Well folks thankfully the winter is long gone and the dogs and I have been enjoying our walks on the beaches and trails. This is the payback season before it gets hot.  However, due to the fact that the snow was on the ground here for a solid 6 weeks, the blizzard of January 28th never really melted, the ticks were strengthened by their snow blanket.  This happy news was reported in our local newspaper here in East Hampton.  Although it seems counter intuitive, apparently snow is an insulator for ticks.  As a result we are having a horrible tick season out here.  Be careful in any wooded or grassy areas and mark your calendars every 3 three weeks to re-apply your dog's flea and tick repellant.  Enjoy!