Up a Creek Without a Paddle
938961
Fall of Night finds our favorite heroine, Claire, leaving Morganville to go to MIT, a trip made possible by Amelie's promise. Claire's ambivalent about leaving her friends and boyfriend behind, but feels certain she needs to experience the world, so off she goes, moving in with former good friend Liz and working with former Morganville resident, Irene Anderson. Claire's brought VLAD--her device that would level the playing field when a vampire attacks. Little does she know that she's unleashing the downfall of vampires and putting everyone's life in danger.

What I really loved about Fall of Night is that we still see our characters growing and developing, and mostly, having to deal with the consequences of their actions. Claire, in her innocence (and a bit of arrogance), has no idea that she's putting lives in danger. She thinks the "real" world is safe and she can count on those around her, but nothing could be further from the truth. Shane is so attached to Claire that he cannot actually allow her to "leave" Morganville; he packs up and follows her, though he does stay at a distance. But when everything goes horribly wrong, Claire has to come to grips with the fact that it is, indeed, all her fault. As one of my teachers used to say, she's up an unsanitary tributary without the necessary means of transportation.

I love that this series, fourteen books in, still has life and is still taking us in unexpected directions. I love that the core relationships are still solid, and I love that things can spin so utterly out of control in such unexpected ways. I love that Claire has become my favorite kick-butt fighter; it shows that she has evolved so much over the course of the books. I do love the relationship between Shane and Claire, even if I did feel he was out of line in following her. This book ends on such a cliffhanger that I am going to be on pins and needles waiting for November to roll around. Excellent work, Ms. Caine! Other authors should follow your lead in how to keep a series fresh.
2833797
I got this for Christmas and was finally able to get out on the water this past weekend. I am so happy with this board! It isn't the fastest one out there (also might have something to do with the older paddle, I got it back in 2017) but it is easy to maneuver. I was surprised by how light it was and that I could easily pick it up by the middle handle and carry it out of the water all with one hand. The cords and 3 handles are amazing to have and I'm really glad I went with those options. The cords came in use when I wanted to take water and a small cooler to the middle of the lake so I didn't have to come back in for lunch.

The only negative thing I have to say about this board is that it can take a while to inflate but that is true of any inflatable. If you don't want an arm workout before you go paddle I suggest finding an electric pump.

This is a great beginner board and I am impressed with the construction and ease of getting it water ready.
2614025
I don't drive so must carry water in the warm temperatures. I hated leaving damp trails behind and I needed free hands. This solves both problems.
4907652
I purchased this in hope that it might have enough lift to transfer water to houseplants located on elevated ledges. Not too surprisingly, it's only got enough power (only 2 D batteries, after all) to raise water a foot or two. A better application is simply to transfer liquids from the base level to the same level or from the base level to a lower level. Works great for non-flammables (i.e., water) and purports not to blow you to smithereens when transferring flammables, although I haven't tried gasoline or nitro yet :) Worked like a champ pumping water out of a toilet tank prior to replacing a new water inlet valve.

TIP: Keep the motor running if you want to prevent liquids from flowing back down the siphon stem after removing it from your source tank.
4403202
Makes you want to paddle there. Wish it was a longer video , though.  I love the way these videos are made giving you a realistic feeling of being there (paddling splashing sounds etc. rather than accompanying  music). Real reality show!!
4445331
This was a great paddle to use this summer with kids and adults of all ages. If you are super tall you will find this to be a little short. It's easy to adjust and floats well when the kids lose it in the water...
675722
Have kayaks and a boat at a lake high in the mountains.  Don't take either away from the water and upon return often find up to a foot of water in the boat and a lot in the kayaks.  A few minutes of pumping wi8th this bilge pump and we are on our way fishing or kayaking!  A cheap, quick resolve to Mother Nature and her want to do whatever she wants!  Don't waste you money on higher priced gizmos that are just bigger and probably don't do the job as well.
525486
Crazy creeks are a tradeoff = very light and easy to carry, but some folks don't find them comfortable at all.  I like to lean back, and the Crazy Creek accommodates me.  These are  good for canoeing and kayaking, thanks to ease of transport and lightness. Strap to your kayak's deck - low profile, not much wind resistance.
1591578
No tools required! Seems very well made and a cinch to assembly. Very happy so far but it's still too cold here to take it out to the lake. I choose this pontoon as it's only 43 pounds and I need to get it there by myself.
4267782
Adding risers to existing "sunken" sprinkler heads was a walk in the park. Changing the "start" position (left - on the Railbird sprinklers) was ridiculously easy (after passing a dull knife around the sprinkler body to free it from the roots etc). I am ordering the smaller size today. One can really save money (and appearance of your lawn) by using this DIY tool/s. Shop for the sprinklers and parts from a reputable "warehouse" and enjoy the savings (and beauty of your yard/s).
2128114
This is an economical way to get your kids started in kayaking. These are light enough to pack longer distances by hand. Paddle Included. Hardware and plastic material is quite sturdy. The wide hull shape makes this VERY stable on the water and will track well. Easy entry from the rear of the kayak makes water play more enjoyable.  Seat not included.
3195966
I was super excited to get this for our float down the nooksack, but I should have read the reviews first. When people say it's hard to maneuver with two people they're right. We ran into some swifter water and were pushed against the riverbank which unfortunately had some sticks poking out from the sides. The tube popped (it did hold its own for a few seconds). Luckily the kids all had lifejackets on so they just floated down the river in those. I could see how this would be amazing on a totally flat sandy river though. Just not maneuverable for rivers with obstacles to avoid. We're going to see if we can patch it though; with the cooler and spot for "stuff" it will make an excellent lake lounger.
3288309
As a non fisherman, but as avid hiker and wildlife technician I bought and field tested these on some lakes and rivers in mammoth.

Although I didn't catch anything, I easily figured out how these work and paired with a $6 starter hook kit with line already attached... this has to be the easiest possible way to fish.

A good idea is to buy several small bungee cords to attach or detach these quickly and securely to branches.
4004156
I highly suggest getting a pool with a metal frame. We tried very hard to get this level. We were not successful and ended up putting a framed pool beside it and pumping the water in. This pool also is not really that big it of course has to sit a certain way to keep the water in so you lose lots of swim space. Honestly it is not worth it. Mines in the dump.
1821417
The easiest and safest way to take the whole family fishing without leaving the house!

The Tutorial Lake should be the first for beginners to get a feel for the maneuvering of the boat and how the reel and cursor works and how to get out of the danger spots and move backwards. Lake Fishy costs ten dollars to enter with the first prize awarded being one hundred dollars. Many of the lakes are played against the clock with others a limit to how many fish can be caught. Once you have chosen your person then you can go to the options for upgrading. Since there is only fifty dollars and you need ten to enter the tournament in Lake Fishy you can upgrade the lure for twenty-five dollars.

Upgrade lure - starts at twenty-five dollars, and once you have upgraded the price goes up to fifty dollars with the final upgrade costing one hundred dollars. The supply must be depleted I assume because there are no other options.

Upgrade rod/reel - this goes from $250 to $500

Upgrade boat - $5000 - I have never upgraded to this level yet, still trying to get there!

Lake Fishy - look out for the lake monster for he will eat whatever fish you have. This is for beginning fisherman, but my favorite because I can get one hundred bucks quickly and stock pile my money for upgrades. There is shallow water to look out for, but close by is a timer that if you bump into it will give you another 15 seconds. Close by is a treasure chest with fifty dollars to add to your bank. The time for this lake is 220 or 300 depends on options I think and you have to get four fish that weight over nine pounds.

The River - once you have won at Lake Fishy then the River is available to fish at. This has two gators at the opening of the race. You will have to outrun them and catch two fish in 120 seconds to win $150. There is a fish not too far once you get away from the Gator, but it is hard to catch. Make sure after you win a few times at Lake Fishy that you do an upgrade on rod and lure to make this easier. There is another fish not too far away but you will get stuck in shallow area and have a hard time getting out. There is a Gator lurking around farther too. There is no fee for the River.

The hardest part is getting stuck in shallow water or near the barricades. If you press the right and left clicks on the mouse at the same time this makes the boat go backwards. I usually have my son behind me or next to me telling me to watch out for the monster or the sharks and this messes my concentration in watching the ball to be in the middle to click it just at the exact time.

You need to be focused on all that is happening and can beat the clock, win races, prize money and advance to the next tournament. What I like doing is timing myself to see how fast I can catch the four fish in Lake Fishy. My son is left-handed and I think some of his problems stem from using his right hand while moving the cursor. Perhaps if I moved the mouse to the left side of the keyboard he would maneuver the boat easier.

The fish are sometimes hard to spot depending on what lake you are in. There are times I arrive at Lake Fishy to find about five fish close by and other times you have to move around to find them. The fish range in sizes from one pound and up.

This is fun for the whole family, my kids like to watch when I play, you can hear the sounds in the other rooms of the house so I know when my son caught a fish. The sound of the fish going back in the water splashing is funny too. The reel sound gets on my nerves after awhile, it reminds me of a creaking sound. Before you know it you have been fishing for almost two hours. Your fingers will get tired as you continually click to catch fish after fish while beating the clock and exploring new lakes.
4586597
I was very excited when I bought this cart. I had just returned from a camping trip and I was pretty worn out from carrying the canoe around. When the cart came it was very easy to assemble but it did not come with any instructions or mounting suggestions. I will need to figure out how to tie my 16 foot old town canoe onto the cart. I think it will do an okay job but I should have gone with a larger one.
4935192
I purchased one of these for a camping trip last year. We got rained on the first afternoon and were very glad to have the slide. Ended up using some 5 gallon buckets to bring water up to the top to keep it wet when it was not raining. A hose would have been better had we not been in the wilderness. Aside from a water source the only other thing we needed was a rubber mallet and some water-resistant duct tape to put the stake-down spikes in place. I lost a few of the spikes and had no trouble contacting the manufacturer to obtain more of them. Having a friend to help hold it down is useful if it is windy while you are attaching the stakes and to assist with folding it up when you are done. The material is stronger than I expected and we didn't have any tips or tears after a good weekend of use. Looking forward to using it again this weekend.