Trailism

Category: Critters

  • Lyme Disease Diagnosis

    Hopefully testing does indeed get better: sciencenews.org-testing-new-approaches There is a yet another tick-borne illness to add to the list: Powassan If you are in NY, an Upstate lab tests ticks for diseases — for free: newyorkupstate.com-lab-tests-ticks For more information on tick safety and Lyme literate doctors on Trailism see this.

  • Asian Long-Horned Tick

    One more crappy reason to still enjoy the outdoors: The Asian long-horned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, is spreading rapidly along the Eastern Seaboard. It has been found in seven states and in the heavily populated suburbs of New York City. At the moment, public health experts say they are concerned, but not alarmed. Although domestic American […]

  • 5 Things Jordan Crawford Learned From The Appalachian Trail

    I stumbled upon Jordan’s Instagram, and soon after his website because he settled on “trail-ology” to name them both. After reading some of his posts I can see we certainly relate on some level beyond just a word. His piece “5 Things I Learned From The Appalachian Trail” is great (so are many of his […]

  • Black Bear Reality Check

    This piece is interesting in that a community, or many in a community (Eagle’s Nest Township, Minnesota), do something we have been told not to do: feed bears. It begins and ends off the bear topic, but it is interesting nonetheless as it investigates our perceptions of what we perceive to be real, if not right […]

  • If a Tree Falls…Other Trees Hear It

    “In a single footstep there are over 300 miles of  fungal cells stacked end-on-end moving stuff around…a super highway” moving stuff between trees. The trees communicate and share resources through that network, and even across species. They aren’t speciesist, they are mutualists, interdependent cooperators. If humans could only learn from trees how to stand erect […]

  • Trail-Marker Trees

    While I am generally a consummate skeptic, and I think there are certainly natural explanations for these trees, I “think” there my be some validity to this phenomenon. Although I’ve yet to see anything convincing to ‘prove’ (in a Bayes’ Theorem like way) that these are truly what some people purport them to be, if […]

  • Tick Information and Safety

    Ticks can harbor: Lyme disease bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi), from Ixodes species including deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) Less common: Babesiosis protozoa (Babesia), from Ixodes scapularis Ehrlichiosis bacteria (Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii bacterial), from Lone Star ticks (Amblyomma americanum), as well as Making People Allergic To Meat Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: Anaplasmosis bacteria (Rickettsia rickettsii), from […]

  • Dangerous Trail Wildlife

    Wildlife can be as as potentially dangerous as people, but like people, they usually aren’t dangerous until poked, prodded, or cajoled. The Golden Rule of Wildlife Encounters: Leave wildlife in peace, and you might leave in one piece. Don’t expect wildlife to treat you as you want to be treated, even humans have problems with […]

  • Down with Goose Down

    It’s getting cold, but there are alternative to bird down: Prima Loft Reviews- down-alternative-comforters Thermore- down-alternatives Aerogel Down Comforters: Animal Cruelty Dependent Upon Where You Buy FAO on Down feathers Science continues to discover new insights into the world of how animals think, act, and feel. While geese are not parrots, the work of Irene […]

  • Attie- A Trail Dog

    Recently a good canine friend of mine (actually Chris’ dog from Tahawus Trails, and The Jolly Rovers) got bitten by a snake at the job site she frequents, a copperhead I believe. Thankfully she recovered to her normal rambunctious self…and learned something. Attie and I often play, as her playful demeanor is infectious. I had […]