Many of the symptoms of relatively simple and benign medical conditions can mimic those of more serious illnesses. For example, individuals suffering from a panic attack or gastroesophageal reflux disease may think they are having a heart attack. This makes it difficult for us to decide whether to rush to the ER or doctor’s office or to just wait it out. In most cases, it is better to be safe than sorry and have yourself checked by your physician. Many diseases are more effectively treated if diagnosed early. Such is the case with Bell’s palsy. The condition causes a sudden…
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Everyone needs a companion, even your tomatoes. No, I am not suggesting spending quality time with your plants. Companion Planting is combining two or more plants in the same area so one or all benefit from the other. These benefits include: shade, ground cover to reduce erosion, improving the soil quality, and pest management by repelling unwanted bugs and attracting beneficial insects. A classic example of companion planting is the three sisters used by ancient American Indians. The three sisters are corn, pole beans, and squash. The corn plant needs large amounts of nitrogen. The pole beans climb the corn…
I am sitting here watching Wheel Of Fortune, if you wonder how I came up with this title. The subject of this article has nothing to do with a TV show, but everything to do with what you are doing to position yourself for that job that you are seeking. I ran into a friend today, who was telling me about a job that he is doing for the fire department and the journey that it took for him to get there. Fire department jobs, from entry level to top-level positions, are few in number and sought by many. The…
Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. When Spring comes around there is one event I look forward to and that is mushroom hunting. Now the truth be told, I am a lousy hunter of mushrooms. I love to eat them, but finding them is like looking for the lost treasure of the Aztecs. My dad was the number one hunter of mushrooms in our family. I swear he could smell them. When I was young kid we would hike out into the woods and it would not be long before dad would be calling my…
To the Editor: With the 47th annual observance of Earth Day just around the corner, this is a great time to explore more effective ways of slowing climate change and conserving Earth’s natural resources for future generations. A 2010 UN report charged animal agriculture with 19 percent of man-made greenhouse gases – more than all transport – and recommended a global shift to a vegan diet. A subsequent World Watch study placed that contribution closer to 50 percent. Meat and dairy production also dumps more water pollutants than all other human activities combined. It is the driving force in global…
This past weekend was beautiful; the azaleas are in full bloom (those that weren’t maimed by the frost), the buttercups are sprouting up everywhere, and pollen is gently falling like late yellow snow. It’s both wonderful and awful at the same time (my eyes have never been so itchy). While we play, and play, and play some more, we enjoy being out in the perfect weather. The sky so blue it makes your heart give a little squeeze, the flowers so vibrant, and the birds singing a chorus just for us. It makes you drunk on contentment. My darling girl…
I have just finished reading the news reports of a fire that occurred in Roanoke County, back in mid-March. The fire occurred in the middle of the night. Four adults and four children occupied the home. Two of the adults and two of the children were visiting from out of town. The end result was that six people escaped, while two of the children perished. The six that survived were transported to the hospital and one adult female was recently released, after suffering major burns. I could not find where investigators had determined a cause, other than accidental, and I…
Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. If my calendar and timing is correct we have successfully [kind of] negotiated through another Tax Day. Interesting fact about taxes and scary at the same time, is the amount of fraud that is being committed with tax returns. The Internal Revenue says that this type of fraud will hit over $21 billion.Yes, with a B, and that has increased from $6.5 billion from just two years ago. One of the reason other than this is the way “big” government works is that in their haste to get returns…
Tremors are a very common physical finding. They mainly affect the hands, but can also be seen in the head, arms, legs, and the voice. Most people will notice their hands tremble a little from time to time and this is normal. The problem comes when tremors are persistent and/or interfere with normal activities. A tremor is a shaking of a body part that cannot be controlled by the individual suffering from the tremor. Since nerves control the body’s movements, the cause of tremors can be due to changes either in the brain, where the nerve fibers begin, or in…
Of the many gems we have in the Richmond Metro area, Maymont may be the crown jewel. Maymont is a 100 acre Victorian era estate that was gifted from James and Sallie Dooley to the city of Richmond upon Sally’s death in 1925. Maymont is ranked in the top 25 public gardens in North America. It has 12 distinct gardens, some of which are Dooley originals. I had the pleasure of spending part of an afternoon recently at Maymont speaking with Peggy Singlemann, Director of Horticulture, as well as the host of WCVE’s Virginia Home Grown. Peggy is passionate about…