VETERANS CORNER: Back problems another subject worth looking into at the VA

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by Gary Kennedy

Many veterans complain about back pain and perhaps that is one of the most common complaints from our new veterans, especially if they are vets who are retiring after 20-plus years. If you take into consideration the nature of this type of career you will find that many of the venues residing within the military are extremely taxing on the human body. A soldier must be fit or put in shape in order to perform at peak proficiency. Calisthenics for most are a daily necessity. As time goes on this, coupled with the veterans military occupational specialty, MOS, can take its toll on the body. Some handle physical activity with relative ease while others have anatomical structures that don’t stand the test of time. Some bodies reach conflict before they complete even one tour of duty. Unfortunately, there is no way of telling for sure whose body will stand the test of time.

Today we will go over some of the back/spinal issues one might encounter due to their serving their country through military service. As I have mentioned before it is very important how an issue is presented and to what it is applied, if not a stand alone situation. This is also reason to be prepared by acquiring a Veteran Service Officer, V.S.O., to stand with you and guide you through the process. At this point it is assumed that you have a Primary Care Physician, P.C.P. to call your own. This is where you will take your initial complaint and where your problem will be analyzed, developed and referrals will be made. I suspect you will be sent to Orthopedics who, in turn, will order X-rays to see what is going on inside of your back. At this point the orthopedist will arrive at a diagnosis and log all necessary notes regarding your situation based upon what the X-rays and examination show. This will be the inception of a potential compensable claim. The best part is you will receive the medical care you deserve.

Backs are one of the most complicated areas of the human body as they are part of many systems of which affect or are affected by many different problems and/or conditions. Some of the most common addendums to this area are as follows: Sprains-strains, traumatic injury, fractures, herniated discs, sciatica, lumbar spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, scoliosis, etc.

Back sprains and strains can be rated from 10-100 percent depending on how severe the symptoms, pain and loss of range of motion. Extremely severe pain, loss of motion hit the high end. When it comes to traumatic injuries VA relies on Disability Benefits Questionnaires, D.B.Q. to collect disabilities information. This can be done by the veteran’s doctor or by VA to make a benefit evaluation. I prefer the latter, then comes fractures which are rated by schedules which are primarily based upon earning capacity. Separate diagnostic codes are used from 38 U.S.C.A. § 1155; 38 CFR. Next is Herniated Disc which last less than four weeks in the past 12 months may be able to qualify for 20 percent, episodes that last less than six weeks can be rated at 40 percent. This could go north of 60 percent. Lumbar Stenosis can be rated from 30 percent to 100 percent depending on the inability to move the spine. Osteoarthritis is usually given 10 – 20 percent depending on severity. (Diagnostic Code 5003) Scoliosis is curvature of the spine. Scoliosis is considered an idiopathic disorder. The cause of scoliosis is basically unknown and cannot be cured. Scoliosis can be considered for compensation if it is caused by military service or aggravates a pre-existing condition. It’s beneficial to know that scoliosis can cause other problems to occur such as spinal stenosis and arthritis.

There are three degrees of scoliosis. 1) Mild – less than 20 percent; 2) Moderate- which indicates a curvature of 25 – 40 percent degree of curvature and; 3) Severe – 50 percent more.

Scoliosis proof needs to show a nexus to an in-service event or show aggravation of a pre-existing injury. Medical reports as well as lay evidence can be used to establish a claim. This type of claim is not the most common of claims so make sure you contact your V.S.O. for his/her advice in the matter. They can guide you along. There is much more that we can address next time.

God Bless and have a safe weekend.

CRITTER CHATTER – Hit or miss: a squirrel and chipmunk

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chipmunk

by Jayne Winters

When I visited with Don today, there were two new admissions in small cages in his living room: a young chipmunk and a gray squirrel, both likely HBC (Hit By Car) victims. The chipmunk wasn’t in good shape; he was hunched up in a corner of his cage, his fur very disheveled. Don said he didn’t appear to have any broken bones, but initially had a bloody mouth and was in shock.

Even if an injury is minor, shock can quickly kill. When I researched on-line, I found it interesting to learn that an animal with a mild head injury may be more likely to survive than one with minor fractures because the ability to register fear and pain can be impaired from a head injury, whereas fractures cause more pain, fear and stress, which can lead to shock. Being careful not to handle the chipmunk much and further traumatize him, Don has syringe-fed him with squirrel or puppy milk to provide nourishment and hydration. Over a couple of days, the chipmunk has been able to eat and drink on his own, as well as ‘go potty’ and is moving around the cage, albeit stiffly. He’s being kept warm with a small heating pad.

The squirrel came in the same day as the chipmunk and physically looks to be in much better condition. He had a bloody nose upon arrival, but his larger size probably helped him tolerate the impact better. He, too, was sleeping soundly when I was at the house, but curled up in a normal position; he’s now been eating and drinking appropriately. I also learned that small animals can be given infant or child ibuprofen for pain; dosage is determined by the animal’s weight.

squirrel

According to World Atlas, about 41 million squirrels are killed by drivers annually. Researchers theorize that squirrels (and I would assume other rodents and small mammals) view oncoming cars as predators. Squirrels tend to stop and start and change direction constantly in an effort to confuse and avoid predators such as hawks, owls, and foxes. They often freeze and then run out of the way at the last minute in an effort to escape claws and jaws. Unfortunately, that instinct doesn’t work well with cars.

In addition, because their eyes are positioned on the side of their heads, depth perception and any ability to sense how fast cars are moving are severely limited. Their visual perspective is much different than ours – their eyes are about 2 inches from the pavement! While they may comprehend something is coming, their brain and vision can’t process the concept of speed. By the time instinct kicks in, it’s simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time that determines whether it successfully gets across the road or not.

Autumn seems to be peak time for squirrel fatalities on the road. They’re busy collecting food for the winter and looking for places to store it, crossing roads more frequently. Young squirrels are out of the nest and on their own for the first time; inexperience and lack of evasive maneuvers from potential predators increase their chance for collisions.

Despite what some people may think, it’s highly unlikely that wildlife play tag or chicken with on-coming cars or trucks. Sadly, there are drivers who find sport in chasing down an animal, no matter its size or species, and intentionally swerve out of their way to hit it, but I hope they are few and far between.

A follow-up to the opossum I mentioned in last month’s article: another suspected HBC victim, it had suffered a broken jaw. Although it was fed milk and vitamins with a syringe for a couple of days, Don was concerned about its ability to survive in the wild. He took the opossum to the vet and they discovered in addition to the broken jaw, its nasal cavity was also severely fractured. These injuries were not anything that would heal well; the kindest thing to do was humanely euthanize it.

Other rehabbers continue to generously provide assistance to help keep critter care at Duck Pond manageable.

They are greatly appreciated! Please check the following web sites to see if there is a rehabber near you: https://www.mainevetmed.org/wildlife-rehabilitation or https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/living-with-wildlife/orphaned-injured-wildlife/index.html.

Donald Cote operates Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center on Rte. 3 in Vassalboro. It is a non-profit state permitted rehab facility which is supported by his own resources and outside donations. Mailing address: 1787 North Belfast Ave., Vassalboro ME 04989 TEL: (207) 445-4326. Please note the previous e-mail address is no longer monitored.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Surprising News About The Fight Against Polio

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You can join in the efforts of Rotary members and others to wipe polio from the face of the earth.

(NAPSI)—When it comes to combating polio, there’s good news, bad news and better news.

The good news is that efforts to eradicate the dreaded disease have been going on for decades. Back in the disease’s peak years in the 1940s and 50s, it affected between 13,000 and 20,000 people in the United States each year, many of them children. Thousands died. Many others were permanently paralyzed. Then Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin developed vaccines and the number of cases dropped. As of August 30, 2023, only seven cases of “wild polio virus” (two in Pakistan, five in Afghanistan) have been detected in 2023.

The bad news is that even one case of polio is one too many, and while cases of polio have fallen over 99% worldwide since 1988, a variant of the polio virus is causing outbreaks and consuming critical resources needed to stop the transmission of wild poliovirus. What’s more, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted efforts to combat vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio.

The better news is we know how to eradicate polio. Vaccines are highly effective, and the more people who are vaccinated, the less the virus can spread.

What’s Being Done

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative developed tailored strategies to end polio. It offers multi-vaccine campaigns with polio and other vaccines, and increased environmental surveillance sites to quickly detect the virus.

Also, Rotary and its partners are using a new vaccine, nOPV2, to address outbreaks of the variant poliovirus. Millions of doses have been administered.

Who Is Helping

Polio eradication is the flagship priority of Rotary, a global humanitarian organization with more than a million members around the world. These men and women are business, professional, and community leaders with a shared commitment to making the world a better place.

The organization had the audacity to take on a global effort to protect children everywhere from disability and death due to polio and the tenacity to finish the job and keep its promise to children everywhere.

What You Can Do

You can be part of the effort to end polio in four ways:

1. Donate to the End Polio Now Campaign. Donations will be matched 2:1, up to U.S. $50 million by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
2. Contact government leaders and encourage them to prioritize financial and political support for polio eradication.
3. Participate in World Polio Day on October 24, 2023, to raise awareness of the importance of polio vaccination and to celebrate the parents, professionals and volunteers who make eradication achievable.
4. Join Rotary. Rotary members have contributed over $2.6 billion dollars and countless volunteer hours to immunize up to 400 million children a year. As a result, more than 20 million people who would otherwise have been paralyzed are walking, and more than 1.5 million people are alive who would otherwise have died.

Learn More

For more information visit: www.polioeradication.org and www.endpolio.org.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Daffinitions & technical terms

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by Debbie Walker

You know I like comical things and I love words. When I came across this material in a Blum’s Farmer’s and Planter’s Almanac from 2018, I saved this page for future reference. I think this is ‘future enough’. I hope it brings you a chuckle or two.

Avoidable: what a bullfighter tries to do. (Avoid-a-bull)

Baloney: where some hemlines fall. (below-the-knee)

Bernadette: the act of torching a mortgage. (Burn-a-det)

Heroes: what a guy in a boat does. (hee-rows)

Paradox: two physicians. (par-a-docs)

Pharmacist: a helper on the farm. (farm-uh-sist)

Relief: what trees do in the spring. (Ree-leaf)

Rubberneck: what you do to relax your wife. (rub-’er-neck)

Seamstress: describes 200 lbs. in a size 2. (seam-stress)

Selfish: what the owner of a seafood store does. (sel-fish)

Subdued: a guy that works on a submarine. ((sub-dude)

TECH:

Log on: when you want to make the homestead warmer.

Log off: TIMBerrrrrrr

Mega Hertz: when you are not careful getting the firewood.

Laptop: where the cat sleeps.

Hard drive: maneuvering through those rocky fields on the northern range when there is snow on the ground.

Windows: what to shut when it’s cold outside.

Byte: what mosquitoes do.

Modem: what I did to the hay fields.

Keyboard: where the keys hang.

Mouse: critters that eat the grain in the barn.

I have room to go over odd uses for ordinary products. The Jello column was different so now I think we will do Colgate toothpaste, the plain old fashion one, nothing fancy added.

To start: Did you know an inch of Colgate to wash your hands with when you are handling fish, onions, or garlic to remove the smell. I never would have guessed it.

I haven’t tried it yet, but Joey Green had it on his list of hacks. Ink can be removed from cloth with Colgate Toothpaste. I have tried hairspray and that worked.

Colgate can be used for removing hair dye from skin. Wish I had known that when I was dying my hair. Not sorry that’s over!

Grass stains used to be an issue when we were growing up. Wish Mom had known about Colgate and grass stains. She might now have been so upset with us!

It’s no secret that I enjoy Joey Green’s books. Helpful and entertaining! He now has a monthly newsletter that you might want to check. Just try your search engine with his name and see what comes up. Enjoy!

Changing up a little: If you have a shedding pet, try this (maybe). If when you are brushing the pet looks wonderful, but you look like a shaggy critter. I read about a possible answer. Cut a pair of pantyhose into pieces just big enough to fit over the brush’s head, allowing the bristles to poke fully through the material. Fur will cling to pantyhose instead of your shirt. Then pull off pantyhose and put in trash. (Try this out on Piper, Mim)

The cup holder in my car is always nasty and hard to clean. I read today to put a silicone cupcake liner in it and it will be easy to keep clean. I’ll let you know.

One more thing before I finish. Some doctors are saying good ole’ soap and water will kill as many germs without the use of alcohol or other chemicals in the hand sanitizers. Just saying….

I’m just curious if you have any ideas you want to share. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org with any comments or questions. Have a wonderful week.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Mad Men, The Death of Stalin

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Jon Hamm

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Mad Men

The seven seasons of Mad Men, which ran on AMC from 2007 to 2015,was an interesting viewing experience throughout the last three to four months via Amazon Prime but, now that all 97 episodes have been watched, I feel tremendous relief that it’s over.

It depicts the world of Madison Avenue advertising agencies and their executives and other employees from 1960 to ’70 and does good work in recreating lifestyles, clothing and, most importantly, attitudes against the backdrop of American history during that decade – JFK, Vietnam, rock music, social media, the rising crime in Manhattan, the quiet desperation resulting from prosperity and the good life. And every episode would end with a song appropriate to that episode.

My gripe with the series was how tiresome most of the characters eventually became; the main character Don Draper, as portrayed by Jon Hamm, is insufferable in his selfishness, disloyalty and arrogance as he becomes a golden boy for creating successful ad campaigns; I was rooting for him to fail miserably, which he does by the end of the series when he has a rude awakening permeated with insincere repentance and accountability.

Only two performances really stood out – the late Robert Morse as the founder/CEO of the agency where Draper is a partner; and the extraordinary actress Elizabeth Ann Reaser who appears in a couple of episodes in season seven as the waitress Diane.

Reaser conveyed the depths of torment in her characterization of somebody who is apparently a loose cannon but who still evokes tremendous sympathy as a human being.

The actress graduated with honors as a theater major from Juilliard and, after struggling for a few years with bit parts, landed a role on daytime TV’s The Guiding Light. She gave an interview with the following comment about her upbringing:

“My father raised me from the time I was 12 years old. And it never occurred to me that I wouldn’t be strong – I wasn’t raised like that. ”

The Death of Stalin

Robert Morse

Elizabeth Ann Reaser

A 2017 film, The Death of Stalin, has three outstanding performances – Simon Russell Beale as Stalin’s KGB police chief Lavrenty Beria, Olga Kurylenko as Stalin’s favorite classical pianist Maria Yudina who sends a personal note to the Dictator telling him how much she loathes him, and Jason Isaacs as the Soviet military hero Marshal Zhukov who participates with other Central Committee members in the kidnapping and execution of Beria ten months after Stalin’s March 1953 death.

Otherwise this film, promoted as a satirical black comedy, is, as I commented to a friend, quite vile.

 

 

 

 

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THE BEST VIEW: Am I a literary snob?

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by Norma Best Boucher

“Hello. My name is Norma. I am an English major and a literary snob.”

If there were such groups as Literary Snobs Anonymous, I would stand before their podium addressing my captured audience saying those exact words to my fellow literary snobs. Then, when they finally gave me the proverbial shepherd’s hook to drag me from my pulpit, I would confess my deepest, darkest truth: “I also love mysteries.”

As a high school English teacher, I basically had to prod gently my students to get their insights about the books I had assigned for them to read.

Today I belong to a book club. Some months I like the book. Some months I don’t like the book. Every month, though, I enjoy animated discussions with the very intelligent, very diverse and very assertive women in the group. They all have their own opinions and express them clearly, coherently, and, sometimes, even eloquently.

In my own defense I must explain that I was at the mercy of English teachers throughout my high school and college years. All required reading books were from the classics. I loved the classics.

As a teacher I also introduced my students to the classics. Some students may say that I tortured them with the classics, but I always assured them that the book titles, the characters and even the quoted texts would remain with them throughout their lives. Like it or not.

In my own everyday life, I am constantly reminded of classic book characters and their quotes. Whenever I see a man rubbing his hands together, I am reminded of Uriah Heep, the antagonist in Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield.

Who can forget the revengeful phrase “One down” in Alexandre Dumas’ novel The Count of Monte Cristo, or the quote “All for one and one for all” in Dumas’ The Three Musketeers?

Can we forget the characters and lessons learned from Silas in Silas Marner, Huck in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, Jo March and her sisters in Little Women, or Jane Eyre and Cathy and Heathcliff from the two Bronte sisters? I think not.

Of course, there’s always Shakespeare’s famous quotes: “Take thee to a nunnery” from Hamlet to Ophelia, “Out damned spot” from Lady Macbeth, “A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse” from Richard III, Hamlet’s Polonius’s “To thine own self be true,” and the unforgettable Julius Caesar’s dying recognition “Et Tu, Brute?”

I cannot be the only one who remembers and frankly relishes these great works of literature. Highfalutin they may be but unforgettable they remain, at least to me.

I knew a man for 50 years. We tolerated each other. I am sure that he never recognized one single word of wisdom I may have offered, and, to tell the truth, in those five decades I only gleaned one sentence of wisdom from him.

He was in his mid-70s at the time. Someone asked him to attend a function. He thought silently for a few moments and then literally thought out loud, “I don’t have that much time left to waste.”

I stored in my memory that tidbit of wisdom. Now, whenever I start reading a new book, I ask myself whether I am enjoying the book or whether by reading this particular book I am wasting precious time. Sometimes book and time decisions are made just like that.

My book tastes and time decisions may sometimes appear to be old-fashioned, but the modern day me is sitting right here right now writing this declaration or confession, if you will, wearing a newly-purchased tee shirt that reads, “That’s what I do. I read books, and I know things.”

Back to the original question, “Am I a literary snob?”

In Shakespeare’s words, “Egads!”

In my own words, “I hope so.”

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Please don’t do this!

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by Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

A good customer is your most important asset!

One of the biggest complaints that people I know have about local contractors is that some of them, when they get busy, won’t give them the time of day. Not all of them mind you, but more than a few seem to act with a certain…dare we say smugness when their schedule gets filled up. If you are a contractor, whether a landscaper, a tree service, a builder, a plumber, or electrician and because of Covid-19 you now have a waiting list as long as you proverbial arm, please remember the lean times. Please remember what a privilege it is to have customers.

Look I know you are going to get very busy in the next few months. So many projects have been put on hold that, of course, you have a backlog of customers’ projects waiting to be attended to. And of course, you cannot get to them all at the same time. That is understandable and only makes sense. There are only 24 hours in a day and only seven days in a week, so there is only so much that you can do, and only so many projects that you can attack at one time.

I’m not asking that you take on more than you can handle, I’m not asking that you make promises you can’t keep, All I am asking is that you treat all your customers like you care. Let them know that their business and most importantly their loyalty is important to you and you are going to do the very best you can to get to them as quickly as you can.

Here are a few simple guidelines to make sure that you treat your customers right while they wait for you to get to their projects:

  • Return their calls as soon as possible. Making a customer wait for you to return their call is insulting and sends the message that you don’t care about their business.
  • If the customer has a project for you to get started on, politely explain that you are busy, that you will make time to visit the customer and take a look at the project within 24 or 48 hours.
  • And keep that appointment by all means. There is nothing more insulting to a customer than standing him up.
  • Quote the job as quickly and efficiently as possible.
  • With the quote include the time in your quote you are going to be able to get to their project and make sure you are accurate as possible with this timing.
  • And at all times, no matter how busy you are right now, make sure your customers realize how important they are to you.

These are just a few simple rules of business courtesy, but they are more important now than ever. Always remember the lean times and how much you appreciate your customers’ business in those times. And then consider these simple business courtesy guidelines as an investment in your future. An investment that will certainly help you grow your business.

SMALL SPACE GARDENING: Plant a few trees for you and the bees

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by Melinda Myers

Fall is a great time to add trees to your landscape. Not only do they provide shade, remove pollutants from the air, and help manage stormwater; but many also provide food for bees. Keep this in mind when selecting and planting new trees in your yard now and in the future.

Fruit trees are probably the first “bee” trees that come to mind. These spring flowering trees provide nectar and pollen many native bees, bumblebees and honeybees prefer. They also provide food and habitat for songbirds and other wildlife and fruit for us to enjoy. Many are grown on dwarfing rootstocks, allowing small-space gardeners the opportunity to grow these in their gardens and containers. Just make sure the plants selected are hardy for your location and have the varieties needed for pollination and fruit formation to occur.

Don’t overlook the North American native maples that bloom in early spring before most other plants are flowering. Their nectar and pollen provide a welcome food source for native bees and honeybees. Select the maple best suited to your growing conditions and available space.

Another spring bloomer is black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica). Its highly prized honey is made by bees visiting the black and water tulepo (Nyssa aquatica). Black tupelo, also known as black gum or sour gum, is hardy in zones four to nine and is an excellent tree for supporting wildlife as well as bees. Water tupelo is a favorite of beekeepers and can be found growing in rivers or coastal swamps but is seldom seen in home landscapes.

Serviceberries (Amelanchier) are a four-season plant with spring blooms, fall color, and attractive bark in winter. These, along with crabapples and hawthorns, are popular ornamental landscape plants with flowers that support pollinators and fruit for the songbirds. Always look for disease-resistant cultivars when selecting the best crabapple for your garden.

The North American native yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea) is a medium-sized shade tree with attractive spring flowers. It provides winter interest in the landscape, nesting sites for songbirds, and high-quality pollen for bees and other pollinators.

Boost your summer garden’s bee appeal with the addition of sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), also known as Lily of the Valley tree and sorrel tree. The fragrant and showy flowers appeal to bees and other pollinators. Its ornamental fruit capsules feed songbirds while adding ornamental interest to the fall foliage display and winter garden.

End the season with a burst of fragrance and nectar-rich flowers for the bees, monarch butterflies, and other pollinators with the addition of the seven-son flower tree (Heptacodium miconioides). Once the flower petals fade and drop, the colorful calyx remains adding a vivid cherry red to rose-purple color to the fall landscape. The exfoliating bark adds year-round interest and texture to the garden.

These are just a few of the many bee-friendly trees suitable for home gardens. Try to include a variety of trees so your landscape provides needed nectar and pollen throughout the season or those that fill the flowering voids in your existing landscape.

Don’t worry if you have no time to plant trees this fall. Take advantage of the winter to do a bit more research on the best trees for your garden. Then locate potential planting spots with space to accommodate the tree’s mature size and the right growing conditions to help it thrive. Visit your local nursery in early spring and get started planting.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Myers’ website is www.MelindaMyers.com.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: How The Climate Crisis Affects You — And What You Can Do About It

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(NAPSI)—Families across the country cope with the effects of the climate crisis as extreme storms, wildfires, heat and floods grow in frequency and intensity. In fact, one of the nation’s leaders in disaster relief, the American Red Cross, now responds to nearly twice as many large disasters across the country as it did a decade ago.

National Preparedness Month in September is an important reminder to help your family and pets stay safe by taking action now with three simple steps: Get a kit, make a plan and be informed. 

Get a Kit

Build your emergency kit with a gallon of water per person, per day; non-perishable food; a flashlight; and a battery-powered radio. Also include a first aid kit, medications, supplies for infants or pets, a multi-purpose tool and personal hygiene items. Don’t forget to add copies of important papers, cell phone chargers, blankets, maps of the area and emergency contact information.

Make a Plan

Plan what to do in case you are separated from your family during an emergency and need to evacuate. Make sure to coordinate your plan with your child’s school, your work and your community’s emergency plans.

Be Informed

Find out what disasters or emergency situations may occur where you live, work and go to school; how officials will contact you during a disaster; and how you will get important information, such as evacuation orders.

Depending on your household’s needs, you may have additional considerations as part of your emergency planning. Visit redcross.org/prepare for more information and tips.

How to Help Others

The increase in large disaster responses also means that more people need help across the country. As a part of this, the Red Cross is calling for new volunteers to help grow its disaster workforce—90% comprised of trained volunteers—to deliver shelter, food, health and mental health support, and one-on-one recovery assistance. Learn more and become a volunteer at redcross.org/VolunteerToday. 

Weather Affects  the National Blood Supply

Blood and platelet donations that go uncollected due to climate-related events, such as hurricanes, wildfires and extreme heat, can put further strain on the national blood supply. As extreme weather events are worsening, the Red Cross—which provides about 40% of the nation’s blood supply—is seeing that translate into more blood drive cancellations. In 2022, over 1,300 blood drives were canceled due to weather—about 23% higher than the average of the prior nine years. 

Fewer donors than needed have given blood this summer, drawing down the national blood supply and reducing distributions of some of the most needed blood types to hospitals. 

People depend on the generosity of blood donors. To ensure the nation’s blood supply is prepared for all emergencies, the Red Cross urges individuals to schedule an appointment to donate today using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). If you are unable to give blood, you can volunteer to support blood collections at redcross.org/VolunteerToday. 

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Clean the season

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by Debbie Walker

I always thought that Spring is the season of cleaning, but I read a column in our local newspaper, Citrus Chronicle, not so. Maybe someone changed the season, and I missed it! Thanks to Patricia Shannon I read about it in August and just settled down now to write.

You will, of course, go by your weather for mowing and that will obviously be different here in Florida. The timing will be different, but the care will be very much like ours. Before you store it inside it will have to be cleaned. You will have to remove any stuck-on debris. If you wait until spring it will be much more of a job. I suggest you get out your owner’s manual for correct instructions. I imagine the instructions for cleaning will have the details for sharpening, remove the filter and battery and sharpen the blades, drain the gasoline, replace the oil and cover machine.

If you must bring your grill inside for the next season (they must be cleaned here, too, just not so often here). If it is time to clean your grill for a season, you probably need to get it done before you need to use your slow cooker for the winter recipes.

If you own a pool, bring out pool toys and equipment that need to be cleaned and stored. Check them first for wear and tear. It may be time to trash some pieces. Maybe if you look you will find some things marked down for the end of season.

End of season sales may also include bathing suits and pool towels. Remember the Salad Spinners you used to see advertised on TV? If you still have it make a habit of rinsing suits out and spin them almost dry. Your last pool towel washing should be done in hot water (not your suits).

Time to clean the window screens. It does collect over a few months even if we don’t realize it. Once you begin cleaning you will be wondering, “How did that happen?” Once cleaned, it is a good time to make any repairs to the screen or the window frame. (I hate bugs, especially the ones that buzz and bite me!}

Cleaning outdoor cushions and furniture is also included in the list of fall activities. When I worked at a recreation club at their pool. I lined my furniture and cushions out for a hose down party using whatever is my cleaning product at the time. Once done the party, hose yourself to get rid of any chemicals trying to hitchhike on you.

We use our ceiling fans year-round and I did when I lived in Maine. I like to feel the air moving. Since I have allergies, I may be a little more aware of the dust content on my fans. I don’t wait for the sneezing to clean them. Once a month seems to help me.

When you are finished with your fall cleaning why not go out and pick apples. Take a group for extra fun. Just be careful.

I’m just curious what I am forgetting to add to the list, maybe you would let me know. Contact me with any questions or comments at DebbieWalker@townline.org. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week.