I attended a retiree luncheon the other day and got into a conversation with one of the most respected truck lieutenants that I ever had the privilege of working with. We were talking about the retired firefighters that have had to deal with varying types of cancer. My thought was that my generation of firefighters would be the last of the high cancer numbers. My reason for saying this is that, though we had improved fireground safety, our practices, after we returned to the station, needed improvement. Some examples were sitting our bunker pants beside our beds, right after returning…
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Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. I do not have any close neighbors: I can see them but it would take a good nine iron to hit their house from mine – not that I have actually tried that. But the point is I prefer to have some spitting distance. That has worked for nine years until my farming neighbor decided that he did not want the trees growing along his field and the property line that extends down from the road and across roughly 40 yards of my wooded lot that is located behind…
This column is quickly approaching its eight anniversary with the Village News. I know I cannot believe it either. When I first began writing this column, it focused on my then two- year-old son. The trials and tribulations of moving him out of our bedroom, and upstairs (not to mention my neurosis about him moving into his own room) was clearly documented in the pages of the VN. His love of Transformers, the movie Cars (and its soundtrack), melt downs in the Chester branch of the public library, starting preschool, and becoming a big brother. You all have been around…
It is bad enough to suffer a kitchen fire, with most caused by unattended cooking. The problem is exacerbated when a person gets burned, attempting to remove the burning pot or pan from the kitchen, or from the stove to the sink. The statistics have not gone down, if anything, they have gone up, where kitchen fires are concerned. In other words, 3.7 out of every 10 residential fires occur in the kitchen. I write a lot about possibility and probability. The possibility of a fire occurring in your home is always present. The probability of a fire in your…
Hello and welcome back to the subdued world of the Dogpound. I had another article already written and ready to send to my Master when there was a life event that interrupted that process. My younger brother, Kenny, passed away on March 31. He would have been 63 in July. COPD finally caught up with him. He never fully recovered from his quadruple bypass surgery that he had about two years ago. This is what I call the “curse of the Wilson’s” It seems all of the relations on my Dad’s side had complications with their heart in their early…
Warts are caused by an infection of the skin with the human papilloma virus (HPV). They can occur on any part of the body, but are commonly seen on the hands or feet. The virus can be transmitted from one site on the body to another and from person to person by direct and indirect contact. Common warts are generally benign growths, but can cause problems when they become irritated, painful, or cosmetically unfavorable. Local irritation of the wart and cosmetics are the most common reasons individuals will have them removed. Warts on the hands can be flat (flat warts)…
So, you want fresh vegetables but you do not have the space, you live alone, or you have limited time? I have a solution to your garden dilemma, containers. Yes, the same containers gardeners use for ornamentals can also be used for vegetables. Remember, whether it is a tomato or a petunia, it is still a plant and both have the same basic needs: oxygen, water, light, heat, and nutrients. Plant breeders and seed companies are developing varieties specifically for containers so do your research before purchasing. Vegetable gardening in containers can help gardeners overcome soil borne diseases and poor…
Before I start, my prayers go out to the people in Brussels. As we were returning from a popular vacation spot in this country, we saw images of the bombing attack of the airport in Brussels, Belgium, while sitting in an Arby’s. I am not a military strategist; I say that because I am not an expert on this issue. I have heard terminology used during my fire service career, as well as by watching the same news stations that you may watch. Airports, like many other locations around the world, would be considered a soft target for someone to…
Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. The warmer weather has got my green thumb a twitching and this weekend I planted some new roses in the front of my house. If you remember my faithful pack members, several years ago, I related to you that my beautiful roses that I have had since I built this house, got a nasty virus that could only be cured by digging them up and burning them. They were some of the most beautiful roses I have grown for a very long time and it broke my heart to…
Wanderlust: a strong desire to travel. I have been filled with wanderlust for the last few weeks. The dawn of spring has heightened this feeling. I truly feel my soul rejuvenating as the sun gets warmer, the birds get louder, and the world begins to explode with an array of color. The earth is waking up, and with it so am I. Unfortunately, sweet Chester has begun to assault my senses, and not in a positive way. Just getting to Kroger is a feat in itself these days. Route10 is jam packed with people coming and going, and I am…