COVID-19 has brought fear and change to our lives. With this change, the use of face masks has become common, and has created many difficulties for people with a hearing impairment. People with a hearing impairment rely on different communication strategies to understand the conversation. Those strategies include using facial cues and lip reading, which can be hard to do … [Read more...]

Pandemics have a history of robbing us of everyday life. The Cyprian Plague in 250 AD lasted approximately 20 years. In 1350, the Black Death took a third of the world’s population. In 1918, as World War I was winding down (which claimed more than 17 million lives), Mother Nature unleashed the deadliest strain of influenza in modern history, taking up to 50 million lives.  … [Read more...]

“Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher,” wrote English poet William Wordsworth. The creatures of Earth have a lot to teach us, if we lean in and listen.  Beth Thomson is the founder of Blue Ridge Raptors, a North Georgia nonprofit. She allows nature to be our teacher by educating groups at state parks, libraries, museums and nature centers … [Read more...]

Georgia boaters, mark your calendar! National Safe Boating Week is May 16-22, marking the unofficial beginning of the boating season. While boating is a time for fun and family, it’s also a time for care and safety. With more than 330,000 boats registered in this state, there are at least three things everyone should do to insure a fun and safe day on the water. 1. Take a … [Read more...]

Container gardening has many benefits and is ideal for a wide variety of gardeners, including novices, aging gardeners or persons with limited mobility, and those with limited time or space. Here are some tips to get you started. 1. Start with the Soil The biggest difference between growing plants in containers and growing them in the ground is the soil. Commercial … [Read more...]