Wildlife Wall Decor

Karl Malone was one of NBA’s great basketball stars, dominating wins in the Western Conference and playing for Utah’s Jazz.  For you basketball sportsmen, here is an opportunity to get to know a little more about Karl’s passion . . . other than basketball.  Karl Malone is an outdoorsman, fisherman, guide, and conservationist.

For an awesome Elk decor trophy-prize photo of Karl spreading his arms on an ELK RACK, read the article “5 MINUTES WITH KARL MALONE” . . . published in the Outdoor Life magazine, June/July 2009, page 132.  For more online information about this basketball hero, Karl Malone, visit . . . outdoorlife.com/malone.

For a diverse garden with lasting appeal, it’s important to incorporate all the elements. This includes the central elements of earth, wood, and water, as well as the less often integrated elements of stone, fire, and metal. While the vegetation in the garden takes care of the earth and wood, it’s also important to integrate water. This could include something like a fountain, or a garden pond. In terms of stone, a few assorted statuettes is an excellent idea, or a full stone fountain can also work well in the garden. Fire and vegetation often don’t mix well, but well tended fire pit can make a garden much more beautiful in the twilight hours, and also provide warmth. The fire pit can also serve as metal garden art, but be sure to consider other metal garden art like wildlife silhouettes and signs.

With these elements incorporated in the garden, it will be all the more beautiful and is sure to become one of the favorite places in the home. Make sure the garden looks as you would want it, otherwise, it just becomes someone else’s sweet escape!

Being on a cattle drive was always a lot of hard work.  At least it was when I was a young man.  We de-horned the calves, earmarked and branded some, and on those bound some day for the slaughter house, we removed the family jewels.  By the time I was kicked in the ribs by a 300 to 400 pound steer, and bucked off a horse, I had experienced real western lifestyle on the ranch.  Country boys worked pretty hard, and I was ready to return to the soft city life.

On the other hand, if I could be a part of the Burk family cattle drive from Squaw Valley, California ranch into the Sequoia National Forest every year, I’d change my attitude real quick.   Just driving through this amazing sanctuary of giant trees brought me closer to the Creator each time.  The Burks have been moving cattle every year to summer range since 1941.

Read this article, “RIDING AMONG GIANTS,” by Darrell Dodds in the Western Horseman magazine, February 2009, pages 22-27.

The goodness of a garden brings blessings in many ways.  Healthy living is primarily the most important benefit.  When you share the bounty of the crops you raise, the giving process multiplies the gift.  Putting your hands and energy into an earth garden increases the human immunity system to disease.  In addition, it strengthens the body with exercise, by exposing the body to fresh air and sunshine.

The blessings continue with unlimited joys of outdoor images of nature’s gifts through birds, bees, and butterflies.  They all help in the pollination of flowers, fruits, and nuts.  And this is just the beginning of how a garden blesses our lives.  It influences relationships with friends, family, and neighbors.  Then, in the event of a clever artistic design of your gardens, when you place your home on the market for sale, having a productive garden raises the value of your home and  property.

The porch of the home can express much about its occupants, and guests to the home often base their first impressions off the porch. It’s important to have a porch that is both inviting to guests and with great curb appeal. It’s a good idea to incorporate flowers on a porch, whether in pots, or hanging baskets, these add a lot of color and the appeal of nature to the porch area. For those seasons when flowers aren’t feasible, consider a few nice shrubs or well tended pine trees in post. It’s important to have some kind of greenery on the porch, so whatever it is, don’t forget! It’s also important to have a good lighting fixture, whether it’s a classic wrought iron lamp or more contemporary sconce, go with what feels right. Welcome signs are underused and underrated, but are still an excellent way to express a greeting to guests. Consider metal welcome signs as these won’t wear down during adverse weather conditions.

With an inviting porch complete with a few personal touches, guests will get the right first impression. A well tended and welcoming porch speaks volumes about the homeowners, and remember that curb appeal is important too!

For three years in a row . . . Seattle, Washington has been the recipient of Duck’s Unlimited award for raising the most funds for conservation of Wild Bird Sanctuaries.  The prizes featured in the live auction among 285 members, Ducks Unlimited provided an African Plains big game hunt, a mule deer hunt, an Alaskan fishing trip, a Baja Mexico adventure, a Sun Valley ski vacation, a Hawaiian Big Island adventure, a South Sea pearl necklace, a Russell Chatham lithograph, a Chihuly bonfire basket, and a Cajun seafood boil.  The live auction sale raised $228,594.00! 

For more information about donations to Wild Bird Sanctuaries, read this article published in Ducks Unlimited, March/April 2009, page 10.

Veteran Duck and Goose Hunters share their secrets for better hunting conditions.  The following list is 15 ways to improve your hunting habits.  Hopefully, they will not only bring home the birds, but also keep you hunting safely.

1) Look at the big picture.  2) Feed your retriever the right diet.  3) Spread out in a strong wind.  4) Sound like a raft.  5)  When in doubt, use oak.  6) Improve your reaction time.  7) Downsize late in the season.  8) Run an ice eater on cold nights.  9) Choose a good timber call.  10) Find a contented flock.  11) Clean your blind at season’s end.  12) Hunt a traffic field.  13) Take it slow in a layout blind.  14) Think ahead for your boat motor.  15) Make diver spreads species-specific. 

To get further explanation of this list and more updated information, visit Ducks Unlimited, March 2009, pages 34-38.

With spring in the air, some people are pleased to have the warm weather here. But others are more than a little upset. After all, warm weather means blooming flowers, and blooming flowers means the potential for high amounts of pollen in the air. If you’re an allergy sufferer, this can make it a rough time of year. Allergies can also extend to animals, and if you know you hack and sneeze and get hives every time a cat crosses your path, it’s very unlikely that you’re going to know the joys of pet ownership.

But you don’t have to be totally without pets in your life just because you’re an allergy sufferer. If you’re a pet lover who finds yourself without a pet, look into wildlife wall art. This way, you can be surrounded with images of animals without having to suffer any of the negative side effects of being around actual animals. These pieces of wall art will also be a great accent to any home office or guest bedroom. They are also surprisingly versatile, so no matter what kind of existing décor you have in your home, they’re sure to add to the look of the house.

Hunt better, fish smarter, and master the outdoors is the theme of an article in Field & Stream magazine, May 2008, pages 61-72.  The author, T. Edward Nickens, presents 50 ideas to develop your skills for camping, hunting, and fishing. 

Nickens mentions three that are my favorites: how to make waterproof matches, sharpen an axe in the field, or start a fire with binoculars.  Hunting and fishing techniques are addressed in this article to help anyone become a more successful outdoorsman.  This article could save your life or the life of a friend or someone you love.  Clever is good, but safe is better.

Change . . . is evolutional motion.  Good or bad, it happens . . . all over the world.  An example is the devastation that fire creates in forested areas.  Yellowstone National Forest, located in northwest Wyoming and parts of Montana and Idaho, is our oldest national park.  Thousands of acres were burned twice in the 20th Century.  Yet, over the years . . . repeatedly, new growth of shrubs, wild-flowers, trees and even wildlife restored nature’s beauty better than what it was before. 

Among the many changes that took place are weather-related: Wind, rain, ice, and snow packs scarred the surface of the earth, as rolling rocks and mud slides occurred during extreme storms and seasonal changes.

Read “Winter Wonder” in Hiways magazine, December 2008, pages 34-39.  The story and photos are by Donna Ikenberry.  I personally have seen Yellowstone before, after the fire, and many years following the fire.  Change is amazing!