I'm still scratching mosquito bites and putting cream on the numerous horsefly bites (or maybe they were greenhead or deerfly bites, I was too busy swatting them away to notice specifics) this morning that I got at Reid State Park. But it seems that Georgetown isn't the only place with a lot of biting insects -- people are saying that there are more of them at Maine beaches this year.

Charlene Donahue, an entomologist with the Maine Forest Service, said that while she doesn't have any data on greenheads, she's heard reports that deerflies -- close cousins of the greenhead fly -- are present in greater numbers. She said no one can be sure, however, because the state doesn't have the resources to keep track of the numbers of insects that don't carry diseases that threaten people's health or hurt the state's economy by destroying trees.

What is certain is that we're in the heart of the season for deerflies and greenheads, as well as their other annoying relatives such as horseflies, and a bite by even one or two of the hard-to-kill insects can be a spoiler for people trying to enjoy the outdoors.

But this is the bit that was oh so pleasant to read over morning tea:

And the insects, which are swift and agile, also all have blade- like mouth parts instead of needle-like organs that biting insects like mosquitoes have. "They have mouth parts that tear into your skin and then they lap up the blood," Donahue said.

Makes me want to run to the beach tomorrow.

Read the rest of the story: Hordes of the flies

But if you're so inclined to head to the ocean this weekend, be sure to bring plenty of bug spray. And if the kids are in charge of packing it, make sure you've got a full bottle!

There's a story in today's paper about a 10-year-old South Portland girl who wants the city council to change the law that prohibits chickens from residential areas.

It's a sad day when a kid who really wants a pet chicken is deprived of having one. I'm certain my girls will be up-in-arms with the city of South Portland when I tell them about this story.

The good news is that most commenters on the story seem to be in favor of letting the South Portland girl have her chicken. And the Fair or Foul question today is leaning towards fair as well (note the photo on the question -- the Almeida family has the site's chicken stock photos). It's nice to know the general public is rooting for her.

In my experience, chickens have a lot of entertainment value ... and they really are easy and useful pets to have around (our Top 10 list in favor of feathered friends still stands not to mention that with a little coaching, they do make pretty good movie stars).

Now if the proposal was for having ducks, THAT would be another story altogether.

At first I scoffed at Sunday's story about "nature-deficit disorder," thinking it was yet another group of "experts" offering a new label for parents to stress and worry about how they're raising their kids. But as I read the story I realized there is a lot of truth to the issue of kids not spending enough time playing outside and learning about nature.

Now I have to admit, only recently have I allowed my kids to play out in the backyard without being outside with them. And I still don't let them walk around our neighborhood without an adult.

Am I too overprotective? Yeah probably. But I know my kids and they are not nearly as street-savvy as they should be and that worries me. I don't really agree with this particular thinking from the story that basically says parents should relax about their child's safety:

Richard Louv, who has interviewed thousands of parents and children about the subject, said the main culprit is parental fear of "stranger danger" - a fear that he says has been overblown by the 24-hour news cycle that repeats stories about tragedies suffered by children over and over.

"That's the very definition of conditioning," he said. "We're being conditioned to live in a state of fear." Louv said he realizes that there are "monsters out there." But the numbers show that stranger abductions have been either stable or declining for the last 20 years. "That's particularly true for the last 10," he said. "It's not nearly as unsafe out there as parents think."

Read the whole story: Back to Nature

But getting back to why kids today aren't spending time outdoors ... I think that parents have to show an interest and do it themselves in order to foster their child's interest. Because frankly, if you don't spend time outside why would the kids think they should?

So I do believe as the expert suggests in the story, that a great way to spend time outside is to find an outdoor-related hobby.

My family learned to geocache a couple of years ago even though Fino and I knew nothing about the game other than it required a GPS unit, a gadget I really wanted to have an excuse to buy. But as we learned to play, the kids discovered that they were better at actually finding the geocaches than Fino and I were. That sense of empowerment was a wonderful thing to witness and a gift I didn't realize I could give to them while trekking through the forest looking for a plastic box. Another unexpected bonus was that my kids' time on the computer at home converged with their new outdoor hobby when we discovered Travel Bugs (geocaching game pieces) and started tracking them online.

As a child growing up in an urban area, I had never done a lot of the outdoor activities I do with my kids now. It took some time for Fino and I to figure out how to orienteer, letterbox, navigate a corn maze or mine for gems not to mention I hadn't learned how to cross country ski or snowboard until a few years ago when the kids wanted to learn. But I found the sometimes humbling experience of learning something new and juggling my family's hectic activity/work schedule was well worth the effort. My family has some wonderful memories of spending time together outdoors.

How to you teach your children to appreciate and enjoy nature and the outdoors? I'd love to hear what you think about the "nature-deficit disorder" issue. Post a comment and let's compare notes!

I am sad to hear about the Westbrook chicken situation. As much as a pain in the behind as the Almeida flock can be at times, they really are family pets and I can't imagine being told we had to get rid of them.

Ledoux has kept a small flock of chickens in his backyard for about 10 years. His family and neighbors enjoy the fresh eggs, and his children treat the birds like pets, calling them by name.

Ledoux says it's soothing for him to simply watch his chickens cluck and preen. But a neighbor who finds the chickens nerve-wracking and recently complained to the city that they're too noisy and smelly.

Even when a dog got loose and ate one of our chickens, we handled things amicably with our neighbors. No one wants to live in a place where people can't act like adults and work out their differences.

With city officials now involved in Westbrook, I'm not sure anyone will really "win" in the end.