By Glen Wunderlich

If you’ve ever contracted poison ivy, you already know of the misery it can bring. Those that are allergic to the toxic oil called urushiol have probably discovered their own form of temporary relief through various products or home remedies, or in severe cases of the rash, steroid injections administered by a doctor. What I am about to tell you, should change all that.

With hunting season, many of us will come into contact with the dreaded plant in our ventures into the woods. As the leaves fall, the poison ivy plants are a bit more difficult to identify, but all parts of the plants, including vines, have the potential to deliver the irritating oil to clothing, boots, and eventually skin. Accordingly, step one involves your being able to identify the plant even when the leaves have vanished. I’ll leave that up to you; it’s all out there.

Next, if you realize, or even suspect that you’ve come into contact with the plant, wash those clothes, tools, or pets to minimize the spread of contamination. However, if an outbreak is already present, you are going to want to literally get your hands on some Zanfel – a product that removes the oil and stops the incessant itching in less than a minute!

When I discovered this product, I purchased a one-ounce tube through an online source with full expectation that I’d give it a try sooner or later. Since then, after cutting wood in the midst of the dreaded plants, a small rash began to develop near my wrist a few days later. There was no question as to the cause of the skin breakout and itching: poison ivy.

Following the directions on the package, I wet the affected area. Even though the rash was only the size of a quarter, I squeezed out 1 and ½ inches of the ointment from the one-ounce tube. It’s important to note that using less than the prescribed amount will not work.

Then, wet and rub both hands together for 10 seconds, working the product into a paste, thus activating the ingredients.

Rub both hands (up to 3 minutes, if needed, on the affected areas, working Zanfel into the skin until the itching stops – usually 15 seconds for mild to moderate reactions. Thoroughly rinse the area.

Now, days later, the small, telltale rash is still present, but the itching is gone. In addition, a friend, who was working with me in the woods, had a poison ivy rash developing and with one application per directions, had the same positive results.

So, if you, family members or loved ones are susceptible to the allergic reaction of poison ivy or poison sumac (or poison oak in the western part of the country), you may want to keep this miracle product in stock. I’m glad I did.

The cost was about $30 delivered. However, even though the tube contains only one ounce of the product, it will provide about 15 washes, if used according to instructions. While it’s still true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, this ounce of cure is worth every penny. It works!

Harvest Time in Shiawassee County, MI

The pumpkins and watermelons have ripened after a very good growing season.  The garden was watered only a few times after planting.  Lots more to come.

Harvest Time

Best Ever

Something about the night sky simply inspires awe. As the stars begin to appear after sunset, we can go outdoors and see the vastness of space, and perhaps realize that our day-to-day stresses are not so big after all. Michiganders are fortunate to have access to several ideal locations for stargazing, including three state parks with dark sky preserves: Port Crescent State Park (Huron County), Lake Hudson Recreation Area (Lenawee County) and Wilderness State Park (Emmet County).

On the night of September 27-28, there will be even more reason to visit these parks due to the Super Harvest Moon Total Eclipse. The Harvest moon will be a spectacle to see, and Michigan state parks and state forest campgrounds are ideal viewing locations. The eclipse begins at 9:07, but the best views will be from about 10:10 to 11:30 p.m., from anywhere east of the Rocky Mountains.

Here are a few tips for viewing this natural nighttime show: Read more

Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers played a key role in apprehending an escaped prisoner Saturday, Aug. 29, in Iosco County.

Ten conservation officers, part of the DNR Law Enforcement Division, from Iosco, Ogemaw, Alcona, Oscoda and Gladwin counties responded to a call Saturday afternoon of a prisoner who had escaped the custody of county law enforcement personnel in Reno Township near Whittemore. The prisoner escaped while being transported back to the Iosco County jail after receiving medical treatment at the West Branch Regional Medical Center. Read more

DNR crews begin annual Lake Michigan yellow perch assessment

The Department of Natural Resources today announced that survey crews from the Charlevoix Fisheries Research Station headed out on Lake Michigan Aug. 24 to conduct surveys of yellow perch populations and other nearshore fish species. The surveys are being conducted from the research vessel Steelhead, as well as from smaller DNR vessels that permit sampling in shallow, nearshore waters. The surveys will run through September 11.

The DNR has been involved since 1995 in a lakewide collaboration with other Lake Michigan natural resources agencies to assess yellow perch. Data collected during these surveys is used to estimate a broad range of biological variables vital to understanding yellow perch populations in Lake Michigan and associated tributaries.

“Early indications from work in southern Lake Michigan by our sister agencies are that 2015 may be a banner year for yellow perch spawning and survival of young fish, so we’re excited to get out and see what populations look like in Michigan waters,” said Dave Clapp, Charlevoix Fisheries Research Station manager. “Fish hatched in 2010 and 2011 are just now reaching full maturity, so we expect to see an increase in spawning activity and an abundance of young perch this year, supported by increased lake levels and slightly warmer water temperatures this summer.”

Survey operations will be conducted near the ports of South Haven, Grand Haven, Portage, Pentwater, Charlevoix and Petoskey. Vessels involved in the surveys will be docked at these Great Lakes ports, and the public is encouraged to visit the vessels and talk with crew members about fisheries assessment operations.

To learn more about the efforts of all the DNR’s vessels, please visit the Fisheries Research website.
/Note to editors: An accompanying photo is available below for download. A suggested caption follows:

Steelhead 8-7-12 leaving CHX.jpg: The research vessel Steelhead will be busy on Lake Michigan in the coming weeks, collecting data on yellow perch populations./

WASHINGTON — A cache of internal memos that federal regulators intended to keep private reveals a culture of secrecy, falsehood and dysfunction that permeated the Waters of the U.S. rulemaking process.

Yesterday, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released more than 50 pages of documents in which the Army Corps of Engineers repeatedly rebuked EPA officials for their abuse of the rulemaking process in producing the deeply controversial Waters of the United States rule. The entire economic analysis used to support the rule, Army Corps officials wrote, had no basis in either science or economics: https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Army-Corps-Memoranda.zip.

“It is clear from the memos that there were dire concerns internally that EPA was getting it wrong and with a high degree of arrogance,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “The flawed economic study is just the tip of the iceberg, and it was known internally that trouble was ahead. In fact, the memos themselves were stamped ‘Litigation Sensitive.’ They were never intended to see the light of day.” Read more