So much for Rio

I was just reading an article about journalists backing out of covering the Rio games due to the fear of the Zika virus.

When something directly affects journalists you can be sure it will be on the news. Brazil is one of the more heavily affected countries. Every thing recently discovered about the zika virus reveals it to be worse than we first thought. The effects are more wide ranging and it's ability to be be spread through sexual contact increases the risk of it spreading.

That's just one thing putting a damper on the Olympic games. Sailors have expressed concern about the pollution in the harbor. Teams who've practiced there report coming down with various health problems ranging from rashes to sever intestinal upset. There's also a lot of debris in the water. One team collided with a half submerged couch.

Then there is the political turmoil in Brazil. Corruption scandals have affected just about every layer and branch of government. Combine that with some economic upsets and a lot Brazil lions have very little interest in the games. Other problems take precedence.

The recent Olympic games have a history of costing the host country a lot of money. If the Brazil games turn out to be a disaster I wonder about if that will be the end of them?

In the past the games have suffered boycotts, and suspensions due to war. This might be first one disrupted by disease.

-Sixbears

Biting insects

Northern New Hampshire has more than its share of biting insects. Right now the black flies are out in force. Soon it will be the mosquitoes, no-see-ums, horse flies, deer flies and moose flies. Then there are ticks. Don't even get me started on ticks. When I was kid I didn't even know what a tick was. Now there are so many of them they've been known to kill moose. No joke. So many ticks attach themselves to a moose that it dies of toxic shock. Nasty.

What you need is a good defense against biting nasties. There are a few native plants that can be used as insect repellents, but I've never been able to identify any around my place. I suspect the natives just avoided the worst areas and kept smokey fires burning.

Good insect repellents are commercially available now so take advantage and keep some on hand at all times. It's definitely something for the bug out bag. DEET, while pretty nasty stuff,(it will strip varnish off woodwork) works well. Some people prefer concoctions made from natural essential oils. Unfortunately I have allergic reactions to those so must avoid them.

Don't overlook good physical barriers. Mosquito netting, head nets, long pants and long sleeve shirts. When the weather is warm we'd rather go around in shorts and t-shirts, but that leaves a lot of tasty skin exposed.

There are so many different diseases spread by insects that we must take the threat seriously. If you do get bit make sure have After Bite and/or anti-itch creams. Keep a good pair of tweezers handy for tick removal.

Some people seem to attract biting insects more readily than other people. Take one of those folks along as a sacrifice to the Mosquito God.

-Sixbears