WARNING! WALK OUTSIDE MAY BE UNHEALTHY

Walking is considered the number one way to lose weight, postpone aging, and provide a host of other benefits. But some days, it could be hazardous to your health . As an example, I decided to walk in the park on a Saturday afternoon. The tennis courts were full. A baseball game was taking place. There were few places left where you could sit on a blanket and enjoy some peace and quiet. The roads were lined with parked cars and a constant stream of traffic. Every shelter was filled with people using the barbecue pits. Consequently, the air was hazy with smoke. I found a parking place and set out to walk. All of a sudden, I felt dizzy and a bit shaky. My throat burned, and my eyes itched. Therefore, I turned around and walked back to my car. I hadn’t even done a mile. Warning! A walk outside may be unhealthy.

Back home that day, I felt a bit disgusted with myself. Why had I given up on my walk? Was I becoming a wimp? I picked up my new iPhone, and looked at the weather app. Scrolling down, I noticed something that had never really interested me before: Air Quality Index. That day, it was a high 154. Consequently, this meant that walking outside was bad for almost everyone, but especially sensitive people. At my age, I guess I fit into that category. As a result, walking in the park had not been a good idea. However, I could have walked in the mall if I wanted the exercise. . But who wants to walk inside on a sunny day?

WARNING! WALK OUTSIDE MAY BE UNHEALTHY. i When the air quality index is too high it can cause many respiratory problems. — Warning! Walk outside may be unhealthy if the air is polluted.

Much to my relief, I checked the air quality index today, and it was back down to a good 30. However it’s raining. Maybe it will clear up this afternoon. It’s depressing to realize that many of my walks during the past few years have actually been bad for my health. From now on, I won’t walk in the park until after I’ve checked the air quality.

Air pollution is caused by solid and liquid particles and certain gases suspended in the air. These can come from car and truck exhaust, factories, dust, pollen, mold spores, volcanoes and wildfires.

Poor air quality may cause the following health symptoms in sensitive people:

. Headache

. Fatigue

. Shortness of breath

. Sinus congestion

. Coughing

. Sneezing

. Dizziness

.Nausea

Be sure to check the air quality index before walking in the park. You’re not a wimp if you decide to stay inside that day.

October 24, 2020October 30, 2020

5 GOOD THINGS YOU’LL REMEMBER

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a stressful time. Fear of contracting the virus, combined with social isolation, is a universal problem. But each age has had their own stress. Parents with children out of school report the most. However, it’s also difficult for the elderly who face long, lonely hours without seeing their loved ones. But when it’s all over, there are 5 good things you’ll remember about the lockdown..

Coid has relieved air pollution in major cities. — 5 good things you’ll remember after the pandemic include reduced pollution, giving us cleaner air,

Cleaner air. It’s estimated the pandemic lockdown has taken about 80% of passenger cars off local roads. Resulting in a 31% reduction in air pollution compared to the same time frame last year. Before-after-photos show less-air-pollution during the pandemic. According to the NIH, “air pollution is considered as the major environmental risk factor in the incidence and progression of some diseases such as asthma, lung cancer, ventricular hypertrophy, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, psychological complications, autism, retinopathy, fetal growth, and low birth weight. “

2. Money Saved. Many people have lost their jobs, so this isn’t a benefit enjoyed by everyone . But for seniors on a fixed income, and those still employed, they are suddenly seeing their bank balance grow. Let’s face it: when you’re not going anywhere or buying new clothes, have stopped going to restaurants and taking vacations, you’re saving a bundle of money. And when this pandemic is over, people are going to spend that money like crazy.

3. Learning how to do your own hair. Over the years, most everyone has become dependent on others to cut and style their hair. But when you’re afraid to go to a beauty salon,, you have to take matters into your own hands. I’ve learned to cut my own hair, and people tell me they like it better. I’ll probably go back to having it done, but it’s nice to know I can do it myself.

4. Discovering the joys of takeout and delivery.. Like everyone else, we enjoyed eating in restaurants before the pandemic. We didn’t do takeout unless someone was sick. But now, we’ve learned to appreciate take out and delivery—especially the smaller restaurants where we wouldn’t have considered going before. Seafood, burgers, ethnic food….we’ve tried them all. We don’t have to dress up or drive after dark, or wait too long for service.. Yes, I still dream of returning to our old favorite restaurants. But we’ll be doing a lot more take out than we did before the pandemic.

5. Fewer sick days, due to healthier habits. My husband and I have gone seven months without a bout of diarrhea or respiratory infection. Because of masking, social isolation, and obsessive hand washing, we’re avoiding a lot of germs other than covid.-19.

I know that many are suffering from financial hardship right now. I’m old enough to remember my own father too sick to work, and a husband losing a job during the recession. But after the pandemic ends, we may have 5 good things to remember about making it through the pandemic with faith in ourselves, and the loving support of others.

July 27, 2020July 27, 2020

7 THINGS COVID-19 CAN’T STOP

The pandemic has turned our lives upside down. The things we took for granted have been taken away, and we wonder if life will ever be normal again. But here are seven things Covid-19 can’t stop.

1. Kids growing taller. They may be in lock down, missing school and sports, but they’re still growing, in spite of the pandemic. My youngest grandson grew 5 inches in 5 months.

covid-19 can't stop the rain and bumper crops — 7 things covid-19 can’t stop: One of them is rain, resulting in bumper crops of corn.

2. Rain: It’s going to rain when it wants to, and the virus can’t stop it. This year, Hoosier farmers are looking at bumper crops due to the sudden abundance of rain that fell last week.

3. Live Births: Just look at the vital statistics in our local newspaper, you can see that babies are still being born every single day of the week, and every hour of the day, I have no doubt that those who survive this virus will never face another covid-19 scare, because by the time they’re in school, we’ll have a vaccine. Just like we wiped out polio

4. Weddings. They may be postponed or scaled down, but people still want to get married. Look at Princess Beatrice of England. The good thing is that smaller weddings result in far less expense.

5. Home building. New homes are going up all over town. And they’e selling like hot cakes. I saw construction workers outside starting in early March. In our city, entire new sub divisions are sprouting up .

6. Making love. Condom sales have skyrocked all over the world. It makes sense. Couples are locked down together, with much more free time.

7. The beauty of nature. Sunrises and sunsets. Verdant landscapes. Mountains. Waterfalls. Oceans, lakes, rivers and creeks. Because industries and businesses have closed down, there is a sudden drop in carbon emissions, which means covid-19 has been good for the environment. As an example, levels of pollution have been reduced by 50% in places like New York City.

Life goes on…

April 20, 2020April 20, 2020

IS IT OKAY NOW TO BREAK THE LAW?

Since they’re letting people out of jails and prisons because of Covid-19, does it mean they’re free to break the law? Obviously, not. But now, police seem less likely to care about lawbreakers who defy civil code. While out for a walk. I saw a homeowner pour gasoline on a pile of wood and light a fire in his backyard. This sent huge clouds of black smoke billowing out across the neighborhood. But when I called the police to report this code violation they seemed annoyed. “We’ll check on it when we have time,” the dispatcher said. Obviously, he didn’t welcome my call.

In these difficult times, I can understand that first responders are dealing with far more urgent situations. However, my city has always been lax about code enforcement. If you call to report a neighbor’s violation, the police take your name and it goes on your record. Twenty five years ago, I called the police about a neighbor’s barking dog keeping my family up all night. That’s still on my record. I guess it means I’m a chronic complainer. Also, they tell the violator that “a neighbor” complained about them, which doesn’t make for a friendly situation. That’s probably why most people hesitate to complain about barking dogs, unmowed lawns and wood smoke from burning fires, to name a few.

The police department seems to forget that Code Enforcement is an important function of local governments to accomplish community goals. Code Enforcement helps empower the citizens of their community to create and maintain safe, healthy and attractive living and working environments.

The fact is that breathing in wood smoke can be irritating if not downright harmful. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), fine particles of wood smoke “can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems such as burning eyes, runny nose and illnesses such as bronchitis.”

Bonfires in city backyards pollute city air — Is it okay now to break the law? Wood smoke pollutes city air and is prohibited by most civil codes.

These fine particles are also linked to premature deaths. The EPA advises that anyone with congestive heart failure, angina, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or asthma should steer clear of wood smoke in general. Children’s exposure to wood smoke should also be limited, as their respiratory systems are still developing and they breathe more air (and air pollution) .

I know, the coronavirus is a much more serious threat than wood smoke, But on the other hand, if a police officer stops to check on someone’s illegal fire, at least they aren’t walking into an infectious indoor environment.

Just because we’re all preoccupied with Covid-19, it shouldn’t give others a free pass to violate civil codes. Or does the pandemic mean they can break the law, and get away with it?

February 14, 2020February 14, 2020

COAL GAVE ME A DIRTY NECK

I’ve never been a friend of coal. When I was a child, most everyone heated their homes with coal. On school days, I would bundle up in my snowsuit for the one mile walk. The skies in winter were clouded with a gray haze. You could smell the coal smoke in the air. No one gave it a second thought. It was a fact of life. On the worst days, I would get home from school and see a ring around my neck when I took off my snowsuit. That was the place where my cap rode up, exposing my neck to the air. Coal gave me a dirty neck.

I was a sickly child, losing many school days due to colds, flu, and respiratory infections. My parents had me in and out of the doctor’s office all winter, trying to figure out why. They tested my hemoglobin, checked my heart, and listened to my lungs. No one could understand what was wrong with me. They never mentioned allergies or air pollution from coal smoke as a possible cause. All I know is that when I went away to school, I was healthier. By that time, I suppose, fewer people had coal furnaces.

Coal mining is a major political issue in Indiana. The coal industry is doing everything it can to keep the mines from closing. . Any Hoosier politician who wants to win an election must promise to try and keep them open. To this day, most of the electricity in this country is produced by coal. Why? Because it’s plentiful and cheap, and coal miners aren’t interested in retraining for new jobs.

hundreds of railway cars full of coal pass through Indiana every day. But coal gave me a dirty neck. — Thousands of railway cars full of coal pass through Indiana .

The other day I was waiting in my car for a train to pass at a crossing. Yes, we’re a train town, which means you always have an excuse to be late for appointments. To fight the boredom, I started counting the coal cars but I gave up at 50. Every railway car on that train was loaded with coal.

The state of Indiana does offer a few tax breaks and incentives for clean energy, but It doesn’t look like we’re too worried about climate change here in Indiana.