Dupont:

There may be "scents" that are non-toxic. I only use Tide Free and Clear. It may not be the best environmentally but I do not have to deal with a stench - in fact, I would give anything that smelled at all to someone capable and willing to accept it.

R cooked himself a BF Saturday that stank so that we had to open the doors - at below freezing temps. He did not smell it - NOW I find out he has had almost sense of smell for years! (I've known him for 55!) And mine is hyper-sensitive! It may have had to do with adding the left over tzaziki (?) to his eggs in the frying pan. It was puke-quality stench for me!

Here, the ticks are in the grass. I picked up a couple from walking through tall grass a few years ago. The only ones I have encountered here. But our friends are outdoors much of the time; Jess runs a coop farm/CLSC.

On the homefront: bare essentials - minimal cleaning, plant care, keeping the woodstove going, sometimes even clearing some snow, finally getting some energy back; my back has only just stopped hurting from my pot throwing. I will not do THAT again! We have a fair amount of snow. A neighbour cleared the drive a week or so ago, though we generally manage to get in and out OK. And some has melted and then more arrived and freezing a thawing...! Yesterday, R got stuck and the cross the street neighbour cleared us out very well with his snow blower. There was a conversation about the fact that R has one... He has not succeeded in getting it working! And we may have 10 inches more in the next couple days...

No thoughts of traveling!