that the solidity of the back three (Andrea Barzagli, Thiago Silva and Jan Verthongen) and the dynamism of the two wingers (Franck Ribery and Gareth Bale) would give any opposition a hard time when it came to scoring.

In the middle of the pitch, the midfield axis formed by Andrea Pirlo and Bastian Schweinsteiger would have the task to snatch the ball and quickly distribute it to Lionel Messi who, in a playmaker role, could then link up with Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski.

In goal is the youngest player, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, who showed how capable he is over the course of last season despite being just 21.

This team could also be deadly from set-pieces, with several specialists at direct free-kicks, including Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo. Andrea Pirlo, who is also an expert over a dead-ball situation, would be my choice for captain.

Do you agree? Select your own best world XI of 2012-13 by clicking the Pick Your Team button on the graphic.


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The 24-year-old has returned to Manchester United after complaining of a sore calf during training on Thursday, and will be unavailable for selection on Friday and Tuesday

The Football Association has revealed that Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley will miss England's World Cup 2014 qualifiers against Montenegro and Ukraine through injury.

A statement on the FA's official website states that Cleverley "complained of a sore calf after training on Thursday afternoon" and later underwent a scan.

He has been ruled out for the two crucial matches at Wembley, and has returned to United for further treatment with the extent of the injury unknown.

England sit top of Uefa qualifying Group H, one point ahead of Ukraine and Montenegro, and two points ahead of Poland.

The Three Lions host Montenegro on Friday evening while Ukraine entertain Poland in Kharkiv. On Tuesday, the Poles travel to Wembley while Ukraine play whipping boys San Marino.


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The Serbian recently completed his switch to the Turkish club from the Bianconeri, and insists the move is not a step backward in his career

Fenerbahce's Milos Krasic has revealed he believes his current employers are as big a club as his former side Juventus, but that he turned down the chance to join the Turkish side two years ago.

The Istanbul outfit have strengthened their squad with the arrivals of players such as Dirk Kuyt and Mehmet Topal as they look to build on their second-placed Super Lig finish last term.

And Krasic, their other marquee signing, has expressed his delight at joining the Yellow Canaries, stating he collected the advice of former players before making his decision.

Check out the latest transfer rumours and gossip in our dedicated Transfer Talk section here

"I'd spoken to [former Fenerbahce players] Matteja Kezman and Nikola Lazetic before my move," the winger stated.

"Kezman told me that Fenerbahce is a massive club with a great atmosphere. Lazetic also insisted that even though he's a player who constantly changes clubs, he never found a place like Istanbul and Fenerbahçe elsewhere."

The 26-year old went on to comment on the offer he received from the 2010-11 Super Lig champions two years ago, conceding he wanted to play in Italy at the time.

"I knew Fenerbahçe was as big as Juventus two years ago and now I'm happy to be where I am."

Fenerbahce will continue their Super Lig campaign next Saturday, when they welcome Gaziantepspor to Sukru Saracoglu stadium.


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Sam Houston upset No. 12 Baylor 4-3 in 10 innings in the opening game of a non-conference softball doubleheader Tuesday evening at the Softball Complex.

The Bears bounced back for a 12-0 run-rule victory in the nightcap. Baylor stands 24-6 for the year and Sam Houston is 15-17.

Down 3-0 going into the bottom of the 10th in the first game, the Bearkats loaded the bases, tying the game on a walk and scored the winning run on a wild pitch.

After nine scoreless innings, Baylor scored three times in the top of the 10th after first baseman Holly Hall led off with a solo home run to right field.

But the Bearkats rallied to load the bases on three singles then score on a walk to designated player Hillary Adams. Right fielder Cecilia Castillo singled to score a second run and her sister Tiffany walked with the bases loaded to bring in the tying run. A wild pitch allowed pinch runner Jennie Kievel to cross home plate for the game winning tally.

Sam Houston posted six hits but had runners reach second base only three time in the first nine innings. Meanwhile, starter Shelby Lancaster allowed the Bears only four hits. The pitcher was backed up by stellar defensive plays by the Bearkats including a pair of double plays as SHSU kept the Bears scoreless to force extra innings.

Cecilia Castillo led the Kats at the plate in the first game going 3-for-5. Baros (6-8) got the win in relief.

Two –run homers by Clare Hosack in the first inning and Sarah Smith and Jordan Strickland in the fourth got Baylor off to a quick start in the second game. The Bears tallied 10 runs in the top of the fourth inning.

Sam Houston returns to Southland Conference action this weekend hosting first place Lamar at the Softball Complex. The pair will play a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and a 1 p.m. single game on Sunday.


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Amber Campbell
Amber  Campbell

Volunteer Assistant Track and Field Coach

Alma Mater:
Coastal Carolina, 2004

Coastal Impresses on Day Two of Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational XX

Nick Seabright finished third overall in the men's decathlon with 6,245 points

Coastal Starts Strong at Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational XX

Ryan Minor finished fourth in the men's hammer

Coastal to Host Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational XX

Amber Campbell will begin road to 2016 Rio Games on Friday

Amber Campbell Wins National Championship

The two-time Olympian wins her 9th USATF National Championship

Gelibert Named Big South Women's Runner of the Year

Amber Campbell is in her seventh year as a volunteer assistant coach for throwers at Coastal Carolina University after finishing her career as one of the most distinguished athletes ever to compete at Coastal Carolina.

Most recently, Campbell competed at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany, finishing 11th in the world in the hammer throw with a 70.08-meter mark. It was the first time she had advanced to the finals of a major international competition. She also won her third straight USA National title in the weight throw.

In 2008, Campbell participated for Team USA in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. She placed 21st in the prelims of the hammer throw with a mark of 67.86-meters. The effort was good enough for the top American finish in her first Olympics.

She was a five-time NCAA All-American in the hammer and weight throw and a 16-time Big South Champion during her four collegiate years at Coastal Carolina. She owns the school records in the weight, indoor shot put, outdoor shot put, discus and the hammer throws. She also was named the Big South Women's Track Athlete of the Year each of her final three years. In 2002-03, she was honored as the conference's Female Athlete of the Year.

She will work with the Coastal Carolina throwers this season as she continues her training for the U.S. National Team and U.S. International Competition. In 2007, Campbell won her first USA Indoor National Championship in the weight throw with a throw of 80'6.25" (24.54m). She was the bronze medalist at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials and also was third at the 2005 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. With that finish, she qualified to compete for Team USA at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, where she finished 18th. Additionally, she has captured consecutive USA Indoor National Championships in the hammer throw.

She will continue to train in preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Campbell is a 2004 graduate with a degree in psychology. In addition to her volunteer status with the Chanticleer program, she works as a personal trainer and a night manager at Sport Doctors. She resides in Myrtle Beach.

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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Queen of the Nerds

Last week, I was paid to go to the Dominican Republic, so I figured this was worth reposting on my travel blog. (Originally posted on Premature Nostalgia.)

It was the kind of spur of the moment decision that only teenagers have the luxury of making.

Over homemade cinnamon buns and hot lattes, Janet told me that I would love it--it being the Seminar for United Nations and International Affairs (SUNIA). She had been a camp counsellor there once. It would be a week of intellectual stimulation and flirtations with politically savvy peers. It would be an escape from the monotony of slow nights at the Harbour House and slower days spent with Kenny sucking on popsicles outside the 7-11.

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Spotlight on Careers: Salt Lake City

Opened in 2000, our office in Salt Lake City has become one of Goldman Sachs’ largest in the world.

Initially a hub for a handful of functions, Salt Lake City now offers career opportunities for students, recent graduates and experienced professionals across 14 of our 16 divisions: Compliance, Finance, GS Bank, Global Investment Research, Human Capital Management, Investment Banking, Investment Management, Legal, Internal Audit, Merchant Banking, Operations, Securities, Services and Technology.

“I have worked in Salt Lake City for the last 3 years and seen the office become increasingly vital to the success of our worldwide business with every passing year,” says Elizabeth, an analyst in Operations.

Many of our people have found that working in a regional office gives them more responsibility early on and greater exposure to all the firm's businesses while in a city considered to be one of the best places to live and work in the United States.

“As a newer office, there is a spirit of entrepreneurship that encourages innovation and creativity,” says Bridgette, an associate in Finance.

Read more about working and living in Salt Lake City.

Explore our current job openings or learn about our internships and entry level programs.

View More: What We Do

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2015 California Excellence Award

Goldsmith & Hull receives 2015 California Excellence Award

February 24th 2015 -  Goldsmith & Hull has been selected for the 2015 California Excellence Award amongst all its peers and competitors by the US Commerce & Trade Research Institute (USCTRI).

Each year the USCTRI conducts business surveys and industry research to identify companies that have achieved demonstrable success in their local business environment and industry category. They are recognized as having enhanced the commitment and contribution of small businesses through service to their customers and community. Small businesses of this caliber enhance the consumer driven stature that California is renowned for.

Goldsmith & Hull has consistently demonstrated a high regard for upholding business ethics and company values. This recognition by USCTRI marks a significant achievement as an emerging leader within various competitors and is setting benchmarks that the industry should follow.

As part of the industry research and business surveys, various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the selected companies in each category. This research is part of an exhaustive process that encapsulates a year long immersion in the business climate of California.

The USCTRI is a leading authority on researching, evaluating and recognizing companies across a wide spectrum of industries that meet its stringent standards of excellence. It has spearheaded the idea of independent enterprise and entrepreneurial growth allowing businesses of all sizes to be recognized locally and encouraged globally.

Particular emphasis is given to meeting and exceeding industry benchmarks for customer service, product quality and ethical practices. Industry leading standards and practices have been developed and implementation of the same has been pioneered by the dedicated efforts of the business community and commerce leadership.

More information on USCTRI can be found at www.usctri.org


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The 5* luxurious Hotel Las Madrigueras Golf Resort & Spa is located in the marvellous setting of the Golf Las Américas golf course, in the south of Tenerife. The three-storey colonial style hotel blends perfectly into the landscape, offering a panoramic view over the golf course, the Atlantic Ocean and the island of La Gomera. All the guests are provided with complimentary golf buggy’s to use on the course and direct access is provided to the 1st tee from the hotel.

The Hotel provides a 24-hour room-service for all the guests. For small meetings, cocktails, or conferences, we offer a meeting room with all the latest facilities for 40/50 persons. All our guests have complimentary use of the SPA facilities, which has a small gym, Turkish bath, Sauna and Shower temple. For the ladies there is also a hairdressing salon at their disposal.

The swimming pool area has a bar and plenty of space for sunbathing and relaxing on the comfortable sun beds where one can enjoy a light lunch at the Bellevue Terrace restaurant. In the evening prior to dinner try one of our delicious cocktails at the piano bar. The a la carte menu at the Bogey Restaurant will satisfy the most demanding and the restaurant has a beautiful terrace area where one can dine whilst enjoying the sunset.

In short, we offer a product that is unique on the island, with individual 5 star services and preferential treatment in quiet surroundings, but at mere 10 minutes from the towns of Los Cristianos and Playa de Las Americas.

For more information, visit the website at or contact us at:


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Domino Rally Classic

  • Age6 years and up
  • GenderBoys and Girls
  • Players 1 or more players
Download the game rules!

Line them up and watch them tumble! Domino Rally® is a great activity that improves fine motor skills, planning skills, and imagination, as kids design their own set-ups in this open-ended activity. This classic domino race set is an adventure that never ends, but it’s also an engineering activity that’s a great fit with STEM and STEAM, and a lot more fun than normal domino sets. The Domino Rally® Classic pack includes 50 brightly-colored dominoes for kids, 35 specially-crafted speed dominoes that fall at a lightning pace, four custom domino tracks, and one spectacular loop-the-loop. These domino sets are sold in Europe and Canada under the name Domino Express®. For 1 or more players ages 6 and up.

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13 July 2012

Benefits Realization

Benefits realization – building on (un) safe foundations or planning for success?

Here's a really good article on closing the gap between project predictions and realization. Jenner covers the well-known sources of error and misrepresentation. Unlike other writers on this topic, he doesn't just wring his hands but responds with well-thought-out prescriptions.

His prescriptions include effective planning (start with benefits and requirements, design the solution later), Science (seek disconfirming evidence), Reference Class Analysis, Probability Management (distributions rather than point forecasts).

In short, this is an article I wish I had written.


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Gorgi Sweet Raspberries Vintage Lace Print Pillowcase
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Gorgi Sweet Raspberries Vintage Lace Print Pillowcase

Our 100% cotton Sylvie Collection pillowcases are simple in construction with no sham to enable the delicate textile print designs to stand out as a feature on the bed when paired with any of our Sylvie duvet covers in gelato colour. Sylvie – our inspirational range has been designed so that you can work other Sylvie and Gorgi product successfully with ease and flair.

These Gorgi Pillowcases are sold as singles.

To care for your pillowcases, machine wash on a cool temperature setting, using a rinse cycle if there's one available. Wash your cottons separately as other fabrics may pill and leave deposits. We do not recommend tumble drying, line drying is the preferred option.

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Johnny Depp: Marvelously Mustached for “Mortdecai”

Posted Tuesday January 7, 2014 5:33 PM GMT

He always goes all out for every role, and Johnny Depp looked impressively suave on the set of “Mortdecai” in Los Angeles yesterday (January 6).

The “Pirates of the Caribbean” hunk donned a thick mustache and snazzy suit as he worked his magic with a few bikini-clad extras for the cameras.

Though there’s no release date just yet, a rep from Lionsgate told press that “Mortdecai” may be Depp’s next breakthrough role.

After showing rough cuts to test audiences, Patrick Wachsberger told Variety, "They loved it, and I love it. Johnny is creating an original character like Edward Scissorhands and Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean."


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Jonas Brothers: AMA Breakthrough Artists!

Posted Monday November 24, 2008 3:31 PM GMT

Given all of their success recently, it’s no wonder the Jonas Brothers were voted into the winner slot for the 2008 American Music Awards T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist.

The “Burnin’ Up” boys were presented the award by none other than “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” babe Ashley Tisdale.

And it’s no small feat that the JoBros took home the trophy, as they were up against Paramore, Flo Rida, Colbie Caillat, and The Dream.

Not only did Joe, Nick, and Kevin score a killer award, they also gave an amazing performance of their hit song “Tonight,” to the delight of the celebrity-laden audience.

Click Here for Jonas Brothers Concert Tickets

Gossip Girls

To see the entire gallery from the 2008 American Music Awards (November 23) - Click Here!


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The Rock & Roll Pop Culture Auction
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This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2011

A Michael Jackson original color photograph. Framed and matted. Measures 13 x 10.75, very good condition. Comes with a Gotta Have Rock & Roll™ Certificate of Authenticity.
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Michael Jackson Original Photograph

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Minimum Bid: $200.00
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Auction closed on Saturday, December 10, 2011.

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- Gourmet Kosher Cooking - https://gourmetkoshercooking.com -

Stir-Fried Cauliflower

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 (32 ounce) bag frozen cauliflower, slightly thawed or 1 head fresh cauliflower, broken into florets
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon garam marsala
1 handful cashews, raw or roasted

In a wok or large frying pan heat oil over a high flame. Add cauliflower and garlic and sauté, turning frequently. Add salt and garam marsala and keep stirring. When cauliflower starts to brown, toss in cashews and sauté an additional five minutes.


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Monday, January 28, 2013 - 11:15am

Beyond Portlandia: Subaru Drives For America's Heartland

Updated: 4 years ago.
Subaru, known for its success in Denver, the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast, aims to expand its market to Texas and Tennessee.

The car market in the U.S. is at its most competitive. Not only are big companies like General Motors and Toyota slugging it out, but in order to survive, small-niche players like Subaru also are trying to push into the mainstream.

The Japanese carmaker is popular in Denver, the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast. Now Subaru has its sights on Texas and Tennessee.

The comedy show Portlandia pokes fun at all things Portland, Oregon's famously liberal city. In one sketch, two characters, both driving Subarus, meet at a four-way stop. "No, you go," they repeatedly urge each other in an absurd standoff of politeness.

The fact that they're driving Subarus is part of the joke, but that's not some idle stereotype.

Because most Subaru models are all-wheel drive, they're particularly popular in places where the weather can be dicey, like the Northeast or the Pacific Northwest.

An Opportunity In Texas

"If you're No. 4 in Portland and you're No. 20 in Texas, probably the opportunity is in Texas," says Michael McHale with Subaru.

He says the company had to be more ambitious and rethink the U.S. market. "Sometimes we look at the differences around the country. ... But underlying all of that, there are still basic human truths," McHale says.

Not only did the company think about the country differently; it started to sell in a different way by beefing up distribution and dealerships.

Jessica Caldwell, senior analyst and director of pricing and industry analysis at, says Subaru had a strange problem: Its cars were almost too good and its customers were too loyal.

"I think they have a core, loyal following and you would never want to get rid of that ... but at the same time, they keep their cars for a long time and you can't have people keeping their cars for a decade or more when you want to sell new cars," she says.

Success In A Conventional Look

Caldwell says the company tried to expand sales to the middle of the country by making its cars wider, rounder, less boxy, more conventional looking and more fuel efficient.

It worked.

During the economic downturn, when other car companies' sales were declining, Subaru's increased by a third and it began building more of its cars in the U.S.

It's one of the fastest growing car companies, with its biggest growth markets in Houston, Dallas and Florida.

Jake Fisher, director of auto testing at Consumer Reports, says Subaru can serve as an example for other carmakers looking to grow. "They've kind of taken this slow, systematic approach and just really concentrated on what they needed to do to be competitive in the market," he says.

Subaru has solidified its place in the American market, but Fisher says it'll probably never be as big as Toyota or Ford.

"I don't think they have to be a Toyota; they don't have to be everyone else. They don't have to be everything to everyone; they have to be something to someone," he says.

Subaru's McHale says, "If you're buying a big truck in Texas, keep buying the truck we're not the brand for you. But if you're looking for an all-wheel-drive vehicle that you can throw the dog in the back, the skis on the roof and go in the mountains on the weekend, I think they have some nice hills in Tennessee, too."

McHale says Subaru has conquered Portland, Ore., and Portland, Maine, and now it's on to the Portlands in Texas, Michigan and Tennessee.

Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit


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In 2013 I visited a girls home in India run by the local government.  100 girls lived there ranging in age from 3, maybe 4 to 17 or 18.... toward the street I saw girls with their buckets..... struggling to get water from an open cistern for their daily needs.  How can 100 girls live in a building with no running water?  Can't shower.  Can't flush a commode.  Can't brush their teeth at the sink.  Can't even drink a clean glass of water.   How is this possible?  So we did what we needed to do, we put in a well.  We put in storage tanks with a filtration system and we plumbed the building.  It is what needed to be done so we did it.

I've been back several times since that first visit.  I know these girls - many of them by name.  I visit them with a friend who is a pastor in the town and runs a very successful ministry organization - he sends social workers to this place often.  Is everyone accounted for?  Is everyone ok?  One day - not long before I was to visit again - we received word.  Everyone was not ok.  It was reported that men were being allowed in to the facility at night.

We showed up for our visit expecting to see 91 girls but only 44 were present.  No one would tell us where the other 47 where.  We went in and handed out the dresses and goodies we had brought.  We hugged and kissed as many as we could and were very quickly escorted from the property.  We weren't allowed any conversations.  We weren't allowed any photographs.  We weren't allowed to stay and wait.

We left, heart sick.  Where were these missing 47?  Could we get to them?  If we did get to them how could we keep them safe?

We drove a ways out of town to an abandoned project, a full campus complete with dormitory and dining hall.  A place for a library and a clinic.  With classrooms and meeting rooms.  With room for planting vegetables and raising chickens and goats.  An idyllic place, one that was clean and green.  That was quiet and serene.

We knew instantly and without hesitation that this abandoned project was the answer to our fervent prayers.  This is where we could help them.  This is where we could keep them safe.  This is where they would learn about the grace of a living and loving God.

This was to be Grace House.


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Obituary: John Patrick Noon Sr.

John Patrick Noon Sr.

John Patrick Noon Sr.

John Patrick Noon Sr., 77, passed away at home in Melbourne, Florida Oct. 23. He was a long time resident of the Tusayan - Grand Canyon Community.

To his friends he was known as Pat or JP or simply Noon. He was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania March 17, 1938 and graduated from Johnstown High School. After high school he enlisted in the United States Air Force and received an honorable discharge after serving four years.

He went on to work for Bell Helicopter International out of Fort Worth, Texas spending much of his employment overseas. Upon his return to the United States, he accepted an offer to work for Grand Canyon Helicopters (Papillon) in 1979 and remained with the company for many years working at the Grand Canyon and in Hawaii.

Pat left the area in 2004 to relocate to Florida for personal health reasons and to assist his sister Lorraine. Pat was renowned for his great sense of humor and incredible stories. Always a familiar face and greatly respected throughout the community, Pat was greatly missed when he left the area.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Rosalia Noon, brother Robert Raymond and sister Lorraine. He is survived by brother Harry Jr. and family in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. His sons John Patrick Noon Jr. of Flagstaff and son Gary Hunter and family of Tampa, long time friend and caregiver Sandy Grugan and husband Rod along with the many friends he cherished.

A final party in honor of "JP" Pat Noon is planned for late spring or early summer of 2016 in the Tusayan - Grand Canyon area. An announcement will be published prior to the event.

Comments are not posted immediately. Submissions must adhere to our Use of Service Terms of Use agreement. Rambling or nonsensical comments may not be posted. Comment submissions may not exceed a 200 word limit, and in order for us to reasonably manage this feature we may limit excessive comment entries.

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.


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Weather Forecast

With ‘Instant Save,’ Perkins survives another round on ‘The Voice’

Kat Perkins was five minutes away from walking off “The Voice” stage for good Tuesday night.

But thanks to the “Instant Save,” a song about Paris and a large fan base, the Scranton, N.D., native and Minneapolis resident survived another round on the NBC talent show.

Perkins kicked off Monday’s episode by singing “Landslide.” She once again drew praise from the judges, including country singer Blake Shelton.

“I gotta say, just as a fan of yours, it’s really refreshing to see you break it down and do a performance like that,” Shelton said. “We know you as the rocker chick -- and it is still a rock song -- but to see you do that softer side of what you do, that is important at this point of the competition because it shows those dimensions.”

But it wasn’t enough to push her forward without fighting a second time. After a night of fans voting through iTunes and social media, Perkins was in the bottom three with blues singer Bria Kelly and pre-law student Tess Boyer. This triggered the “Instant Save,” where viewers had five minutes to vote and save their favorite artist after they sang for possibly the last time.

Perkins chose to cover “Paris (Ooh La La)” by Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. The song was enough for voters to keep her on the series, ending the show for Boyer, who was in the bottom three last week, and Kelly.

Two more people will be eliminated next Tuesday after the top eight sing Monday. “The Voice” airs at 7 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC affiliates.

Forum News Service

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Silver Tea tradition draws a crowd

Alex Doty • Jul 21, 2015 at 11:16 AM

The packed church was there to hear students from the school’s Young 5’s through second-grade programs singing songs that focused on the birth of Jesus Christ and the Christmas holiday.

“It’s always good to see such a large crowd of people,” GHCS Principal Richard Geertsma said.

Prior to the concert, Geertsma led a prayer to bless the children and event honoring Jesus.

For some of those attending the event, it was an annual tradition that goes back many years.

Joann Tysman, who was there to see little ones in her family, said she has been coming to the event for a long time and always enjoys it.

“I’ve been coming to this since my kids were little, so a long time,” she said. “It’s a wonderful thing to see.”

Following the program, Silver Tea attendees celebrated during an afterglow of holiday cookies, punch, coffee and tea in the school’s gymnasium.

To see more photos from the event, click here.

To read more of this story, see today’s print or e-edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.

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Grandma Learns Internet Marketing Rotating Header Image

Use Video

Video for Online Marketing

As marketing online has progressed the use of video has become an important way to get your message out and seen by a large audience. With the ability to download or view large files has become mainstream producing video and uploading it has also become common place. This vehicle for marketing has been made possible by the development of the many new video sharing websites.

Next to Facebook YouTube is one of the most traffic attracting sites on the Internet and other video sharing sites are quickly also captivating large followers. With this amount of interest in these video sharing sites it follows that more and more Internet marketers are using video to get their message in front of a large audience.

If put together properly anything can be sold by using video. However people don’t want to be sold. Most searchers are looking for information not for advertisements. Occasionally a really humorous commercial or an old classic will go viral but this is an exception.

People don’t have time nor the interest to watch videos that are just advertisements. They are searching to have their problem solved. To attract visitors to your video it needs to answer a need in either a humorous, engaging, argumentative, and informative way.

If you are wanting to captivate an extensive audience your video must having something to offer in the way of high quality information. It needs to deliver your message in an entertaining and educational way. Because your message is visual it is possible to share the experience with your audience as if they were also realizing it themselves.

People differ to how they disseminate information. Some people are very visual and find videos easier to follow than the printed word. There are many people who have trouble reading. They either cannot read at all or just plain dislike reading. On the other hand many online marketers resist the use of video because they are photogenic or they think it is very expensive to produce video.

Camtasia is the answer to these fears. With Camtasia you do not have to appear on screen you can produce information on your computer then take video screenshots of it to produce your video. You decide what you wish to be shown from your computer then move from screenshot to screenshot.

With the use of a microphone you can explain what is on the screenshots and in this method give an informative, educational presentation. Camtasia as been developed for non-techs. It is out of the box ready to go.

Most people are able to make their first video with Camtasia within an hour of opening the software! This means that even “newbies” or us Senior Internet marketers can have it up and running quickly. If you have an information product then a “how to video” about the product explaining exactly how to use it is the way to go.

It does not matter what you are trying to sell you can apply this method. You can give several ideas on how to use the product. If it is a real live product you can show it in use.

If your product is a digital eBook, you could have a couple of sample videos on how to get affiliates, or how to get more traffic to your mini site, making sure you show proof of your results within the video production.

If you are reluctant to share your videos you can restrict them to just your web site. On sales pages videos will produce higher conversions. Besides using video to sell your products you can also use it to produce your own ebook.

Related Posts:

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Great Lakes 4x4. The largest offroad forum in the Midwest - View Single Post - Yogis Pig Gig 09
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Old February 20th, 2009, 10:36 PM   #23
vehicle abuse specialist
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i have no hate in my heart, we're just tryin to start up a park and do somethin for the wheelin community, and we get ppl givin us a hard time, i guess some ppl just want to give up everything we have. without the parks, we would all be goin out of state to go do some real wheeling. dont want any trouble, just want to go wheelin.
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Great Lakes 4x4. The largest offroad forum in the Midwest - View Single Post - 2011 Event Calendar
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Old February 27th, 2011, 08:34 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by jeepbrattt View Post
it's there..look in april
august, lol
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Old January 19th, 2013, 08:30 AM   #3
Yeah Buddy!!
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The old bad thing I've heard 'bout em is they're pretty slow; other than that, should be a good tool.
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Recently in pests Category

Emergency Bug Hunt

bughunta11-14-10.jpgA thousand times ewwww...

bughuntb11-14-10.jpgWhen you discover swarms of bugs in your garden and you need helpers to go after them, what better way to inspire a bunch of boys to go on the hunt than to offer video games of choice to the winner. Good thing we had a sleepover last night!

bughuntd11-14-10.jpgCups of soapy water in hand, the five of us lined up for a fall pest-bug version of an Easter Egg hunt.

bughunte11-14-10.jpgThe bugs were everywhere, and apparently many of my plants have been suffering, including Turk's Cap, Passionflower, Salvias, and more.

bughuntf11-14-10.jpg bughuntj11-14-10.jpg bughuntk11-14-10.jpgEntomologist Mike Quinn helped me out with the ID on the black bugs and the long bug with the orange outline. They are Largus bugs (Largus succinctus) in the Bordered Plant Bug family, in the same suborder as the Box Elder -- the black bugs are the instars. And there's a Brown Stink Bug in the mix. Good to finally know what these bugs are. Thank you very much, Mike! Reading more about them, they are not considered major pests, but the numbers in my garden are out of control, and the plants are clearly affected -- so no guilt about the bug hunt here.

Look, a bug snow globe!

bughuntc11-14-10.jpgSometimes we were tricked by dark berries that looked like the pest bugs, like these berries on the Firebush and the berries on the Texas Lantana.

bughunth11-14-10.jpgWhen we all got too cold, we came inside to count our Easter eggs, I mean bugs. First we poured them into a paper-towel lined collander. Yum!

bughunti11-14-10.jpgAnd then counted them up.

bughuntg11-14-10.jpgAll in all, I think we caught some 200 bugs. We'll do a round again later when it warms up. We were all winners and everyone got to play video games (well, except me, who got to do a blog post instead -- yay!).

FYI, that chrysalis I intended to move after my last post is still in its precarious spot on the backdoor frame. I'm guarding it from the dogs, but I need some peace and quiet around here in order to perform such a delicate transplant!

BogeyMan Freak Out

There's very little in nature that disturbs me. I can watch with fascination the way predators stalk their prey, study the little bones left behind in owl pellets, and look at snotty-faced hogs like they're as cute as bunnies.

I adore spiders, all of them.

greenlynx09-17-09.jpgIt would never occur to me to kill one, unless my family was in danger from a venomous one. Some of them make such beautiful webs -- incredible works of art and science and skill all rolled into one, though to the spider it's a just a normal way of life. I've walked into more webs and had more spiders in my big mass of hair than I care to admit, but I still love them.

web06-05-10.jpgI could cuddle with the biggest of snakes.

snake06-05-10.jpgI'd probably prefer not to have to outrun a taipan or to fall flat on my face in front of a rattler, but that's life or death -- and that's different. I guess I'm not a fan of ticks, either, but then who would be? They carry terrible diseases and suck your BLOOD. But they don't invoke fear in me. Not that feeling of panic that makes you shriek and want to flee far away. Well, there was that time in a deer grove near Uvalde that I looked down to see hundreds of ticks crawling onto my shoes -- I'll say that I did stare for a moment with fascination before doing the big "Get These Terrible Ticks Off Me" dance. None managed to reach my skin, thank goodness.

I study flies and bees and slugs with equal amazement. Animal carcasses you find on a trail? Gross, yes, but the stink would drive me away before the sight would.

People say bats, and I run outside with a camera. I love the feel of slimy earthworms in my hand. I've been stung by a scorpion and lived to tell the tale. I've dealt with wasp hives and hornets and learned to appreciate the creepy-crawling of the zillion-legged centipede. I'd curl up with a lion if it wouldn't eat me.

But there is a creature that gets to me. Perhaps that's a poor way to word it.

The freak-out creature for me used to be a roach. I still remember the horror from my childhood of waking up in my room in the middle of the night, freaky shadows cast on the walls by oleanders outside the louver windows, their leaves and branches swaying eerily in the strong wind. In a moonlit spot on the wall, I saw a dark spot, and as my eyes adjusted I realized it was a the biggest roach I'd ever seen (and living in Corpus Christi at the time, I was no stranger to roaches). But this one was clearly the Big Bad Brown Roach from Dark Forces of Evil, and it was watching me. I could feel its little eyes staring at me from across the room.

moonb03-29-10.jpgI stayed as still as I could, trying to muster the nerve to call out for my mom, or better yet flee. But it held me trapped by its dark gaze, long antennas wiggling all around, and I'd never felt such an intense moment in all the five years of my life. And instinctively I knew something was about to happen, and I grabbed the edge of my blanket in my hands just as that giant roach flew across the room directly at me. FLEW! I had never seen one fly, but this sucker did, and my screams of terror from under my blanket must have woken up the whole neighborhood and probably utterly panicked my poor mother who had to find out what was torturing and trying to kill her youngest daughter.

My grandmother's house had lots of roaches. Little ones and big ones. Driven by that roach's attack on my childhood innocence, I went after them with a vengeance whenever I was visiting and saw them. By the way, I can slap a mosquito with the best of them. Grandmother had an infestation of crickets, too, but I could tolerate them somewhat. That reminds me of the year of the grasshoppers, when swarms of giant grasshoppers covered northern Texas, and they'd fly at us across the water when we tried to go sailing, a big white target for long-legged flying green grasshoppers. Shudder. I remember my stepmother shrieking over and over again while holding up a big towel to keep them from landing on her. A few years later, it was the year of the crickets, and stores had to sweep them out by the thousands onto the sidewalks and streets. They'd make a wall look black as they crawled up the sides.

In a biology lab in college, I once had to dissect a live roach. Not those flat little scurrying things we all find to be pests from time to time. No, this was one of those big fat roaches from the southern U.S., Georgia as I recall. We had to basically dismantle it body part by body part, including the fat globs of marshmallow creme, until it was nothing but head and gut tract -- and it was still alive! Its little jaws just gnawed away. THIS is why roaches will outlive humans by millions of years.

In case you are wondering, I was a Zoology major in college. We weren't given a choice about dissecting things, and I won't list them all here. But the scientist side of me took care of business, and really, the internal organs were just as fascinating as the animals themselves. Bodies in general are works of wonder. Beyond that, I tried not to think too much about what I was doing.

I do recall the Giant Rat in high school. One night I was closing the curtains on our louver windows (I will NEVER willingly have louver windows in my adulthood, given the horrors they bring) when I saw a fat scaly tail hanging from the curtain where the drawstrings were. MOM! A giant rat! Neither of us wanted to try to get it out of there, and it wasn't budging on its own, and all we could see was that terrible tail dangling. So we decided to leave the door to the garage open to give it a chance to leave on its own (it probably came in through there). And we went to bed. Next thing I knew, my mom was nudging me awake, whispering that the giant rat was in her room. Why on earth she left her bedroom door partly ajar with such a monstrosity loose in the house, I'll never know. This time we went in with brooms in hand, ready to defend against and drive out the small intruder with giant freaky tail. It turns out that it wasn't a rat, neither giant nor little, but the cutest little baby possum (sharp teeth and all), and it was just as scared as we were. We gently helped it outside.

But while I might squeal at the sudden scurries of little mice or the unexpected appearance of a snake around a corner, none of it disturbs me, and my reaction turns fast to interest. But the creature of all creatures to utterly unnerve me is this. The Harvestman. The Bogeyman, if you ask me.

harvestmana06-05-10.jpgSome people call them daddy longlegs, or granddaddy longlegs. But whatever you call them, don't call them spiders. Because that's what they are NOT.

The harvestman is an arachnid, yes, but not a spider. Its body segments are closely joined to seem fused into a single oval.

harvestmanb06-05-10.jpgAnd they've got those freakily long legs. If they just stayed still, I could MAYBE get used to them. But...

harvestmand06-05-10.jpgThe way they bob up and down and quiver as they walk, they way they gather in black throbbing blobs on walls, the way they move their long legs around when threatened-- EEEEEK. I never really cared for them before, but visiting the narrow cave at Enchanted Rock in college and crawling in dark spaces only to look above and realize the ceiling is quivering, and then to realize with horror that you have thousands of pulsing harvestmen inches from ALL YOUR HAIR, and yeah, that's what did it for me. The word for the masses is "aggregation," a term you never want associated with creatures that freak you out.

harvestmanc06-05-10.jpgIt's the quivering. It's the way they move. I really should capture a video, but I'm feeling pretty weirded out just by how close I had to get to take the pictures. Why? Because when I got close they started to move! They freaked out and started moving and pulsing up and down and then waved their long second legs around like antenna at me, and then I freaked out and I'm just lucky I didn't fall off the ladder I was standing on. Did you know that the legs can keep twitching after they are detached, due to little pacemakers in the first segment? I read that -- I did not try it out. Apparently detaching their twitching leg is actually a defense mechanism to help them escape from predators.

harvestmane06-05-10.jpgBut in researching them, I reluctantly have to admit that they should probably maybe sort of go on the list of a garden's beneficial creatures. They are predators and scavengers both, and if they'd just stay out of sight, they'd be kind of sort of tolerated in my garden. They can't hurt me or my family, other than to give me a heart attack! But no, they are currently on my house, and if their numbers start to increase and my heart starts getting that fight or flight feeling too many times, they're going to have to go. I will not have big quivering wiggling black masses making me relive my cave experience over and over again! THIS IS WHAT NIGHTMARES ARE MADE OF, PEOPLE.

harvestmanf06-05-10.jpgLet's jump right in with a new poem shall we?

O Harvestman, My Bogeyman
© 2009, Great Stems

I think that I should never see
A Harvestman coming straight at me
Even worse is what I fear
That thousands of them gather here.
Lurking, bobbing, on the wall
Legs that make them ten-feet tall

FYI, I'm not actually scared of the harvestman. I won't really run screaming in terror when I see it. But it does creep me out a lot, a LOT, and you won't catch me hanging out around it for long. They might creep me out, but I don't really wish them ill will. I just wish them a new location.

So I've told a long tale, and in it confessed my nature weaknesses. What in nature freaks you out?

EDIT, same day: A funny thing happened after I wrote this post. I finished saving it and got in the car to head to a swim meet. I was still all creeped out after writing the post and doing all those pictures, so I was still thinking about the effects the harvestmen have on me and I started thinking up new lines for the poem. Well, I was driving on a rather long empty road and a cop pulled me over. It was a beautiful blue snazzy "police chase" kind of car, too -- one of those new ones that make your jaw drop. Part of me thought it was kind of cool to be pulled over by the most awesome police car ever. Of course, I was in a mini-van -- not so cool. Well, the dialogue went something like this:

Ma'am, do you know why I pulled you over?

          Ummmm... (serious pause here) maybe I was driving too fast?

Yes, ma'am -- that stretch of road is marked as 45, and you were going 60.

         Oh. (pause) Well, I was thinking about something that had me freaked out. It was
         those harvestmen, those daddylonglegs. And they were all on my house. And they were
         quivering and bobbing, and I'm still creeped out by them. And I guess I didn't know
         I was driving fast. I'm not a speeder by nature.

Please sign here, ma'am.

        Here? Okay.

Thank you, ma'am. Well, this is just a warning about your speed. It would have been a ticket, but in all my years, I've heard lots of stories, and I've never heard one like that before.

By the way, Austinites, don't speed on McNeil, that part near the railroad as it heads toward Wells Branch. Mr. Cool Cop Car might be there waiting for you, but if he is, he's really nice.

I just couldn't come with a title for this one. But I had fun taking photos!

The Cinnamon Sunflower is about 3 feet tall now, but still no blooms. Looking pretty snazzy even without the blooms, I must say.

cinsunflower05-27-10.jpg I never realized how fun milkweed seeds are, fresh from a pod. Hopefully some of these will germinate -- I need more milkweed!

milkweedseeds05-27-10.jpg Still damp from a gentle rain, the Passionvine is happily entwining along its trellis. With luck it will hide our A/C unit soon, at least until the caterpillars start munching!

passifloraa05-27-10.jpg Passiflora flowers just might be the most bizarre flowers out there. I mean seriously -- how on earth did nature come up with that crazy design?

passiflorab05-27-10.jpg The tripod of a stigma at the top looks like some alien straight from a sci-fi movie.

passiflorac05-27-10.jpg The coneflowers are huge and teasing me with blooms to come.

purpleconeflower05-27-10.jpg I'm not sure whether it was the rain or the change in temperature, but I finally got a Checkered White butterfly to hold still for a photo.

And a Dainty Sulphur -- both of these butterflies usually tend to dart around like mad if I get too close. Gotcha, little flutterbies!

I've been noticing more wasps visiting the dill lately, and the caterpillar deaths have increased, so I decided it was time to create a butterfly tent. Within a day we had our first swallowtail chrysalis. The tent is a collapsible $9 laundry hamper -- much cheaper and much larger than the "butterfly kits" you can buy online and in various stores.

swcat05-27-10.jpg swchrysalis05-27-10.jpg

Okay, what's this bug? Good guy? Bad guy? Found him on my native White Honeysuckle bush. I guess I could go look him up.

In other news, I found little slimy larval stuff eating one of my tomato leaves. I took a picture, but they're gross and I decided that they messed with my pretty zen pictures, so I'm not posting it today. The slimy things are in the compost bin now. I don't know whether they're good guys or bad guys, but they were working as a team and my gut told me I didn't want more of them around. And there was a leaf-footed bug on another tomato leaf. Little booger got away. Gah. But at least I'm onto him.

The Wildlife Lover's Moral Dilemma

In this amazing world, to me every creature is fascinating and beautiful in its own way. Nature has a way of showing off the remarkable, and it's like an addictive thrill for me to find and watch nature in action -- the way a tiny jumping spider stalks the much larger ant, the way a bird tilts its head to watch for predators while it eats, the different pitches of the mating sounds of the male toads croaking by the pond. I've been studying nature my whole life, and it never ceases to amaze me.

When nature is left to its own devices, a balance of predator and prey is the expected result, and the natural dynamics of an ecosystem in their own right are fascinating. Even now I feel the shock of climbing a ladder years ago to peer at new baby birds in a nest, only to discover a snake actively swallowing the last baby bird there. But it was nature in action, and while my heart was broken, I used it as an opportunity to teach my young children that the snake has a right to live as much as the little birds, and while we might not like what happened, it's nature. And then we talked about the hinged jaws of a snake, and all was good.

spiderfirefly05-22-10.jpgSo what makes a wildlife lover become executioner, a god deciding who shall live and who shall die? How can one be absolutely dedicated to gardening for wildlife and seeking out the fascination that nature inspires, then cross the line to what feels like heartless murder?

I've already crossed the line to actively killing fire ants in my yard. Anyone who has ever been bitten and stung, especially repeatedly, knows why these invasive insects are such a serious danger and problem. For immediate control, we use the boiling water method, but I also use beneficial nematodes and organic bait to help control these aggressive and painfully fierce armies of ants. Not only am I doing this to discourage a rampant problem from growing worse, but I'm a mother protecting her family from danger. So, easy justification.

I also have crossed the line to removal by hand of spotted cucumber beetles, aphids, stink bugs, grasshoppers, and a few others. But now I face a new foe, and a new dilemma. My tomatoes are in danger... from a most beautiful pest.

This is my first year growing tomatoes -- Romas, Brandywines, and Tomatillos-- and so far so good. The bushes are outgrowing their cages and already need new support.

  tomato05-22-10.jpgThe young Roma tomatoes are plentiful, and the flowers on the Brandywines let me know they aren't far behind. The tomatillos are younger but well on their way.

tomatob05-22-10.jpgBut the other night, a friend came over to share a birthday key lime pie I'd made my husband, and we ventured outside in the dark with flashlight in hand to view my enormous tomato bushes. My friend had been talking about a little green worm he'd found munching on his tomatoes at home, and wouldn't you know when he reached out to my tomatoes in the dark, he found a "squishy" creature on my tomatoes, too!

It was a hornworm -- specifically a tobacco hornworm, designated by the red horn on its end. We brought it back into the house and watched it munch away on the leaf we'd brought back with it (there were actually two -- see the small one there as well?). It became the table centerpiece and primary topic of conversation as we munched on key lime pie and it on its tomato leaf. We watched it munch and poop and munch some more -- yes, now you know how far I'll go to study nature. And we truly admired its beauty --a tobacco hornworm and its counterpart the tomato hornworm are gorgeous as far as caterpillars go, and the large sphinx moths they become are beautiful, too.

 But we also discussed the dilemma I was in. If I let it live and go back to feasting on my tomato plants, its voracious appetite would defoliate my plants in a flash and leave holes in my young tomatoes. But after an evening of studying the little guy, could I just brutally murder this lovely green caterpillar just innocently munching on the leaves its mama left it on? Was this the Last Supper?

      hornworm05-22-10.jpgUltimately I decided not to dwell on the pending demise of this pretty caterpillar. I knew the outcome the moment we'd found it. The fact is, I have an investment in the vegetable garden, and while many plants elsewhere in my yard are chosen for the wildlife that depend on them, my tomatoes are there for my family. Hornworms have a history of being pretty terrible pests, and if I let this one live, more will come to my tomatoes.

I did give it a home for the night and a bit of breakfast (the Last Breakfast, as it were) while I looked for its siblings on my tomato plants. I couldn't find anymore, but I suspect they are just quite adept at blending in. And in the morning daylight, the true beauty of the caterpillar was apparent. Look at how the lines on its body eventually converge to form the horn.

hornwormb05-22-10.jpgWith sadness, this morning the caterpillar will go to the bird feeder tray. I can't bring myself to do the deed, but perhaps a bird will do the job for me.

hornwormf05-22-10.jpgAnd there is the wildlife lover's dilemma. I'm having to send that which I admire to its doom, but maybe I can feel good that a bird will be happy. For what it's worth, little caterpillar, I'm sorry.

Umm, yeah. I just went outside to the tomatoes again and found this monster. They get rather fat and a little more intimidating when they're gigantic and practically bursting with your tomato plants inside them... And talk about the elephant of all caterpillar poop. I'm letting you imagine it rather than sharing a picture, but trust me, HUGE.

I saw this squirrel at the feeder when I put the caterpillars out. Think she'll eat them?

My husband's comment: Maybe the caterpillars will eat the squirrel.

Healthy Soil Makes a Healthy Garden

Spring is already around the corner, can you believe it? Sure, it's still January, but many of us are already planning our spring gardens, preparing beds, and ordering more seeds. But while you're busy planning what gorgeous flowers and greenery will decorate your garden this year, think about what lies beneath -- the soil -- for that is what makes your garden grow... literally.

soilmulchb01-17-10.jpgYour best bet for healthy plants starts with a healthy soil. But what exactly is healthy soil? Good soil is teeming with life. Many people have heard of food webs that show the relationship between plant-eaters and the animals that eat them, on up the food chain to humans. But did you know there is a whole food web just for what occurs in soil? Healthy soil contains organic matter to feed the little tiny creatures within the soil, and those creatures in turn break down nutrients into materials your flowers, trees, and shrubs can use.

Take a look at this diagram from the USDA website on soil.

It shows that not only is it important to have a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes, it all starts with organic matter in the soil. You simply have to have organic material in order to feed all the little guys that will do their part to take care of your plants naturally. Bacteria and fungi help retain nutrients in the soil, and protozoa consume the bacteria, releasing the nutrients into a form that plants can use. From there, beneficial nematodes consume bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, releasing even more nutrients for the plants. And while all these happy little beneficial creatures are eating their goodies, making their poop, and doing their part, they are denying nutrients to icky, disease-causing bad-guy creatures. Your soil is more protected with the presence of all those good guys, and your plants are happily reaping the benefits.

On up the food chain, arthropods, nematodes, and earthworms get consumed by larger predators, such as birds. And you can probably take the food web from there.

How do you know whether your soil is healthy? Well, one, you can have your soil tested, particularly if you are concerned about the mineral content of your soil (nutrient level) and whether you have any more serious concerns. But also consider whether you see many earthworms.

Earthworms are one of the best indicators of a healthy soil system. They consume bacteria and protozoa in the soil as organic material passes through their system, and their feces are rich with other microorganisms to help convert nutrients into a state plants use. They shred organic matter (making it more accessible to the microorganisms), loosen soil, create passages for oxygen and water to get into the soil, and their poop, or castings, are incredibly beneficial to the soil and your plants.

If you've been using chemicals on your yard for years, chances are that your plants are chemical dependent, or you might be starting to find that no matter how many times you spray, you just can't fix those brown spots in your lawn or resolve problems with fungus, etc. The chemical usage has disrupted the ecosystem, and getting your soil healthy again is the key to solving all those problems. You can help your plants transition off the chemicals simply by adding compost to your soil and taking advantage of multiple organic products out there that will boost your soil with microorganisms and/or natural nutrients, such as compost tea, seaweed, fish emulsion, and any number of organic mixtures and powders that provide microorganisms with food as a base. Leave your grass clippings and fallen leaves where they lay to decompose, resupplying the soil with the organic matter it needs.

wormc01-17-10.jpgAnd when you start to see earthworms, rejoice. Do a little worm dance, because you have happy, healthy soil. We are starting to have so many earthworms here that it's hard to dig a hole for a new plant without worrying we might hurt a worm. We protect them, we love them, and yes, we do our little worm dances.

War, Peace, and Bananas

It seems strange to post pictures of a bright sunny day while I listen to the lovely sounds of raindrops falling outside. But at least I'm dry.

Over the past couple of days, the garden was a green version of Grand Central Station. Butterflies, wasps, moths, flies, and other creatures all came to feast, rest, and feast some more. It was high noon when I took these, unfortunately, but beggars can't be choosers when there are masses of creatures about all at the same time! You just get the shots when you can.

varietybutterflies11-18-09.jpgAt last, Painted Lady butterflies have come to visit.

paintedlady11-18-0.jpg paintedladyc11-18-0.jpgpaintedladyb11-18-0.jpg paintedladyd11-18-0.jpg I love the hidden peacock feathers you see in their hindwings.

paintedladye11-18-0.jpg   Variegated Fritillaries have arrived, too.

variegatedfritillary11-18-09.jpg variegatedfritillaryb11-18-09.jpg     A Snout Butterfly rested on Big Muhly.

And Queens went back and forth between the Gregg's Mistflower...

queens11-18-09.jpg queensb11-18-09.jpg and the Milkweed.

queenmale11-18-09.jpg I have so many kinds of skippers I can't name them all.

skipper11-18-09.jpg skipperandfrit11-18-09.jpg I think this is a Fiery Skipper...

skipperb11-18-09.jpg and this a White-Checkered Skipper.

The Gulf Fritillary was a challenge to photograph -- it cared not for sitting still.

gulffritillarya11-18-09.jpg gulffritillaryb11-18-09.jpg And Sulphurs -- some big, some small. Is this a Southern Dogface Sulphur or a Cloudless Sulphur?

sulphur11-18-09.jpg sulphurb11-18-09.jpg Tiny yellow butterflies fluttered about -- they didn't sit still for long. Hmmm... Little Yellow or Mimosa?

yellowbutterfly11-18-09.jpg yellowbutterflyb11-18-09.jpg

The big butterfly attractors have been the milkweed, zinnias, and Gregg's Mistflower, but a few days ago I set out a banana for the butterflies. They do love a rotting banana, but the last time I did that, the banana just rotted all by its little lonesome. This time, I walked out to discover a Goatweed Leaf Butterfly enjoying a snack with a Snout Butterfly (and a fly).

goatweedleafandsnout11-18-09.jpgSo I decided to set out a fresher banana, as well, and -- whoa -- incoming. Suddenly my new banana became an experiment and a wildlife study. The first visitors were wasps and flies. I'm not even going to attempt to identify any of these, but there's quite the variety!

waspsc11-18-09.jpg The wasps didn't always get along. The big red hornet-like one was the bully you'd expect him to be -- not that the other wasps were friendly and gentle-like, mind you...

wasps11-18-09.jpg While the wasps were distracted with their quarreling, the flies zoomed in for some banana. I like how they naturally spread themselves out.

banana11-19-09.jpgDo you see the beautiful metallic turquoise insect in the lower left corner? That's a Cuckoo Wasp -- the only one I can identify other than "fly" or "wasp."

fliesandcuckoo11-18-09.jpg   Here's another pic.

I didn't mind all the visiting wasps. It kept them distracted from my Queen caterpillars on the milkweed.

queencatb11-18-09.jpgAnd the flies and wasps weren't the only visitors to the bananas. Snouts began to venture over to the fresher banana, and today I found my first Red Admiral. What a beauty!

red admiral.jpg See this "pretty" yellow, green, and black bug? Bad bug. Spotted cucumber beetle. You can mourn it if you like -- it and four of its friends. At least I found them on the banana and not in my veggie garden. That water in the pic is from today's rain.

spottedcucumberbeetle11-18-09.jpgThe only butterfly picture I didn't capture that first picture day was the lone Monarch I saw flying around. Have they started to move on? I'm keeping my eye out for caterpillars -- I did see a female Monarch laying eggs on the milkweed several days ago.

Elsewhere in the garden today, I discovered what I think is an assassin bug nymph. My last one was red, though, so I don't know.

assassin11-20-09.jpgAnd off in the former pumpkin patch, where a few pumpkins and vines await me doing something about them, I found an icky green guy having a feast.

greenworm11-20-09.jpgEnjoy it while you can, buddy.

Oh Deer

Well, we'd been warned. Deer will rub antlers on young trees.

deerdamage10-09-09.jpgBut they seemed to leave our Lacey Oak alone all year -- well, as it turns out that's because it isn't until fall that they do the antler rub thing! We noticed the damage while planting our new Anachacho Orchid nearby. Cry. I haven't had a deer incident this major since they ate my beloved Spotted Squill, a.k.a Alien Tentacle Plant! Well, there's also the pineapple sage, but I can't be 100% sure on that one, as it was closer to the house.

I think the tree will be ok. The damage isn't all the way around, and it's on only one of the three main trunks. But I'm also very glad we noticed it today and not tomorrow, because tonight more damage might have occurred.

deerfence10-09-09.jpgAnd luckily when we planted the Lacey Oak, I also bought the materials to protect it with. Perhaps actually using said materials might have been the wiser path... But we at least had them in the garage and didn't have to go shopping.

So now we have one of those yards with the goofy fences around the trees. We decided to put the Anacacho behind bars with the Lacey Oak to protect it, too. It's the first understory tree to go under the story of the Lacey Oak. This would be more impressive were the trees, say, bigger. But they will grow!

deerfenceb10-09-09.jpgNow for some good news -- the disappearing fountain is back and functioning again! We never did solve the mystery of the shifted rock, which led to the unexpected emptying of our new disappearing fountain and potential pump damage. But happily the pump still functions, and our fountain still remains the $40 disappearing fountain! We changed up the rock structure, so hopefully it will be harder for some creature to displace the tube. That little rock is only there for interest, not for directing the water flow.

40fountain10-09-09.jpgWhether it was cat or deer or rain or human or Sasquatch that caused the tube to shift, we'll never know. But I still think a deer is likely responsible for the removal of the nearby pineapple sage. And the nursery didn't have any the last time I was there. I was sad. Oh deer.

The One Good Thing About Fire Ants

Pouring boiling water on them is oh so therapeutic. Ahhhhh, satisfying. (Edit: I don't kill normal ant species, but fire ants are a dangerous invasive non-native species that swarm and sting en masse, so they are not welcome in my garden. Ever.)

I tried to get in a quick mow of the weed yard before tonight's thunderstorms and found fire ant mound after fire ant mound. Turning over rocks and bricks led to all sorts of surprise ants scurrying about in angry fashion. I think I boiled about 5 large pots of water, and that wasn't enough.

Under some bricks, though, we found good guys. Like this young centipede. Yes, it's a good guy. Eats grubs and bad pests in the soil. My friend. My friend with venom claws and poison glands. (EDIT: Apparently it's a millipede, based on the numbers of legs per segment. Good to know! Thanks, Amanda. Eats organic matter and also a good guy.)

One of Those Days

Didn't sleep well last night, had to drop a kid off at school at 7am, car broke in the bus lane at school (fortunately I got moving before the buses arrived), $700 repair fee at the dealer, forgot to get my husband to move the heavy birdbath so I could grout it, my dogs are wreaking havoc on my garden, and aphids are wreaking havoc on my plants. BUT.. other than that it's a fine day.

Look what I discovered this morning! Know what these are? I just learned what they are at a lecture by a local entomologist last night, and lo and behold I found some in my garden the very next day. Life works in funny ways, doesn't it?

greenlacewingeggs09-25-09.jpgThese are the eggs of green lacewings. As larvae, they are voracious aphid eaters. Yay, another ally in the garden! I need them because the aphids are worse than ever. I seem to have least three species now --- I'll call them green, yellow, and beige. The green I'm sure are corn leaf aphids. I have got to get out and tackle them TODAY. My veggies, my milkweed, and now my firebush plant are all having an aphid problem. The little pests took advantage of my time away from the garden during the rainy week and bred like rabbits. I'm starting to think that it's the other way around, and rabbits breed like aphids. Today I'm seeing wings on some. Gah, more colonization!

yellowaphids09-25-09.jpgSo I've got new lacewings arriving soon, and of course I've got ladybugs. More spiders are arriving, as are earthworms. The bees are getting plentiful, and I don't even have to do the veggie porn thing to pollinate my plants anymore. I truly love the way nature just naturally (ha) balances its ecosystems. Got organic wastes? Happy earthworms move in. Got flowers? Let's pollinate. Overpopulation of something? Here come the predators. And here come the predators to eat the other predators. Oh look, birdie treats. And then snakes. And hawks. Whee, life is grand.

I call these my bees because I'm so fond of them, but of course they are wild. They get a little drunk-like in their flying when they are heavily loaded with pollen -- it's fun to watch. The pumpkin flowers were all abuzz this morning with bees about, and as I took pictures, I realized that there was some hostility going on. It seems at least one other colony has found our garden, and apparently different bee colonies don't play nicely with others.

Know what else I learned from the entomologist? Feral honeybees in Texas and other states of the Southwest have all been Africanized in some way. Only beekeepers are able to keep sound European colonies because of their control of the queens.

FYI, in case I've scared anyone, bees in your garden are not a threat -- don't rush out and kill them, please! They are not in stinging mode when they are out pollinating -- that's quite counter-productive to their hive's needs. Africanized honeybees, or any bees really, are a danger only when you threaten their hive (allergies aside), and apparently they'll give a warning by buzzing around your head or actually bonking you on the head, believe it or not. If you find yourself near a wild hive, RUN -- don't walk away. Like fire ants, the Africanized honeybees give word to others in their colony by pheromones, and you need to put immediate distance (at least 200 yards) between you and the hive. Other than their defensiveness in protecting their hive, Africanized bees are not really any different from other bees. And actually there have been positive changes in their aggressiveness, too, depending on factors of colony age and breeding with European bees. It's all good. No worries. As with anything, just be aware, not necessarily beware. Ooh, I like that.

By the way, have you hugged a beekeeper today? Not only do they raise pollinators and help with honey production, they are helping tremendously by keeping domestic European bee colonies intact, as well as helping breed gentler stocks of Africanized bees by culling out aggressive queens. Hug!

Thanks to my bees, I have several pumpkins growing. One is approaching the size of a soccer ball now (it's been a week since I discovered female buds in bloom). Another is growing in the dead tree. And more are scattered here and there -- finding them is like going on an Easter Egg hunt. There's one! There's another one! Again, how I love nature.

pumpkinb09-25-09.jpgWith the rain this week, the yard is a big mudfest for the dogs, and they took advantage of it -- digging where they shouldn't, trampling through the butterfly garden, and taking turns leaping over the pumpkin vines. I'm out there yelling, "This is not your playground!" And then I realized my neighbor must think I'm nuts, because of course it IS their playground. If I can manage it, I'll try to get a picture of the husky leaping in full gallop over the massive pumpkin plants (in between my yelling at him, of course). It really is a sight to behold.

Goodbye Cantaloupe Thing

Due to some exciting goings on, my next few posts will be bird-related, so I thought I best put out a veggie garden update. But first I want to share some thrilling butterfly news -- the Monarchs, Queens, Swallowtails, and Gulf Fritillaries, among others, have finally returned to the garden! You can believe I'll be out there with my camera. I did manage to capture a picture of my first Gray Hairstreak butterfly. I was happy to see her on the Blackfoot Daisies -- those flowers are often ignored by the bigger butterflies, who go straight for the Lantana or Mistflower. I read that Gray Hairstreak caterpillars will eat bean plants. Oh well, guess I'll share.

grayhairstreak09-18-09.jpgBut back to the "farm."

The cantaloupe experiment has finally come to an end, and it's report time. It's kind of sad, really. My beautiful cantaloupe plants finally succumbed to the aphids, which had become so abundant (despite the ladybugs) that their sticky "honeydew" residue, combined with the rains from last week, had led to a nasty sooty mold problem.

After several days of wondering whether to let my cantaloupes keep trying to ripen, I decided to go ahead and pull the plug. My big one just kept growing but never sweetening, and the shapes of the other two medium-ones led me to believe that I was, in fact, growing a hybrid. I suspected as much, but I decided to enjoy the process anyway.

  cantaloupehybrids09-18-09.jpgThe big cantaloupe, cut open, actually did look like a cantaloupe. I opted not to take a bite, but I did lick a piece. Yuck... as I suspected. Though I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, I do consider the experiment a success. Growing the cantaloupes got me excited about my first veggie garden, led to my first raised beds with trellises, and really helped me get a headstart on the veggie learning curve. I did learn a lot, and I got hooked on growing edibles. Plus, one can't beat the excitement of finding out that your plant is actually growing fruit (even if it's weird hybrid fruit). I don't consider the cantaloupes my first official harvest, mind you. They were an experiment, especially after I found out that seeds from store-bought cantaloupes should not be used, no matter how much fun it might be.

cantaloupehybrid09-18-09.jpgSo I began the process of cutting up the fruit for the compost bin. By the way, ever wonder what the inside of a young cantaloupe looks like? Pretty cool.

youngcantaloupe09-18-09.jpgRemoving the icky plants from the trellis was NO fun. During the process I realized why many garden bloggers opt only to show their beautiful harvests instead of what might be a failure -- it's depressing. I was out there quite grateful that my camera was nowhere near the sooty mold, and while I felt partially obligated to show the whole miserable trellis, I just wanted to get that cantaloupe and all the thousands of aphids into the trash and as far away from my sugar pumpkin plants ASAP. I didn't even want the plants to go into the compost, they were so gross.

A closer inspection of the sugar pumpkin plants showed that the aphids are starting to move over, and I plan to attack them better. I was happy to find several ladybug nymphs -- hurray for my aphid-fighting allies!

ladybugnymph09-18-09.jpgBut all is well, and I'm looking forward. The sugar pumpkins are the biggest things I've ever seen. They are growing up and over and out from the raised garden bed.

I FINALLY had a blooming female bud on a sugar pumpkin, and hopefully I helped it pollinate in time. Cross your fingers! There will be more, and I must be on the lookout. There were two blooming females on the jack-o-lantern pumpkins, but I doubt they'll be big enough for carving by Halloween. At least they opened, and I did the pumpkin porn thing to help things along -- I didn't have time to watch to see whether the bees were doing their job!

pumpkinovary09-18-09.jpgThe jack-o-lantern pumpkins have begun their spread into the perennial garden, so I have to monitor them. One is even taking advantage of the dead Mexican redbud. It's nice to see green on the redbud again, poor thing.  ;)    It's scheduled for fall replacement.

pumpkinvineintree09-18-09.jpgThe corn is growing, though I've found a couple of worms hiding out in the leaf niches. I'm trying to watch for more, but they seem to sneak in when the gardener's not looking. I've also got young beans, zucchini, and snap peas growing, as well as tiny kohlrabi, carrots, lettuce and spinach seedlings.

This morning I found some strawberry plants at Natural Gardener. These are "Seascape" strawberries, and when more varieties arrive, I'll try to get some for comparison. I'm eager for strawberry success!

strawberryplant09-18-09.jpgAnd another exciting find at Natural Gardener -- I finally got a gargoyle. They arrived this morning, and the staff seemed as excited as I was. Apparently they don't usually have gargoyles. He's a little guy, but his protective watch over our garden is sure to drive away all pests. Right?

gargoyle09-18-09.jpgMaybe he can tell me what to do about this Green June Beetle. I found it on one of my pumpkin plants. I see beetle grubs in the soil all the time. I believe they qualify as a minor pest, but I'm not sure. The beetle is pretty, as far as beetles go. Underneath is a pretty, shiny coppery surface. It's still alive, but in a jar, until I decide whether it should stay or go. I don't care about damage to turf, as I have none worth saving, but I don't want damage to other plants and fruit.

I did learn an interesting way to identify the Green June Beetle white grubs from other white grubs -- the ones of the Green June Beetle will "crawl" on their back via undulating movements. Somehow I think Shrek would appreciate that.

Meredith O'Reilly happily
gardens for wildlife in
Austin, TX. She enjoys
educating people of all ages
about native flora, fauna,
and healthy environments.

Nature Blog Network

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And here, through the briefs and links, is where you can find out the many things to see and do in and around Groton.

Groton had its precarious beginnings when John Tinker followed Indian Trails from the Bay area and settled near the mouth of Nod Brook on the Nashua to set up his trading post to do business with the Nashaway Indians. The area was known as Petapawag, an Indian name for swampy land. Adventuresome families soon followed, on foot or on horseback, and found it a good place for the necessary farming and fishing.

In 1655, this trading post evolved into a formal settlement called The Plantation of Groton, which encompassed all of what is now Groton and Ayer, nearly all of Pepperell and Shirley, a large part of Dunstable and Littleton, as well as smaller parts of Harvard, Westford, Nashua, NH, and Hollis, NH. It was named in honor of one of the original Selectmen, Dean Winthrop, who was born in Groton, Suffolk County, England.

In 1676, during the King Philip’s War, Indians attacked the town and burned down all but four garrison houses. The surviving residents fled to Concord and other safe havens returning two years later to rebuild the town.

As Groton’s population grew so did many supporting industries including a soapstone quarry, a large hop-growing industry, a brick factory, a saw mill, a grist mill, and a pewter mill which produced tea pots, plates, cups, and buttons.

West Groton lies within a “V” formed by the Nashua and the Squannacook rivers. The old red brick Groton Leatherboard factory still stands on the Squannacook River as an example of the late industrial period of a New England mill village. West Groton has its own post office, fire station, and water department. In the past, other areas of Groton were designated as east, south, and north, but only West Groton’s name survived.

The Lost Lake area was created at the turn of the century through damming nearby streams and flooding an existing field. It was popular as a summer resort for city residents and today both permanent and summer residents live there.

To learn more about Groton and its history visit,_Massachusetts or

The most of places are in the walking distance from The Inn and we recommend to visit:

The Groton Public Library, Located on Main Street.

Town Clock, Located at the corner of Main Street and Legion Road. The 90-year old clock, given to the town by Dr. Samuel Greene is located in the clock tower of the Old Baptist Church.

Governor Boutwell House, Located on Main Street. Built in 1851, the same year George S. Boutwell became Governor of Massachusetts, it is now the Groton Historical Society Museum. Various periods of furniture and artifacts are on exhibit. The Old Burying Ground, Located on Hollis Street. Visiting hours – dawn to dusk. It is fascinating to stroll through and read the sentimental epitaphs and to note the quaint designs on the markers. Rubbing is allowed by permit only.
Open by appointment only. No admission fee.

First Parish Church, Located at the corner of Main Street and Rte 119. This church was originally built in 1755 as a gathering place. The church bell was cast by Paul Revere Foundry. De Menil Gallery Groton School MA The De Menil Gallery at Groton School is a public gallery that opened in October of 2001. Designed by Perry Dean Rogers/Partners of Boston, this state-of-the-art gallery has approximately 900 square feet of exhibition space. The Gallery is located at The Dillon Art Center at Groton School. Open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily except Wednesdays and on weekends 1:00pm to 4:00pm. The Gallery is free and open to the public. For more information call 978 448 3363 or visit

Helene’s Stables are located about two miles North from the Inn (ask for detailed directions at the Front Desk). Helene is offering riding lessons and children would especially enjoy petting Ponies.


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Canna Start

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An exceptionally balanced solo nutrient for both seedlings and rooted cuttings, Canna Start is an excellent source of nutrient for various growth mediums including jiffy plugs, seed mix, coco pellets and most other substrates. However, Canna Start is not recommended for clone or re-circulating system.

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  • Desired pH level: 5.2-6.2
  • Recommended drain: 10%
  • Avoid over fertilization
  • Not recommended for use in wooded or swampy areas, reed beds, hedges, surface water, in or near groundwater collecting areas or in protected nature preserves
  • Store in a dark place. Avoid extreme heat or cold temperatures
  • Keep away from children and animals
  • Wear protective gear such as gloves and goggles when using Canna Start

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An extremely resourceful algae-based, vegetative stimulator for root development, Canna Rhizotonic i..

Stewart  propagators will simplify raising your own plants and give you a small, nursery for y..

A scalpel is an essential tool in the armoury of a gardener. Using a scalpel ensures a clean cu..

Clonex Mist is easy to use giving …• Fast root generationClonex® Mist has been independently trialed..