MIM307

You're absolutely right that the bears have always been out and about. It's the time I'm seeing them that is concerning. I saw Mama and 2 of her babies yesterday walking out of the old Girl Scout Camp road, onto Arch Street at about 5pm yesterday. A guy was walking up Arch and I stopped to tell him he might want to adjust his walk due to the bears up ahead. Then last evening I was walking in town and a small bear darted in front of me. He came up out of the swamp on one side, crossed the street, and started up the hill on the other side. No garbage cans in sight. I'm going to start taking my bear spray I use when hiking if I walk in that area again. My dog was not pleased to be sharing the walk with a bear! They are very plentiful this year!

Several people I know in the Westville area have also seen this large male bear, especially on garbage nights. There have been sightings of a mama bear and 4 cubs in the vicinity of the old Girl Scout Camp too.

I'm sorry your son, and you, have to face such ignorance on a daily basis. Nearly all of the comments on this thread disgust me. Really?! Really?! C'mon people be better than this.

I prefer cooked jam to freezer. I believe it's personal preference.

Some foods, like corn on the cob, are best if you blanch them briefly first and then freeze. Others you can just wash and dry and put in the freezer. Good quality freezer bags, or a vacuum sealer like Lyndsey suggested, work best.

This is my recipe. I adjust the sugar based on the sweetness of the berries...sometimes you need more, sometimes less. I ALWAYS use Surejell REGULAR brand pectin. Walmart sells it in a 2 pack for $4. I usually double the jam recipe right off the bat and then it's cooked and I just run the canner. https://www.freshpreserving.com/classic-strawberry-jam-|-making-strawberry-jam-|-ball-fresh-preserving-br1265.html You can also google "strawberry freezer jam" and do without the canning process.

We've actually bought our jam berries from Aldi's in the past. They are delicious and the price cant' be beat.

That's probably Keller's Greenhouse. Nice stuff, but a little pricey. 885-6754 796 Brandy Camp Rd, Kersey

I saw on the news last night that Way Fruit Farm is doing online ordering and delivery in the State College area. I'm going to try Wild Bill's Stand in Punxsy, by Nomads, for our berries this weekend. I still miss Heberling's Strawberry farm every time I go to make strawberry jam. Wild Bill's had nice produce last year.

We just got our daughter the LG Rebel 4 for $50 on straighttalk. I purchased it at Walmart. It's a nice phone for calls, texts, and some selfie taking. It might be a nice option for your mom too.

I'm defensive because of following statements you made in your original post: It is sad that people are so trusting as to go off into thinly populated areas without the means to protect themselves. It is sadder when they take their kids along. If you are in an area where the police cannot get to you within a few minutes your safety is your own responsibility. There are a lot of crazy people out there and the Appalachian Trail seems to attract them. This isn't the first incident of this type on the trail. (bold emphasis mine). Your response reads that it's "sad" when people go hiking without thinking about self-protections and "sadder" when they take kids along. This, to me, implies blaming the victims for going off into the forest to enjoy a hike and being attacked. Your quoted response above further blames any victims if they do not take precautions and to depend on ourselves for own safety. These hikers could have taken every precaution possible and still been attacked. Crazy doesn't stop just because there's a cell phone, a gun, or bear spray. Crazy does what crazy wants to do. You're failure to blame the attacker for this attack is tasteless. I stand by my point. I've nothing more to say on this matter.

I buy new every 6 months. I take as many precautions as I can, but I don't have a crystal ball. Blaming victims is simply tasteless. The woman walked, bleeding and injured, for 6 miles to get to help. She took responsibility for herself. Now place the blame where it belongs.

It's sad when you can't enjoy the beautiful nature of our National Parks, hiking trails, and forests without fear of being attacked. I'm an avid hiker. My kids often hike with me, as I'm teaching them to enjoy and protect nature. I do carry bear spray and a pocket knife. I have my cell phone but it's often useless due to location. My protection is no match for some mentally unstable person and a machete, though. Let's place the blame where it belongs, on the attacker. Blaming the victims for daring to get out into nature and take a hike on a popular trail is shameful.

It is rough on his too. He takes it with probiotics to help some. Chronic Lyme is a real disease. I wish more research was done on it.

The real issue is getting a proper diagnosis when you never saw a tick on you and didn't get a bullseye rash from the bite. It took us over 6 months of doctoring 8 years ago to get a lyme diagnosis for my husband. Back then you had to fight for a doxy script for longer than 14 days and chronic lyme wasn't recognized as a disease. Thankfully his symptoms finally became manageable via IV treatment but he still deals with periodic flare ups that are treated with a 28 day doxy script.