On the eve of our first public hike of the season, it is time to remember that ticks are easy to pick up on the trails of Mount Independence, especially if you wander off the beaten paths. The New York Times recently ran ab article about how to protect yourself from tick (and mosquito and flea) bites that can carry serious infectious diseases:

There’s no magic pill or vaccine to prevent disease infections, but you can take steps to protect yourself and your family from bites — and it all starts with awareness, physicians and consumer advocates say. “Recognize that this is a problem that’s worthy of your time and attention,” said Dorothy Leland, director of communications for Lymedisease.org, a patient advocacy organization.

Read the rest of the article here.