How to get the most out of this sticky, buggy, hot time of year.

This time of year is especially tough to get outdoors - the days are long and hot, humidity (as of lately) has made everything sticky, and the bugs, the bugs are out in full force. 
Since summer 'cabin fever' has set in and I can no longer stand another day indoors reading about the great outdoors I found a few ways to make this time of year tolerable, I hope they'll help inspire you to get outdoors! 

• Go out early mornings or late evenings. It's generally much cooler at these times and the wildlife knows it! In the evenings especially you can often find a family of deer strolling through the woods, skunks and opossum lumbering about searching for grubs and ticks, even in town we've watched the occasional raccoon pop out of a storm drain to begin its evening of mischief. 
• Make your own natural bug repellant. If you're like me you don't want to cover yourself in noxious chemicals at anytime let alone when going to enjoy nature, a simple combination of natural oils can make a far superior and less toxic bug repellant! I use an oil spray made of pure tea tree oil blended with alcohol and distilled water that for the past two years has worked wonders in keeping the mosquitoes away (and smells lovely)! Another great combination is lemongrass and eucalyptus. Most natural food stores or co-ops have the pure oils for purchase so you can make your own combinations.  
• Don't run from the bugs, observe and learn about them. Each insect, spider, bug you find will be different from the next. Learn about each one you find, take a field guide out, or take a photo of each and look it up when you get home. Knowledge will banish fear. Spiders are helpful friends - eating more harmful bugs. Most insects won't bite, sting, or make you itchy, they're just out looking for food and a mate. Caterpillars have amazing patterns, camouflage, and transformations. 

Happy exploring!