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The Difference between Pure Silver, Sterling Silver, Coin Silver, Junk Silver, and Silver Plating Technically, silver is a metallic chemical element whose chemical symbol is Ag (Argentum) and whose atomic number is 47.  It is a precious metal that is used to make jewelry, tableware (silverware), and coins, among other things.  It also has many other uses which we will discuss in future posts. The millesimal fineness system is used to show the purity of silver, gold, and platinum alloys by parts per thousand of pure metal by mass in the alloy.  For example, if an alloy contains 92.5% silver, it is referred to as “925.”  [NOTE: An alloy is a mixture of two or more metals to obtain desirable qualities such as hardness, lightness, and strength.] Fine silver (99.9% pure) is too soft to use in jewelry or almost anything else because it bends, breaks, and stretches too much. For this reason, manufacturing jewelers and silversmiths mix copper with it to give it some strength without discoloring it.  Copper is the industry standard.  However, some countries use other alloys as well. When you see “.999 fine silver” or “999” stamped on an item, it is considered pure silver.  It is softer and more malleable than sterling silver.  It is used in bullion bars, and is also known as three nines fine. Sterling silver (also known as standard silver) is what jewelry and silverware are traditionally made from, which is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper.  That is why you sometimes see .925 stamped on your jewelry.  In the U.S., only a minimum of 92.5% fine silver can be marketed as “silver.” Sterling silver jewelry is often plated with a thin coat of .999 fine silver to give the item a shiny finish (called

His last day was the sort of day that every bird dog would choose for his last day. A day in which I don’t think Bodhi could have been one of a million of bird dogs to experience. He only experienced it, because he had good friends, in good places. Most couldn’t arrange such a day, no matter their means. While some of us like to tell of how we would like to have our final day, our final meal, and where we would like to be laid to rest, Bodhi got to live his life to the fullest and met his final day fulfilling the dream that all bird dogs would like to live: his favorite place – blue grouse mountain; his final meal a trilogy of his favorites - corned beef, hot dogs, and whipped cream; his final day - hunting grouse and running in front of his three favorite humans. Bodhi hunted his favorite grouse covert and then was laid to his final rest in the spot in the very spot where he found his very first wild bird, some 12 years earlier – a dusky grouse. He was surrounded by his master, hunting friends, and favorite veterinarian. While my other dogs always shied from the vet, Bodhi sought him out, as his vet was his hunting buddy. Bodhi's full and registered AKC name, as a Brittany from field trial lines, was Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva is Sanskrit. A Bodhisattva does not seek “bodhi” (awakening or liberation from our worldly suffering) solely for himself (as a “yogi” does), but chiefly a Bodhi foregoes the path of enlightenment in order to assist in the freeing all other beings and aiding them into the bliss of

My favorite quotes from the book are: It's hard to change the way our families eat.  Although we know what we should be eating--more fruits and vegetables and as little processed food as possible--we don't do it.  or, even if we prepare healthy food, our children won't eat it. Ask my children what their favorte foods are, and the answer might surprise you (ours likes asparagus, sunny-side up eggs, and stinky blue cheese). French adults spend twice as much time as Americans eating, and they consume foods like butter, pork, and cheese in apparently uninhibited quantities, yet are less overweight (and very rarely obeses) and have lower rates of heart disease... French parents gently compel their children to eat healthy food.  They expect their kids to eat everything they are served, uncomplainingly. "Sophie is just like me... I hated vegetables when I was young."  "Mais non!", I was told, "she just hasn't tried them enought times yet.  When she's really hungry try them again.  Then she'll eat anything and everything." The word "education" covers a lot of ground in French... the goal is to procue a child... who is well spoken, well mannered and well behaved. The cantine [at schoo is the same for everyone, no choice].  "But what if the kids don't like what is being served that day?"  "They go hungry!"  "School is about learning lots of things." The French think that lunch should be the biggest and most important meal of the day... (by government decree) the hcildren spent a minimum of thirty minutes at the table.  The French system is a highly perfected peer-pressure-driven food diversification program. Parents schedule meals and menus.  Kids eat what adults eat:  no substitutes and no

The Americans A.H. Fox Gun Company: Founded by Ansley Herman Fox in 1906, this company built doubles until it was bought by Savage Arms in 1929. Savage continued to build guns under the A.H. Fox name into the 1940s. A.H. Fox guns came in 12-gauge, 16-gauge, and 20-gauge. Their total production was around 180,000 guns.Ithaca Gun Company: One of America’s most successful gun makers. Ithaca opened in 1883 and built a number of different boxlock-style side-by-sides, including the Crass, Lewis, Flues, and NID. The company stopped making side-by-sides in 1948. They built over 300,000 of them in all—more than any other US maker.L.C. Smith: This is the maker of America’s only mass-produced sidelock shotgun. L.C. Smith started in 1881. Side-by-side shotguns were built under the L.C. Smith name until 1950. There were probably over 150,000 L.C. Smiths made.Lefever Arms Co: Introduced in 1883, these side-by-sides are part boxlock, part sidelock, and the first commercially successful hammerless shotguns made in the United States. Shotguns bearing the Lefever Arms Co. name were made until 1919. In all, around 73,000 were built.Parker Brothers: Parker Brothers is America’s most famous side-by-side maker. Founded in 1868 in Meriden, Connecticut, Parker Brothers was sold to Remington Arms in 1934. From 1868 to 1947, just over 242,000 Parker shotguns were made. The British Westley Richards: Founded in 1812 and still in business today, Westley patented two of the most famous shotgun designs of all time: the Anson & Deeley boxlock shotgun and the “detachable lock” action. So far, they’ve made over 25,000 doubles.W.W. Greener: Famous for their side safeties and crossbolt action, Greener used to have one of the largest gunmaking factories in the United Kingdom. The company has been around since 1829. Today, they’re making some of the finest

The ethical questions surrounding the pursuit and consumption of game can be complex, but there is no denying the excitement of the flavors and textures found in wild animals. Something about the untamed nature of their habitats is reflected in their taste—a distinct “gaminess” that sets them apart. Diet plays a role, whether the animal feeds on wild grains, grasses, grubs, insects, or berries, but so does the physical reality of life in the wild. Game animals must constantly expend energy avoiding predators, resulting in leaner, denser muscles, particularly in the breasts and wings. Exercise may, in fact, be the defining factor in what we describe as gaminess. “Game” refers to birds and mammals hunted both for sport and for the table. Only a small proportion of this meat is truly wild, and these animals are generally regarded as the most sporting. Managed shoots and reared birds are secondary to truly wild species—such as ducks, geese, and upland grouse—that largely resist raise-and-release efforts. This is not a judgment on their value in the kitchen, where game, wild or managed, offers something wholly distinct from the ordinary. Ultimately, the consumer must answer two questions: do I want to participate in the sport known as hunting, and do I want to support it by purchasing its end product? In this respect, hunters are not so different from those who choose only organically sourced foods at places like Whole Foods. The goal is the same: organic, free-range vegetables and meats. I eat game with pleasure not because it is a God-given right, but because it represents good husbandry. Through our engagement with the wild—or semi-wild—we remain connected to the land. Our lives are intertwined with the lives of

John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. There is a mystique surrounding the cowboy way of life. Whether you are a working ranch cowboy or riding for the Lord, these seven indispensable habits will help you become the most you can possibly be.  Working Alone Some people get energized when working with others and some get energized by being alone. Much of the cowboy way of life is working alone. You have to be a self-starter and hold yourself accountable. If you need someone looking over your shoulder and telling you what to do, there is a lack of maturity and you might be one that needs to be constantly praised and not trusted. A real cowboy can perform well on their own.  Working With Others But there will also be many times that you must work together as a team. No where in the New Testament is it insinuated that you have to do everything alone. This might even be harder than working alone because many different personalities and situations arise that need understanding, grace, and even someone to step up and become a leader.  Getting Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable There is nothing easy with the cowboy way of life. There really is no comfort zone. Being a cowboy is being able to constantly grow, mature, and learn. None of that is comfortable, whether it is due to weather, timing, convenience, or being an introvert or extrovert. If you want to be a cowboy, you’ve got to learn to adapt. That is uncomfortable and never done

Jeff is a good friend of ours now and we have two dogs out of his kennels. His methods are similar to my dog trainer’s, Gary Ruppel, but it’s always interesting to see how trainers accomplish the same results with slightly different methods. First thing that Jeff uses that is different is a puppy check cord. His are made from 8’ of nylon rope. I opted for orange Sterling Ropes 5mm Accessory Cord, which is better looking and not as burning on your hands. Tie off a swivel snap using a bowline knot. Jeff likes to put an over hand knot in the end of the rope. This is a lighter And shorter version of a drag check cord, great for puppies and which doubles as a leash. A second thing is a raised kennel which looks like a rabbit hutch for the puppies. Not sure why yet, but it looks good and makes it easy to get puppies out. The next thing is short chain tie outs for dogs. Jeff has them everywhere from the tow points below the bumper of his truck to the side of his horse trailer to the side of his kennels. I have to admit they come in handy. D.T. Systems Remote Bird Launcher 500 Series