Rumor Has It

Do you think you attract mosquitoes more so than the average person? Well, you may very well be right. It seems that certain people do attract mosquitoes more than others and are more apt to be bitten. In other words you will be their dinner! There is something else I did not know…male mosquitoes do not bite humans. Only female mosquitoes bite, as they need human blood to develop fertile eggs. Interesting!

As to who attracts mosquitoes, research has shown that people with high concentrations of cholesterol in their skin are more apt to be bitten. This is not to say that you have high cholesterol, but that you may be more efficent at processing cholesterol. High levels of uric acid also attract mosquitoes, as does the emission of carbon dioxide. People that are more prone to omit higher levels of carbon dioxide include pregnant women, those that are overweight, and those that are active or exerting themselves.

So, if you want to avoid those pesky mosquitoes at your next outdoor event it seems advisable to eat veggies with no butter, urinate frequently, and lay in your chaise lounge for the duration of the event. Sounds like fun, huh?

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I love vegetables fresh from the garden! I like them raw, but I like them even better cooked. Many people say that cooked vegetables are bland. Not if you cook them correctly. If you overcook them, they certainly are. The best way to cook them is by steaming them in a steaming basket or by cooking them in a sauce pan with a small amount of water. All you need to do is bring your water to a rapid boil, add a dash of salt (some people don’t..I think it is a must), your favorite herbs that compliments the veggie and cook over a slow boil until tender crisp. You want your vegetable to retain it’s color, or actually it should even become a bit more brilliant, and to be to your desired crispness…the crisper, the more nutrients and flavor it retains. You can add any number of herbs, seasonings, oils, or other vegetables to compliment the flavor of your main vegetable. There  is no reason to ever think of your garden fresh vegetables as being a bland dish…the combinations are as endless as your imagination.

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I have been having a bothersome day with yellow jackets, I think one in particular has been out for me! I am at a friends house while she is at the beach, so I am doing her everyday tasks, which includes her gardening and flowers. Well, come to find out, there is a yellow jacket nest under one of her bird baths and I seem to have upset the dear things. I suppose I understand why. As I was filling the bath, one flew into the bowl and I proceeded to attempt to drown it..to no avail. It escaped and it seems for the rest of the day it has been able to find me, no matter where I have been! Honestly, I think it must be the same one or it’s mate. I have been sitting on the back deck every evening for the past 3 evenings and have not seen one yellow jacket. Tonight I could not sit down without this single yellow jacket making a beeline (lol) in my direction!!!

I know that yellow jackets are not bees, but are actually in the wasp family and are a very aggressive specie of the wasp. They will sting you, will follow you if you disturb their nest, but normally they follow you from the nest only as far as they can see you. They are also known to sting you without provocation. They are most aggressive at the summer’s end, normally after they have quit tending to their young. What seems unusual is they are less agressive while tending to their young, possibly because they are busy or pre-occupied. Though, if you disturb their nest during this time they are fierce defenders of their young and their nest and will aggressively attack. Unprovoked attacks seem to be more common after the young have left the nest.

I think I upset one that just kicked her kid out! She sure did come after me this evening! I moved out of her way, she was very persistent, to the point of sending me inside. Now, I thought, is this fair? I deserve to sit here, enjoy the evening and relax. Well, I eventually stood my ground and defended my rocking chair. I found that streaming spray in the green can…this Yellow Jacket will no longer be a problem.

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Rumor, you may ask? No, this is true and one lucky mare by the name of Lovey became the recipient. She is a rescue mare that was brought in by the Humane Society Rescue Family in Arkansas. She was severely malnourished, sick and riddled with infections. She had one infection that had caused approximately 6 inches of her right front leg to fall off, she only weighed 650 pounds, more than 200 pounds under weight. She was nursed back to health and by some luck on Lovey’s side and knowing the right people on the rescuer’s side, a decision was made to make her the reciepient of the prosthetic leg. The surgery was done and deemed a success.

She is only now beginning to walk on the new leg and is somewhat tentative. The doctors and owners say it will take therapy, that she will have to realize that she has the leg and will not fall over when she puts weight on her right front. She had adapted to her life without a leg and was living life in a pasture without it, so she will have to re-learn how to walk on four legs.

I find this story full of promise, especially for the performance and race horses that have been put down after performance injuries. In the case of Eight Belles, this probably would not have been an option, because she had broken two front legs. But, just think of how many fine horses that could be saved with these prosthetics…the numbers are overwhelming? I have no idea how many horses are put down every year due to leg injuries and  leg disease? I know this could save many of them from euthanization. What I also know, is that I am only dreaming that this is an option when it comes to the high dollar horse industries, the horse that is no longer performing but has a good insurance policy. I am not going to go any further with this part of the story, you know what I mean, and besides this is a “feel good” story…I forgot.

So, Lovey, we wish you the best of luck. Run free in green pastures, toss your head, whiny at your neighbor, and live up to your name, love those people that have given you the gift of a full and happy life.

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I recently read a book of fiction that was loosely based around a search and rescue dog and his owner which led me to research this fascinating working canine further. The dog and owner team are called to natural disasters, building collapses, or any number of occurances where there may be trapped humans under rubble, trees, even water. They will find the living and the deceased, finding the deceased affects the dog in a negative manner. These dogs actually become very depressed and will remain so for days, if not weeks, if they continue to find more of the deceased than the living.

There are two types of search and rescue dog, one is the scenting and the other the trailing. The scent dog works of a target odor produced by a piece of clothing from the person of which they are searching. The sniff the air for skin cells that drop off of the person’s body. These cells float in the air or over the water allowing the dog to pick up the trail. The dog works off lead, sniffing the air, but is directed by the handler to work the area where the search and rescue should be concentrated. The team will spread out if and as needed. The scenting dog is best used on searches immediately, or within the first few days, after the disaster happens. Waiting too many days compromises the search as the skin cells will fall to the ground. Since these dogs scent the air, contamination is not a problem.

The other type is the trailing dog. They also use articles of clothing and skin cells, but they use the cells that have dropped to the ground. The best trailing dogs are known to be bloodhounds, not only because of their keen scense of smell, but their long ears that trail the ground. Their ears and folds of skin will pick up the  scent of the skin cells, trapping that scent, allowing the bloodhound to trail for weeks on end. A trailing dog is better able to track an old trail, but can be confused by contamination if too many people have tried to search the area. Contaimination can occur when the skin cells of others have also dropped, causing the dog to become confused. Given a good clean trail a bloodhound is an invaluable scenting dog in new or old searches.

These teams provide an invaluable tool to police agencies, disaster relief, and distressed families across the world. The majority of the time their work and time is volunteered. Their dedication to their work has to be a love of mankind, but I also beleive it is a love of man/woman and their best friend, their dog.

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