The Kindness of Strangers

The Kindness of Strangers Free Online Research Papers It was the middle of summer and very hot. The drive back from Arizona is a long drive, even more so when driven alone. I was in the middle of nowhere when my car started to make a noise. At first thought, I had imagined it, then I saw smoke billow out from under my hood and I knew I had better pull off the road. Immediately I turned off my car and I got out lifting the hood . It looked to be steaming from a hose. All I could do was sit there I was stranded. Car after car drove past, an hour or more had gone by when finally a woman with her two young daughters had stopped. The woman said ordinarily she does not stop when she sees somebody broke down, but she noticed I was a woman and alone, so she stopped. I thanked her for her kindness and begin to explain that I was many miles from home with little to no money and it seems my car decided to break down on me. She then told me that she and husband along with their two daughters lived in the next town about twenty miles form there. She also said her husband has a garage and towing service in town and said he would tow my car back and look at it for me. I reminded her that I had very little money. She said not to worry that he would understand. After I got in her car, I seen she was a soft-spoken woman in her late twenties with trusting blue eyes. She said her name was Linda then introduced her daughters. Tammy who was nine a looked just like her mother, and Frankie with bright red hair was seven. Linda said Frankie looked so much like her father she named her after him. I thought that was neat. They were very well mannered . We spent the while trip into town talking, they told me about the farm where they lived, and how each of them had a horse. I found the girls to be as kind as their mother. They even offered me to go riding with them. Of course, I told them that I would love to , but it probably would not be this time around. Shortly after arriving in town I saw a sign that hung over a little shop ,it read â€Å"FRANKS GARAGE†. We pulled in and her husband greeted us at the gate. Linda introduced me to her husband Frank, and proceeded to tell him of my situation. HE said he was more than happy to help and that he would go pick up my car bring it back to his shop and look at it for me. I told him I had little money, he was sympatric to my situation and said I would owe them. It was then Linda invited me to help get dinner going while Frank retrieved my car. I did not want to be a bother I said, and she said nonsense that I would not be a bother, so I accepted. Linda told Frank that we would see him back at home, and with that, we had left. It was the most beautiful little ranch I had ever seen. There was chickens, a cow, a dog, and of course, the horses the girls had told me about. As we drove up the drive Linda reminded the girls their chores needed to be done right away. We got out of the car I could see forever it seemed that. I followed Linda into the house. It was cozy and warm it felt like a home. Linda asked if I would like to freshen up?, and after which I found her in the kitchen. She had already been so kind I had to offer her my help with dinner, and together we prepared dinner. We have to know one another it was very nice to meet someone so kind. Linda called the girls in to wash up and to set the table for dinner. Ten minutes later Frank had pulled up in the drive it was great timing for Linda and I was about to put dinner on the table. Frank came in kissed his wife and said he had good news for me, but he would like to wash up first. As we all sat down to the table, Linda asked Frank to say grace. While the was being passed around Frank announced that my car problem was not as bad as I thought and that I needed was a new radiator hose which he had at his garage, and after dinner him and I would go to the garage where it would take him ten minutes to fix. I was so pleased and grateful for their kindness. I told Linda I would not ever forget her kindness and asked how I could ever repay her for it. She simply replied come visit us some time. I had made a wonderful friend in Linda that day and until this day, I visit Linda and her family every summer. Research Papers on The Kindness of StrangersNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceWhere Wild and West MeetHip-Hop is Art19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Spring and AutumnThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito

How to Water a Tree and When You Shouldnt

How to Water a Tree and When You Shouldn't Few tasks for homeowners are more complicated than knowing if, when and how to water a landscape tree. Much of it depends on the type of tree, your climate, current weather conditions, and a host of other variables. A watering schedule that works well for one tree species in one region of the country can be disastrous for a different tree species or in a different climate region.   Water is the single most essential resource for a trees survival and growth, far more important than fertilizing, disease and pest control, or any other biological need.  Most of us understand the need to water trees during dry times, but what we often forget is that a tree can also be harmed by too much water. Unfortunately, the symptoms for a water-starved tree can appear to be the same as symptoms caused by water-logged tree roots. A tree that is beginning to wilt may be shutting down because too much water has introduced a vascular fungal disease into the roots, for example. In many cases, a homeowner then responds by watering more frequently and more heavily, which can lead to much bigger problems.   Symptoms for both under-watering and over-watering can be the appearance of wilted and scorched leaves. Both conditions can prevent tree roots from effectively transporting water to the top of the tree and the tree will react by wilting. In addition, too much tree water can also shut down sufficient oxygen to the roots. Some tree species can handle wet feet but many trees can not. Always read up on your tree species and learn what it wants and doesnt want in terms of its environment and watering needs.   Trees known for vibrant fall color will show disappointing color in the fall if you overwater them. Bright leaf color is triggered by the naturally dry conditions that occur in the early fall, and a tree that receives too much water during this time of year may respond by disappointing you with its leaf color. To maximize the fall display, keep the tree well-watered during the main part of the growing season, but withhold water in the late summer and early fall. Once the trees leaves have fallen, do water the soil adequately, because you want good soil moisture to be present in the ground going into winter.   How To Water a Tree Supplemental watering during drought conditions can prevent tree decline, pest problems, and non-recoverable damage to tree roots and the  canopy. Young trees recently planted in the landscape and certain drought-prone species need regular watering during dry periods. This essentially means that most trees that have seen no rainfall in a given week should get a hand watering. This is not a hard and fast rule, though, because many native species are adapted to local conditions and may not need extra watering. Consult with a nursery specialist or a member of your state universitys Extension service to learn the needs of your trees.   Depending upon soil texture, the density of water-competing plants found around the tree, daily temperatures, and recent rainfall amounts, about one inch of water per week should keep a tree healthy. Trees should be watered once or at most twice a week in the growing season if there has been no significant rainfall. A few slow, heavy (high-volume) waterings are much better than many short, shallow waterings, because long, infrequent waterings encourage the tree to send out deep, robust roots. Frequent shallow waterings will encourage the tree to rely on shallow, weak roots, which is not to the long-term benefit of the tree.   However, to say that a tree needs deep watering does not mean dumping huge quantities of water on it in within a few minutes. When this is done, much of the water simply sinks through the soil layer past the trees roots and is never taken up by the roots at all. The best deep watering is a slow watering left in place for an hour or so. Turning a garden hose on so it produces a small trickle and leaving the end of the hose a foot or so away from the trunk is ideal. Another excellent method for watering young trees is to use one of the tree-watering bags available. Made from dense flexible plastic or rubber, these bags fit around the lower tree trunk, and when they are filled with water, they allow a slow, steady trickle of water to run down into the earth. This provides the deep, slow watering that is ideal for trees.   All landscape trees should be properly mulched, which means blanketing the area directly under the tree canopy with a 2- or 3-inch layer of organic material, such as shredded wood or compost. This layer of mulch will cool the soil and keep moisture trapped in place. But dont pile the mulch up against the tree trunk, because this will encourage pests and fungal diseases.   Dont Over-Water a Tree! As mentioned, if the trees leaves look wilted or scorched even though you have faithfully been watering, its quite possible that there is too much soil moisture for the tree to handle. This can be a problem in landscape with automatic watering systems that apply water by timer even during weeks when rainfall amounts have been good. The best way to check for wet soil is to dig down 6 to 8 inches and feel the soil. The soil should be cool and slightly moist but not soaking wet. Examining the soil with your hands may also tell you much. You should be able to press most non-sandy soils into a ball with your hands and have it stay together without falling apartthis indicates proper soil moisture.  If the soil ball falls apart when squeezed, then the soil may not have sufficient moisture. If the soil ball you just made will not crumble when rubbed, you either have clay soil or soil that is too wet to crumble. This is an indication of too much water, so watering should be stopped. Neither loose sandy soils nor dense clay soils are ideal for growing most trees, although you may be able to find species well adapted to these soil conditions. In general,  sandy soils will adequately support trees adapted to droughty, low-moisture conditions, while clay soils will work well with trees known to thrive in wet, boggy environments.