Weekender Living

BROUGHT TO YOU BY BOHO ASTRO - JOANNE MADELINE MOORE

Daily posts at www.bohoastro.com | twitter @JoMadelineMoore | © Joanne Madeline Moore 2022

AQUARIUS

JANUARY 21 TO FEBRUARY 19

With taskmaster Saturn moving through your sign (until March 2023) you may feel as if you are failing to live up to your full potential. And this week, retrograde Mercury also disrupts travel or education plans. Don’t stress Aquarius! Mistakes will just motivate you even more, and challenges will spur you on even further. Draw inspiration from blues legend (and birthday great) B. B. King, “The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.”

A relationship with a child, teenager, friend or lover is about to go through a frustrating patch as Mercury (your boss planet) moves backwards. And is a cherished dream taking forever to manifest? Forget about airy-fairy fantasies! Jupiter and Saturn encourage you to set a solid and achievable goal and then work towards it in a patient and persistent way. On Friday and Saturday, resist the temptation to be over-indulgent with a selfish or spoiled family member.

Beauty-loving Librans are famous for being natural fashionistas and the classiest sign in the zodiac. This week, with Mercury reversing through your sign, you want your innate elegance and sense of style to shine for all the world to see. But don’t become overly preoccupied with glossy outer appearances! Be inspired by legendary Libran fashion editor Diana Vreeland, “The only real elegance is in the mind; if you’ve got that, the rest really comes from it.”

This week Mercury (planet of commerce, communication and transportation) is retrograde and Neptune (your ruler) opposes the Sun. Which could rev up your restless side and amplify your tendency to become confused or distracted. So be extra careful when walking near traffic, driving, cycling or jogging, and don’t sign an important contract, open a bank account or lodge your tax return. Wait until after October 2, when Mercury moves forwards again.

It’s a good week to review plans and complete tasks as you tick the to-do list. Professional projects and creative networking are also favoured. But retrograde Mercury is stirring up your domestic zone. So (over the next three weeks) prepare for a domestic drama or a family fiasco. Explain to loved ones that you need plenty of personal space, and pace yourself. Maintaining a disciplined daily routine and keeping up to date with domestic chores will also help.

With Mercury reversing through your self-sabotage zone, the only person who’s likely to undermine your efforts this week is you! The best way to utilise the current astro-energy is to turn inward in positive ways. Via solo activities like meditation, contemplation, prayer, yoga and long walks in nature. On Friday and Saturday, be careful a dubious fair-weather friend doesn’t lead you up the primrose path to trouble. Keep your bulldust detector set on high.

Expect some relationship rumbles this week Rams, as Mercury reverses through your love zone and a partnership may feel as if it’s going backwards. Steer clear of being a selfish Aries who is too demanding! Generous Jupiter encourages you to get the ratio right between your personal needs and those of loved ones. So do your best to reset the balance between giving and receiving. On Friday and Saturday, slow down and take the time to get the facts straight.

Hold your horses Lions! Mercury is in retrograde mode (until October 2) so, if you are too hasty, you’ll run into obstacles. You also need to be extra careful when you’re communicating with family, friends and work colleagues (in person and via social media). If you say or write something when you’re feeling rushed, then it could backfire on you later. On Friday and Saturday, resist the inclination to be rash with cash and thoughtless with friends.

Mercury is retrograde and fiery Mars squares Venus, so do your best to avoid being hasty and hot-headed. And steer clear of argumentative people, especially at work. A goal or dream could also be delayed or derailed, so you may have to reboot your wish list or just be extra patient. Not easy for a spontaneous Sagittarius! Are you single and looking for love? Dynamic Mars is charging through your relationship zone, so you need to be proactive (but not pushy).

Taurus is a fixed sign and Bulls can be a very stubborn bunch. And Mercury is reversing through your job, wellbeing, and daily habits zone for the next three weeks. So prepare for work chaos, health hiccups or disruptions to your usual routine. Flexible Bulls will learn to bend and adjust accordingly. On Friday and Saturday, Neptune scrambles communication and common sense. So avoid being extravagant with money and reliant on unreliable friends.

This week’s celestial salad throws some frustration into the mix, as your ruler Mercury is retrograde (until October 2) which slows things down, especially financially. So your stress levels could venture into the outer stratosphere. Calm down Virgo! Your motto for the moment is the Serenity Prayer (from Reinhold Niebuhr), “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Capricorns are feeling frustrated and cranky! With Mercury reversing through your career zone, it’s not a good time to apply for a job, pitch your boss for a promotion or launch a professional project. Instead, focus your attention on a romantic relationship, business partnership or creative joint venture that has real potential. It’s also a suitable time to show loved ones how much you really care via a warm hug, a welcome gift or a thoughtful gesture.

GEMINI

MAY 22 TO JUNE 21

LIBRA

SEPTEMBER 24 TO OCTOBER 23

PISCES

FEBRUARY 20 TO MARCH 20

CANCER

JUNE 22 TO JULY 22

SCORPIO

OCTOBER 24 TO NOVEMBER 22

ARIES

MARCH 21 TO APRIL 20

LEO

JULY 23 TO AUGUST 23

SAGITTARIUS

NOVEMBER 23 TO DECEMBER 21

TAURUS

APRIL 21 TO MAY 21

VIRGO

AUGUST 24 TO SEPTEMBER 23

CAPRICORN

DECEMBER 22 TO JANUARY 20

WITH DR ERIN SHORT • GREENCROSS COREEN AVENUE • 4731 3055

Ticks thrive as weather warms up

With spring comes glorious sunshine, warmer weather – and ticks. Although ticks can occur year-round, their peak period is spring and summer when warm weather combines with periods of rain.

What are paralysis ticks?

There are around 75 different species of ticks in Australia, but the most common are the brown tick and the deadly paralysis tick. The paralysis tick is by far the most dangerous parasite when it comes to your pet. It is commonly found in bushy coastal areas along the east coast of Australia, from north Queensland to eastern Victoria. Ticks are most prevalent from spring to autumn, however, can occur at any time of year.

When paralysis ticks attach to our pets, they inject a neurotoxin which causes progressive paralysis, respiratory depression, and death in animals which have no immunity to the toxin.

What does the paralysis tick look like?

Paralysis ticks can be identified by their grey body and legs close to the head. Their legs are the feature which best distinguishes them from other ticks that occur in the same regions. Paralysis ticks have one pair of brown legs closest to their head, then two pairs of white legs and then one pair of brown legs closest to the body.

It is not always easy to identify paralysis ticks. If the tick is not fully engorged, its body shape and colour will be hard to determine. Often, a veterinarian will be the only person who can accurately identify the type of tick; it is vital that you take your pet to a vet if you have found a tick.

What to do if you have found a tick on your pet?

Seek veterinary treatment immediately as the tick needs to be removed. If not already done, your veterinarian will remove the tick so it is unable to inject any more toxin. It is important to take any removed ticks to the veterinary clinic so your vet can identify it. Even if you have removed toe tick yourself and your pet is not displaying symptoms of tick paralysis, it’s important to get them checked over by a professional.

Tick paralysis symptoms:

• Affected coordination • Weakness or collapse • Vomiting or retching • Change of bark or meow • Difficulty breathing

Prevention

There are a number of parasite prevention methods on the market.

Topical applications, rinses, sprays, and collars can aid in tick prevention, however, these methods do not 100 per cent protect your pet.

Regular tick searches, which involve running your hands through your pet’s entire coat (including down the legs, over their stomach, and to the tip of their tail) is recommended if you live in a tick-prone region such as Winmalee, Yellow Rock and Castlereagh.

These methods, in conjunction with regular vet health checks, are your best bet at keeping nasty ticks away from your beloved furry friends.

For more information, contact us at Greencross Coreen Ave on 4731 3055 and make an appointment.

Pet of the Week

10% off Products, Services and Medication

$200 off Dental Care

Unlimited Consultations

Coreen Avenue (02)47 313 055

My name: Starr My proud owner: Jan Harrison I live in: Jamisontown

A bit about me: Starr is a serious princess. One of her favourite things to do is watch the lorikeets feeding from their dishes, dying to chase them. Often, she will eat the sweet powder that Jan feeds them, in addition to chopped bananas. In this photo, Starr had just been to Fluffy and Knuckles, and received a lovely band after her wash, trim and blow dry.

Email Cassidy.Pearce@westernweekender.com.au with your favourite picture of your pet, and include your name, pet’s name, suburb and a blurb about your favourite furry friend.

WITH ZAK LLOYD • ONE POINT HEALTH • 4732 5188

Hidden impact of working from home

As working from home has become common practice across previously officebased positions, health practitioners have seen a strong and growing trend in associated overuse and work-related musculoskeletal type injuries.

While the benefits of reduced costs in travel and other expenses have shown immediate improvements to quality of life, underlying changes to daily movement patterns can produce a variety of lower limb pathologies.

Below are two general measures that can be undertaken to ensure your new work environment has a positive impact on your health!

Daily movement

Simple activities we perform almost every day, such as commuting to and from work and around an office space for eight or so hours adds up to hundreds, even thousands of steps in a day; without even realising!

Taking this away can have a significant impact on your overall daily activity.

Your feet in particular can suffer from such a dramatic decrease in load, which in turn affects their capacity. In the last year we’ve seen a large number of patients present with heel pain and other foot-related issues, primarily revolving around the reduced movement and stimulus required by these muscles and tendons.

Your best bet in prevention is to simply use them! Dedicate 30-60 minutes a day to leave the home office and engage in an activity you enjoy; whether it be walking, swimming, sport, anything that you enjoy will mean you’re more likely to stay consistent.

Shoes

Working from home has nullified the need for a uniform or business attire, with footwear usually being the first to go. While it isn’t necessary to wear shoes for the entirety of your day, predisposing factors such as your foot and ankle mobility, strength and function, as well as the capacity issue mentioned above, can expose you to pain and discomfort.

Look for a comfortable and supportive shoe (preferably with the help of your podiatrist!) that you can wear for the majority of your work day, but especially for walking/sport activities as discussed above.

A shift in the working environment can have such a dramatic effect on your lifestyle and daily habits, as we’ve seen over the previous year or two.

The take-home message from this is to ensure that these habits and routines have a positive influence on your health.

WITH DAVID NORRIS • NORTEC IT • 9894 9514

How to never lose your keys again

There has been a lot of media about how someone with an Apple Air Tag was able to track down his missing luggage at the airport, despite it being missing for over a week. These devices can accurately track the locations of tagged items both within your home and anywhere in the world. As someone who loses their keys sometimes, they are a great time saver when I’m rushing in the morning. These devices work in two ways: • When close by, they use Bluetooth and an application on your phone to pinpoint the lost item. Your tag can be made to beep, or you can follow the arrows on your app. • In Long-distance situations, they use a technology known as Ultra-Wideband (UWB).

Ultra-Wideband is a radio technology with low energy requirements and provides high-bandwidth communications over a short range.

In practice, when used in tracking tags, it relies on third-party devices to detect the missing tag. In Apple’s case, whenever anyone with an iPhone comes within nine metres of the tagged device, it can deliver the device’s location to the Apple network. Using the AirTag application allows you to track the location.

Tile Ultra uses the same technology to track missing devices, using phones with the Tile Application loaded to update the device location. Samsung has a solution that uses Samsung Phones to do the tracking. These are great solutions for high-population areas. If, on the other hand, you lose your keys in a field, they are unlikely to work.

Apple AirTags only work with Apple devices. Tile will work with iOS and Android. Arguably there are likely more active Apple iPhones in use, so the chances of finding a lost item would be higher with an AirTag. However, Tile says they have a greater than 90 per cent return rate on lost items. Tiles have another advantage in that they have a QR code, which will give contact details when scanned.

Tile makes many different tracking tag shapes, including credit card-shaped wallet tags and tags with connectors and stickers. Apple AirTags are circular with no connectors. You do need to purchase a range of accessories to connect to items. The tags have batteries that last about a year. I know I will throw a couple of tags into my luggage and backpack on my next trip.FRFREEEE LALAPTPTO OP P

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