Murray Life Magazine :: 2009 Back-to-School Issue
There’s Just Something About Animals
By Kecia Conkwright
When I was younger, I loved and wanted every animal I could get my hands on. Unfortunately, my parents weren’t as interested as I was in having “the neighborhood zoo.” Now, I am an adult and mother of two and have my very own “zoo.” We live on a small farm and have four horses, one colt, one pony, one miniature pony, one miniature donkey, three potbelly pigs, a goat, a dwarf goat, a fainting goat, a bottle-fed goat, a lamb, a giant rabbit, lionhead rabbit, a mutt rabbit, guinea pig, three dogs, three cats, two kittens and various ducks, chickens, guineas and two cockatiels. That’s it…I think.
My husband, Jeff, our two children, Aspen (12) and Bryson (8), and I are the human residents on our little farm/zoo. Our 17-year old, Kelssie, lives away from home and goes to school. In the beginning, my husband wasn’t exactly thrilled with the thought of owning all these animals; he just saw more work. However, over the years he has watched how much these animals have impacted our children’s lives, and now he enjoys them as much as we do. The animals have taught all of us so much: From how to care for newborns, what and when to feed, how to help them when they are sick or injured, the dos and don’ts of fencing. My kids have had the unique experience of helping a rescue horse who almost lost his leg (and potentially his life) due to being caught in a barbwire fence for four days in the middle of summer. This horse required constant attention and doctoring for months, and it took all of our help to pull him through. They have learned how delicate life can be no matter how hard you work to save something’s life, and in the same breath they know the priceless rewards of staying up all night to witness a momma cat giving birth to kittens.
...Read More in the Back-to-School 2009 issue of Murray Life Magazine
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The Stars Come to Earth at the
Land Between the Lakes Planetarium
By Darlisha Stanfield
With his magical sorcerer’s staff, Merlin, the Wizard of Then and Now, makes the room so intensely dark visitors can’t see the face of the person next to them. Merlin’s voice fills the room and explains how the universe was once similar to the projection on the planetarium dome—pitch black and silent. Slowly, his staff reveals stars, nebulas and planets in the artificial night sky, as visitors zoom through centuries of sky to the “now.” Program Director Don Partain (affectionately known as Merlin), and the Golden Pond Planetarium staff bring “infinity and beyond” to west Kentucky.
Home of the award-winning West Kentucky Amateur Astronomers, the Golden Pond Planetarium at Land Between the Lakes boasts a 40-foot dome which serves as the backdrop for the celestial display. The outdoor observatory houses five telescopes—a 12.5 inch custom built Newtonian, two 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrains, a 4.5-inch refractor that allows stargazers to look at the sun, and a 17.5-inch Dobsonian. Visitors who have their first look through a telescope will receive a certificate for their accomplishment.
“Visitors will be entertained,” said Partain. “When they aren’t looking, we slip education under the door.” Each show lasts 40-45 minutes and no show is performed more than once each day.
...Read More in the Back-to-School 2009 issue of Murray Life Magazine
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Savvy Shopper: Old School Learning Goes High Tech
By Kyle Smith
With the start of school just around the corner, it is time once again to begin the quest for the supplies that will not only keep your kids prepared to learn, but may also make them the envy of their fellow classmates. Everyone understands the value of basic supplies, such as pens and paper, as well as old stand-bys such as calculators and dictionaries. However, many forget the role that that latest and greatest technology plays in preparing for the new school year. Let’s explore some new must-haves for students of all ages. Because the greatest product for a third grader is radically different than what your teenager is begging for, we have broken down products into three different grade levels.
...Read More in the Back-to-School 2009 issue of Murray Life Magazine
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 What's a Mother to Do? Moms and their child athletes
By Dr. Sue Overend with Kimberly Holland Tetrev
Nothing more needs to be said. They are seemingly all knowing and all-seeing. They are the species of which children ask, “How do you know that?” How do mothers know and see so much? The answer is, “Because they are everywhere!”
With summer sports closing down, fall school sports are just a few brisk nights away. Just as moms have been at the ball field, sports camp or the pool, moms will be in the football stands on Friday night, courtside for basketball and, with lawn chairs in tow, as close to the touch line of a soccer field as they can get. Why? For the love a child. But what happens when mom’s involvement leans more toward control than parental concern?
...Read More in the Back-to-School 2009 issue of Murray Life Magazine
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 The Land Time Forgot: Cave City Kentucky
By Justin B. Kimbro
Hovering fifty feet above Interstate 65 stands a shadow-inducing Tyrannosaurus Rex. As terribly frightening of a creature he is, wielding 11-inch, razor-sharp claws, 200 or so teeth, beady little eyes, devilishly-deceptive smirk and scaled body, he happens to be somewhat inviting. And why wouldn’t he be? Just a turn or two behind him lies 150 other lifesize models of his closest friends and enemies (if the notorious T-Rex actually had any enemies).
You’ve just entered Dinosaur World! Home to numerous life-like dinosaurs and other creatures from another place in time. A winding concrete trail surrounds the entire park that sits on acres and acres of woodland making the perfect cover for a 200-foot long Brachiosaurus to hide.
Besides the fearful-looking creatures surrounding Dino-World is a plethora of fun-evoking adventures for the entire family to share. Toddlers to teens can be a paleontologist for a day when participating in the Fossil Dig. Children can sift through sand in a boneyard-type setting in search of authentic fossils. And when you are finished sifting through shark teeth and amber, head on over to the museum that houses real life raptor claws and dino eggs.
...Read More in the Back-to-School 2009 issue of Murray Life Magazine
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