If you haven't gone bird watching, you are in for a great
treat. There is so much to see, hear and learn while bird
watching. Discover many of the different types birds and
their behaviors. For example, watching a hummingbird
protect its territory can show another side to what seems
like a dainty little bird.

When going bird watching, you want to have the best
experience, so taking along appropriate gear as well as
timing your adventure can improve your outing. You'll also
want to know how to identify the many species of birds
while being comfortable.

Beginning Bird Watching:

For beginners, consider teaming up with professional bird
watchers. There are groups you can join, such as the
Audubon Society or American Birdwatching Association. Not
only do they offer magazines, articles and books, but they
also have a list of birds you can look for. Sometimes, they
have field trips you can go on to get some experience in
bird watching.

When and Where To See Birds:

You can see birds at different times of the day, but
certain birds have times they are more active. For example,
songbirds start singing and eating two to three hours
before sunset. Shortly after sunrise, hawks and eagles
become more active as they soar in the warmer, thermal air
currents. Owls are more active at night when they are
looking for food with their night vision, and shorebirds
feed after high tide.

Watching Birds At Feeding Time:

Having a backyard feeder, bird bath, or bird house
encourages birds to visit your yard. You can also find them
in their natural habitat, eating the foods they would
normally eat. Songbirds like seed and many bird types like
niger, millet and sunflower seeds. Peanut butter attracts a
lot of birds like cardinals, woodpeckers and nuthatches,
although they also like suet. Hummingbirds are especially
drawn to red and like sugar water in feeders. Some people
add a drop of red food coloring. Birdbaths offer birds a
place to drink water and to cool off during the summer.

Looking For Breeding Birds:

Birds breed at certain seasons and some migrate to nesting
grounds. Many birds breed in springtime or early summer in
order for their young to be old enough for fall migration.
They are harder to identify in the fall because some put on
duller colors for the migration and some put on heavier
feathering.

Spotting and Identifying Birds:

Birds are easily alarmed, so you need to move stealthily.
Basic clues to look for and listen for when identifying a
bird are: its habitat, plumage and color, behavior,
silhouette and the songs or calls it makes. Also, looking
at the beaks can give you a clue and watching what they are
doing with it. Woodpeckers have rigid beaks for chipping
wood, while hawks, eagles and owls have sharply hooked
beaks for tearing up prey. Most backyard birds like
cardinals, finches and sparrows have conical beaks while
shorebirds have long, slender bills for digging in the sand
and prying open shells.

Bird Watching Gear To Bring and Wear:

Of course, binoculars, cameras and something for taking
notes is something you need. You may want to keep track of
the time of day and activity you witnessed particular
birds. You may also want to write down characteristics of
the birds you are not familiar with so that you can look
them up later, or take along a bird identification
guidebook.

You will want to dress in dull colors so that you blend
into the surroundings. Camouflage is the thing to keep in
mind to see the most birds. Also, fabrics that rustle, snag
or squeak will scare birds off. You may need rain gear,
such as boots and warm clothing. Owls are best seen and
heard at night, so a flashlight might come in handy. You
might want to consider a hand-held recorder for songs and
chirps of birds that you don't recognize to look up later.

After Your Bird Watching Experience:

Take advantage of the time after birding to review your
notes and try to identify the birds you were unable to name
during your outing. You may want to get a tape of different
bird songs and calls to assist with identification. Using a
field guide can be extremely helpful for matching what you
saw with detailed pictures and specific characteristics.

Bird watching is a fun and relaxing hobby that doesn't take
much in the way of special equipment or extra expense, but
can provide hours of entertainment.

Romantic wedding proposals are remembered for a lifetime.
So when asking for a hand in marriage, remember that you
have the opportunity to create an event that will be
remembered and enjoyed for many years to come. It is worth
the extra effort to prepare for such a great occasion - and
to hear the magical words: "yes".

You may be shocked to find out that better than 3/4 of
women today are disappointed in the proposal they get, and
you don't want to disappoint her when you are asking her to
spend the rest of life with you. Doing something special
will make sure you both have great memories of this special
time in the future. Need a bit of help? Well, here are some
great proposal ideas to consider using. Use them and you
are pretty much guaranteed an emphatic "YES" from the love
of your life.

Message in a Bottle Proposal

If you are looking for romantic and unique proposal ideas,
a message in a bottle proposal is a wonderful idea to try.
It's fairly easy to pull of and very romantic.

Preparation: Before you go get an antique bottle, use some
parchment paper, and write your proposal on it (make sure
you are original and romantic with the wording). You or a
friend need to bury the bottle in a place you agree on in
advance.

Invite your love to go on a walk along the beach with you.
Assuming all the preparation has been done, go walk with
your love. Notice the bottle top sticking up and have her
help you dig it up. Let her open the bottle and read your
proposal. Then get down on one knee with the ring and ask
her to marry you. She'll remember the moment forever, and
she'll have the bottle and proposal on parchment to keep as
a memory of this important day in your lives.

Evening Picnic Dinner Proposal

Another of the many great proposal ideas out there is an
evening picnic dinner proposal.

Preparation: Get a small generator and a lot of mini white
lights. Locate a private, secluded spot for a picnic, such
as a remote corner of a beach or park. Prepare the
generator and decorate it with many white lights. Set up a
small table and chairs, and have it ready for a picnic
dinner.

Take her out to the dinner spot around sunset, sit her down
at the table, and have a nice dinner and wine for her to
eat. As the sun goes down, tell her you have a surprise for
her. Brighten the area by turning on the generator and all
the lights. It will take her breath away. Come back and get
on one knee and tell her that she lights up your life, and
ask her to marry you.

Relaxing Getaway Proposal

More than likely your girlfriend is a busy woman. She could
use a relaxing getaway and this is one of many great
proposal ideas as well.

Preparation: decide on a place to go. Arrange for relaxing
activities. (You will want to do this after you know she
has a particular day off.)

Take her away for a day. Arrange for her to have a day off
work, surprise her, and whisk her away. Ensure that she has
as relaxing time as possible. Take her to a nice resort or
hotel. Enable her to have an enjoyable day relaxing by the
water or at a spa. Have a nice candlelit romantic dinner.
Bring her to the hot tub in the evening to relax. When she
is relaxed and you see the stress start slipping away, get
on one knee and ask her to marry you. Let her know you want
to pamper her for the rest of your lives.

Seashell Proposal

If you live near the beach, the seashell proposal is one of
the best proposal ideas to consider.

Preparation: a bucket for shells; a beach blanket or towel.
If the beach doesn't have many shells, come prepared with
lots of shells already in the bucket.

As you stroll along the beach, collect a bucket full of
seashells. Have her help you pick out beautiful shells to
place in your bucket. Once you have a lot of shells, have
her sit down on a blanket. Use the sea shells to write your
marriage proposal. When you are done, get her and bring her
to see your work. As she sees what you have written, get
down and propose, then give her the ring. Take a camera to
get a picture of the seashell proposal so you can remember
it. Once she says "yes", collect the sea shells from the
proposal so they can be used either in your wedding or for
future events.

They say diamonds are forever. They say that diamonds are a
girl's best friend. Well, whatever it is that they say,
diamonds are an expensive investment, so one has to take
care not to get fooled when purchasing one. You might be
lured into buying a seemingly cheap one, but do not jump
right ahead and buy it. You might end up on a losing end
especially if you do not how to differentiate a fake from a
real diamond.

So how does one differentiate the two? To begin with, one
has to understand first the basics of diamonds before
shopping for them. This will help you to avoid purchasing a
fake diamond and giving yourself the ability to identify
them. This can save you a lot of time and money, so take
some time first to understand what diamonds are really are.

The Carat of the Diamond

Diamonds have four characteristics, which are carat,
clarity, color, and cut. First, the carat is the weight of
the diamond. There are five carats from every gram of
diamond. Bigger diamonds will increase in carats, thus
making them cost more money. In weighing diamonds, one has
to take the exact weight, for every point is important. To
digress, one carat is 100 points, so if someone urges you
to buy a diamond a few lines away from one gram, do not buy
it as one gram. It is important that the carat of a diamond
is measured with precision and accuracy.

The Clarity of the Diamond

Second is the clarity of a diamond. There is a system of
range in measuring the clarity of a diamond, which is by
the way, answers how clear it is. A diamond with perfect
clarity is said to be flawless, although there are also
internally flawless diamonds, which means they still have
minor blemishes, but only on the outside. Diamonds
classified as VVS1 or VVS2 have very, very small
inclusions, with the latter being more visible than the
former. VS1 and VS2 have very small inclusions while SI1,
SI2, and SI3 have small inclusions. I1, I2, and I3 have
inclusions that could be seen without using any instrument.

The Color of the Diamond

Third is the diamond's color. This can be classified using
the letters starting from D to X. the whitest diamonds are
classified as D, and the color changes, the classification
does too. There are diamonds that are different in color,
so one must not be surprised to come across with blue,
green or red diamonds. These are commonly irradiated, and
in any way, secure the guarantee of the diamond's color and
clarity. There is nothing better than being sure about your
diamonds.

The Cut of the Diamond

And fourth is the diamond's cut. This is also referred to
as the shape of a diamond, which could be oval, pear, or
round. A diamond reflects light more brilliantly if it is
proportionately cut. This can be measured using percentage,
and when you are asking for it, 60% should be good enough.

Identify Real Diamonds

Now that you know the qualities of a diamond, you are all
set to determine whether a diamond is a fake or the real
thing. The first test that you can do is to do the
newspaper test. To try this, put your diamond over the
print on any newspaper. See if you can read the newspaper
through the stone you are trying to test. If you cannot
read it, do not worry, because chances are the diamond is a
real one. Otherwise, if you can perfectly read every word,
then the diamond you are looking through is definitely a
fake.

The next thing that you can do is to do the fog test. Real
diamonds clear away quickly when exposed to fog. Other
precious stones clear out longer. If the diamond you have
just fogged is taking a bit longer to shed off its fog,
then it must be a fake.

Using a diamond tester and a jeweler's loop can also help
in detecting fake diamonds by checking the refraction of
the light and any scratches on the diamond, respectively.
Try to subject diamonds to as many tests as possible. If
the results are rather vague, secure the diamond's
certification. The most reliable certifications are issued
by the European Gemological Laboratory or the Gemological
Institute of America. Certified diamonds are more expensive
because the certification process generally costs at least
$100. Yet, this certification helps create peace of mind.

Buying diamonds is both an investment and luxury. Before
indulging in this activity though, know your real diamonds
first and protect yourself from fake ones.

If you are planning on learning how to scuba dive, you'll
need to complete a training course and receive
certification. For new learners, this means you'll need to
choose between Padi and Naui certification. For experienced
divers, there are a wide range of courses available that
can help you improve your skills and get even more fun out
of your underwater adventures. Here's a breakdown of what
you might be interested in taking.

Padi or Naui?

For new non-divers, the first decision is whether to pursue
Padi or Naui certification. Both dive certification
programs have the same goal and go over the same general
ideas: to teach people how to dive safely. They have solid
reputations and have certified divers all over the world
through their programs. The main difference is that Padi
certification is more popular and is held by most of the
new divers who hit the water.

You might also be limited in choice to what's around you.
Most dive training centers will only offer one type of
certification. Hence, if the you find the dive center
closest to you only offers Naui certification, that may be
the deciding factor. However, the Padi e-learning courses
are giving some options.

Padi E-Learning

While it might sound ridiculous to learn how to scuba dive
through an e-learning class, what you're actually doing is
learning the basics through an online class. Things you
will learn include: recommended scuba gear, how to use your
scuba equipment, and most importantly safety precautions.
You'd take the course at your convenience, pass the online
quizzes meant to test your knowledge, then move onto the
water-portion of your learning at an approved diving center
or resort with a skilled trainer.

This type of course is a good option for someone planning
to go diving for the first time on vacation so you can get
all of the classwork work out of the way and start getting
into the water as soon as you arrive.

Beginning Course

Known as the Open Water Diving Course (Padi) or Scuba Diver
(Naui), this initial course is meant to introduce you to
all of the basics you need to dive. The Padi course, for
example, introduces learners to some of the principles of
scuba diving, as well as the techniques and methods
necessary to move around underwater. The Naui course
promises to do much the same thing, including teaching you
how to use the equipment and learn safety procedures.

As expected, training in the water is required for both
courses. The Naui course, for example, includes at least
five open water dives. The number included in the Padi
course may be up to the diving center or training with whom
you are working.

To become certified as a diver, simply successfully
complete either course. Once you obtain that certification,
the underwater world is open to you. You can easily go
scuba diving and go the next step in you training if
desired.

Courses for Experienced Divers

An important thing to remember is that once you select your
certification you'll need to complete the rest of your
courses through them as well. For example, if you take the
Open Water Diving course through Padi, you'll be able to
take other courses that Padi offers, including more of
their e-learning options.

The Advanced Open Water diving course offered by Padi
covers both deep diving and underwater navigation diving.
You'll also learn about some other exciting and popular
diving activities, such as exploring undersea wreckage or
going night diving. Boat diving is also covered and is also
a popular choice. It is very convenient that there is an
e-learning option for this course.

If you've chosen Naui certification, you'll be able to
choose the Advanced Scuba Course which includes diving in
currents, boat diving, shore diving, and salt and fresh
water diving. There is a six dive minimum for this course.

Other Courses

Both Padi and Naui certification opens up the possibility
of becoming a Master Scuba Diver. This is the ultimate
non-professional certification for a diver. It does include
additional training in a wide variety of diving techniques.

Besides this extra certification, you can also take a
number of specialty diving courses through the Padi
training centers, including enriched air diving which lets
you stay underwater longer. You can also learn how to dive
in dry suits or explore caverns while diving.

Additionally, experienced divers who want to use their
skills for more than just personal enjoyment can take
further classes that will help them become rescue divers or
diving trainers. There are plenty of options available once
you take the first plunge and get your initial
certification.