The Garden State may be small, but we're one of the leading states in Lyme disease. Pennsylvania, which is much bigger than New Jersey and has more deer, has the most reported Lyme disease cases in the U.S., but N.J. also has plenty, according to the Centers for Disease Control's latest report.

Bear activity is picking up. A big one was up a tree on Baird Road, Millstone, last weekend — not exactly what you'd call bear country, a designation that's growing, especially this month when male bears prowl looking for receptive sows. Now's also the season when carp spawn.