Walk in the Woods

Totally agree

My Health Is Better in November: Thirty-Five Stories of Hunting and Fishing in the South

http://www.amazon.com/My-Healt...y-Five/dp/0872494403

Bet they took off the bells and suggested it.

I love being in the woods, however it is not very healthy from about April thru about October due to snakes, ticks, chiggars and the explosion of Poison Ivy. At least in my woods. I do not go in the woods here when it starts getting grown up but the rest of the year it is my church.

1.  Snake boots

2.  Deet

3.  Leaves of Three

____

Best thing for chigger bites or other insect bites is "Chiggerex," available at Walmart and lots of other places.

Does your walk  have to be in the unmodified woods, where there are no defined and maintained paths?  Your healthy walk need not be  "in the woods," per se, but in some kind of "natural area." That could be a beach or a low-impact passive park or an arboretum. You should not limit your exposure to the healthy influences of nature to less than half the year.

As to ticks and chiggers, there are effective insect repellents that can protect you from those noxious pests.  With poison ivy, vigilance goes a long way.  There are several over-the-counter ivy blockers you might consider: 

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UT...f=pd_sl_798z56nnj1_b

http://www.webmd.com/skin-prob...tions-topic-overview

http://www.mayoclinic.org/dise...vention/CON-20025866

A good after-exposure product:

http://www.amazon.com/Poison-I...0Q9S75QREC14BTD70A01

I

Grew up on a 80 acre farm. 40 of it was woods with a branch running through it.

I took the walks, but my favorite, even into my late 30's, was to climb a certain  tall pine in a grove.

About 30 ft up there were branches that formed a nice "recliner". I could sit up there, think, dream, and see for a long way across fields. It was relaxing.

No way I could climb it now.

I'm going to try one of those blockers.

I've been reactive rather than proactive.