Early winter in the Shires

Everyone is gearing up for Thanksgiving, so not a lot of events this weekend. I love this time of year. The leaves are down and you can see a lot when hiking outside.

Hunting season continues, so if you are hiking remember to wear red or blaze orange. Cold weather has stopped the black flies and mosquitos, but it's prime season for ticks, so remember to check carefully for unwanted "visitors" after you hike. Ticks in our area carry Lyme disease so this is important. Remember, Lyme disease takes at least 24 hours to transfer from a tick to you... so as long as you check and remove any ticks you don't have to worry about catching the disease. Common Lyme Disease symptoms are aches, and flu-like symptoms MINUS the runny nose. (With runny nose, it's probably the flu!) A bulls-eye shaped rash often occurs at the site of the bite, but not always. Lyme is easily cured if caught early. If you have had a tick on you for more than 24 hours, and show symptoms, you should consult your doctor!