I have read that an infected tick must bite you and stay on for 24 hours before passing on the infection. If you check each time you go into the woods or work in the yard and get them off you should be OK. When I was growing up, the camp counselors would sprinkle a little sulfur in our socks to keep the ticks off. It seemed to work but it wrecked the socks.

Thanks for commisserating, everyone. It's nice to know that people understand what I'm going through. Elisabeth, I bet your kids love your garden! My kids are grown and live here and have jobs with little time to help around here, as is the same with my husband. So I'm the outside person. The thing is, I spend more time outside than a person does working a full-time job because of it being so hard to keep up with things. I certainly would be tempted like you mentioned with the bobcat, and yes, those mosquitoes and gnats almost eat me alive some days. Angie, Yes, I already decided that I'm downsizing. I don't want to get carried away and downsize a lot because I know what I went through to get rid of the grass before, so I thought I'd take off about 1/4 of the top garden, and I'm doing away with 1/2 of the milkweed patch. The milkweed patch gets soooo weedy, and that's the place where that darn Canada thistle is coming up the worst, although I've noticed little plants coming up in almost all of the gardens/beds. I don't think I'm any more decrepit this year than I was last year, but the rain that was almost nonstop for 2 months is what really did me in this year, and I don't want this to happen again. Jeff, Wow, I didn't realize that the roots go that far down! I agree with you and am using RoundUp on these tenacious thistles. They'd take over if a person would let them. Sandy, I've been holding off on putting down newspaper because I always get a really bad slug problem here every year when I put down newspapers and mulch. Those creatures hide under things and damage my plants so much, and I thought that it would be especially bad this year with all of the rain that we had for 2 months. I'm really sorry to hear that you got arthritis in your wrists from the result of your breaking them a few years ago. I remember when that had happened when you were about to go visit your daughter. What an awful thing to happen to ruin your plans and then to get arthritis yet is a real bummer. I'll try vinegar on some weeds and see what the results are. Sherry, Since you've had carpal tunnel syndrome for awhile, I guess you understand how uncomfortable it can be. Well, the numbness is more annoying than uncomfortable. It's the pain up my arm from the cubital involving the ulnar nerve that I mind the most, but I'd be happy if I wouldn't have either one of those problems. I wish I could put in raised beds, but I don't think that's possible. It's a very good idea though. I wouldn't get help from anyone putting them in or doing anything else outside. My "kids" don't have the time or ambition. Ha! Thank goodness neither of them want to have kids because that it's a lot of work raising kids. I'll do the best I can here with what abilities I have and try to accept that I'm not as young as I used to be. My problem is that my mind wants to do the work of a 20-year old (what one would physically be capable of doing, that is), but my body feels like my age plus 20 years. If I were magically given the body of a younger person for just a week, would I ever be smokin' rushing around to get things done that I want done in the gardens. :) Susan, That's great that things look so nice at your place; I'm just sorry that it took a toll on your body, which I know what you mean. I tried to do a lot outside yesterday since it was an absolutely lovely day. With the exception of two small breaks, I worked outside from about 11:00-8:00. I paid for it too...could barely make it out of bed today. I always do have trouble in the morning, but it was especially difficult today. My dr. is afraid I'll get hooked on vicodin so won't prescribe me anymore, but geez, I made a bottle of 30 pills last for a little over a year because I take them as little as necessary. I wouldn't exactly say that I'm a druggie. lol I'm seeing the back specialist next month to see what's plan B because plan A (steroid shots last summer) didn't help me. I'm going to do what you said and I've picked the garden closest to the house to concentrate on this year. Since it already doesn't look nearly as bad as the others, it shouldn't be too bad to get it in even better shape and maintain it. The others have gone to the dogs so much that I'd almost need a work crew (yeah, like that's going to happen :/) to make them look nice. I guess I'll just have to settle for one nice-looking garden and too lousy-looking ones. bernergrrl, I guess you and a lot of others know what I'm having to deal with with the gardens. Even without a lot of rain, as you know, they're a lot of work. Through in the rain and not being able to work out there practically the entire spring, and it makes it extremely difficult if not impossible to get caught up with things. I had this idea that I somewhat failed in my goals to provide for the butterflies in the ways that I wanted to, but I can't lose my sanity trying to be "Wonder Woman". I have been trying to delay with newspapers and mulch (I have bags of leaves I'll use) because of the slug problem that I get here every year, but I have to start doing something to keep the weeds down. It would be nice if I could get someone to rototill, but I'm not going to count on that. Sorry, will reply more another time...my arms are telling me that was my typing limit. Thanks again. Cathy

ganddb - "Does anyone know anything about Valley Fever? Apparently it is caused by a fungus that is native to the soils of southern Arizona and southern California." Actually, alkaline soils from the American SW all the way down to Argentina. "it doesn't appear that he will ever really recover. I can't understand why something so serious is not talked about." It's well-known in the area, and certainly studied in medical schools all over the country - more as a thing to watch for if someone has certain symptoms and was recently in the SW USA. "I haven't met one person here in the northwest who has ever heard of it and none has had any idea that they were exposing themselves to it while vacationing." Just as people visiting the Pacific NW aren't warned about Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever ... which is a pretty nasty disease. "My brother is very short of breath and has to wear a mask to go outside. That is one heck of a way to live!" That does NOT sound like Valley Fever ... has he had a thorough exam recently by a pulmonary specialist. The usual lingering symptoms are fatigue and joint pain. "I realize that not everyone gets it, but that your chance of getting it is nearly 100% over a one year time frame." Wrong. I got it after 10+ years in the area. Most people don't know they have been infected until later, when a skin test shows up positive, or a healed scar shows up on an x-ray. After 10 years continuous residence here, you are unlikely to get it - either you "Not everyone gets really sick with it, but about 3% die and another 37% have lingering effects. This seems like major medical news to me." Also wrong: fatality is less than 1%, really severe complicaiotns in the 2-3% range. 60% never knew they had it, and most people are over it in a couple of months. It's less dangerous then West Nile Fever. A vaccine was developed, but it's still got nasty side effects. If it can be tamed, it would be a worthwhile vaccine for newcomers. Here is a link that might be useful: Valley Fever link

Well, I have a vet appointment later this week, but I'd like to get some xanax for storms, or big upsets. My 8-year old Golden developed thunder phobias while we were in Phoenix. This was a difficult move for many reasons and it took 6 months after the movers came for us to finally get here. I could tell she was adding anxieties. Now she doesn't like gun shots, loud noises, unexpected movements, car rides, etc... If it's an short event (gun shot) we do a "settle" exercise and she can calm down. A thunderstorm brings: panting, shaking, clawing, alternating pacing, and cowering, trying to climb on top of my head, she urinates, and this is always followed by diarrhea (that she usually manages to contain until the storm subsides and she goes outside). What concerns me most is the fact that she's adding fears. I'm going to try to desensitize her to the storms, but we need drugs to break this association. I know it's not just the thunder as she starts freaking long before I even realize a storm is coming in. I'm sure she's sensing the pressure change and the static, which she's come to associate with bad things. The first 6 years of her life she was nearly shock-proof; I do not remember her being afraid of anything--sometimes to my great dismay. When she's really upset, I just cannot distract her. "Animals in Translation," was written by an autistic woman who says she made a compression machine for herself when she was overwrought. She says they seem to work on animals much the same way and it's very calming. I'm hoping that a multi-pronged approach will help my dog: compression, distraction, drugs... Can you think of anything else that might help? Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge.