Want An Adult Scholarship? Try This...

If you consider to go back to school after a long time away, you probably know how expensive it is going to be. If you are established with a home and a family or are in your 30's or 40's, you have plenty of other money worries. The question is: How can you find an adult scholarship?

Do not dispair; there actually is a niche for you out there. There are lots of free money for those of us who are a little older than the regular college student and want an education.

The first thing to do is a little preliminary research. You should find out what kinds of programs you are eligible. There is free money available for people of all walks of life.

Try to avoid financial aid that is just for recent high school graduates. There are quite a few out there that you will be ineligible for because of your age. You can narrow your search by avoiding those with age restrictions. If you can find financial aid specifically for returning students, it will not have any age restriction.

You should apply for anything you might be eligible for. Don't put any limits for yourself. Take advantage of all the free money available for adults and education, it's just a matter of finding a program that suits you.

The first place you might try looking is your local library. They will have tons of resources there for scholarships. Librarians are knowledgeable about these resources and will help you find what you need.

Be patient. Stick around and take notes on what you find. Here is the hard part. You have to skim through all the resources available and look for anything that might help you get that money.

If you find something suitable, contact those particular organizations. Request more information and they will probably send you all the materials you need to apply. You may also be able to contact them by a 1-800 number, in which case you can talk to a representative of the organization and get tips for applying. Remember that you are not stealing; they have all this money lying around waiting to be claimed by a successful applicant.

If you have any help filling out forms, ask someone's advice. Always fill them out thoroughly. Be sure to write clearly. If you have to write an essay, make sure that it flows well and there aren't any grammar or spelling mistakes. You can always ask someone to proofread it if you are unsure.

The important thing is to apply for as many as you can. You never know which one may be able to get you the money you need.

Nic Haffner is a publisher of Scholarship Search and related Info. You can go to http://www.the-scholarship-portal.com for more.

Heatstroke: Are Your Dogs at Risk?

It is not uncommon to hear about someone who left their dog in a parked car, even for just a few minutes, and came back to find them suffering from heatstroke or already dead.

If temperatures are about 70-80F a car can heat up to 100F within minutes. If the temperature is 85F and the windows are slightly open the temperature inside can reach 102F in ten minutes and in 30 minutes it can reach 120F.

On hot and humid days the temperature inside a car parked in the sun can increase more than 30F each minute. That quickly becomes lethal since at 110F a dog is in danger of heatstroke.

The best thing you can do is leave your dog at home when you go out on errands. Even if you dont plan on leaving your dog in the car, there is always the risk that your cars air conditioning will fail and you and your dog end up driving around in an oven on wheels.

Fresh, cool water and shade are the two most important things for a dog that spends a lot of time outdoors. Dogs dehydrate very quickly and their water bowls need to be refilled several times a day with cool, fresh water.

Another thing you can do is provide a little pool for your dog or let him run through the sprinklers. Some dogs love to cool off with the hose. If you provide a pool, be sure to empty it and refill it often to prevent mosquito larvae from growing.

If your dog is left outside during the day, be sure to provide plenty of shade. Even if your yard is shaded naturally it is important to set up some kind of shelter from the heat. Set it up in the shade of a tree, for example, and make sure that the shelter is large enough so that air can pass through it freely.

Your dogs footpads are very sensitive to the heat. Hot pavement can cause severe burns. Avoid walking your dog on hot pavement and cool his paws in cool water when you get home from a walk.

Some dog breeds have more problems in the heat than others. Boston Terriers, Pugs, Boxers and other dogs with pushed up snouts have a tougher time in hot weather than others. They will need extra care to make sure they keep comfortable and safe from the heat.

There are other breeds that just arent meant to live in areas that reach higher temperatures. These include the St. Bernard, Alaskan Malamute, Huskie, Old English Sheepdog, Newfoundland and any other breed that has a dense, heavy coat.

A visit to the groomer for a nice, short haircut can help these dogs keep comfortable in warmer weather. Other dogs that would feel better with a short summer haircut include dogs with a double coat, such as the Chow and Collie.

If you think your dog has heatstroke, get him or her to the vet immediately. Use cool water, not ice water, to cool your dog. Be careful not to use very cold water as that will cause constriction of the blood vessels and slow down cooling.

Signs of heatstroke include, among other things, a body temperature of 104-110F, excessive panting, dark or bright red tongue, seizures, bloody diarrhea or vomiting, coma, and death.

If the dogs temperature is 103F or lower, do not aid cooling as some animals can get hypothermic. But if your dog is cooled off and seems okay, do not assume everything is fine.

Internal organs can be negatively affected by a rise in body temperature and blood tests and a vet exam are needed to assess any damage. There is a fatal blood problem called DIC that can result from heatstroke.

To best help your dog handle the heat this summer, keep him at home and NOT in a hot car. Make sure he has a steady supply of cool, fresh water and shade, provide him with air conditioning or a wading pool to keep cool in, decrease his amount of exertion, and exercise him and do any dog training in the cooler times of the day. Following these simple steps will ensure that your dog has a happy, healthy summer.

Copyright 2006 Carol Stack

Carol Stack has been working with dogs for more than three decades. She and her daughter, Christy, have created a web site especially for dog lovers, http://www.christysdogportal.com

Funny Birthday Cards For Dog Lovers

Dog lovers. They have a dog for reasons other than guarding the house or going hunting. They may let the dog sleep with them. They spend hours with the dog every day. They speak in loving tones to and about their companion. Dog lovers enjoy getting birthday cards that focus on that love. Funny birthday cards for dog lovers are also appreciated. Just imagine what might be contained in the following 7, and you will see what I mean:

1. Funny English Bulldog birthday cards
2. Amusing Jack Russell terrier birthday cards
3. Hilarious Black Labrador birthday cards
4. Droll Dachshund birthday cards
5. Witty French Poodle birthday cards
6. Comical Golden Retriever birthday cards
7. Humorous Saint Bernard birthday cards

Funny English Bulldog birthday cards seem especially appropriate to me. They would be easy to create, with great potential for humor. A photo or sketch of an English Bulldog, fangs protruding beside a long tongue, might include a caption regarding someone being a bit "long in the tooth" these days.

A funny English Bulldog birthday card we found online is a "driver's license" for the recipient's English Bulldog. You can have a "DMV pet license" custom made for the English Bulldog lover. Like an official DMV driver's license of the chosen state, your friend's "DMV pet license" will be a laminated, wallet-sized card. He or she will also receive a matching collar or keychain version.

To order this funny English Bulldog birthday card, you provide a photo and information about the pet. Best of all, you select any "restrictions" you want to have noted. Choices for dogs include things such as no chasing cars and no chasing cats. You can create your DMV pet license at the My Pet DMV website.

DMV pet licenses are not only funny English Bulldog birthday cards, of course. They can be funny birthday cards for any pet lover.

Very funny English Bulldog birthday cards, as well as English Bulldog gifts, are available at The Inky Paw website.

Vivyland also has a collection of funny English Bulldog birthday cards. I was amused by the bulldogs in angel wings! Women will love the female bulldog featured on another, with rollers on her head and cucumber slices on her eyes!

All right. So, there are funny English Bulldog birthday cards. What about other dogs and the dog lovers having birthdays? Are there equally amusing greetings for them?

Yes, of course. First off, any pet owner with a dog, cat, ferret, parrot, rabbit, or other pet would love the DMV pet licenses mentioned above. They make a cute card, and an ongoing identification for the pet.

Funny birthday cards for almost any breed of dog are available at the Inky Paw website. They have all of the dogs named above and more. For Dachshund lovers, Inky Paw offers a birthday card featuring a wiener dog stepping onto a bathroom scale and commenting on the wonder that kibble is a carb!

If you are looking for e-cards to wish your dog lover a happy birthday, you will want to visit the Dog Breedz website. They have dog birthday cards for many breeds, and you can create your own verses hilarious, cheeky, or romantic. They provide information about each breed, allow you to choose a photo and a skin, and then ask for your message. You don't have to be overly creative to come up with a clever birthday card here.

E-greetings often allow you to use your own photo of that African Basenji, Chinese Shar-Pei, French Poodle, or Irish Setter.

Perhaps the most memorable funny birthday card you could send to a pet lover would be one that you yourself make. Homemade birthday cards show thoughtfulness and effort that can never be captured by a purchased card or free e-cards. Take a few funny photos of the pet or find funny photos of the same breed. Study the photos for funny human qualities they suggest. Write a few funny words as a caption. Inside your birthday card, you can write funny verses, or simply wish a happy birthday.

Helpful Tip: Belated birthday cards are better than nothing, but try to be timely. A birthday card that arrives on time or early says "I cared enough" much more than a belated card unless you have an excellent reason for being late.

Disclaimer: The author presents this information for educational purposes only. She is not an employee of any of the merchants mentioned, nor will she receive any compensation if their products are purchased by the reader.

©2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about birthday cards at http://www.distinctivegiftsandcards.com. Anna has posted additional information on that site about other cards and gifts, too. If you would like to find unique gifts in a rush for a birthday, visit Anna now.