Ducks tolerate cold very well, but tend to dislike wind. Make sure your ducks have some protection from the wind over the winter. This is important to their health and overall well-being.  Hang a tarp up in one corner of your duck's pen. If it gets windy, your ducks can shield themselves behind the tarp. You can also purchase a small outdoor wind shelter for your ducks. When they breathe, ducks tend to emit a lot of moisture. This can cause health conditions, such as frostbite, in the winter. A duck shelter should never be completely closed off from outside air. Keep some air vents in the shelter. You can use mesh material on some parts of the shelter, or install small windows. In order to protect your ducks from the cold and from predators, vents should always be up high. Do not install any air vents on ground level. Ducks enjoy swimming, even in the winter. While most ducks can tolerate water at cold temperatures, it's best to err on the side of caution. Wait until a sunnier, warmer day arrives to set out a pool for your ducks. Use a deep, wide pool on warmer days to allow your ducks to swim and bathe.

Summary: Make sure to protect ducks from the wind. Ventilate your ducks' shelter properly. Allow your ducks to bathe on sunny days.


When you listen to music, you have probably noticed that it's not all at the same volume, all the time. Some parts get really loud, and some parts get really soft. These variations are known as "dynamics."  If the rhythm and meter are the heart of the music, and notes and keys are the brains, then dynamics are surely the voice of the music. Consider the first version above. On your table, tap out: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8, etc. (the and is how musicians "say" eighth notes). Make sure every beat is tapped at the same loudness, so that it sounds a bit like a helicopter. Now take a look at the second version. Notice the accent mark (>) above every F note. Tap that out, only this time, accent every beat that you see the accent mark. Now, instead of a helicopter, it should sound more like a train. With just a subtle shift in accent, we completely change the character of the music! Just like you don't always talk at the same level—you modulate your voice louder or softer, depending on the situation—music modulates in level too. The way the composer tells the musician what is intended is by using dynamic markings.  There are dozens of dynamic markings you may see on a piece of music, but some of the most common ones you'll find will be the letters f, m, and p.  p means "piano," or "softly."  f means "forte," or "loud."  m means "mezzo," or "medium." This modifies the dynamic after it, as in mf  which means "medium loud", or mp, which means "medium soft." The more ps or fs you have, the softer or louder the music is to be played. Try singing the example above (using solfège—the first note in this example is the tonic, or "do"), and use the dynamic markings to notice the difference. Another very common dynamic notation is the crescendo, and it's corollary, the decrescendo or "diminuendo". They are a visual representations of a gradual change in volume which look like stretched-out "<" and ">" symbols.  A crescendo gradually gets louder, and a decrescendo gradually decreases the volume. You'll notice that, with these two symbols, the "open" end of the symbol represents the louder dynamic and the closed end represents the quieter dynamic. For example, if the music directs you to gradually go from forte to piano, you'll see an f', then a stretched out ">", then a 'p'.  Sometimes a crescendo or diminuendo will be represented as the shortened words cresc." (crescendo) or dim. (diminuendo).

Summary: Get loud—or get soft! Play it piano, or fortissimo, or somewhere in between. Get louder and louder and louder, or quieter and quieter and quieter.


According to the teachings of the Church, Mormon youth should not date before the age of 16. This is more of a custom than a hard rule, but it is a good standard to follow, as you will probably not be mature enough to effectively handle that kind of personal relationship before then. Even after this, the Church discourages youth from entering serious relationships before they are considering marriage. While the Church allows dating at 16, it discourages serious relationships until you both are older and considering marriage. Before that, you are encouraged to date, but not exclusively. This isn’t a hard rule, but it will influence the way both of you approach the relationship. Having similar expectations about the relationship’s possibilities will make your time together more meaningful and fun.  The right age for marriage depends on whether you're a man or a woman. Men can marry after completing their mission trip—in their early 20s at the earliest. Women can marry after graduating high school. You can still date even if you're not looking for a partner. Dating can help you learn what you value in other people. It can also be the basis for forming important friendships and learning important social skills. The Church encourages you to use dating as an opportunity to show your respect not just for others, but for yourself. Dress nicely, as the girl will appreciate the effort put into looking good for her, and encourage her to do the same.  Wearing nice clothes shouldn't be your only focus. Take good care of your hygiene as well. Be courteous and polite. Treat others with kindness and respect. If you are not old enough to consider marriage, you should be careful about having a serious, exclusive relationship. Even if you are looking towards marriage, it can be better to hold off on more serious activities until a couple of dates to make sure you both feel the relationship is moving in the right direction.  Avoid prolonged physical contact at first, including kissing and holding hands. A brief hug is fine, but lingering or forced contact is not appropriate. Don’t other people the idea that you're an exclusive couple. This is especially true when you're around others. Public displays of affection show a lack of self-control and can be considered disrespectful to others. You open displays can make other people feel uncomfortable. Be willing to date other people. The goal of dating is to broaden your social circle and learn more about yourself. Don't try to be exclusive with just one person—go on dates with as many people as you can. In areas with lots of single Mormons of dating and marriageable age, the Church has established singles wards. You will be surrounded by single women, many of whom are probably interested in dating and marrying a Mormon, so take advantage. There's a current shortage of men in LDS circles due to them leaving the Church in their early 20s. This means there'll be plenty of girls looking for a date, and you can be as choosy as you’d like. While dating is a good time to get to know someone, if you are young it is better to go on group dates. This can keep the relationship from getting too exclusive, and spending time with more people can give you a wider variety of things to do.  Group dates can be a good idea even for serious relationships because they'll allow you and your girlfriend to see how you interact with other people.  Make sure everyone involved is a couple, or at least paired with someone. Otherwise, you'll risk having an awkward mix between dating and hanging out. While you will be of the right age to date, the Church discourages you from trying to date someone while on your mission trip. Your focus should be on promoting the Church and performing good works, and you won’t have time for a relationship. Don't get into long-distance relationships or date someone you meet while on mission. They're both distractions.
Summary: Make sure you are 16. Think about what you want in a relationship. Be a good influence. Keep the relationship casual. Look for girls in your singles ward. Date in groups. Don’t date while on mission.