Mar on Dauphin Island. The ferry will take you to the Florida panhandle. Photo; S. Denton
Dauphin Island, on the south side facing the Gulf. Photo; S. Denton
Marideth (standing on right) with Don Bland (standing on left), Sarah D. right and Lois R. on the left. Photo; A. Denton
Marideth, Dauphin Island near the Mother Tree. Photo; S. Denton
Marideth near the Mother Tree, Dauphin Island. Photo; S. Denton
Listen to or read the narrative of the latest installment of the classic Ozarks commentary by beloved Ozarks singer and storyteller Marideth Sisco, host of the long-running series, These Ozarks Hills.
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Stories from my home town
5 years on the air
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my life and times 
I am re-entering the 4th grade classroom in the upcoming year. I taught 4th grade in the late 80’s/early 90’s and Don Bland did the most wonderful tours of the shell mounds. I understand he has now retired, but would love to make contact with him or with someone that he shared his vast amount of knowledge with. I want my upcoming fourth graders to receive the same benefits when we visit the Island with its rich resources. If you can assist me with this I would be most appreciative.
Hello!
I am an old friend of Don. I too am trying to find out a little more information about where he is and how he is doing these days.
During my search I came across this posting. I wish I would have seen this earlier. You are correct, Don knew everything there was to know about the Indian Shell Mounds.
As a child we would ride our bicycles all through the area and occasionally we come across old artifacts and he could look at it an give us history on nearly anything.
Well, I will keep this short, good luck!
V/r,
Michael
Your automobile isn’t just a vehicle for taking you from point A
to point B; it is a major part of your life. When you
bought your first car you promised it by name to take
good care of it and love it forever, but things happen and
life goes on. Maybe there is a new car in your life, or maybe you still have the
old jalopy you first fell in love with, and you want to take better care of
it. You already give your car the best oil and fuel to take care of the engine in top condition, but what do you do
to keep the auto body in good upkeep?
When people think of a car body, they think it completely cosmetic, and so a lot will
ignore it other than a wash and maybe a wax if they feel flashy.
Auto body shops do much more for a car than cosmetic treatment.
Other than the usual paintjob you can get from an auto body shop, they also do repair work on scuffs,
scratches, dings, dents, and even replacing bumpers and mirrors.
Fixing your bumpers and mirrors at an auto body shop makes sense; you need those
to drive safely so they are not considered vanity,
but what about scuffs, dings, and dents? Depending on the position of the dents, they can actually reduce highway gas
mileage, and a car that’s owner looks like they don’t care about it, then others won’t care about it like
if they hit it in a parking lot with their car door, since what is one more scuff?
A good auto body shop will make sure that the repairs done to the body
of your vehicle will make it look like it did when it came from the factory.
Don’t settle for an auto body shop that will try and force unneeded treatments
on you so they can make more money, and they can even go as far to
try and scare you into using them, citing car insurance requirements and the like.
Chose a reputable, honest auto body shop, that will treat you fairly, and never push you to add any unnecessary repairs that you don’t need and don’t want; we believe you as a consumer
have the fundamental right to spend your money where you want.
If your car or vehicle is in bad appearance, it can affect the integrity and safety of the car, not
just how good it looks. When you realize you need to go to an auto body shop to fix your car’s body, don’t go with just any store, and choose
a reputable repair shop that has a reputation for fair and honest dealings.
There are many types of tiles available nowadays.
The method of tile cleaning will depend more on the tile type.
However there are couple of things to be followed to add the sheen and glow of the tiles.
Do the regular floor cleaning
Clean the spills as soon as they occur
It is very crucial to clean dirt and water too
as soon as they are split to prevent the stains.
Place a doormat which helps in reduction of mud or dirt entering through footsteps.
There are basically following tile floors where in one will use the tile and grout cleaning process,
types of tiles are as follow –
Ceramic
Porcelain
Stone
Porcelain Tile cleaning
Porcelain tiles maintenance is not difficult if the surface is
cleaned regularly. The surface can be vacuum cleaned
every day or just sweep it. The wet mopping is required once in a week.
Use of mild floor cleaners will do for the mopping. One can make
it at home by mixing vinegar and water.
Ceramic Tile Cleaning
The rule is followed here as well; remove the dirt as soon as possible.
Vacuum clean the tiles every day or a simple broom
can be used. Plain water or the special ceramic tile cleaners can be used for the wet mopping.
Stone Tile Cleaning
One need to be careful while cleaning the tiles made of stones as they are natural minerals.
Never use harsh floor cleaners. Sweep or vacuum clean. After using any floor cleaner use a dry mop to soak any type of
liquid residue.
Grout Cleaning
Along with the tile cleaning it is very important to regularly
clean the grout, i.e. the lines between the tiles. Hence
tile and grout cleaning goes simultaneously. Grout is porous
in nature and attracts dirt, grease etc. The surface looks
shabby if the grout is unclean. It can also be a cause of mildew or mould in the damp areas like bathrooms.
It is best to have a seal (colour or clear) on the grout which
will not only protect the surface but also acts as an anti-fungal agent.
Many a times it gets difficult to maintain the floor due to
hectic working schedules. Hence we come in picture and provide
the tile and grout cleaning services to our clients at a very affordable price.
Moreover the price depends on the type of the tiles, number of tiles and size of the tiles to be cleaned.
Following steps are followed for the tile and grout cleaning after you contact us-
Pre inspection of the tiles and floor.
Shifting of the furniture, if any, from that space.
Dry Sweeping of the surface
Application of the suitable cleaning solution.
Cleaning the surface with a soft pad.
High pressure cleaning
Mopping and drying the surface.
We have our experts who carry special tools to do the tile and grout cleaning; the grout sealing
is also done if ordered.
There are many types of tiles available nowadays. The method of tile cleaning will depend
more on the tile type. However there are couple of things to be followed to add the sheen and glow of the tiles.
Do the regular floor cleaning
Clean the spills as soon as they occur
It is very crucial to clean dirt and water too as soon as they are split to prevent the stains.
Place a doormat which helps in reduction of mud or dirt entering through footsteps.
There are basically following tile floors where in one will
use the tile and grout cleaning process, types of tiles
are as follow –
Ceramic
Porcelain
Stone
Porcelain Tile cleaning
Porcelain tiles maintenance is not difficult if the surface is cleaned regularly.
The surface can be vacuum cleaned every day or just sweep it.
The wet mopping is required once in a week. Use of mild floor cleaners will
do for the mopping. One can make it at home by mixing
vinegar and water.
Ceramic Tile Cleaning
The rule is followed here as well; remove the dirt as soon as possible.
Vacuum clean the tiles every day or a simple
broom can be used. Plain water or the special ceramic
tile cleaners can be used for the wet mopping.
Stone Tile Cleaning
One need to be careful while cleaning the tiles made of stones as they are natural minerals.
Never use harsh floor cleaners. Sweep or vacuum clean. After using any floor
cleaner use a dry mop to soak any type of liquid residue.
Grout Cleaning
Along with the tile cleaning it is very important to regularly
clean the grout, i.e. the lines between the tiles. Hence tile and grout
cleaning goes simultaneously. Grout is porous in nature and attracts dirt,
grease etc. The surface looks shabby if the grout is unclean. It can also
be a cause of mildew or mould in the damp areas like bathrooms.
It is best to have a seal (colour or clear) on the grout which will
not only protect the surface but also acts as an anti-fungal
agent.
Many a times it gets difficult to maintain the floor due to hectic
working schedules. Hence we come in picture and provide
the tile and grout cleaning services to our clients at a very affordable price.
Moreover the price depends on the type of the tiles, number of tiles and size of the
tiles to be cleaned.
Following steps are followed for the tile and grout cleaning after you contact
us-
Pre inspection of the tiles and floor.
Shifting of the furniture, if any, from that space.
Dry Sweeping of the surface
Application of the suitable cleaning solution.
Cleaning the surface with a soft pad.
High pressure cleaning
Mopping and drying the surface.
We have our experts who carry special tools to do the tile and grout cleaning;
the grout sealing is also done if ordered.
Has your garage door begun to act up and you are worried that a mere garage door repair job is not going to be enough?
Well, the good news is, you do not have to completely replace your garage door openers.
All you have to do is to perform a few garage door repairs that are going to take care of your
problem.
You can perform a few repairs without the help of any professional.
However, some repairs are more complicated and should not
be attempted by the nonprofessional. If you do so, you might end up injuring yourself.
Plus, you might also cause more damage to the garage gate than repair!
Why do you need the repair?
First, you should note what problems you are facing with your garage gate.
Is the door simply not responding? Or is it closing and opening partially?
Do you find that the garage opener is running, but not opening?
You will find that the repair work for each of these cases is different.
What work does garage gate repair involve?
Light repair works usually involve cleaning, lubricating and
tightening the tracks, springs and the loose parts of the system.
You should first check if the power supply to the opener is intact.
Sometimes, if the power is not reaching the opener for some reason, your garage door will be stuck, and you will
be left wondering what went wrong!
What kind of garage opener do you have?
When you are planning to perform some garage door repair, you should first find out what kind of opener you are using.
If it is a standard extension garage gate, you can easily carry out the repair works, once you are able to find out what is going wrong with the machine.
However, if your garage door is making use of a torsion spring, you
will have to call in a professional to help you with the repair works.
The torsion spring door is under tremendous pressure, and
thus, one wrong move may even turn out to be fatal
for you.
Other garage door repair works
If you are looking for a temporary fix for your garage gate, you can disconnect the opener
from the door, by pulling on the red string that you can see on the side of
the door. This way you can operate the door manually.
However, be careful, because if the problem lies in the spring of the door, it
might fall suddenly on you.
Check all the loose hardware to make sure that nothing is out of place.
Also check the springs and see if they are hooked on to the right
place. If, while carrying out the garage
door repair you face any difficulty due to the tension in the springs, try to adjust them by hooking them to the next notch.
This will make it easier for you to work.
Finally, never forget that the best way to keep your garage door in good condition is by regularly
carrying out maintenance work on your door. This will ensure that you do not have to spend buckets on repair and replacement works.
LinkedIn has a great feature that connects with
your existing email accounts and allows you to invite anyone you have interacted with to your
network. This means that you might reach people you interacted
with once or twice, or people that you haven’t spoken with in a while.
This is a powerful tool, but are you using it effectively in your
marketing?
LinkedIn as a Data Collector
Look at all the ways you can collect data from people.
The easiest metric to track for most is their email addresses, so ask people
and promote their use. Create mailers or offer contests via email registration. Remember, each email you collect is another potential LinkedIn profile waiting to be connected to.
Also, you might convince someone to join LinkedIn when they receive an invite from you, which means more customers
to interact with.
Easy Ways to Connect on LinkedIn
So, what are some easy ways to connect with users and
get them to want to network with you? Many companies have started suing LinkedIn as a corporate blog to promote brand awareness.
These blogs might not even have anything to do with the products being sold, but
they might tie in with corporate culture or offer up some
helpful knowledge or technique. This is called generating
substance, and if you want people to see
a value in your postings, you need to provide that
substance, otherwise they simply won’t care.
The nice thing about this is you don’t have to be a multi-faceted
business guru to provide content. Maybe you promote an interesting link of the
day, or maybe you repost a news story about something company-related
(please give credit if you do this.). It could even be a humorous blurb or story, or even a business-appropriate joke to keep
your network’s attention. The only constant is that the postings stay constant.
If you start it, then maintain it to help build that brand awareness.
Remember, people won’t actively look for you if they
don’t know you exist.
One great way that some companies have started building a loyalty network is through promoting their employees.
Some companies will offer a spotlight on their employees, showing off the projects they have done or discussing their
high points. This not only helps to ensure your employees feel valued, but it also helps to paint
your company as more human, which is something you want when trying to
get people to connect with you.
Pitfalls and Things to Avoid With LinkedIn
Most of what has been discussed here has been the positives of using LinkedIn for your promotions, but there are some pitfalls you may want to avoid.
Again, not all marketing works for all niches and some can be turned off more easily than others.
For starters, when advertising with a graphic, consider the context that your audience will view it in. LinkedIn is business to business networking.
Is your picture one that would be considered safe for
a business networking platform? Yes, attractive, nearly-naked people tend to get clicks, but are those the kind of ads people
at major corporations are going to be more than likely be turned off due to lack of
professionalism? Consider your content in your pictures before posting and
make sure your graphics are a good match to your audience and marketing message.
Second, watch your language. While on the surface, this could be taken as do not swear, on a deeper level,
you have to consider what a company will filter for and
what they will allow. Some words tend to trigger web filters pretty easily, so be careful about your verbiage.
Also, look at the message your words send.
Are you trying to be edgy, dynamic, endearing?
Do your words properly convey the message you want people to see?
Sometimes people get so wrapped up in sending out a strong message that they fail to consider if it is
the right one.
Third, don’t verbally tie yourself to a region or company if you
can help it. While you may want to highlight a company on a
landing page or maybe you are geared towards a certain region of the world,
you don’t want to inadvertently exclude potential customers because they think your ads don’t
immediately apply to them. Remember, you can focus your ads in terms of companies and locations
ahead of time, so listing out that info in the actual ad might prove redundant.
Fourth, don’t slack on your content. It can be easy to start
with a big push, but the number one thing that kills an audience’s interest is inconsistency.
Don’t slouch on your posts. Make sure you dedicate a certain period of time each day to providing some form of content.
If you can’t or think you might have problems with this, hire someone to do it for you or spend a
day or two generating multiple posts so that you can just plug and play.
However you do it, just be sure to keep doing it.
You are setting an expectation of service as accompany when you
post, and to do so inconsistently will send a bad message abour what your company considers professional.
Fifth, be careful on rebranding. Some smaller companies take the philosophy
of experimentation a bit too far and keep trying to reinvent themselves every
month or quarter, but the truth of it is that many companies
form bonds over the long term with clients, and just because you announce a name change
or a new logo, that doesn’t mean that your clientele is paying attention. To build your brand, you need consistency, so
stick to a logo or name and try to avoid being so edgy that
you can’t make up your mind about your name. Remember, you’re
a business, not a rock star.
LinkedIn Final Thoughts
LinkedIn is a wonderful tool for reaching people in the business world.