Possible Blizzard Ahead?

During the record breaking warmth earlier this week, I made a move to take out all of my driveway sticks that will help a snow truck discern the boundaries of my driveway. No one wants to see their snow plow driver pushing a row of sod across the front yard. Unless you're a worm loving American Robin. The removal of sod would be like a Chinese Buffet to them.

But as I started to pull out the first stick, I stopped. Over 70 degrees and I had to stop and leave it. It's only the middle of March. There might be a blizzard around the corner. And I'm not kidding.

Years ago I recalled the April Fool's Day Blizzard that dumped between 20 and 30 inches of snow on me up in Marlboro, Massachusetts. East Greenwich did not receive as much snow that day, but having a blizzard of that magnitude hit you that hard on April 1st leaves an impression. A hiking trail that I constructed was obliterated by small trees that snapped under the weight of snow and ice. I don't remember that much about that storm, but the lasting impression it made was to not be surprised by a blizzard in late March.

So my shovels are still ready and my bags of ice melt are still waiting. Even the sleds are hanging in the corner of the garage, looking longingly outside, hoping to be taken for a second run this winter. Most likely, they will not be used again, because I left those sticks in the ground. If I had taken them out and stored my shovels and sled and put away the ice melt, I am sure that there might have been a 10 inch snow storm right around the corner. Or maybe even a small, surprising blizzard.

I Hate Ticks

Every year it happens. I hear about another person in East Greenwich that is diagnosed with Lyme Disease. I hate parasites. They are so selfish. I hate how small ticks are. I always read about how they are the size of a period at the end of a sentence. I do tick checks on myself and my family but sometimes I feel it's futile. Even that stupid bull's eye rash does not consistently show itself after a tick bite. This is when I appreciate, dare I say it, the bump and itchiness of a mosquito bite. At the very least you knew you were bitten.

Here are some odds and ends about ticks that have been rattling my brain recently.

So you think your kid is safe playing outdoor soccer? When the ball goes into the woods, cheer them on when they stay on the field. The kid that gets the ball may also get a tick bite.

A bus driver from Lyme, Connecticut told a friend of mine to put some soap on a paper towel and rub counterclockwise on a tick that is biting you. The soap in the paper towel makes them let go. One week later I was forced to try it and it worked like a charm. So no welder torch needed.

Do you know that ticks can kill a moose? Especially if thousands of them are biting the animal.
I learned about it in a National Geographic video here. http://bit.ly/zUBH1I

The earliest known human with Lyme disease was Otzi the Iceman. And that was 5,300 years ago.

The best way to fight Lyme disease is to check yourself for ticks every day and to have a heightened awareness of tick prone areas. Stacks of wood, leafy forest litter and pets are tick hotspots.
The University of Rhode Island has an outstanding website to learn more about ticks. Here is a link to the "Top Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Ticks."
http://www.tickencounter.org/think_tick_take_action/top_ten_things

I am hoping that one full year will go by and I will not learn of a person contracting Lyme disease. I also hope that this post will heighten your awareness of these blood suckers and urge you to check yourself 
for ticks, even in the winter. If only they were a bit bigger, I would scour the forest with my welder's torch put an end to them Rambo style. But right now, we have to settle "tick checks."