Calblog

There have now been 35 human cases of West Nile statewide this year ...

San Bernardino, which had reported 21 human cases as of Thursday, has been an epicenter ...

Living in the belly of the beast, as it were, West Nile definitely has my attention.

I've counted at least three mosquito sightings in my room in the last week, and I'm getting kind of freaked about the whole thing. :-(

Clark,

From what I understand, New York is typically the biggest area for West Nile.

Also, I suspect that a lot of cases go unreported. In most people, it just feels like the flu.

I would think that anyone, especially those with compromised immune systems, should take notice of anything that remotely smacks of flu symptoms during mosquito season.

I Love Living in the Outdoors
Of course I have become more persnickety about ticks after Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever became more prevelant. I filter my water now thanks to Gardia, and now I take precautions to avoid feeding those female mosquitos! (Actually, to comply with Title IX, I kill them all).

But the bottom line is that I am NOT invincible, and life involves risks and losses.

Thus I have made what amounts to me as a somewhat momentus decision. Those who know me, know that to say that I enjoy hiking would be a bit of an understatement. I had been looking forward to hiking the entire Appalacian Trail in retirement. Now the thought hits me: "Why Wait!" No, I'm not quitting my job, but I plan to do section hikes, beginning this fall and hopefully at least one of my children will join me.

I've been reading Bill Irwin's book: "Blind Courage" and that's what got me deciding to "go ahead and do some trail." Bill hiked the entire AT in 1990 after losing his sight completely and then battling alcoholism.

Life is about taking up the challenge. Yes, we honestly assess our limitations as well as the risk, but "Go for it!" must remain part of our vocabulary. My life has taken me on more airplanes after September 11 than it had before. That is not a call to carelessness, but a call to, with due preparation, go where we are called to go.

Good comment, rs.

(Actually, to comply with Title IX, I kill them all).

Hilarious! ;-)

Life is about taking up the challenge. Yes, we honestly assess our limitations as well as the risk, but "Go for it!" must remain part of our vocabulary.

As an ubiquitous motivational quote says so well, "Ships are safe in the harbor ... but that's not what ships are made for." :-)

looking forward to hiking the entire Appalacian Trail

To quote your own words, “Go for it!” An ample supply of DEET and the slap of a ready hand should put you in good stead throughout the Appalachians.

After you hike Appalachian stages, please share your journeyings with all of us. :-)

Thank you, Clark, for the kind words.

Look for "North to Harper's Ferry" sometime in late September or October.

Here is a Story of one of my past hikes. After reading it you may ask: "Is he ready for mosquitoes?"

After reading it you may ask: "Is he ready for mosquitoes?"

Heh! A bear can tear ya a hurt--without hardly trying--such as to make mosquitos (even West Nile infected ones) trivial by comparison. There's a reason bears are mentioned in the famous fearsome threesome ... "Lions, Tiger, and Bears ... OH MY!" :-O

Ok, a personal bear story. Once when I was camping in Yosemite many years ago, my brother and I headed to the camp restrooms one morning, when ahead of us walks this big ol' bear and walked in front of us straight into the men's restroom. We stopped stone dead in our tracks, and I turned to my brother and said with due gravity, "I think I'll wait." :-)

Was the bear gender-appropriate for that side of the restroom? Who knows. When you're a bear you can use whatever side of the restroom you want, and who's going to argue with you? :-D

I appreciated the article you shared. Your love for God's grandeur in nature is evident.

Maybe the epicenter's moving north, like the San Andreas?
Up here in the Bay Area we have over 30,000 acres of prime, salt-marsh mosquito habitat with plenty of "residents" already. It's disturbing to me that we are simplistically being told to watch out for puddles in our backyards, and to wear long-sleeves and more bug-spray.

Meanwhile at the cost of over $100-million in public and private money, behind closed-door negotiations, prime mosquito habitat is being increased by another 10,000+ square acres by environmental enthusiasts, with a "Habitat Goal" at over 100,000 acres. Fiat Acompli - but one goal is for these renewed wetlands to provide habitat for migrating shorebirds, as the Audubon Society paper states,"The Bay is recognized as a site of international importance for more than a million shorebirds and over 50 percent of the diving ducks traveling along the Pacific Flyway." Well, West Nile is a known danger-to and killer of birds in particular. Is it a goal to kill the birds?
Another line in the "Fact Sheet" says,"Large marsh areas could provide habitat for species currently threatened with extinction like the California Clapper Rail and the Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse." Could provide habitat. Could West Nile also _ensure_ the threatened extinction, as absent marshes the dire consequence suggests, or are these fuzzy little creatures immune?

There's been very little public discussion or scrutiny about this and none I'm aware of in regards to West Nile, and any criticism (the financing of it anyhow) has resulted in return-fire attacks by the Environmental organizations involved.
As the bromide continues, "Unlike many major land and water conservation projects, this one is centered in the heart of a major urban area. By opening up miles of shoreline for public use, residents and visitors will have direct access to the Bay for hiking, nature study, canoeing and contemplation." Access works BOTH ways, and the fact is that one square acre of salt-marsh is capable of generating four million salt-marsh mosquitos - up in Novato a trap caught over 10,000 adults in the space of on single night. Also as one vector ecologist pointed out, "Some of these guys fly up to 26 miles for a meal" - so dinner in Los Gatos or Pleasanton isn't much of a deterrent for mosquitos from Alameda to Mountain View...

I'd like to know what public-health concerns were ever weighed by these well-meaning but possibly deeply misguided architects of environmental reconstruction. What plans do they have to protect the surrounding non-insect inhabitants of the Bay Area, and insure that the wetlands remain free of West Nile bearing mosquitos?

Or, what's the NYSE ticker sign for DEET...?

Bears in the Rest Room

Clark, that is a great story. We are near the AT in Virginia and the Calf Mountain shelter used to have a sign on the privy door reminding users to "shut the door after you leave, the resident Calf Mountain bear likes to sleep in here,"

I can just imagine the reaction of the hiker who first discovered this phenomenom!

Dear Bill Irwin,
I have been studying the AT and think it is so cool that you as a disabled individual have done it it's amazing just one question..How did you accomplish this task and why'd you want to do it? What made you come up with the idea? Please email me back.

-Alexis

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People should not have standing water their homes which will attract mosquitos.