Sense of Community on the Slopes

Bonfires and beverages make a great way to get to know your neighbor. In the skiing community they offer opportunities to warm up and engage in discussion. People stop by these places to take a break and meet new people. Hidden among the trees is a roaring fire with people taking a break from the slopes. 

Jogging in the Woods, During the Winter, and With Snow for Max Fitness

In the summer its easy to go out and jog! Its even easier to go jogging on the treadmill where the terrain is level. When you take the leap and start jogging in the woods is when you see the truest use of fitness. Today I went out hiking down wooded trails with my jacket, hat, gloves, and boots. With music pumping in from my headphone I decided to start jogging.

Let me tell you that it was an exhilarating feeling! I'm in the middle of the woods, listening to great music, and jogging with full winter gear on. Hiking boots and all! The way we may need to run if we were hunting, surviving, and in the wilderness. We are not in our t-shirt and jogging shoes on a level surface. When we do this in cold weather we are pumping our lungs as we run up and down the trail with the snow slowing us down.

Tough to get a better workout on that. Just be careful of the ice!

Santa and Deals in the Escanaba Mall

You know its Christmas when the Santa's come out and the kids start screaming. Christmas events are drawing people into the mall. Stores, that are not normally available, have set up shop. Circle M and Esky, Gladstone and Rapid River apparel (Sorry forgot the name of the store).

Its a great time to get into the mall and see some of the large discounts. I have been buying gifts on discount this morning (shhhhhh!!! Don't tell anyone I buy on the clearance rack.).

Cross Country Skiing and its Fitness Level

Cross country skiing is a great workout that is much easier on the body than say jogging or other sports that jar the body. The movement of the arms and legs forward and backward lead to a high level of cardio impact without necessarily making any hard moves on the body. It is a fluid motion that maintains a level of resistance for muscle building.

Improving one's body means getting out and putting a level of stress on it. That doesn't mean we should wear it out and cause injury. It does mean we find activities that are physically challenging while still being enjoyable. Playing in the snow is enjoyable to me!!!

Exploring New Ways of Painting Through Integrative Learning

Painting is a a creative outlet for me. While I'm watching TV or working on my house, I will sometimes bounce over to the the corner I designated for painting and work on a paint project. Because I do not sell these for much, and donate a large percentage of the money to charity, I am willing to risk making mistakes. When I don't understand something I go online and find a new method.

Like many other activities painting is a learning process. With time you start to think more along the lines of detail and improvement. For example, now I notice brush strokes, shading, and method a little more than before I painted.

Once you learn something you can apply it. This process of learning, applying, and solving problems can go on throughout a persons life. If they are aware that this process is occurring they can come to master what they learn and know why they learned it.

You only judge yourself because it has nothing to do with other people and their abilities. My painting is pretty good but it isn't "great". With time detail will improve. You can get your own basic paint set at any art store for under $50 with canvas. Where you gain the knowledge is up to you.

You can buy it here https://www.ebay.com/itm/173690230585

Pushing Employees to Master New Skills

Employees don't wake up and wonder how they can improve their skills. Instead they live by patterns that determine which skills they need to earn an income. When their patterns don't change they don't need new skills. When patterns change, the employee must change as well. How does a manager improve employee skills?

First, create the momentum for change. Patterns rule people's lives and without a change in the pattern people are generally unwilling to go through the stress of change. Let them they know change must happen now!

Second, there must be a reason to change. Sometimes we can simple explain to them the necessity of doing things differently while at other times we might need to use incentives to support change through performance adjustments.

Third, give workers a proper perspective. Let them conceptualize how their work skills impact the rest of the organization. Putting the work they do within a proper perspective can make a difference in their ability to understand the necessity of changes. Think of how these skills fit within a company's process.

Pushing people to go further is important in getting people to change. As manager we should create the momentum for change, provide the reasons for change, and give the worker proper perspective of change. As managers, it is our responsibility to foster change in ways that results in more productivity down the road and leads employees to goal achievement.

Letting Horses Heal. When to Call the Vet and When to Let it Heal on its Own?

My horse Sass limped around the arena and not in the happy, bouncy mood she usually is. Any weight on her hind quarters seemed to push here into the unhappiness zone. It was time to give her some rest and see if she will recover or she will need a more thorough exam by a veterinarian. Trust me....vets can be very expensive so know when and not when to call them!

For me I would wait when a horse....

Has no visible signs of injury and it looks more like soreness.

The horse seems to not be suffering in any way.

When other opinions agree it looks like the problem will go away.

I would call a vet when my horse.....

Is sore over a long period of time.

The horse is acting very strange, lethargic, or unable to sustain her own weight.

The horse looks like it is pain.

In my case, the hose was sort of limping around for a few days. It would get better and then seemed to have another bad day. I put her in an inside stall and a couple of days. I consulted with a Vet but didn't need a house call. A few days later she was fine with some horse aspirin.

Snow Shoeing On the Go!

Snow shoeing is a great sport to enjoy the outdoors and acclimatize to the outdoor environment. One can go as fast or slow as they want to and therefore can control their actual workout. Sometimes just hitting the snow for an hour can make a big difference in your enjoyment. Live today and enjoy today!

If you want to snow shoe "on the go" you are going to need to have your snow shoes in your car and be ready to hit any trail you have time for. Slip on your snow gear and get it done in an hour. Watch out for the skiers they eye snow shoe "people" as a danger to their grooves. Be polite and stay off them!!

There are lots of great place near Marquette that are enjoyable. I know of five or six places that are easy to find and open year round. Make a day out of it and hit some of the local shops as well.

Tips on How to Keep Students in Online Classrooms Aware of Expectations

Students in online environments gain freedom, learn independence, and live in media rich environments. However, online education does create some difficulty with passing personal expectations of the professor. Such problems are not insurmountable. One must be simply more diligent in keeping in constant communication.

Here are a few ideas that might help:

-Communicate Often: It is important to communicate often to ensure students are hearing on a regular basis what is going on. While we can't spell everything out for all students, we can still work on ensuring that there is enough information for them to make appropriate decisions.

-Be Consistent: Don't change what your saying often unless it is necessary. When you are consistent it is easier for people to understand your message.

-Be Simple and Clear: Don't confuse people with high end language. Keep things clear and simple.

-Use Different Forms of Media: Try not to say things in the same format and media channel all the time. Beyond forum posts, try email, try video, try voice recording.

-Include You Contact Information: Include your contact information so people can get hold of you if they need to. It shows you are engaged.

Christmas Parades in Escanaba Have High Turnouts

The Escanaba Christmas parade had a high turn out with people lined up and down the street. People came with their warmest clothing and stood in the freezing temperatures to support their community. We spent the night at Leigh's Winery watching from the window. A few pictures if want to enjoy.

Creating a sense of community is very important in small towns like this. It helps people see there are things going on that are wonderful and family oriented.