​You don't have to be a dog in order to have days where the heat of summer makes you want to just lie on a chaise lounge on the back deck, or sip cold tea on the front porch.  Now that summer is officially here, in the USA, the temperatures are creeping up and in some areas it feels like a steam room.
 
While our bodies may willfully agree to take a seat, our busy minds may want to keep zooming along in the left lane of our brain. Experiencing a mind-body disconnect can feel like we are being pulled in two different directions, like an overstretched Gumby doll. We may feel fatigued, frustrated, antsy and maybe overwhelmed.
 
For some meditation and mindfulness helps shift the mind into a lower gear.  I've spoken with many, however, who say they can't, or don't enjoy, the trendy M practices.  Maybe yoga is your thing or tai chi?  For some people the arts help them find their center: music, painting, dancing.
 
Last weekend, on a blistering hot, sunny day, my husband and I took a walk in the woods at a nearby State Park.  The lush, green canopy of leaves and intermittent breeze, created a moist, cool room to wander through.  I brought my camera.  The slower we went, the more we saw.  The slower we went, the more the natural inhabitants of the forest went about their business; communicating with each other, scurrying through leaves for food, hovering over the lime green, algae-filled pond like a spaceship.
 
I stopped to take some pictures.  Before long, my husband was asking to borrow the camera-each of us discovering something different while standing right next to each other.  I have to admit, at first I got a little cranky being pulled out of my one-on-one moment with a dragon fly, who finally landed on a branch in a way that I could capture its glorious wings.  But, I took a deep breathe, and reminded myself that it was more important to enjoy the moment watching my husband find that calm, in the now space, with a frog I didn't even notice was near us.
 
Here is a sampling of our photos:

​Summer is a time to savor, ponder, explore, relax, and create memories.  Our natural environment displays a unique show during this time.  Maybe you will want to get out and enjoy the free show.   As the thermometer rises and the evenings are filled with light, how will you slow down and enjoy the season?

​Summer has unofficially started; at least it has here in the USA.  Memorial Day signals the beginning of a season where we wear more white, barbecue with friends and kick back with a great book to read. 
 
We can make our outdoor time more pleasurable by creating colorful container gardens.  The 'jewelry of your home' these pots of floral wonder add joy to our patios, create a meditation focus by our pools, or great us with good cheer by our front doors.
 
Creating a gorgeous container garden is simple if you follow a few simple guidelines.
 

​One:
The most important thing to consider when choosing plants for a container garden is the amount of light your mini garden will get during the day.  Full sun, morning sun, afternoon sun or shade.  Plants often come with tags describing the best light conditions.  If you need more help, consider visiting a local, independent garden center where you are more likely to find knowledgeable people to help you.
 
Two:
Consider plants with different traits and textures.  Use upright plants in the center of the container if you will see the pot from all sides or place them in the back of the pot if it will be placed against a wall.  Mounding plants go nicely around the upright plants and trailing plants will cascade over the edge of the planter.  While flowers are fabulous, mixing in non-flowering plants can add unique flair.
 
Three:
Use fresh, good soil.  Think of the soil as the plants nourishment.  Just like us, bad food in, bad performance out. 
 
Four:
Relax while choosing the plants you want to use.  Let your intuition guide you.  What plants do you feel drawn to?
 
Five:
Water.  Depending on what plants you choose and the light they will be in, they may need to be watered daily or every few days.  Be sure your container has a hole in the bottom for draining.  If plants are left to sit in a puddle the roots will rot and the plants will die.

​Check out my how to youtube video to learn more:

​Have questions?  Feel free to post them below.
 
Happy Planting!!!
 

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Remember when Dorothy, Toto, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow made their journey through the forest in classic movie The Wizard Of Oz?  What were they afraid of? Lions and Tigers and Bears. 

​Most of us today don't have to concern ourselves with the potential of meeting big predators when we venture into nature.  Consulting with local park rangers, however, is always a good idea before going into raw nature that is unfamiliar to us.
 
Today the 'predators' have become much smaller, but their bite can cause extreme suffering and can be potentially life threatening.  Let's take a look at some of these 'predators', and ways we may want to protect ourselves, so we can reap the many health and wellness benefits nature offers.

Mosquitoes:
My guess is most of us have experienced being the tasty treat for a mosquito.  Generally we are left with an itchy, red bump somewhere on our skin after they have snacked on us.  Today, however, due to a warmer climate and more global traveling, mosquitos are carrying diseases far beyond their original homes.  Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, dengue, malaria and yellow fever are some of the mosquito diseases we may need to be aware of.  Some of these diseases can cause neurological damage, birth defects, long-term arthritic symptoms and death.  For more information on these diseases and how to try and protect yourself from them, you may want to consult with the CDC's information on mosquitoes.  It also includes recommendations on insect repellents.1

Ticks:
Ticks can be as tiny as the size of a grain of sand, yet they can lead to debilitating disease.  Early identification and treatment is key.  Diseases such as lyme disease, ehrlichiosis are spreading, as is a potentially fatal, lesser known tick-borne illness called Powassan.  NPR did a feature on the increase of tick borne diseases and ways to try to prevent being a victim which you may want to read. 2 

Snakes:
Decreased wild habitat, climate change and an increased number of people on the planet create a recipe for potential increase in snakebites. According to the World Health Organization, out of more than 3000 species of snakes in the world, some 600 are venomous and over 200 are considered to be medically important. 3 Snakes may be found throughout most of the planet.  This spring, North Carolina noted a significant spike in snakebites thought to be due to an unusually warm winter. 4 

Being aware of our local natural environment and investigating into areas that we plan to visit is key to preventing diseases and untoward encounters with wildlife. Often simple precautions such as wearing proper outdoor attire; hiking boots, long pants tucked in socks, hats, long sleeve shirts and proper spray can help avoid turning a wonderful day outside into a nightmare.  Be sure to check with local public health officials, the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control, and/or park rangers before venturing into the unknown.

Be sure to protect pets as well.  Consulting with local veterinarians is a prudent way to prevent your pets from getting injured or diseases from local 'predators' that may affect pets differently.

If you do experience any unusual symptoms after spending time outdoors in nature-fever, achy, exhaustion, skin rashes just to name a few, be sure to consult with a medical professional immediately.  Early intervention is often key to preventing long-term complications or death.

Most experts agree that the health benefits of being outdoors; decrease obesity, improved mental health, and overall feeling of well being, 6 far outweigh the risks.  Doing our due diligence about who we share the outdoors with, and how encounters with them may affect us, can help minimize the risks.

Note: This blog post is intended to increase your awareness to potential risks to engaging in nature.  It is not meant to be totally inclusive and may not reflect the most current information in your area. Please consult your local experts as suggested in this blog, or your primary care provider, for more specific information on your local surroundings and/or places you plan to visit.

Saturday, April 22, will mark the forty-seventh annual Earth Day celebrations.  Initially started in the United States, events are now held in over 193 countries to support environmental protection.1,2  Not surprisingly, this year an unprecedented number of scientists and science supporters will be marching in Washington, D.C. in an effort to educate and remind our leadership of the current and predicted changes due to climate change. Organizations and individuals will be planting trees, teaching about recycling and other worthy initiatives to help protect and heal our planet.

The need to protect our planet is beyond what we can do in a day.  Environmental education and restoration needs to be part of our daily life—growing more of our own local food, reducing our plastic use, removing the millions of pounds of trash from our oceans, moving more towards clean energy use, the list is long.  It can seem daunting at times and yet as we near 7.5 billion people globally3, every little bit each one of us does makes a difference.
 
 

Perhaps of equal concern is something many of us never thought we would need to address—our disconnection with nature.  Never before have we had so many people, especially youth, out of touch with our natural environment.  The health ramifications of this are very significant.  The greater issue long-term is how will today’s youth, many of whom are living almost twenty–four-seven in climate controlled environments and buried in technology for work, school and play know the environment around them is changing?  Will they care?
 
Earth Day 2017 falls on a Saturday this year.  This creates a perfect opportunity to invite a child to engage in nature.  The longer you can keep them outside this Saturday, the better for most kids.  Looking for ideas?  It can be as simple as planting seeds in a clay pot while explaining the joy of delayed gratification, the wonder of watching something grow and how this is where are food really comes from.  Maybe you would rather take a hike?  The United States National Park Service offers free admission for Earth Week4. Richard Louv’s book, Vitamin N5 , has chapters of ideas of how to engage in nature for people of all ages. Go camping, swimming in the ocean, fishing at a lake, play flashlight tag, picnic in a park-there are a lot of fun things to do.  Allowing a child the opportunity to discover the awesomeness in nature just might be the best gift you can give them and the earth.