It's a Jungle Out There!

Hello!  We hope that everyone will come down to this Thursday's Pathfinder Produce from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Pathfinder Village Commons for the greatest variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in our area. The market’s friendly staff is eager to help you with your purchases, and there's always something new to try. Speaking of something new … if you haven't been to our Splash Path 5k Run & Fun Walk yet, consider signing up for our 5th annual on Saturday, May 19.  Early registration fees have been extended through May 11 (afterward, there will be a modest increase; we work to keep our entrance fees low so families may have an enjoyable, fitness-focused day together).  To learn more, stop by the recently updated Pathfinder Village website; be sure to stop by our Vendors page to see the many fine organizations that are helping to make the 2018 Splash Path possible. * * * * It’s a Jungle Out There Lately, our weekends have one big rush, going from one activity or right to the next.  It also means that our outdoor work at home needs to be done with all hands on deck.  This weekend we all worked to get our mowers going, changed the oil in the truck, cleaned up the firewood pile, and raked the stones out of the yard.  We also had to de-smellify Della, who got a little too close to a skunk on one of her nightly sojourns.  To deal with the aroma of Mephitis mephitis, we used a combination of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and just a little dish soap and worked it into her coat for the first go-round (followed with a rinse); we followed it up with some high-quality apple cider and a good rinse.  (I’ve also used tomato paste on our older Springer many years ago; it worked better than tomato juice but it turned the dog pink). Throughout the weekend, we followed up with some good brushings too, as her coat is now in full-shed mode.  It was a good chance to also check for ticks and other stowaways.  As anticipated, I found a few small critters hiding (but not embedded) in her ears.  Wearing disposable gloves, I was able to extract the offenders easily and then cleaned her ears with rubbing alcohol.  Luckily, I’d already dosed her a few weeks back with a prescription chew that kills ticks and fleas for three months.  Yuck. I really dislike ticks. Ticks are notorious for spreading Lyme disease, but they are also the vectors for spreading other serious illnesses too.  My Facebook feed has blown-up with stories on the uptick in red meat allergies caused by bites from the Lone Star tick:  Alpha-gal allergy symptoms include typical anaphylactic and hypersensitivity reactions soon after a person eats beef or other red meats.  Read more about these allergies here. (Lone Star tick bites are estimated to be responsible for around 80 percent of Alpha-gal allergies.  As tick populations increase in northern areas (which is linked to warmer summer temperatures through climate change), there are more cases happening in New York and the New England states). In closing, it’s always good to review the CDC’s guidelines on how to avoid ticks on people, on pets, and to try to reduce them in your yards.  If you have children who play outdoors, or seniors you care for who like to sit outside, be sure to check them frequently from head to toe, as they may not be aware of when they’ve been bitten.  The Mayo Clinic offers first aid steps if you have been bit, and readers are encouraged to report any noticeable rashes or other symptoms to their healthcare providers for follow-up treatment. Until next time, be active and be well, Lori