Cats Have Super, Psychedelic Vision

Science has known that birds, insects, reptiles, and fish can detect ultraviolet light. Recent studies show that more animals share this ability than originally believed. A new study shows that cats and dogs may be able to see UV, too.

Cats are nocturnal and have been thought of as being able to see in the dark. They have long been a symbol of the mysterious. It's now believed they can see things invisible to humans such as psychedelic stripes on flowers and flashy patterned feathers on birds. The secret to this is ultraviolet light detection, an ability shared by many animals but not humans. Snow reflects UV but white fur does not, allowing reindeer to see polar bears at a distance. Humans would just see a blur of all white.

It is assumed that most mammals do not see UV because they have no visual pigment sensitive to UV. They have lenses like those of man that prevent UV from reaching the retina. Certain people, such as those who have had their lenses replaced during cataract surgery, can see some UV, but most humans cannot.

Humans are good at seeing detail. If we didn't have a lens that removed the UV so that we don't see it, the world would appear more blurry.

Next week I'll share some facts about dogs. 

April Fool's Day

Tuesday, April 1, 2025—April Fool's Day or All Fool's Day as it is also known.  A date that has been celebrated for centuries.  But what in the world could possibly be the origins of a day dedicated to pranks and practical jokes?

The exact origins remain a bit of a mystery. The most widely accepted theory says it dates back to 1582 when France switched from the Julian calendar where the new year began on April 1 to the Gregorian calendar where the new year began on January 1 as called for in 1563 by the Council of Trent.  People who didn't get the word that the start of the year had moved or refused to accept the change and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the object of jokes and hoaxes.  Paper fish would be placed on their backs and they were referred to as poisson d'avri which means April fish.  It symbolized a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person.  These people were considered fools and had practical jokes played on them.

Historians have linked April Fool's Day to ancient festivals such as Hilaria, which was celebrated in Rome at the end of March and involved people dressing up in disguises.  There's also speculation that April Fool's Day was tied to the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, a time when Mother Nature fooled people with changing and unpredictable weather.

On April 1, 1700, English pranksters began popularizing the annual tradition of April Fool's Day by playing practical jokes on each other.  The celebration spread throughout Britain during the eighteenth century.  In Scotland it became a two day event in which people were sent on phony errands and had fake tails or kick me signs pinned to their rear ends.

All Fool's Day is practiced in many parts of the world with the playing of practical jokes and sending people on fool's errands.  In modern times, people have gone to great lengths to stage elaborate pranks.  Here's the top ten hoaxes from a list of the best one hundred pranks of all time as judged by notoriety, creativity, and number of people duped.

1)  The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest (1957):  The respected BBC news show Panorama announced that thanks to a very mild winter and the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop.

2)  Sidd Finch (1985):  Sports Illustrated published a story about a new rookie pitcher who planned to play for the Mets.  His name was Sidd Finch, and he could reportedly throw a baseball at 168 mph with pinpoint accuracy.  But Sidd Finch had never played the game before.  He mastered the art of the pitch in a Tibetan monastery.  This legendary player was the creation of the article's author, George Plimpton.

3)  Instant Color TV (1962):  At the time there was only one television channel in Sweden, and it broadcast in black and white.  The station's technical expert, Kjell Stensson, appeared on the news to announce that, thanks to a new technology, viewers could convert their existing sets to display color reception.  All they had to do was pull a nylon stocking over their television screen.

4)  The Taco Liberty Bell (1996):  The Taco Bell Corporation announced it had purchased the Liberty Bell and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell.  Outraged citizens called the National Historic Park in Philadelphia to express their anger.

5)  San Serriffe (1977):  British newspaper The Guardian published a special seven-page supplement devoted to San Serriffe, a small republic consisting of semi-colon shaped islands located in the Indian Ocean.  It described the geography and culture of this obscure nation.  Its two main islands were named Upper Caisse and Lower Caisse.  Its leader was General Pica.  Only a few readers noticed that everything about the islands was named after printer's terminology.

6)  Nixon for President (1992):  National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation program announced that Richard Nixon, in a surprise move, was running for President again.  His campaign slogan was, "I didn't do anything wrong, and I won't do it again."  Listeners flooded the show with calls expressing shock and outrage.  Nixon's voice was impersonated by comedian Rich Little.

7)  Alabama Changes the Value of Pi (1998):  The April 1998 issue of the New Mexicans for Science and Reason newsletter contained an article claiming that the Alabama state legislature had voted to change the value of the mathematical constant pi from 3.14159 to the Biblical value of 3.0.  The article soon made its way onto the internet, then rapidly spread around the world.  The Alabama legislature began receiving hundreds of calls from people protesting the legislation.  The original article was intended as a parody of legislative attempts to circumscribe the teaching of evolution and had been written by a physicist.

8)  The Left-Handed Whopper (1998):  Burger King published a full page ad in USA Today announcing the introduction on their menu of a Left-Handed Whopper for the 32 million left-handed Americans.  The ingredients were the same as the original Whopper, but the ad claimed all the condiments were rotated 180 degrees for the benefit of their left-handed customers.  Thousands of customers requested the new sandwich. (This one gives a whole new meaning to the word gullible.)

9)  Hotheaded Naked Ice Borers (1995):  Discover Magazine reported that a highly respected wildlife biologist found a new species in Antarctica—the hotheaded naked ice borer.  The creatures had bony plates on their heads.  When fed by numerous blood vessels, they could become burning hot thus allowing the animals to bore through ice at high speeds.  They used this ability to hunt penguins, melting the ice beneath the penguins and causing them to sink downwards where the hotheads consumed them.  It was theorized that the hotheads might have been responsible for the mysterious disappearance of noted Antarctic explorer Philippe Poisson in 1837.  To the hotheads, the explorer looked like a penguin.

10)  Planetary Alignment Decreases Gravity (1976):  British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on BBC Radio 2 that at 9:47AM a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event was going to occur and listeners could experience it in their own homes.  Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, temporarily causing a gravitational alignment that would counteract and lessen the Earth's own gravity.  Moore told his listeners that if they jumped in the air at the exact moment the planetary alignment occurred they would experience a strange floating sensation.  When 9:47AM arrived, BBC2 began to receive hundreds of phone calls from listeners claiming to have felt the sensation.  One woman reported she and her eleven friends had floated around the room.

I made an attempt to find any major April Fool's pranks that occurred in the last few years closer to current times and came up with only a couple of lack-luster attempts but nothing significant or wide-spread. Perhaps the world has become so derisive and contemptuous that practical jokes can no longer compete with reality.

Lucky Locations To Visit

Lots of things are said to generate good fortune for the lucky holder—a found penny, a four-leaf clover, and a rabbit's foot (although apparently not all that lucky for the poor rabbit).

With a tip of the hat to St. Patrick's Day, there are also various locations around the world that are said to be lucky.  Here's a smattering of lucky locations to visit.

The Blarney Stone in Cork, Ireland:  Found at the top of the ruins of Blarney Castle (a trek up four stories of old worn uneven steep stone steps in the castle ruins that provides quite a workout before you get near the famous stone), it has long been held that anyone who kisses the Blarney Stone will be blessed with the gift of great eloquence and powers of persuasion.  BUT, as someone who has been there, let me say that even if you make it up those steps to the top of the castle, you still have a serious physical challenge remaining in order to actually kiss the Blarney Stone.  :)

Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois:  In Springfield's Oak Ridge Cemetery is the tomb of our sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln. For many years, visitors have rubbed Lincoln's nose for good luck. And at that tomb is a large sculpture by Gutzon Borglum, the man responsible for creating the four presidents at Mt. Rushmore.

Winged Figures of the Republic, Nevada:  These thirty-foot-tall Art Deco bronze sculptures are on the Nevada side of Hoover Dam, overlooking the canyon.  Rubbing their toes is said to bless you with good luck.

St. John of Nepomuk in Prague, Czech Republic:  Although there are more than two dozen sculptures along the famed Charles Bridge, only one of them is said to be lucky.  Rubbing the plaque on the statue of St. John of Nepomuk, Archbishop of Prague at the time he was tortured and thrown in the river in 1393, is supposed to be lucky. Not sure what's lucky about being tortured and throw in the river.

Everard 't Serclaes in Brussels, Belgium:  In 1356, Everard 't Serclaes, a resident of Brussels, saved his city from an attack by the Flemish.  A relief likeness of him is displayed near the Grand Place.  Rubbing it brings good luck.

Schoner Brunnen fountain in Nuremburg, Germany:  A seamless brass ring set into one of the railings surrounding Schoner Brunnen fountain is purported to have the power to make wishes come true, but only if you turn the ring three times.

Laughing Buddha in Hangzhou, China:  The concept of patting a Buddha's belly for luck started in Hangzhou's Lingyin Temple which has been around since 328 AD.  The temple has thousands of Buddhas, but the one visitors love to see is the Laughing Buddha.  Patting his belly will bring wealth, good luck, and prosperity.

Bull Mosaic in Milan, Italy:  Being a bull in Spain does not guarantee you a long or even comfortable life.  But there's one bull in Milan who really has it tough.  The Bull Mosaic on the floor of Italy's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is subjected to particularly rough treatment.  It's said to be good luck if you place your heel on the bull's testicles and spin around in a circle.  All I can say is that sounds painful!

St. Patrick's Day—history, symbols, traditions, green beer, and Irish coffee

March 17—St. Patrick's religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. A date that falls during the Christian season of Lent. The Irish have observed this date as a religious holiday for over a thousand years. Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon.

The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place in the U.S., not in Ireland. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762, (when we were still a British colony). When researching the date of the first parade, I came up with several first parade dates in addition to 1762. One of the listings said the first parade was held in Boston. Another said the date was 1766 and yet another listing said 1601 in Florida.

In 1848, several New York Irish aid societies united their parades to form one New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade. Today, that parade is the world's oldest civilian parade and the largest in the United States with over 150,000 participants.

Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Although North America is home to the largest celebrations, it has been celebrated in other locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore, and Russia.

In modern day Ireland, St. Patrick's Day has traditionally been a religious occasion. Until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated pubs be closed on March 17. In 1995, the Irish government began a national campaign to use St. Patrick's Day as an opportunity to promote tourism.

Symbols and Traditions

The shamrock was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland, symbolizing the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, it became a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism.

Music is often associated with St. Patrick's Day and Irish culture in general. Since the ancient days of the Celts, music has always been an important part of Irish life. The Celts had an oral culture where religion, legend, and history were passed from one generation to the next through stories and songs.

Banishing snakes from Ireland has been associated with St. Patrick. A long held belief says St. Patrick once stood on a hilltop and with only a wooden staff managed to drive all the snakes from Ireland. The fact is the island nation of Ireland has never had snakes. The climate is too cold and damp for reptiles that cannot internally generate their own body heat.

Every year on St. Patrick's Day the traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage is consumed. Cabbage has long been an Irish food, but corned beef didn't become associated with St. Patrick's Day until many years later.

Belief in leprechauns probably comes from Celtic belief in fairies—tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. Leprechauns are only minor figures in Celtic folklore, cantankerous little men known for their trickery which they often used to protect their fabled treasure. The cheerful, friendly image of the leprechaun is a purely American invention created by Walt Disney in his 1959 movie, Darby O'Gill and the Little People.

Chicago is famous for a somewhat peculiar annual event: dyeing the Chicago River green. The tradition started in 1962, when city pollution-control workers used dyes to trace illegal sewage discharges and realized that the green dye might provide a unique way to celebrate the holiday. That year, they released 100 pounds of green vegetable dye into the river—enough to keep it green for a week. Today, in order to minimize environmental damage, only forty pounds of vegetable dye are used, making the river green for several hours rather than days.

Green beer, certainly associated with St. Patrick's Day here in the United States, is NOT an Irish creation. Purists claim that Arthur Guinness would turn over in his grave if anyone attempted to add green food coloring to the traditional Irish brew. Green beer is most likely of American origins.

And Irish coffee?  The forerunner of today's Irish coffee was said to have originated one miserable winter night in the 1940s at Foynes' port, the precursor to Shannon International Airport on the west coast of Ireland near the town of Limerick. Joseph Sheridan added some whiskey to the coffee to warm the arriving American passengers, proclaiming it to be Irish coffee.

A travel writer named Stanton Delaplane brought Irish coffee to the U.S. after drinking it at Shannon Airport. He worked with the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco to develop the perfect drink. The Buena Vista Cafe started serving Irish coffee on November 10, 1952, and continues to serve large quantities of it to this day starting from the time they open in the morning for breakfast until they close at night. [On several occasions, I have enjoyed Irish coffee at the Buena Vista.]

So, here's to everyone celebrating on March 17 whether Irish or not. Enjoy your corned beef and cabbage, green beer, and Irish coffee.

SLEIGHT OF HAND—Character Interview

Today I'm welcoming Aurora Brentano and Huntington Wolfe III to my blog, the main characters from SLEIGHT OF HAND, a mystery/romantic suspense scheduled for release on Monday, March 3, 2025, from The Wild Rose Press.

Welcome Aurora and Hunt. Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to be here with us today. Is it okay if I call you Hunt?

Hunt:  Please do. Thanks for the invitation to participate in your blog.

Aurora:  It's our pleasure to be here. What would you like to talk about?

Why don't we start with how the two of you met?

Hunt:  (laughs) Well…that's a bit convoluted. I had been hired by the CEO of a large international insurance company to recover high value jewelry. The property they insured had been stolen in a series of jewel thefts that had taken place over the last five years, all of them occurring following a charity fund raiser held at the home of one of the wealthy members of the socially elite of the greater Seattle area.

It's my understanding that you belong to that group of the wealthy socially elite. Born into money, attended the best schools, leading a high-profile international playboy existence—

Hunt:  (a slight frown wrinkles across his brow) You make it sound as if it's a crime to be lucky enough to not need to worry about how I'm going to pay my bills.

I apologize. I certainly didn't mean to sound accusatory. I merely meant that your background,  status, and lifestyle put you in a perfect position to have access to information the insurance company's staff investigators wouldn't have. How about you, Aurora? What put you in the path of Hunt's investigation?

Aurora:  I was born and raised in the greater Seattle area. My father and I had always been very close, especially after my mother's death when I was eleven. In addition to his job as a jewelry appraiser, he was an amateur magician who performed locally at charity events. I became his assistant from age twelve until I graduated from college and accepted a job offer from a company in San Francisco. I was happy with my life until the day I got the phone call from a Seattle police detective telling me my father was the chief suspect in a series of jewel thefts and had been killed in a high-speed police chase. I was livid. There was no way my father could have been involved in criminal activity. So, I decided to investigate on my own. After carefully going over all the information I could get my hands on, I ended up with a suspect list and the name at the top of that list was Huntington Wolfe III. After all, who better to know the ins and outs of the super wealthy, to know their secrets, than someone who is one of them? Since the police had apparently already decided my father was guilty, I was determined to prove him innocent. I took a leave of absence from my job and returned to Seattle.

Hunt:  I may have been at the top of her suspect list, but she wasn't on my radar yet when we first came in contact.

What put her on your radar?

Hunt:  As soon as I was handed this case, I went over all the available information. I was particularly interested in Quentin Brentano, the man the police were chasing whose car went off a cliff and crashed on the rocks below. Something about that entire event felt off to me. Two months after that crash, the thefts started again. The police theory was that Quentin had an accomplice—his daughter, who was carrying on the family tradition. I attended a charity event, just the type of function that had ended with a jewelry heist.

Aurora:  I was using a false name and working as a server at the catering company, the same company that had catered all the events held in private homes where jewelry had been stolen. I wanted an in-person look at some of the victims and the high profile guests. I was surprised and pleased when my prime suspect showed up at the event.

Hunt:  I didn't know who she was other than apparently an employee of the catering company, but I saw her do something that really caught me by surprise.

What was that?

Hunt:  (shoots a quick grin at Aurora who laughs) You'll have to read the book to find the answer to your question. I can tell you that it put me on a new investigative trail.

What about you, Aurora? How did things move from Hunt being your prime suspect to the two of you working together?

Aurora:  How better to observe someone than to have a legitimate reason for daily contact. It seemed like the best way to achieve my goal of finding the truth about my father's death and prove his innocence.

How did you get Hunt to agree to the two of you working together? Or was it his idea?

Aurora:  As Hunt said, you'll have to read the book. I can tell you that what started as jewel thefts escalated into attempted murder then murder, a surprise that shocked both of us with some very tense and challenging moments along the way.

Attempted murder? Then an actual murder? That's quite a leap from cat burglar jewel thefts with no one in physical danger. Can you tell me anything about what you just mentioned?

Aurora:  For the answer to that—

Hunt:  —you'll have to read the book.

Then that's what I'll do right away. Thank you Hunt and Aurora for being here today.

Hunt:  It was our pleasure.

SLEIGHT OF HAND release date is Monday, March 3, 2025. Available in ebook an print.

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Sleight-Hand-Shawna-Delacorte-ebook/dp/B0DQQFLBMR/ 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sleight-of-hand-shawna-delacorte/1146673688?ean=2940184576602 

And other online vendors

Blurb:

Six years ago, Huntington Wolfe III, heir to a fortune and with a reputation as an international playboy, was a jewel thief. Now, he uses his skills and knowledge as a freelance insurance investigator to recover stolen jewelry, and he has a new case. But when he encounters a beautiful pickpocket at the scene of the next heist, he sets out to discover her identity and what other secrets she might be hiding.

Devastated by her father’s death during a high-speed police chase, Aurora Brentano goes undercover to prove his innocence. At the top of her suspect list is Huntington Wolfe III...until he catches her red-handed in her quest for clues and suggests they work together. She's not sure she can trust him, but they say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

As their unexpected alliance leads to an undeniable attraction, can they bring the true thief to justice, or will they be caught in a web of danger and deceit? 

Excerpts and other information available on website

www.shawnadelacorte.com          https://shawnadelacorte.blogspot.com 

SLEIGHT OF HAND mystery/romantic suspense New Release

Monday, March 3, 2025, is the release date for my latest novel, a mystery/romantic suspense titled SLEIGHT OF HAND by USA Today Bestselling Author Shawna Delacorte. Published by The Wild Rose Press.  Excerpts and other information available on my website.  www.shawnadelacorte.com

This is the story of Huntington Wolfe III, international playboy born into a wealthy socially prominent family, a man with a secret past and a job to do. And Aurora Brentano, a woman on a mission to discover the truth behind her father's death and prove him innocent of the crime he was accused of doing.

He is suspicious of her activities, can he trust her? She has him at the top of her suspect list, can she trust him? When they team up, it's murder.

Excerpt #2:

“If Quentin is dead, it certainly came at an extremely convenient time. Add to that the woman working for Prestige Caterers at last night’s soirée, wearing a name tag that said Gwen but drove away in a car registered to Aurora Brentano, and…”

“You think this guy is still alive? It seems to me if he faked his own death to get the cops off his back, it would be stupid for him to continue ripping off jewelry—at least in the same part of the country where he had been plying his trade. If it was me and I’d just faked my death, I’d be out of town so fast you wouldn’t even see my dust. I sure wouldn’t stick around so I could pull more jobs in the same place following the same pattern.”

“Yeah…me, too. Just one of several inconsistencies that don’t make any sense.”

“So, any preference about where you want me to start, or can I handle it at my discretion?”

“First on the list is Aurora Brentano. The car registration shows a San Francisco address. Find out when she left San Francisco, whether she was anywhere else between leaving there and ending up here, or if she came straight to Seattle. I need to know where she’s staying. Scope out her father’s house in Bellevue. That’s the most logical place for her to be.”

“Unless she’s in hiding and staying off the grid.”

“If that’s the case, then it seems to me she wouldn’t be driving her own car with the California license plates. I’m guessing she’s being cautious but doesn’t think anyone’s actually looking for her.”

Johnny nodded. “If her father’s house doesn’t pan out, I’ll check the utilities to see if there’s anything in her name in the greater Seattle area and surrounding towns. If that doesn’t turn something, I’ll hit the motels that rent suites on a monthly basis.”

“Check both names…Aurora Brentano and Gwen York. All I have for Gwen is a pager number that Charlie Gorman gave me, no phone number. Apparently, not even a disposable cell phone. At least not one that Charlie knows about. Locate an existing phone number, and see if you can track a location for her through the GPS chip and cell towers from her phone calls. If that doesn’t work, maybe you can find a local address through Gwen’s pager.” Hunt texted the pager number to Johnny.

After Johnny left, Hunt refilled his coffee mug and stepped out on the terrace again. He stared at the water. Closing his eyes, he sucked in a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then slowly exhaled. No matter where in the world he traveled, to what exotic location, it always soothed his soul to return home. He took another deep breath, then once again turned his thoughts to the business at hand.

There’s a lot more going on with this case than just the theft of some high-dollar jewelry. But what? Could the police theory be right? Quentin Brentano did it and now his partner is continuing with the thefts? A partner who just happens to also be his daughter?

The image of delectable Aurora played across the screen of his mind. His breathing quickened. He might have been doing a number on Charlie Gorman in order to get the information he wanted, but he couldn’t deny the way she made his pulse race or the serious impact this woman had on his libido.

No question about it, she represented a definite obstacle to his investigation.

Excerpt #3:

On-going tension churned inside Aurora, and a new wave of anger surged through her body reinforcing her determination. During her San Francisco calls with the obnoxious Lt. Montrose, he had made it clear he held her father responsible for the stolen jewelry and refused to give it further discussion. Her primary objective was to clear her father’s name, but she couldn’t deny being compelled to also bring down Montrose’s smug arrogance and make him publicly eat his words about her father.

She returned her thoughts to her current plan of action. Step one is to figure out how to make personal contact with Huntington Wolfe III without making him suspicious. Establishing some sort of personal connection with him will make my investigation easier.

She had even scaled the wall surrounding his estate hoping to get some kind of information she could use. A cold shudder assaulted her senses as she recalled the moment she saw a man emerge from the house and stand on a second floor balcony. She had bolted toward the wall surrounding the grounds with only one thought in mind—make it over the wall and to her car before someone saw her and called the police. Or worse yet, before someone took a shot at her. Ending up in jail or the hospital, neither had been on her agenda.

Reality had surprised her when her primary suspect suddenly showed up at the Swanson’s party. Doubt pushed at her followed by a rush of uncertainty. It’s too late now, but I should probably have been more receptive to his obvious flirting rather than being all business.

She once again tightened her jaw. No one would ever convince her of her father’s guilt. Lt. Montrose had literally hounded her father to his grave. A wave of despair washed over her, but she quickly wiped away the tears welling in her eyes.

Correction—hounded him to his death. They never recovered his body. He doesn’t have a grave. No place where I can go and be close to him.

She would find the person responsible for the thefts and make Montrose look like the despicable fool she knew him to be, no matter how long it took.

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Sleight-Hand-Shawna-Delacorte-ebook/dp/B0DQQFLBMR/ 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sleight-of-hand-shawna-delacorte/1146673688?ean=2940184576602 

And other online vendors.  Available in both ebook and print.

Blurb:

Six years ago, Huntington Wolfe III, heir to a fortune and with a reputation as an international playboy, was a jewel thief. Now, he uses his skills and knowledge as a freelance insurance investigator to recover stolen jewelry, and he has a new case. But when he encounters a beautiful pickpocket at the scene of the next heist, he sets out to discover her identity and what other secrets she might be hiding.

Devastated by her father’s death during a high-speed police chase, Aurora Brentano goes undercover to prove his innocence. At the top of her suspect list is Huntington Wolfe III...until he catches her red-handed in her quest for clues and suggests they work together. She's not sure she can trust him, but they say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

As their unexpected alliance leads to an undeniable attraction, can they bring the true thief to justice, or will they be caught in a web of danger and deceit?

Check back on my blog next week (Saturday, March 1) for a character interview with Hunt and Aurora.

Shawna Delacorte website:  www.shawnadelacorte.com

Shawna Delacorte blog:  https://shawnadelacorte.blogspot.com 

9 Weird Allergies

Allergies are caused by the body's defense system overreacting to some substance it comes in contact with. We're all familiar with the allergies to everyday things such as mold, pollen, specific foods, and animal dander. There are 40 to 50 million Americans allergic to these common bad guys. But you'd be surprised at the uncommon allergies people can develop.

Here's a list of 9 (in no particular order) weird and unusual allergies.

1)  Water Allergy

Water is absolutely mandatory for our survival, but there are those rare people who get the hives from water. The hives and itching usually go away in 15 to 30 minutes and antihistamines will relieve the symptoms.

2)  Exercise Allergy

This type of allergy has only been officially reported in medical journals about 1000 times since the 1970s. Of course, unofficially is a different story…at one time or another I imagine most of us have professed being allergic to exercising. :)  In mild cases the result is hives. But in more severe cases it can lead to anaphylaxis, a dangerous condition where the blood pressure drops suddenly and there is difficulty breathing. This is the same type of reaction as severe food allergies and is treated as a medical emergency, usually with injections of epinephrine.

3)  Sun Allergy

Solar exposure can result in hives with the itching and stinging symptoms relieved with antihistamines, but not prevented. Sun allergy is very rare. The hives appear within 30 minutes of exposure to the sun and will clear up within minutes of getting out of the sun. Needless to say, avoiding the sun can prevent this reaction but is not always possible.

4)  Electricity Allergy

Those who claim to suffer from electro sensitivity say they are sensitive to electric fields generated by products such as cell phones, microwaves, computers, and power lines. The symptoms include headache, ringing in the ears and fatigue among other complaints. The experts say this is one type of allergy that you don't have to worry about because it doesn't exist. There have been several studies done and almost all of them have come up empty.

5)  Shoes Allergy

A poison ivy-type rash on your feet after you've worn leather shoes could be allergic reaction to the chemicals used in the leather tanning process. This type of allergy is known as contact dermatitis and can be diagnosed with a patch test. Contact dermatitis is somewhat of a catchall term for a common skin condition resulting from contact with many possible irritants. The solution to shoe allergy? Wear socks or shoes made from something other than leather.

6)  Allergy to Money

Another type of contact dermatitis can be an allergic rash on your hands after handling coins. The culprit would most likely be the nickel metal in coins, also an alloy found in the manufacture of jewelry, zippers, and eyeglass frames among other things. The best treatment is to avoid the substance. Good luck with this one with regard to handling money.  :)

7)  Allergy to Touch

This is known as dermographism and is another form of hives. The literal translation is skin writing and was named because with this type of allergy a person can write his name on his skin using nothing more than the pressure from a fingernail. That pressure on the skin causes an itchy hive reaction. This reaction can also be the result of tight clothing or even toweling off after a hot shower. The resultant itching can be controlled with antihistamines.

8)  Cold Temperature Allergy

This allergy is very rare, but potentially dangerous. It can be life-threatening if a person with this allergy is suddenly exposed to extreme cold, such as diving into very cold water. This can cause a massive release of histamine, which can severely drop the blood pressure. Handling this kind of allergy is to focus on prevention such as avoiding exposure of large areas of skin to the cold.

9)  Allergy To Pollinated Fruit

Millions of Americans have allergies to pollen and some of them could also experience a type of allergy known as oral allergy syndrome. This happens when someone allergic to pollen eats a fruit that contains the same protein as the pollen. This is a cross reactivity and can happen between such things as ragweed and bananas, grasses and tomato, and birch trees with apples, plums, or peaches. The symptoms are itchy mouth and throat and sometimes swelling of the lips and will go away if you swallow or spit out the fruit with treatment usually being unnecessary.

And there you have it…9 weird and unusual allergies. But not the only ones.