Be Careful of Ticks Out There

After the rough winter most of the country experienced this year, everyone is trying to spend as much time outside enjoying the warmer temps as they can.

Great idea, but some precautions are needed to make sure everyone is safe. (I know, when we were kids we just ran out the screen door and stayed out. Times have changed.)

Before you go for walks along hiking trails or in the deep woods, be sure to rub on lots of sun screen. And just as importantly, "Deet up" as my daughter-in-law says. We have gotten lots of bug bites this spring, not even realizing when we got them. Some had to come when we were sitting on our back deck during the early part of the day which is supposed to be "safe" from such things.

Ticks are out in force too, and with the large deer population we have nearby, something to take very seriously. My son's friend had a tick on him when he came back inside after a quick walk through the back yard. I heard of another woman who got Lyme disease without all of the "normal" symptoms you look for like a tick that was attached for some time or a bulls eye rash.

Be careful out there!

Appreciating Peonies

I overheard a friend talking about how peonies were a good garden choice these days because deer don't seem to eat them. I didn't pay too much attention as I have pretty much convinced myself that deer will eat ANYTHING.

But driving around the last few days I have noticed some lovely peony blossoms that seem to be thriving even in our heavy deer-populated neighborhoods.

We had rows of peonies lining a walkway when I was growing up. I remember how lovely they were till a high wind or rain storm knocked the tall blooms over. And ants. I remember how many ants we would find in the petals whenever we would cut a few flowers to bring in the house.

When we first moved to this house I planted several peony plants in the backyard, but none of them ever grew, apparently because of too much shade.

But if peonies are deer-proof or at least deer-putting off, I may have to reconsider and plant a mass of them in the front beds. I can't wait!

Moves App Follows Your Every...

Screenshot from Moves app

If Facebook is interested in something, you know it has to be big. Doing a little research for this month, May, which is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, I learned that Facebook has just purchased the app Moves, which tracks your movements for the day and gives you a report on your iphone.

A little more involved than a pedometer which just counts steps, Moves knows (magically) when you are at work or when you have stopped at other places during the day. A little scary actually, but it could be a good way to focus on fitness at the same time.

The app is free at the Apple App Store or Google Play on your iphone. To learn more about the sale of the app to Facebook, visit here.

Remember: World Book Night April 23

As I wrote in the blog post below (dated March 5, 2014), April 23 is World Book Night when avid readers hand new books to those who may not have ever had the pleasure of reading a book.

There is time to become part of this organization next year if you are intersted. To learn more, visit World Book Night.

Geocaching a Fun Way to Move

Seems to me that a lot of experts on fitness are promoting simple ways to move more during the day, any way you can. It doesn't have to be a marathon; just move more and more each day. This will contribute to your health in more ways than you can imagine.

Discussing this recently, I began telling a few people about Geocaching, a modern day treasure hunt that has you walking and hiking to find caches which include trinkets and other goodies. You log in your finds on the Geocaching website and can view your progress. It's a hobby you can do at home or when away, pretty much anywhere in the world.

We were avid geocachers for a while and still try to find some caches when we travel to different states. But I think it may be time to incorporate geocaching back into our lives in a bigger way.

To learn more, visit the Geocaching website. It really is fun and you do find yourself forgetting that you are exercising because your brain thinks you are on a treasure hunt. Much cooler by far.

Favorite Books Part of World Book Night

In the middle of a drab, cold February, my book club met at a local restaurant and decided that instead of talking about one book selection we would allow each member to talk about her favorite book.

It was a lovely evening, a bright spot in a dark month for sure, and the highlight was hearing each person talk with such passion about a particular book, but more about her love of reading.

The reading bug had hit most of us early in life, and continues to this day into our senior years.

To encourage this love of reading in others who may not have had the opportunity to pour through books as a child, World Book Night was created. The program allows volunteers (avid readers I am sure) to place a particular book in the hands of light or non-readers on April 23, 2014.

The program continues through the year, and new volunteers will be solicited for the 2015 event.

To learn more about this exceptional program visit  World Book Night

Yaktrax to the Rescue

This winter across the entire country has been a huge advertisement for Yaktrax, The product is a system of stretchy metal coils you attach to your shoes or boots so you can stay upright on snow and ice.

I have had a pair for years, but of course, was not wearing them last year when I fell on black ice on my driveway. Smart, eh? But this year they are a constant accessory to my winter garb.

My set of Yaktrax are permanently attached to an old pair of sneakers and are definitely my footwear of choice when I am walking to the mailbox or to sweep off our front steps. I have not experienced even a slip so far. Now, I haven't sought out huge patches of glazed ice to try them out on either, but I have seen such patches and stayed as far away from them as I can.

There are different brands of these shoe add-ons and different styles. Yaktrax makes these items for walking, running and skiing.

I have to admit I was very leery of this winter because of my fall last year, but these products have given me back some of my confidence to go out and tackle winter. Thank you, Yakrax.

Be careful out there.