I imagine most everyone by now has heard about, experienced and/or read about the way to avoid picking up the ticks, and also the terrible possible results of not taking precautions and ending up with a tick bite.
A tick bite can cause one to have a myriad of negative results including rapid heartbeats, increased blood pressure, swollen joints and glands, lethargy, dizziness, aches and pains all over, severe arthritis, and if left untreated and/or undetected, brain damage and/or death, to name a few. A friend of ours who developed some of these symptons years ago before the symptons and the results of Lyme Disease were known, ended up in a very poor state whereas she was previously a dynamic, energetic, do anything type of person.
This is not intended to be a medical report as I am not qualified for that, however, the prevention steps are widely distributed and pretty easy once one starts using them. Any questions, please consult your local health dept.
Some preventative steps-
1. wear long, light colored pants so any ticks will be easier seen
2. tuck the bottom of the pants into your light colored socks
3. wear long sleeved shirts, preferably a light color
4. check your clothing and socks often
5. most doctors and advisories say that the best spray to use is one with DEET.
6. ticks love layers of leaves, mulch, thick grass, bushes and any place else that will provide them with a moist haven. You can also get them on your arms and shoulders from branches and bushes.
7. ticks can be hard to see as they can be the size of the head of a pin, and smaller than the poppy seed on a roll or bagelat certain times of the year.
8. I have spotted them on my pants at one time or another and they are very hard to kill. One cannot just roll them with one's finger like an ant and squash them. I have had to use the head of a pen and/or the blade of a jackknife to actually crush them.
9. unfortunately, it's not like the old days where one could just run around and roll in the grass without a care in the world. We HAVE to take precautions with our kids, our pets, as they can pick them up and pass them on to us, and ourselves to prevent any lifetime, debiltating, or worse, results from a tick bite.
10. try and avoid walking in grasses, brush and leaves, but if you must, please take the precautions listed above for your own sake and your family's.
11. golfers please remember that they are out on that nice manicured fairway and also in the rough that
seems to attract our shots!
12. any doubt or question about an unusual looking bite, inflammation, and/or the reported "target" on ones skin, seek medical attention. Many times the "target" does not appear, so if one feels lethargic, has flu-like symptoms, fever, dizziness and so forth, see a doctor.
13.after working in the yard, take those clothes off away from your living space and place them so you
don't have to handle them a lot before washing them.
14. check your self over and in every crevice. It works best if you can have your partner help you and you can help them. Shower or take a bath right away.
I'm very careful, however, I have run my excavating company for 46 years and I am in the woods, brush and grasses quite a lot and I have had two tick bites in 30 years. Fortunately I discovered them when I showered and called my doctor right away. He ordered an antibiotic for me which I took without any side effects or further effects.
To repeat, please check with your local health dept. or your doctor for more detailed info.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
New Martini idea with the bonus of anti-oxidants!!
Every once in a while we enjoy a Martini and we have enjoyed many different types whether it's made with vodka, or the original, with gin.
Jan discovered a new gin which is made in Modesto, CA and is called "New Amsterdam" in a salute to New York City's heritage and its original name, "New Amsterdam" when the Dutch controlled the area.
Jan's recipe calls for the gin, and whatever amount of dry Vermouth one desires, to be placed in a shaker with ice. Shake very well as the flavors are enhanced.
This recipe calls for black olives and either a twist of orange or lemon, After rimming ones glass with your twist of choice, pour in the delicious Martini. One could have previously placed their Martini glass in the freezer, or could have placed some cubes and water in a glass, or put a few small cubes in the glass with the drink, or one could have purchased one of the poly Martini glasses that have a liquid between two layers of poly that freezes when one places it in the freezer. Whatever suits you.
A word on shaking- a few years ago our MVP newsletter praised the high anti-oxidant level in Martinis due to the vigorous shaking and the release of certain healthful enzymes in the liquor from the shaking. They did specify a maximum of two drinks though, although they didn't state what size glass!!
Of course, any gin or vodka can be used, or even rum or sake! Any olives can be used also to suit your taste.Cheers!
Jan discovered a new gin which is made in Modesto, CA and is called "New Amsterdam" in a salute to New York City's heritage and its original name, "New Amsterdam" when the Dutch controlled the area.
Jan's recipe calls for the gin, and whatever amount of dry Vermouth one desires, to be placed in a shaker with ice. Shake very well as the flavors are enhanced.
This recipe calls for black olives and either a twist of orange or lemon, After rimming ones glass with your twist of choice, pour in the delicious Martini. One could have previously placed their Martini glass in the freezer, or could have placed some cubes and water in a glass, or put a few small cubes in the glass with the drink, or one could have purchased one of the poly Martini glasses that have a liquid between two layers of poly that freezes when one places it in the freezer. Whatever suits you.
A word on shaking- a few years ago our MVP newsletter praised the high anti-oxidant level in Martinis due to the vigorous shaking and the release of certain healthful enzymes in the liquor from the shaking. They did specify a maximum of two drinks though, although they didn't state what size glass!!
Of course, any gin or vodka can be used, or even rum or sake! Any olives can be used also to suit your taste.Cheers!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
March Hares in June ???
I suppose everyone has their favorite wildlife story, the animal wildlife, not the tavern type of wildlife although I have hundreds of those too.
Some of my favorites which occurred in our backyard in Rhinebeck, NY are quite hard to believe and some may not believe they did, however, I swear to all they did and there were witnesses to some of them.
One of the events that is just hard to fathom is the time when my kids, grown now, and one of my neighbors and I were out playing horseshoes in our backyard. We have 6.5 acres with many trees around an open area of about 1.5 acres where we were playing the horseshoes.
After a short period of time, with the ringing of the horseshoes on the pins and each other and sometimes loud exclamations of joy over a ringer or a topper in the air, three rabbits came out of the woods about 50 feet from us. After a bit of grass nibbling, they began to move around in increasing quickness. After a few more minutes, one rabbit would approach another rabbit nose to nose and just move their tails and ears. All of a sudden, one rabbit would leap straight up into the air and the other rabbit would run underneath that rabbit that leaped in the air. They then would nibble a bit and then return to nose to nose and do the same jumping and running underneath routine again and again. It was, and is, quite hilarious to watch.
We have seen them do this hundreds of times over the years.
After possibly 4-5 times of leaping and running underneath, one started chasing another at a full run all around the yard. As they made a wide, swinging turn they ran right in to our horseshoe area and RIGHT BETWEEN MY NEIGHBOR'S LEGS on one end of the pits AND BETWEEN MY LEGS at the other end of the pits!!!!! Amazing!!!
The first thing I thought of was the story of March Hares, however, this was in June so that did not seem feasible. We just attributed all of this great action to a courtship routine.
More to follow next time. Thanks
Some of my favorites which occurred in our backyard in Rhinebeck, NY are quite hard to believe and some may not believe they did, however, I swear to all they did and there were witnesses to some of them.
One of the events that is just hard to fathom is the time when my kids, grown now, and one of my neighbors and I were out playing horseshoes in our backyard. We have 6.5 acres with many trees around an open area of about 1.5 acres where we were playing the horseshoes.
After a short period of time, with the ringing of the horseshoes on the pins and each other and sometimes loud exclamations of joy over a ringer or a topper in the air, three rabbits came out of the woods about 50 feet from us. After a bit of grass nibbling, they began to move around in increasing quickness. After a few more minutes, one rabbit would approach another rabbit nose to nose and just move their tails and ears. All of a sudden, one rabbit would leap straight up into the air and the other rabbit would run underneath that rabbit that leaped in the air. They then would nibble a bit and then return to nose to nose and do the same jumping and running underneath routine again and again. It was, and is, quite hilarious to watch.
We have seen them do this hundreds of times over the years.
After possibly 4-5 times of leaping and running underneath, one started chasing another at a full run all around the yard. As they made a wide, swinging turn they ran right in to our horseshoe area and RIGHT BETWEEN MY NEIGHBOR'S LEGS on one end of the pits AND BETWEEN MY LEGS at the other end of the pits!!!!! Amazing!!!
The first thing I thought of was the story of March Hares, however, this was in June so that did not seem feasible. We just attributed all of this great action to a courtship routine.
More to follow next time. Thanks
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)