Cliff Bars, Luna Bars Recalled

Have you heard about the Cliff Bar recall yet? In January, the company that makes Cliff Bars and Luna bars recalled some products because of the distant possibility they might have had some of that contaminated peanut product from the plant in Georgia. So far, none of the recalled product has tested postive for salmonella or any other nasties. Anyway, in case you're concerned, here's a list of the recalled products, straight from Cliff Bar's website:

In the U.S, the following products with BEST BY or SELL BY dates within the ranges below, all sizes and packages, are included in the initial and expanded recall.
CLIF BAR Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch 09OCT08 to 31DEC09
CLIF BAR Crunchy Peanut Butter 09OCT08 to 31DEC09
CLIF BAR Peanut Toffee Buzz 09OCT08 to 31DEC09
CLIF Builder’s Peanut Butter 20SEP08 to 31DEC09
CLIF Kid Organic ZBaR Peanut Butter 21OCT08 to 31DEC09
LUNA Nutz Over Chocolate 28OCT08 to 31DEC09
LUNA Peanut Butter Cookie 28OCT08 to 31DEC09
MOJO Honey Roasted Peanut 01SEP07 to 31OCT09
MOJO Mixed Nuts 01SEP07 to 31OCT09
MOJO Mountain Mix 01SEP07 to 31OCT09
MOJO Peanut Butter Pretzel 01SEP07 to 31OCT09
MOJO Dipped Chocolate Peanut 01SEP07 to 31OCT09
MOJO Dipped Peanut Butter and Jelly 01SEP07 to 31OCT09
MOJO Dipped Fruit and Nut 01SEP07 to 31OCT09

Waiting for Spring

Spring is on the way! Robins are back in the neighborhoods, and meadowlarks have returned to the meadows. People all over the area are thinking about warm weather pursuits. Ice fishermen are asking about open water on lakes like Conestoga, Branched Oak, Czechland, and others. The Omaha Hiking Club and the Sierra Club have hikes and backpacking trips planned. The Great Nebraska Mushroom Festival is right around the corner.

What are YOU most looking forward to for spring? Is it hiking? Morel mushroom hunting? Camping? Boating? Personally, I'm dying to get out in my canoe, and those reports from the fishermen of open water have me dreaming of early spring paddling. I'm also wanting to do some geocaching - it's been a long time since I found some caches. And of course, warmer water will mean more of my fellow scuba divers willing to join me in the underwater realm.

It hasn't been that tough of a winter, really, just a couple of extreme cold snaps and a few nuisance snows, with a bit of ice thrown in earlier in the season. All the same, I'm looking forward to the easier life in general of warmer weather. Come on, Spring!

Top 10 Reasons to Go Hiking in Winter

1. No crowds. You'll have the trails, the campsites, and the views all to yourself.
2. No bugs. Mosquitoes and ticks are long gone. You can leave the DEET at home.
3. No poison ivy or nettles. Poison ivy vines snaking up trees retain the Evil Plant Oil year-round, but you won't have to worry about brushing against those leaves.
4. Different scenery. Snow, ice formations along creek edges, and woods with no leaves all create new and different scenes than you see in the summer.
5. Photographic opportunities. See number 4.
6. Good food. You can pack food for snacks or meals that would spoil in the summertime heat.
7. Hike off-trail if there's snow. Deep snow cover means you won't make new trails or ruts, so you can get off trail and navigate through the woods to places you might not get to visit in the summertime.
8. Prevent cabin fever. Get a regular dose of the sun's vitamin D and keep your mood up all winter long.
9. Fitness. Hiking, hiking through snow, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing are all great exercise. Forget the stuffy gym and enjoy the invigorating fresh air of the winter woods and fields.
10. Be a real outdoors-person. Getting outside year-round gives you a unique perspective and education on what the natural world is like all year long.

Bonus reason:
11. Learn new things. Winter is a great time to learn animal tracking, especially the morning after a fresh snowfall. See the wing marks where a hawk or owl swooped down for a tasty mouse breakfast. Find where a deer spent the night.