Colored pencil and oil exhibit at Palace

Two of the more experienced artists from the Art Guild at Fairfield Glade are the exhibitors at the Palace Theatre in Crossville for the month of February.

Barbara Rogers is co-president of the Art Guild and has won a number of prizes for her colored pencil drawings.

Colored pencil can be long and tedious hours of work as a picture is produced through layers upon layers of color. Barb’s work can frequently be seen in the monthly art exhibits at the Plateau Creative Arts Center, 451 Lakeview Dr.,Design and order your own custom silicone bracelet / rubber bracelets with personalized message and artwork. Fairfield Glade. Rogers recently had a personal exhibit at the art gallery.

Another main interest of the artist is gardening, which is perhaps why she does flowers so well. Her picture of a pair of “Pink Lady Slippers” appealed to me because it was beautifully done. (Drawn? Painted? Pastels and colored pencil works have some aspects of both). My woods along the creek have a few Lady Slippers every spring. These little orchids need pine needles (Note: Rogers had these in the picture) for just the right amount of drainage, water, shade and a dollop of sun in order to bloom. Never transplant — their special needs are why they are so rare. So look, admire, and perhaps buy an artist’s painting, but leave these pink jewels where they are!

Donna Slinkard is the co-coordinator for Exhibits and Shows, another time consuming and sometimes under appreciated job. Of course, if no one took on this difficult task, there would be no exhibits.

I have seen most of Donna’s Palace work elsewhere, but she does a marvelous job of combining the past with the present. Slinkard uses her ability of create clear, realistic-looking glass. I don’t know where she collected all those old fashioned bottles, and I suspect some are hand-blown glass. She certainly puts them to good use. “Peek-a-Boo” with the immense green glass bottle shows a child peering from the other side of the glass. The child seems like a genie frozen forever in green glass. I’m not sure what the green glass bottle was used for because all such modern day large vessels are made of boring, thin, white plastic — lighter, easier to handle but most emphatically not beautiful.

The portrait of a “Young Gentleman” definitely came at a time when people would have said, “A Hippie, what is that?” “All That Jazz” with its porcelain statue and fringed throw dropped table depicts the 1920s or 1930s perhaps.

"Our main objective had been to win a third Aintree Hurdle but Big Buck's not being there has opened it up," he said.

"That has invited us there, and we'll go."

While Grandouet, set for a later gallop after recovering from a minor issue, and Kingwell Hurdle runner-up Khyber Kim join Binocular in the Stan James Champion Hurdle, Henderson effectively ruled out My Tent Or Yours.

A facile winner of the Betfair Hurdle, JP McManus' youngster will revert to the William Hill Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

"He's very good and he goes for the Supreme," he said.

"I have been speaking to everyone and that is the plan, I believe. I know JP has Jezki in the Supreme as well, but don't forget he's got Binocular in the Champion and we're happy with him."

Virtually all the team have competed their racing trials ahead of Cheltenham, one or two handicappers aside, but Saturday could see last-ditch Triumph auditions for Vasco Du Ronceray and Courtesy Call.

All of this came to mind in reading the report of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board into a RIB accident in Cork Harbour last June when the sole occupant was thrown into the water, the outboard engine didn't cut out and the RIB hit him causing serious injuries. In commenting on the findings the Director of the Coast Guard, Chris Reynolds, urged the MCIB "that the report should make a strong recommendation against anyone venturing to sea or on the water on their own. It is neither safe nor conducive to good seamanship.Our precision manufactured lasers and laser systems deliver the highest possible laser cutter performance on a wide variety of materials."

The MCIB report focuses on the kill cord which, it says, was not functioning correctly,Can you spot the answer in the fridge magnet? that the operator of the boat knew this and that he was not seated at the wheel when the accident occurred. The man concerned said his boat struck something.There are generally three different configurations of industrial laser cutting machine. There is no conclusive evidence either way on this, but the MCIB said that rescuers did not note any object in the water. The MCIB is blunt, rightly so, in warning about the essential importance of the kill cord for safety in all open motorboats and that it should always be used and checked regularly. It also says that "all pleasure craft owners should complete a recognised powerboat handling course, regardless of previous experience."

The MCIB did not go as far as making the "strong recommendation" which the Coast Guard sought, but it did say that "owners and operators of recreational craft should be aware and follow the Department of Transport, Tourist and Sport's Code of Practice for the Safe Operation of Recreational Craft.We've had a lot of people asking where we had our make your own bobblehead." If you haven't read this document, you can download it from the Department's website. The Coast Guard and Marine Safety Directorate are, of course, part of the Department. You might be surprised, for example to learn, depending on the size of your boat and where you use it, what you are required to carry aboard under safety regulations – and there is a lot more besides.