Kids shouldn’t wear camouflage in woods
DEAR HELOISE: Don’t put your children in camouflage clothing when going hiking or camping!
Yes, the stuff is nice and stylish for venturing into the great outdoors, but it is not a good idea for the youngsters, especially the small ones. Camouflage is intended to hide both the hunter and the hunted, which is all fine and good for them. It will not help you find the child who has wandered off while wearing it!
The simplest solution, short of tethering the child to the tent or the picnic table, is to dress him or her in a fluorescent T-shirt. This fluorescent color is associated with safety gear for obvious reasons! Bright orange, yellow or green work well. Of course, if you can’t find the real thing, you can use an (almost) equally bright non-fluorescent color.
— Jeffrey Tolliver,
Columbus, Ohio DEAR HELOISE: With summer here, more people are drinking ice tea. Some like it sweetened, and others not. The problem with unsweetened tea is the difficulty stirring in the desired amount of sugar, as only a small amount will mix with the cold tea, leaving the extra sitting at the bottom of a glass. For a small family, it doesn’t make sense to make a batch of each, so the solution is to add a small amount of sugar water, often called "nectar." Those who want sweetened tea simply pour a little into the unsweetened glass.
The best way to make nectar is to put boiling water into a jar, add the sugar and stir it until the sugar dissolves. When the hot nectar cools down to room or refrigerator temperature, the sugar stays in the solution. Only a small amount of nectar water is needed, so the tea is not noticeably weakened. A technical name that describes this nectar is "super saturated solution."
—Bob Salter, Morganton, N.C. DEAR HELOISE: I save the cardboard tubes from toilet paper and fill them with the lint from the dryer. I use these to start a campfire at our cabin.
— Jeanne H. Culligan, via email
Dear Heloise: People of all ages need to understand the importance of using proper equipment for any chore or task. I knew of a man who stood on a swivel bar stool to reach a high cabinet.
Well, you can probably guess what happened. It is better to invest in (or borrow) proper tools and utensils than to have to deal with the inevitable inconveniences and physical limitations most accidents can bring, many of which could include expensive and painful rehabilitation. Hello again and thank you for your column.