Above: In the video above I show how I just added another 50 feet of 3/8 of an inch braided nylon rope from Canadian Tire (it is on spools, just ask Jerry at the Yonge & Davenport store to measure you out a length)...This is the final step in closing all gaps & fixing any stray rope that may cause tripping...This makes my total rope length for this eight prototype design for a trumpeter Swan nest to be 750 feet...Apparently no matter how thick the rope I use, I end up using 750 feet for a 43 inch diameter nest...

below(this is the step before the last, the night before the video one): Glow in the dark green rope 3/8 of an inch, 100 feet...Added it this evening...Total rope length count is now 700 feet...(before, 500 red white braid poly. 100 feet white twisted nylon)...had to fill in the gaps...(turns out rope was on tremendous sale at Canadian Tire tonight...wow! May get some more...) Now I am going to have to get a Trumpeter swan to model the nest...Will post when that happens...

two things which are neat together: (maybe 4 or 5 hundred dollars total though)...
http://www.amazon.com/Powerblanket-Portable-Heating-Thawing-Blanket/dp/B002MDOP9A/ref=pd_sim_sbs_misc_4 This link is to a 'plug into your car lighter or 12V portable rechargeable battery', heating pad which can get wet & is 4 feet by 4 feet in dimension...I imagine the Trumpeter swans might like one of these under their nest for winter, or as a nest maybe...Under might be better...

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-Dynamo-Rechargeable-Power-Station/dp/B001IFS300/ref=sr_1_1?s=miscellaneous&ie=UTF8&qid=1327872684&sr=1-1 here is a cool portable rechargeable battery which also does other stuff-to plug your heating pad into...
 
  On more than a hunch, I think I have discovered the cure for the common cold! here it is...
  Ok, background...
  I believe that people get colds when their liver is debilitated or run down...

  Based on that hunch, the cure for the common cold would be milk thistle...You can get milk thistle from Shopper's Drug mart for 12 dollars on sale right now...

  What it does is it cleans out your liver, & you wake up the next day well again...
  
  I know because I have tested milk thistle on Joseph & myself...Joseph got his cold a few days after a drinking binge, so I was able to make the connection...

  I caught his cold...I medicated both of us with milk thistle capsules, granted instead of two I took 5 & made him take 6, all at once...Just to get a quick reaction...

  Lo & behold the next morning we were both fine...This is after two weeks of the cold drudging along...Yes, I know, I am a genius...

  Thank me when you get better from your cold...& spread the word...The fewer colds people get the better the world will be...Don't you think?


Update (July 15, 2012): Hi...I'd like to add that milk thistle is in a similar category to dandelion greens & goji berries...Which means that both those thing will also fix your liver & thus your cold...Oxygen patches up your hydrogen soaked  liver, which is what a common cold is...Hydrogen is found in water & alcohol, which calls into question the whole drink alot of fluids recommendations...
    
To add to the above: Dandelion greens are cheap to buy, but are so bitter, it can be hard to eat them-you can boil them too & drink the tea- still killer bitter...Goji berries are the most tasty way to get your Oxygen, but are pricey...Good snack though...Milk thistle comes in a pill supplement-take way more than the recommended dosage- they often are not that strong from sitting on a store shelf too long...


p.s. Holes in your body also cause liver problems...Needle holes, cuts...Treat that like a common cold...Hepatitis is like a common cold, but way more serious...Plain old fashioned fresh oxygenated air, is of course, a natural way to cure a cold...if you don't like medicating...Go climb a mountain where the air is freshest...Also- stop putting holes in your skin...That includes tattoos...Blood tests...Scratching open scabs...
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heating pad quickie: Microwaved glove filled with wild bird seed...(2 minutes)
Ok, so I have been trying to make my Trumpeter swan nests, Heated! But I came across an idea that people can use too...Or other animals!
This was quickie heating pad...
I took an old glove...I filled it with wild bird seed...I microwaved it for almost 2 minutes...Stuck it in the top of my bra...(I gather men cannot do this-so stick it somewhere else...) Instant heating pad! For the nests, see the next blog post, I was thinking of putting the heating pads between the nest & the linen over top...You'd need several of these, but whoever is using the nest might be happy...

 
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Even bengal cats like the nest! (Animals have been requesting these nests from me ever since I began making them...Horses, squirrels, owls, eagles, dogs, cats, this is an all purpose kind of nest-just change the rope material to suit your purposes...Poly rope floats as a by the way, Sisal is biodegradable, twisted nylon is so gorgeous at 3/8 inch you can make a nest for your wife!) Tie strings can be left long at edges to tie down nests if necessary...
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here is Trumpeter nest number 8 design prototype after a little bit of work...Notice I changed the rope to twisted nylon, & I changed the diameter of the rope to 3/8 of an inch...
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-Trumpeter-Swan-Nest/ I made an Instructable of this post, for clarity & so other people could make these too...

How to make the Trumpeter swan nest
:

I used 3/8" twisted Nylon Rope(for the outside ring), which comes in 50 foot bags at Canadian Tire...It is fabulous rope, & you don't need gloves to protect your hands while weaving- no mess either...(um, oh, since you were wondering, I am actually going to finish the Trumpeter Swan Nest with the red & white diamond braid poly rope seen on the spool below the video box...)


(Big Important Link:  (update: ooh, I downloaded "Real Player" & figured out how to get that movie here...It happens you need to download your own movies sometime cause you lost them...sigh...anyways- if you try Real Player, remember sometimes you have to PLAY the movie before it shows up to be downloaded...Just a heads up cause I didn't know...see it below...)
http://groveontario.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/13161165-how-to-weave-the-monkey-chain-knot-to-make-the-trumpet-swan-nest-or-any-other-bird-nest- Ok, this big important link takes you to our other website which has the video on How to Connect the Monkey Chain Knot as you go along weaving...(the video shows Sisal rope 1/4 inch being used, but it is the same technique for any rope)...Basically you are just looping into loops you have already made...(it is EASY)...)

About the red & white rope I used in the middle of the nest: http://www.contractorsrope.com/braided-polypropylene-rope.html (Note: it says not good outside, but that refers to places that get lots of sun & heat...It is fine for wet, dark, cold Toronto outdoors, near to a pond...)

http://www.onlineropestore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=48&products_id=706 Ok, here is the ONLINE ROPE STORE in Trenton, Ontario, who has the most pretty twisted nylon rope in a nice 600 foot spool at a very reasonable price...



http://www.uline.ca/BL_3913/Nylon-Rope Uline is located in Brampton, Ontario, & has nice rope at great prices & will deliver...The prices are low enough to mitigate the delivery charge...I like their Nylon braided rope...Note: When I upgraded from 1/4 inch Sisal rope to 3/8 inch Poly rope, I cut 150 feet from the length I needed to make a nest...(750 ft became 600 ft. total for a 43 inch diameter nest)...So, logically, if one upgraded again to the 1/2 inch braided nylon rope Uline has, then you could again drop your length to 450 feet total rope needed...(from the 600 feet for the 3/8" rope)...So thicker rope may cost more but you use less, it is faster to weave, & it is easier on your hands...(less friction)...
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materials if you want to make on yourself...(Different sizes will appeal to different waterbirds or earth birds...) 4 feet to 43 inches is a Trumpeter size, a little less gets you a Mute Swan, then a Canadian goose, then a duck & so on...You can put a nest in the crotch of a tree- strap it in with some extra rope, & it makes a nest tree nest...Put a nest in an imaginative place, send us a picture, we will post it...Put some wild bird seed in the nest to make it a sure seller...
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3/8 inch red braided rope, this is a 500 foot spool from Canadian Tire, & I got 20 feet free just for asking! ("Jerry" at the Yonge Davenport store is very helpful)... Reasons I am using this rope: Well, one of the most important reasons is the red and white: Red is a colour that Trumpeter swans can see & are attracted to...In fact, the reason our wild bird seed is called "Red Ribbon" is because if you tie a red ribbon to where you are putting out your wild bird seed, the wild birds will be attracted to it...Same with using the red in the nest rope...They will be attracted to the nest...Also- (manufacturer specs on the rope follow)...* Easier to handle than twisted poly or natural fibers Great for water use: floats, resists rot and mildew Low stretch and ideal for a variety of uses Excellent knot retention Safe working load: 220 lbs.Polypropylene is the lightest all-purpose rope material and, as such, floats. In addition, it is very resistant to rot, mildew, and corrosion from chemicals. For these reasons, you'll be well served using it in the pool as a marker, for boating or other water sports, or for camping, both applications which will benefit from its excellent knot retention.
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This is a nest made of 1/4 inch Sisal rope...(43 inch diameter)...Sisal is cheaper, biodegradable & requires jersey gloves to protect your hands while weaving, plus the straw makes a mess of your home a little...(harder to weave than a smoother rope too-needs more muscles)...
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Red Ribbon wild bird seed is the best we have found on the market- tastes really really good! (yes, Sari has eaten it herself- Dad was a doctor & taught his family that you should eat a little of whatever your animals are eating first- if not, how will you know what it tastes like, or if it is safe?(tastes really good boiled with sweetener & milk! high protein)...The seeds are bigger for a swan...It is very fresh because it sells fast...Price right now is $11.99 cad for 15 kilograms- a bargain...We have gone through over $2,500.00 of this stuff at least...Trumpeter swans like it! (& two of them had four cygnets this year after a winter of being fed Red Ribbon, so it worked!)...The higher nutritional content of this food means you can feed them well one day then it keeps them going much longer than cheaper foods...Which helps them better since they often move around alot & you can't get to them so often...)
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Finished maybe? So with the easier to knot rope & the larger 3/8 inch diameter of the rope, I used only 600 feet of rope (instead of 750 feet with the 1/4 inch Sisal rope)...I may still fill in some gaps tomorrow...We'll see...
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What you are looking at is a USB rechargeable hand warmer pocket size in pink, which comes with a plug, a USB cord, & a lanyard for your neck...You charge it either in an electrical socket or at your computer, then you can hang it around your neck & it keeps you warm on a cold day...
But here's my thought: Insert it into your Trumpeter swan nest to make it a heated Trumpeter Swan nest...Just stick it into one of the gaps in the rope...
If you really want to get fancy, throw a stretchy conductive fabric over the nest, over the hand warmer...Now the whole nest will get warm...(or if you don't want to buy conductive fabric, get some thin copper wire & attach it to fabric that you have...Put the copper side face down on top of the hand warmer on your nest, with the soft fabric side on top...This is probably too complicated & possibly not safe, but the germ of an idea is there for me or others to work with...The idea being, heated Trumpeter Swan nests for the winter months...)

http://www.lessemf.com/fabric_guide.html This site has a whole bunch of conductive fabrics available if you want to try the heated nest idea... Say you were running a swan rescue, or any other waterbird or earthbird rescue, you could have a heated nest set-up in your enclosed space...This would speed up healing times...(Remove the conductive fabric when not heating the nest, since metals get cold alone...)


http://www.ehow.com/how_4557579_make-rice-bag-hand-warmer.html Thinking deeply about making little rice bags (uncooked rice) that fit into gaps in the rope of the Trumpeter swan nest...Then, microwaving those bags, & inserting into the nest when needed...(this is more for a rescue type nest in winter, where the swan is very cold & needs warmth...) or like round flat bags of rice, just small enough to fit in a microwave, but as big as one can...Only stay warm for half an hour though...But rescues could keep bags of rice on hand as preparation...

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Click the picture to see an excellent selection of Conductive Fabrics...prices shown on the site are normal for the market...So my thought is to put a layer of this conductive fabric over your nest, with the hand warmer underneath...This will make the whole nest warm...Hopefully...What do you think? Any better ideas?
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added a food tray & water cup...will fill in those gaps this week- they really are obvious now as I look...more rope to buy as I am out!
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I liked the wild bird seed tray idea, but didn't like my earlier try, aesthetically...So I used a metal frozen dinner tray in a circle shape, put holes in either side of it, & ran some of my long piece of cord through it, attaching it on the other side...This makes a nicer looking wild bird seed tray that won't move around...
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So I decided that the metal tray look wasn't pretty enough...So I had a piece of Belgian linen lying about, which I loosely tied to the top of the nest...This makes the nest a better Trumpeter swan feeder...The wild bird seed will sit on top better, & I can wash the linen if I need to...(just unattach it)...Just a thought...Also, I could put my rechargeable pocket handwarmer under the linen & it will warm up the nest better...(If I turned the linen into a giant round bag, I could fill that with uncooked rice & microwave that before attaching it, then going to feed the Trumpeter family in winter...
 
  • Letter about Credit Card Protection Insurance corruption in Canada:From:"Joseph & Sari Grove" <[email protected]>To:[email protected]:Sat, 3 Dec 2011 3:15 PM (6 minutes 41 seconds ago)For: The Honourable Robert Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, OntarioMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada,   regarding: Credit card protection Insurance in Canada,     A brief explanation & request...  The banks sell credit card protection insurance over the phone when you activate or re-activate your credit card...   This credit card protection insurance does not appear on your credit card statement unless you carry a balance, & it becomes a percentage of that debt balance...  Most of the people sold this type of insurance on their credit card are in fact excluded from ever making a claim- excluded classes include but are not limited to: the self-employed, the retired, the jobless, those jobless when saying yes over the phone but who get a job later, those already disabled, seasonal workers, part-time workers, freelancers...  When sold this insurance the bank does not state the exclusions nor do they ask any questions if one is in fact pre-excluded...  Years can go by with this money being taken from one's credit card, without one even knowing the charge is there because it is buried in statements as "balance protection", without the word insurance appearing, so people think it is a credit card fee...Of course, the "yes" over the phone is not on paper, so there is no signed contract to look at...There is no annual reminder or confirmation of the contract, which is how years may go by...  There are thousands & thousands of Canadians who have been duped by this fraud...The individual suits though would be too low for a person to hire a lawyer for however...Mine for example is for $2,684.70 plus interest...  I was sold this credit card protection insurance, though I found out in August of this year, 2011, that self-employed people are pre-excluded...I have tried for 4 months to get a refund from TD Canada trust Bank to no avail...  Td Canada trust bank has been excluded from OBSI since November the 1st, 2011...Which means that there is now no governing body available to me on that level who can enact a systemic refund to all wronged people...  Credit protection Insurance has been successfully litigated already by Attorney Generals in the United States...A google search of those words will bring up articles or I can provide reference articles if need be...There are dozens...Also in England...  The provincial level in Canada doesn't work at the moment because the banks say that the bank Act supersedes any provincial bodies...  This suit should result in hundreds of millions of dollars being refunded to all people who have bought credit card protection insurance in Canada since it arrived here in 2001...  I feel that this is a matter for the Attorney General of Canada, The Honourable Robert Nicholson...  Canada is centralized enough that a swift & broad suit would clean up this corruptive & unduly profit enhancing unfair & unconscionable trade practice by our banks... Thank you for your time & attention to this matter,   *feel free to call 416-924-9725, write to [email protected], or snail mail a response to me at...  My mailing address is: Mrs. Sari Grove306-15 McMurrich streetToronto, OntarioM5R 3M6  Sari Grove p.s. Or just commence legal action against the banks & let's get this done!  All the best, Sari


http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/in_denial/ 

This CBC special video shows Td Canada Trust Mis-selling Mortgage Insurance...Which points to the Canadian government just abolishing any insurance sale NOT made by a licensed insurance professional in Canada- that is law already in Alberta, let's make it National!(for the time being, DON'T buy insurance from anybody who doesn't have a licence-that means the banks!

http://www.slideshare.net/GroveCanada read our 139 page presentation that got a renter 15K in relocation money for being asked to leave in order for a developer to tear down her home to build more condos...