How many of us board a boat with the expectation that the boat will sink before we get home safely? I would say no one, including some captains. A storm in Branson, Mo., caught an amphibious craft loaded with tourists, seemingly unawares. The tragic result of this boating accident was that 17 people lost their lives. I have owned boats, worked on Coast Guard boats and ridden on many different types of boats. I have been on boats that broke down, while under way. I have also gone aboard many boats that were taking on water, and were in danger…
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Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. Well…first off…it is August already! Oh my! Hard to believe that Christmas is only a few months away. I know, I know, I can hardly wait either! Anyway, I am ending the month of July with some “boo-boos,” and I know what you are thinking: “You are getting old. What do you expect?” OK, get it out of your system so I can finish my story. So I was getting ready for my bath Friday night. I pull off my shirt and lo and behold, there is an apple-size,…
Two fires in two different localities recently caused 14 people to be displaced. The causes of these fires are common and warrant further discussion. As I sift through the information that has been reported, there are plenty of lessons to be learned. The first fire occurred in Vinton. A juvenile and some dogs were at the home when a fire started in the front room of the house. Fire officials have determined that the fire was caused by improper disposal of smoking materials. The juvenile and dogs got out safely before firefighters arrived. The house was heavily damaged by fire…
Hello and welcome back to Part 2 of the Dogpound on aging. Last week, I was discussing growing old and how science continues to come up with a long list of items that will shorten your lifespan, sometimes measured in minutes. Which is kind of scary. For example, I am drinking a lime Diet Coke right now, and per the studies, it just took 15 minutes from my lifespan. To be honest I did not feel a thing. LOL. Anyway, I left my pack of readers with a tag line that scientists have found something that is worse than smoking…
Hot and humid days are the norm for this area. If proper measures are not taken to properly hydrate, then dehydration-related problems could lead to heat-related illnesses, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, with the latter potentially fatal. It is important to prevent dehydration, but to also be aware of the symptoms of dehydration and progressing heat-related illness. Our bodies are 70 percent water. As long as the body is able to compensate for activity or illness, it maintains a state of homeostasis. It is when the body cannot keep up that significant problems begin to occur. Sweating…
Hello and welcome back to the world of the Dogpound, where we are aging every day and thankful every day for that little blessing. I have been thinking more about getting older, since I am closer to the end than I am at the beginning, and with that, I have in turn been thinking more about my health. I know we are all blessed with abundant food availability. You have to be amazed when you sit down and really think about everything that has to happen to stock our grocery stores with the wide range of fruit, vegetables, meat and…
A three-day visit to Northwest Montana last week provided me with some respite from Eastern U.S. humidity. I left Tuesday, July 3, and flew to Ohio to visit a friend and watch a Cincinnati Reds baseball game. It had been a while since I had taken in a Reds home game in old Riverfront Stadium as a teenager. I had yet to visit Great American Ball Park, which opened in 2003. It’s been said that there’s not a bad seat in the house, and from what I could tell, that’s correct. I was up in what some call the “nosebleed…
Fighting a fire is hot under any condition, but it is a bit tougher when the temperature and the humidity are high. There have been many single-family dwelling fires in the region over the last few weeks. Of all the fires that have occurred, I only know the cause of one. I think that there are enough commonalities with every fire that I will talk about these fires, even though I have limited information. One fire that I read about was caused by a problem with a dryer. Dryer fires occur when the dryer is overloaded, the dryer vent gets…
Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. So I need to ask my fellow pack members: when is a bed not a bed? Answer: When it turns into a closet. I can see by your puzzled looks that some of you did not make the connection, so let me explain. When I was little, the first chore of every morning was to make my bed. Nothing fancy like requiring hospital corners [which would come later when I served in the Army]. Just pull up the sheets and bedspread, smooth out all wrinkles and throw the pillow on top. Even when…
To the editor: I have lived in Chester for nine years after marrying a lifelong Chester Village resident. What immediately attracted me to the area was the small-town atmosphere and the great people. I’ve spent many hours walking through Chester, exploring and exercising. Although there is always room for improvement in a town, much of Chester is quaint and nostalgic. However, what should be a place of quiet contemplation and memories, Sunset Memorial Park, is a blight and an eyesore standing on the busiest intersection in the area. There is routinely garbage along the fence line, American flags and faux…