BIS-Lancasttr Farming, Saturday, February 22,1986
Whiter suivml tips for weiyfhing from hypothermia to plants
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Cold
weather. Unless your weekends
are defined by the amount of white
powder on slopes in West Virginia
or Pennsylvania, who needs it,
right?
If heading for the tropics is out of
the question, you might try some
coping mechanisms instead.
Here are a few for some of the
common problems brought by
winter’s chill.
Hypothermia
Yes, winter is cold. And it can
kill.
Hypothermia is the sixth most
common killer of the elderly. And
it strikes others with nearly as
much deadly impact.
It is defined as low body tem
perature (anything below 90
degrees Fahrenheit). Even mildly
cold weather can cause
hypothermia.
Other symptoms include
stomach cold to the touch, a sense
of confusion, puffy face and
shivering.
What do you do if you come
across someone with these symp
toms? First, stay calm. Then, get
help. Third, cover the person
gently, especially the top of their
head and neck.
Do not massage arms, legs, or
elevate the legs. And, do not give
the person hot liquids or alcohol to
drink.
The good news about
hypothermia is it’s preventable.
The best prevention is dressing in
layers to stay warm, especially the
Cabin Fever,
This is about the time of year
when a phenomenon commonly
known as “cabin fever” often sets
in. Symptoms for me include
feeling lathargic, depressed and
closed in.
At this time of year, we spend
much more time indoors than
during the more temperate
seasons. And between the rain,
sleet, snow and freezing tem
peratures it is a real effort to get
dressed to go outdoors. Add two or
more children to the get-ready list,
another four mittens, two pair of
boots and ski caps and you’ve just
spent another half hour getting
ready to go out. Result: we stay
inside and develop varying stages
of cabin fever.
However, we can prevent or at
least alleviate some cabin fever by
creatively capturing a few snat
ches of time. Start off your list by
planning one specific outing at
least once a week. Preferably, this
event will be something fun rather
than something that has to be done
Even just going for a walk while
pulling the kids on a sled may do.
And if you don’t have any kids to
walk, then take the dog. Our puppy
loves the snow and her antics in the
white powder are usually good for
a few laughs. (One of the best
medicines for this fever!)
Another way to brighten the
winter days is to plant some spring
bulbs in an pot, add some sunshine
and water and you’H'have a touch
of spring in a few weeks. It’s
mentally refreshing vjust to see
extremities. Wearing a hat, for
example, conserves an enormous
amount of body heat - your head is
actually like a chimney and, left
uncovered, releases body heat.
Driving On Snow And Ice
Before you even think about how
to drive in snow and ice, take a look
at your tires.
The Maryland State Police
accept radial tires for designated
snow emergency routes. In most
areas of Maryland, with the
possible exception of the Eastern
Shore, all-weather tires are
preferable. In western Maryland,
those designated as “winter” tires
are the safest bet.
Techniques for coping with ice
differ from car type to type- If
your’s is a rear-wheel drive car,
the old advice about letting up on
the accelerator when you hit ice
and start to skid still holds.
However, if your’s is a front-wheel
drive vehicle, you’re probably
better off maintaining throttle or
even applying a bit more pressure
to the gas pedal.
And now, techniques for braking
on rain or ice-slick roads are
different, too. The traditional
advice was to pump your brakes.
Instead, apply light but increasing
pressure to brakes, especially disc
brakes, until you reach the point
that you feel the car beginning to
skid then let up slightly on the
brakes.
And what about steering? The
traditional advice here was to turn
the steering wheel in the direction
By Michelle S. Rodgers
Berks Extension
Home Economist
some bright green shoots pushing
their way skyward and breaking
into blossom.
Dig in the closet and pull out
those old board games that you
haven’t played for years
Recently, while “child-sitting,” I
challenged the kids to bring along
their old games We filled several
hours re-learning Candy land, Shoots
and Ladders, and even challenged
ourselves with Go to the Head of the
Class. And while you are finding the
old games, clean out the closet
You’ll be one closet ahead on the
spring housecleaning, and that’s a
great feeling.
Now is also the time to do
something for someone else At
this time of year, many families
have a little more time to visit that
neighbor, grandparent or friend
Prepare some bread or cookies to
share with someone special.
Read, read, read. Visit the
closest library and freshen your
mind with new thoughts and
characters. Check the library for a
story hour that your children can
attend. One of my favorite winter
activities is curling up with a cup
of tea, an afghan and a good book
It’s not always possible to sit for
hours doing that, but even a half
hour is refreshing
Fortunately, cabin fever is
curable. A dose of one of the above
ideas should alleviate some of the
symptoms. Take a moment now
and jot down a few more ideas for
yourself and for your family Let’s
wipe out cabin fever before it
spreads'.
of the skid. Now experts say you
should turn the wheel in the
direction you want to go.
Saving Your Outdoor Plants
Heavy winter ice and snow,
especially the “wet” snows, can do
a number on the plants you took
out a second mortgage to buy last
summer.
Broad leaf evergreens seem to
take the worst beating. After a
heavy snow, take a broom and
head outdoors to brush the snow
from those plants. Take care,
though, to use the broom to shake
the branches, rather than try to
“sweep” the plant clean. That
could cause damage to the foliage.
If you’re in the habit of
spreading sand on walks or
driveways near outdoor plants,
that’s fine. But stay away from salt
and fertilizers - they can wash off
of those surfaces and into the root
zones of plants.
Don’t Expect Too Much
From Your Fireplace
Precisely when you need the
extra heat, that’s when your
fireplace is the least effective.
On very cold and windy days
(temp, range of 20-32°F), a
fireplace is likely to draw cold air
into the house through cracks and
poorly sealed doors or windows.
That forces your furnace to work
overtime to furnish the fireplace
and living quarters with warmed
air.
Windy days can be especially
Buclde up for National Child Passenger Safely Awareness Week
ARDMORE - National Child
Passenger Safety Awareness Week
will be observed in Pennsylvania
from Feb. 23 through March 1.
Governor Thornburgh will be
proclaiming the week as a time for
residents tq be commended for
protecting their young children
The mayors of Pittsburgh and
Philadelphia will participate in
ceremonies opening the week in
their respective cities.
During this specially designated
week state and local police will be
participating in looking for
families that are buckling up their
children. If spotted, these parents
will receive a special com
mendation from PennDOT for
Extension specialist lists strategies for
STATE COLLEGE - Dr
Barbara W Davis, Extension
specialist in adult development
and aging at Penn State Univer
sity, recently gave a presentation
in New Orleans at the 38th annual
scientific meeting of the Geron
tological Society of America.
Davis addressed the strategies
employed by the Cooperative
Extension Service in educating
people for mid and later life
transitions. She gave an overview
5«
adept at robbing your home of
warm air through the fireplace. If
you shut down your fireplace and
leave the flue partially open to vent
exhaust gases, warm air will be
drawn from the house straight up
the chimney.
Why? The wind passing over the
top of your chimney creates a
velocity inside the chimney equal
to the windspeed outside. That
turns your chimney into a vacuum
cleaner, sucking warm air up
through the flue.
Winterize Your Dog
If you have an “outdoors” dog, is
it necessary to bring the pooch
inside when fall gives way to
winter?
Actually, no, so long as you
provide proper food and adequate
shelter for the dog outside.
Shelter for your best friend
caring enough to protect their
child’s safety in the car
Act 53, the Pennsylvania Child
Passenger Protection Law,
mandates that every child from
birth to age four must be
restrained in an approved car seat
when riding in an automobile.
Children one to four years have the
option of riding with seatbelts in
the back seat
According to the Pennsylvania
Child Passenger Safety Project, 60
percent of all young children are
now being buckled up by their
parents. However, using the
carseats correctly is still a
problem.
Many parents do not take the
of Extension programs being used
throughout the country to help
adults and their families deal with
major transitions that commonly
occur during middle age and later
years
Davis has developed strategies
to help adults and their families
cope with mid-life reassessments;
adapt to living alone as a result of
separation, divorce or widowhood;
and manage shifts of the m
dependence/dependence balance
should be water and draft-proof.
And it should be large enough to
allow the dog to stand, but small
enough to conserve heat.
The floor of a dog house should
be raised above ground level to
keep it dry, and the door should
face a direction opposite
prevailing winds. If possible, block
the wind from the opening and
provide a cover for the door.
Don’t place blankets in the dog
house - they can get wet and freeze.
Instead, use dry cedar shavings or
shredded newspaper.
Contrary to popular opinion,
dogs generally do not need more
food in the winter. Actually,
maintaining the same nutritious
diet you give the animal the
remainder of the year is best And
don’t forget to provide plenty of
clean, ice-free drinking water.
time to secure the harness snug, to
route the seatbelt through the car
seat frame in the correct spot, or to
face an infant seat towards the
rear of the auto Re-reading the
manufacturer’s directions and
taking the few extra seconds to
secure the seat properly is critical
to assure adequate protection for
the child.
Currently, Pennsylvania has 230
car seat loaner programs
providing 15,000 car seats to
citizens at a nominal rental fee
Families can obtain information
about a loan program near them
by calling 1-800-CAR BELT.
For more information call the
Child Passenger Safety Project at
1-800-CAR BELT.
life transitions
as family members grow older
Davis and two other gerontolog\
specialists from the Extension
service in Oregon and Texas,
described educational programs
and resources that reach across
the generations to help ease'
transitions for the young as well as
the elderly in growing families
The group also discussed ways to
more effectively link Extension
programs with other community
groups and health care facilities