Watch Out for Ticks!

With the good weather returning we are spending more time outdoors. Ticks have also returned and increased their hitchhiking activities.

Got questions about the $8,000 tax credit for home buyers? Get answers!

If you’re going through hard times and feeling stressed, there are resources available to you.

Do you know how to reduce your risk of skin cancer? Read on for the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

With more home gardeners looking for organic options for pest control in the garden, information has been circulating about using vinegar to kill weeds.

Public Hearing set to consider Limestone Zoning Ordinance amendment.

The last two years have been really rough on plants like rhododendrons and their kin, azaleas, mountain laurels and blueberries. A lot of rhododendrons in particular have suffered significant dieback.

Can you give a dog a home? Maybe a cat? How about a kitten? These animals need your help.

Congratulations to Jan Gregory for her Summer Spaghetti Salad recipe!

If you’re hoping to dodge age-related dementia down the road, best get a handle on your blood sugar now.

Both chronically high blood sugar (prediabetes) and diabetes increase the risk for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. And that risk more than doubles if diabetes strikes in middle age rather than later in life.

Timing Matters
How does diabetes hurt cognition? Diabetes-induced inflammation and oxidative stress are two possible bad-for-your-brain effects. And when those effects happen in midlife rather than late life, the worse it may be for you. In a large study of adult twins, the two-fold dementia risk occurred when diabetes struck before, rather than after, the age of 65.

Lifestyle Matters
The take-home message: Whether you have normal blood sugar or diabetic levels, it’s important to control it -- not just for your body, but for your brain, too. That means kicking to the curb any unhealthy habits, like a poor diet and excessive couch lounging. Here are more tips on protecting your blood sugar and your brain:

• Squeeze in a mini workout. It’s good for your mind and your blood sugar, too. Worried about your blood sugar? Take this quiz.
  
• Eat your bread. No, seriously. We mean it. Just make sure it’s the right kind of bread.
• Work your mind. Just like with other muscles, it’s use it or lose it. Here’s an online word game that can boost your verbal dexterity.

Try this tasty yet blood-sugar-friendly Fettuccine with Shiitake Mushrooms & Basil recipe from EatingWell.

Source: RealAge.com

On Thursday mornings, between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., you can visit with the Master Gardener volunteers at the demonstration garden at MANNA Food Bank. They will be happy to answer your gardening questions or explain their vegetable growing techniques while they take care of the garden. Of course, you can drop by to take a look and pick up a leaflet at any time.

See BCTV 2's video about the Manna Demo Garden.

If the summer turns dry, you may be glad to have a rain barrel or two to save up some of the free water for your gardens. You can find rain barrels sold at some local garden centers and hardware stores, or find them through online sources. You might also consider making your own.

A rain barrel can be made from recycled food grade plastic barrels, large trash containers or whiskey barrels. Besides the barrel, you will need a lid to keep out mosquitoes and other things, an overflow spout, and a spigot or hose connection. Some sources for instruction include:

www.unctv.org/gardener/rainbarrel.html 
http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/Hort/Pubs/Rainbarrel.shtml  
www.dnr.state.md.us/ed/rainbarrel.html

Don't forget to take advantage of the Super Sunday Specials at Cane Creek Pool, Erwin Community Pool, Hominy Valley Park Pool, North Buncombe Park Pool and Owen Pool. On Sundays from 1 – 2 p.m., all participants pertaining to the events listed below will get in free between 1 and 2 p.m.:

• May 31 - Mother’s Day (all Mothers)
• June 7 - County Resident Day (bring proof of residency)
• June 14 - Father’s Day (all Fathers)
• June 21 - Kid's Day (all kids between the ages of 3 and 12)
• June 28 - Grand Parents Day (all Grand Parents)

Pool locations

June is Adopt-A-Cat Month! To celebrate, the Asheville Humane Society is seeking the next top cat model to serve as spokescat for 2009 Adopt-A-Cat month.

Think your kitty cutie has what it takes to steal hearts and stop traffic? Enter Asheville Humane's pet photo contest. It’s free. It’s fun. It’s fabulous!

The winner gets to brag, win some nifty prizes and have their feline top-model featured on the AHS website, blog and promotional materials for Adopt-A-Cat month. Come on! Grab your camera, get that perfect shot and catapult your kitty into feline stardom!

Want to enter your feline beauty in the contest? Click HERE.