The best way to avoid a mountain lion is to leave the area at the first sign of its presence. If you are hiking or camping, be on the lookout for mountain lion tracks. Its paw prints will have an imprint of slightly triangular heel surrounded by four toes. The top of the heel will have two lobe bumps while the bottom of the heel will have three. The toes are slightly elongated, so they will look like extended ovals; they generally will not have claw marks. Mountain lions move at a much slower pace than dogs or coyotes, so the tracks will be further spread apart and also directly behind each other. Be sure not to dismiss paw prints for those of a dog or coyote. This will be a telltale sign a mountain lion has been nearby! The scat is broken into segments that are about 1"-1 1/2" in diameter (or roughly the same size as a dog's poop). If you dare to look closer, it might also contain bones, teeth and hair from its latest kill. These are scratches that male mountain lions will often leave on tree trunks to announce their presence and also to mark their territory. They will generally fall between four and eight feet up on the tree. If mountain lions are common in your area, it might be a sign that you are in a mountain lion's favorite path. Mountain lions are not the only animals that make these kinds of markings; bears will often make similar markings, but there will be larger chunks of bark missing. Elk will sometimes scrape their antlers on tree trunks, but these will be smaller, more horizontal markings. If you see a mountain lion off in the distance (more than 100 yards away), do not run after it, especially if it is moving away from you. If you have children with you, do not let them go after the mountain lion. Unlike lions or other big cats, mountain lions have not been socialized around human communities; they are therefore much more likely to avoid you than to attack you.
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One-sentence summary -- Look out for tracks. Watch out for mountain lion scat. Be aware of claw rakings. Respect the mountain lion's space.

Rinse the fresh clams with cold running water to wash away any sand or grit. You may have to rub the shells with your fingers to get them completely clean. Look over the clams before you cook them. If any of the shells are open while they are still raw, discard those; this means they are not fresh. Some types of clams may take a little longer to cook. Gauge whether they are ready by checking their shells. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add the clams and place a lid on the pot. Cook the clams for 5 minutes, uncover the pot and stir the clams, then replace the lid and cook for another 5 minutes. The clams are finished cooking when their shells are open. Remove the clams from the pot and set them aside in a bowl. Strain the broth that is left behind through a piece of cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer to remove any last bits of sand. You should be left with at least 2 1/2 cups of clam broth. If you need more, add water to bring it to that quantity. When the clams are cool, take them out of their shells. Lay them on a cutting board and roughly chop them until they are bite-sized. Set them aside to add to the chowder later.
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One-sentence summary -- Wash the clams. Cook the clams. Strain the broth. Finish preparing the clams.

Search by name or e-mail address in the "Find a Contact" text box. A list of matching results will appear. Mouse over the name and click on the plus icon to add the contact to your list. You can also right-click on the name and select "Add to Contacts List." You can add a contact to a group by right-clicking on the name and selecting "Add to Contacts List," then a group. You can also add the contact to a new group by selecting "Add to New Group," and then give that group a name. You can add more contacts to that new group later. Repeat steps 1 to 3 as needed. Remember to organize your contacts into groups to find them easily when you want to chat with them. If you have a contact that you don't need on your list anymore, just right-click on the name and select "Remove from Contacts List."
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One-sentence summary --
Find a contact. Add a contact. Add a contact to a group. Add more contacts. Delete a contact.