Mud and Muck

Mud and Muck Dont Scare Me Much.

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Mud and muck really doesn’t scare me much.

Mud

Some people say I’m dirty hick. I guess in someways I am, I enjoy spending time in the wilderness, which means getting muddy. Mud and muck doesn’t scare me, is the stuff that mother earth is made out of, it’s the stuff that grows the plants and animals that I enjoy eating.

Sure, mud and certainly moisture can lead to blisters and can be uncomfortable when it crusts on your skin. But mud washes off. Dirt never hurt nobody. Muck can smell earthy, but it’s a very natural material especially on the farm but also in the wilderness. It’s not filled with toxic germs like some would say. Exposure to mud and muck is actually quite healthy.

Some people say, why don’t you just wash off the dust, the mud and the muck. I do, but it just accumulates over time, much too quickly. But I’m really not that concerned, it’s just nature.

When You Are In The Country?

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There seems to be a magic line that separates the country from the cities. There is a point where you get far enough from the city, where farms aren’t surrounded by suburbia or concerned with the suburban way of life. There might still be long distance exburbian commuters out in these parts, but they are essentially rural and free of the control of the big city.

There are several things that come to mind when you are truly in a rural place:

Speed Limit as 55 MPH. The state speed limit starts in almost all non-hamlet parts of rural towns. If the vast majority of roads in the town can be driven essentially as fast as you dare, then your in a rural place.

No Local Police Enforcing Local Laws. Rural communities may still have their own code inspectors and assistance from state police, but there is not the police presence that exists in the big cities. There simply is not the crime in the country, and lots of people leave their keys in their ignition.

Agriculture Not a Quaint Part of the Past. In most truly rural towns agriculture is not just a quaint hobby of people, but is a professional occupation of a number of citizens. In many rural towns there are far more hobby farmers then professionals, but the agriculture preformed on both farms is different then closer to suburbia, and often involves big animals.

People Burn Their Trash. While fewer and fewer people still have burn barrels, particularly in exurbian areas, in truly rural areas the vast majority of people still take their trash out back and burn it. Trash pickup simply is incompatible with the way of life of Rural America.

Big Pickups and Quads. People out in the country are more likely to own pickup trucks and quads. There is a need for vehicles that can haul things, and there is a culture that supports the pickup truck way of life. And people like playing our in nature with their snowmobiles and quads. Not to mention it’s fun to chase cows around on the quad.

Large Segments of Population Don’t Go to the City. The exburban and suburban commuter regularly drives to the city, rural people do not. There may be some exceptions, and most people do come together in a community regardless of where they live, but more often then not it’s a small city of less then 30,000 people.

Forest Road Hardened for Drilling Rigs

In other words, a large segment of the rural population is wild and free, and not controlled like people in the big city. They aren’t limited in their possibilies or their land, or how they must live their life.

When Residents Say ‘No’ to Aerial Mosquito Spraying

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When Residents Say ‘No’ to Aerial Mosquito Spraying

On a Friday afternoon in late September, Kalamazoo County Health Officer Jim Rutherford announced that aircraft would mist much of the county with an insecticidal spray. Intended to kill mosquitoes, the emergency plan quickly turned into a public relations battle. Hundreds of calls and emails — and even some threats — streamed into Rutherford’s office in southwest Michigan, many expressing concern about the spray.

In the United States, an average of seven human cases of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) are reported annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But 2019 has been an especially bad year for the mosquito-borne virus, with at least 35 cases and 13 deaths reported nationwide. In Kalamazoo County, when Rutherford made his decision, EEE had killed a 64-year-old man and sent a 14-year-old girl into intensive care. Faced with the prospect of several more weeks of mosquito-friendly weather, Michigan state officials had offered 15 counties the option of spraying. All of them accepted.

Which Is the Best Insect Repellent?

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Picaridin vs DEET: Which Is the Best Insect Repellent?

"Created by Bayer in the 1980s, picaridin (pronounced pih-CARE-a-den) is a synthetic compound developed from a plant extract from the genus Piper, the same plant genus that produces table pepper. Picaridin has been available since 1998 in Europe and Australia—where it is the best-selling insect repellent—but was approved for sale in the United States only in 2005. (You may see it listed as KBR 3023, Bayrepel, or icaridin.) As with DEET, the EPA has concluded that the normal use of picaridin does not present a health concern."

"Studies have shown picaridin to be as effective as DEET in repelling mosquitoes. Unlike DEET, however, picaridin is odorless, non-greasy, and does not dissolve plastics or other synthetics. The one possible concern with picaridin is its relative newness. Insufficient time has passed for long-term health risks (should they exist) to manifest themselves. A limited, but growing, number of repellents contain picaridin, including Cutter Advanced, Sawyer Premium, and Repel Smart Spray."