Care your tools for last longer and perform better.

Here's how to look after them..........

Power tools
Power tools such as hedgecutters, strimmers and chain saws are powerful time-saving devices for gardeners but need more care and attention to prolong their life and keep them safe to use. Damaged tools may need professional repair, particularly chainsaws and worn blades on hedgetrimmers. Before each use ensure the fuel is fresh, the oil is topped up and safety guards are intact. On electric tools make sure plugs have a working fuse and flexes aren’t frayed or worn. If a cable has been cut, shorten or replace it.
Spray the metal surfaces of tools with a light coating of general-purpose oil to prevent them rusting. Don't forget to spray blades that are difficult to reach, such as those on hedge cutters. Turn on the tool to make sure the oil works its way into all areas. To service a two-stroke petrol hedgetrimmer remove and clean the air filter and test that the recoil is in good condition. Clean the spark plug and use feeler gauges to check and adjust the gap.

Lawnmowers
Always disconnect the sparkplug lead when the mower is not in use and run down the fuel before storing the machine for the winter. This is particularly important if it takes unleaded petrol, which loses ignition quality over time. Remove any grass and soil from the rollers, blades and grass boxes with a stiff brush and hose. Apply some grease to the height adjusters and turn them slightly to prevent them from seizing up.
If the blades of rotary mowers are chipped or blunt, have them sharpened and balanced by a servicer. Cylinder mower blades are best sharpened professionally. Very badly worn blades of any sort will need replacing.
Remove the air filters and clean out any dust or grass to protect the engine. After checking that the throttle and clutch cables are not worn, trickle a little general-purpose oil along them to stop them sticking.
Also, change the machine oil ready for spring, making sure that the level is topped up. Without enough oil, the engine will burn out, causing irreparable damage. If you are in any doubt, have the mower serviced.

Electric mowers
Unplug the lawnmower before starting any cleaning and remove any caked-on earth and grass from the undersides with a stiff brush. Stubborn debris can be loosened with a little water and some gentle encouragement with a scraper. While you are cleaning, check for cracks and damage on the plastic covers.
Blunt blades may be sharpened with a fine metal file, but replace badly worn or damaged blades. If you have any doubts about how to carry out the repairs, consult your local servicer.

Tool sharpening
Some tools will become blunt with use and their cutting edges will need to be sharpened. Blunt blades may be sharpened with a fine metal file, but badly damaged or worn blades should be replaced. If you have any doubts about how to carry out the repairs consult your local servicer. Remove any rust with a wire brush and wipe over with an oily rag; use a general-purpose oil. Blades on shears, forks, spades and other tools will soon rust if they are not given this quick, effective treatment regularly.
To sharpen blades of knives and secateurs, use a fine sharpening stone from a garden centre or hardware store. First, prepare it with a few drops of general-purpose lubricating oil. For a straight-bladed knife, push it forwards and to the side, exerting a little downward pressure. Then turn the knife over and, holding the blade almost flat against the stone, brush it across the surface to take off any rough edges. Use the same method to sharpen secateurs and hoes. It may be easier to move the stone as you move the blade. It is important to sharpen only the outside blade on bypass secateurs and the upper surface of hoes.
Finish off by wiping over the blade with an oily rag before storing. Hoes should be stored with the blade uppermost, ideally suspended from a hook on the wall. The same procedure may be carried out with the cutting edges of spades. In very stony and heavy soils, this sharpening process may need repeating during the season.


Handles
Bare wooden handles benefit from boiled linseed oil. Rub the oil on with a rag and allow the wood to absorb the first coat before applying more oil. This prevents drying out and splintering.
If a wooden handle is very dirty, remove as much of the soil as possible with a stiff brush. If you need to use water, gently wet the handle with a damp cloth, making sure that you don't soak the wood, as this may cause the grain to lift and the handle to swell.

Have a criticism? Bring a Solution

Appear for the excellent in every situation.

As a person who has become mixed up in many activities within my hometown I often hear not only the respects about the community but the concerns as well. However, at this time it seems one sometimes hears more of the negative and a lot less of the positive. Now, I'm not saying people should never criticize but I have always been one that feels there is good in every situation and if you seek it you shall discover it.

Not only do I feel we can find good in every situation, I also believe that before voicing a complaint one must be certain to be fully informed on that matter. And with your concern be sure to bring a viable solution. We don't like to listen to our children whine and moan uncontrollably over nothing so why should we do the same? As adults we are here to set an example for our children and teach them how to become leaders within their communities, positive and productive leaders.When confronted within your household, do you always try to seek out a solution for the problem or do you just choose to scream and shout, expecting the problem to fix itself? More then likely your household runs much more smoothly when you think the problem through rationally, eventually finding a solution to your ordeal.Now I can't say that I totally agree with everything that happens around me but I can learn to either live with the situations or choose to do my part to change them. If I choose to live with the situation then I have decided I must just sit back and deal with what comes. However if I accept the fact that I can become a part of a solution I must strive to do what is right and good for not only my own family and community but for my country as well.

If you really want to make the world a better place, not only for yourself but for others as well, begin working with those who manage it and find out what you can do to create that happen.

Children who are born in late summer or early autumn are often taller and stronger

Sun's rays make summer babies taller and stronger, study claims ...

Summer babies 'tall and strong'
Wider bones are thought to be stronger and less prone to breaking as a result of osteoporosis in later life, so anything that affects early bone development is significant.

Children who are born in late summer or early autumn are frequently taller and stronger than peers born in spring and winter, a large study suggests.

The results from the Children of the 90s project - which involved 7,000 youngsters - says the reason may lie in their mothers' exposure to the sun.
The body makes Vitamin D, crucial for bone-building, from sunlight.
The Bristol University study suggests that this process may even occur in babies while still in the womb.
By the age of 10, those children born in the summer and autumn months were on average half a centimetre taller and had nearly 13 cm of extra bone area than those born in the winter months.

Wider bones are thought to be stronger and less prone to breaking as a result of osteoporosis in later life, so anything that affects early bone development is significant," said Professor Jon Tobias, one of the researchers.
Mothers entering the late stages of pregnancy in the summer can attain the necessary vitamin D levels by walking around outside or even sunbathing, the researchers suggested.
People should not panic about skin cancer as a result of controlled exposure, as some sun was much better than none, they added.
And if there was not much sun to be seen, "women might consider talking to their doctor about taking Vitamin D supplements, particularly if their babies are due between November and May," said Professor Tobias.
In winter months at latitudes of 52 degrees north (above Birmingham), there is no ultraviolet light of the appropriate wavelength for the body to make vitamin D in the skin, research shows.
The Arthritis Research Campaign is currently running a trial to establish whether giving vitamin D to pregnant women increases the bone density of their babies at birth and in childhood and reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis in later life.
"Although most people in the UK can can get the essential nutrients they need from their diet, and don't need to take extra supplements, the exception is vitamin D," a spokeswoman for the charity said.
"Because of a lack of sunshine in the UK in winter many Brits are vitamin D deficient, with vitamin D deficiency extremely common in pregnant women, leading to their babies having weaker bones at birth."

A study last year also suggested that pregnant and nursing mothers take supplements to curtail an apparent resurgence of the bone disease rickets.

Ultraviolet rays make pregnant women have taller offspring with stronger bones

Women who are pregnant for the duration of the summer have taller, stronger-boned babies because they benefit from the sun's vitamin-boosting rays, a study suggested .

Children born in late summer or early autumn are about 5mm taller and have thicker bones than those born in winter or spring, an 18-year research project found.

Women lucky enough to be blooming in hotter months should get enough sun to boost their vitamin D levels just by walking around outside or even sunbathing. But those pregnant over winter should consider taking vitamin supplements, researchers at Bristol University recommended.

Anyone philosophy of trying to short-cut the process by sitting on a sunbed in the final weeks of pregnancy would do themselves no good. Sunbeds emit mainly UVA light, whereas natural UVB rays from the sun trigger vitamin D production. Sunbed users also face well-publicised risks. Sally Watson, a spokeswoman for the study, said: "Perhaps people should not be quite so terrified of the sun. There has been a lot of panic about skin cancer but people do not need to panic about the odd few minutes of exposure. A little controlled English sun is better than none."

The Bristol team assessed the mothers of 7,000 children and calculated their likely exposure to sunshine during the last three months of pregnancy. At the age of 10, their offspring were measured and given X-ray scans to resolve their bone density. Compared with the children born in winter months, those whose mothers had the highest sun experience were, on average, 5mm taller and had 12.75 sq cm more bone area because their bones were thicker.

Taller people tend to have wider bones but these children had increased bone width "over and above" that accounted for by their extra height, the team discovered. This increase in bone mass could be attributed to higher vitamin D levels, proving that vitamin D is important for bone-building even in the womb, the researchers said.