Avoiding Heat-Related Illness in the Garden

In summer, there are four common illnesses that affect gardeners in the heat – heat cramps, heat rash, heat exhaustion and the potentially fatal heat stroke.

Avoiding these is always important but is crucial if you’re older, less physically robust or on certain medications.

First, consider your personal situation

Are you older than 50? Overweight, out of shape or taking any medications that could make you even MORE heat- or sun-sensitive? (These include antihistamines, antidepressants, over-the-counter sleeping pills, anti-diarrhea pills, beta blockers, anti-Parkinson’s drugs and psychiatric drugs.)

If so, you’d be smart to keep a close eye on the thermometer (and the humidity level) and limit your outdoor activity when the temperature and heat index is high.

The simplest solution is to refrain from heavy garden work in the hottest hours of the day and in the sunniest parts of your garden.

Actually, it’s better for plants when you water, deadhead and prune early in the day, so plants can recover before the wilting power of the sun is at full force. Insecticides and foliar feeding of plants is usually best confined to the late afternoon when wind is lessened and beneficial insects are not present.

Just as you’d harden off plants by acclimating them slowly to outdoor conditions, you should “harden” yourself to the effects of the heat in small amounts over a couple of weeks.

Staying hydrated is critical

Water is the best choice unless you’re affected by heat cramps, which indicates a need for electrolyte replacement such as a sports drink.

Water temperature should be cool but not ice-cold. Cool tea, fruit juices and other flavored drinks can be substituted.

Caffeinated soft drinks and alcohol actually dry you out so avoid drinking those in the heat.

Dress appropriately

One of the best ways to stay cooler is to dress appropriately in loose fitting, light-colored clothing (dark colors absorb heat.) Don’t be tempted to try to beat the heat by wearing less clothing unless you want to trade heat rash for sunburn and possible skin cancer – and perhaps too much attention from your neighbors.

Break out the headbands and wristbands from the 80s, along with a shady hat or visor, these can help keep you cool through evaporation. Slather on the sunblock.

And don’t forget your sunglasses.

Even if you’re wise enough to follow all the rules above, you should limit your active hot-weather gardening to shorter periods with regular breaks to cool down and have a drink in the shade.…

ATVs – Two Stroke Vs Four Stroke

So you want to buy a quad eh? ATVs are fun and useful off-road vehicles that are relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain. To this day, though, the debate rages between supporters of the two stroke and the four stroke engines. What do you need to know when looking at purchasing an ATV?

Mechanically, the difference between a two stroke and a four stroke engine lies in how often the spark plugs fire. In a two stroke, it fires once with every revolution of the cam, while a four stroke only fires the plugs every other revolution of the cam. With everything being equal, a two stroke will have twice as many combustions as a four stroke, which causes it to produce much more energy with the same size engine. While this may make the two stroke engine the obviously superior choice, there are real-world drawbacks that may make you want to get a four stroke.

Because of the high heat that the two stroke engine develops due to the increased combustion frequency, oil needs to be added to the fuel as a cooling agent, which in turn causes it to produce a lot of smoke. This is why two stroke engines are being discontinued from production, and two stroke ATVs will no longer be available for purchase. Two stroke quads have been used in competitive motocross and high-speed racing, and that is what they are best suited for, because the great majority of their power is found at wide open throttle. This makes it impractical for use on rocky or muddy trails, where low-end torque is needed.

Think of the difference between these two engines as the difference between a 4-cylinder import and a big domestic V8 engine. The 4-cylinder can get a lot of power when revved high, whereas the V8 has loads of low-end torque that makes it so appealing for muscle car applications. In the end, it really depends on what you are going to be using your ATV for. In most cases, a four stroke quad will be perfect for most people, be it hunters, rock crawlers, farmers, or forest explorers.

To top it off, two stroke engines require much more frequent and involved maintenance and it consists of rebuilding the top end every so often. Four strokes, on the other hand, only require regular tune-ups and oil changes. Besides, you may have trouble finding a two stroke quad to buy in the near future, as they are a ‘dying breed’.…

Warm Climates and French Bulldogs

French bulldogs are very intolerant to heat and will easily succumb in hot weather. This is because of the structure of their air passages. Dogs will usually pant to lose heat when it is hot. This panting is necessary to enable heat loss and at the same time to cool air as it passes through the air passages. In Frenchies however the short structure of these passages makes it difficult to exchange heat well as it passes thus making this cooling ineffective. Frenchies may also suffer from a condition that causes obstruction of the larynx during inspiration.

Frenchies are therefore very prone to overheating especially in warm climates. By taking the appropriate steps Frenchies can survive without any trouble in warm climates

Useful Tips

– French bulldogs will normally shed hair in warm climates as a coping mechanism. You can promote this process by brushing the dog to remove any loose hair as well as by trimming the hair.

– Do not subject your dog to extreme exercises especially not in the heat. Frenchies only need mild exercise to keep them fit and healthy. Exercise should be done in the morning or in later the evening when its cooler

– Frenchies should never be left out in the heat. In summer if you are going outdoors, leave your Frenchie indoors. If you have to stay with him then ensure that it is in the shade and provide him with enough water.

– Frenchies should under no circumstance be left in a locked car out in the heat. Open the windows and if you have air conditioning leave it on.

– French bulldogs can’t swim; they are too heavy and besides swimming is very exerting. Do not leave your dog in the sun near a pool of water. The dog will be tempted to jump in and cool off. If you are there to supervise you can attach floaters to the dog and let him enjoy the water. Get your dog out of water if he shows signs of exhaustion or is having hard time breathing.

– Know how to recognize if your dog is having a heat stroke, a rectal thermometer may come in handy If the temperature is way above normal and the Frenchie is panting heavily and has a fast heart beat then take action fast.

– In warm climates, dress up your Frenchie in loose-fitting clothes made of a light fabric.

In case of a heat stroke, do not panic.

– Get your Frenchie out of the heat to a cool place

– Get an ice pack and apply especially on the face and neck area. You can also use some cool water and sprinkle it on the dog.

– Do not splash cold water on the dog or put in a cold bath as the sudden cold may cause the dog to get shock.

– You can try to get the dog to drink some cool water

With some common sense, …

Vegetarian Kids – How to Respond When Your Child Wants to Become a Vegetarian

Amidst those formative or preadolescent years, many children or young adults who have developed a strong love for animals decide that they want to become a vegetarian. Sometimes it is a slow build up and sometimes it is triggered by a sight or experience that leads them to making this decision. Either way this is often traumatic for parents and needs to seen in a certain context.

Some questions that need to be answered are how should parents react to this, and what are the difficulties or concerns? First, it is important to respect your child’s choice and to see it as a natural extension to how you raised him. Most families teach their children to have compassion and a concern for people and for living things, often a child or teenager’s desire to become a vegetarian is out of strong regard for life and a realization as to the insensitivity of how the food industry treats animals. Children tend to see things as very black and white, without the many rationalizations of the adult world. When they decide to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle they are really just taking the education they received a step further than their parents. If you see your child’s desire as something based on your educational values it will probably be a lot easier to be supportive.

The next concerns are usually about health and the logistics of a family member having different dietary needs. The health concern may be one that you have to give attention to depending on what kind of vegetarian you child wants to be. Vegetarians need to be more careful about balancing their food; the most serious concern is Vitamin B complex and most specifically B12, which is found most readily in animal products. If your child continues to eat dairy and eggs, meaning he will be a lacto-ovo vegetarian then he will still be getting Vitamin B complex from the animal products he is eating, but should take a blood test every once in a while to be sure he is getting enough. If he wants to remove all animal products from his diet, meaning becoming a vegan, then the he must take care to ensure that he is getting the proper amount of Vitamin B12. This can be accomplished by taking brewers yeast or spirulina plant plankton, eating seaweed, miso and tempeh or by taking vitamin supplements.

The added burden of a family member making new dietary demands is a real one, but can be seen as an opportunity for growth for the entire family. Even a young child can learn to make many things in the kitchen and a teenager can certainly learn to shoulder some of the burdens his new lifestyle will require.

As the parent, you can use this as a chance to discuss wise food choices and to help the child learn about healthier balanced eating. Use your child’s newfound …