SC - reasonably safe water at Pennsic

[Alderton, Philippa]

Beatrix skrev:

>Perhaps this is the answer - Philippa, you're from Ohio, which is not to
far
>from where pennsic is held, therefore your body is used to the local bugs
in
>the water system. However, if someone from a farther area, say the Outlands
>or Caid, come to Pennsic, their body is used to compleatly different flora
>and fauna in the water and their intestines get the shock of their life at
>the first swallow.

Actually, I rather doubt that would apply, since I'm 4 hours from Pennsic,
meaning at least 200 miles, and I'm on the opposite side of a major drainage
system, the Ohio River. I'm also not insenstive to nasty bugs- I've been
exposed to a couple of situations involving mild food poisoning, and I
rejected the offending substances within an hour and was fine, where other
folks kept them down and were very sick for quite a while- trust me, if
there were something seriously wrong with Pennsic water, I'd be the first to
know ;-)

On the other hand, I've seen quite a few digestive upsets caused by stress-
add traveling, new foods, new situations, unaccustomed times to eat, and a
sensitive system, in addition to an unfamiliar combination of chemical
substances in your water, and you're likely to get a reaction- for that
reason, many horse people will take along the animal's familiar water and
feed to shows or other events.

Many people in the West have, for example, a fairly high, compared to here,
asbestos content in their water (no, ingested it's not harmful- just when
breathed by smokers- there's a synergistic effect) and their bodies might be
used to dealing with it and over -compensating for it. I've also seen things
happen like that with different iron, floride, sulpher and chlorine levels,
among others. It doesn't mean the water is bad, just different- and if you
were to remove all the other stress levels from the change, for example,
drink the water in your own living room at home, chances are that there'd be
no reaction at all, other than to the different taste.

Pennsic water is OK. If you know you're sensitive, drink bottled water-
that's only good sense. If you're sensitive to sunlight, use sunscreen. If
your feet or joints have never been toughened up by constant barefoot
outdoor walking, wear good shoes. If you're allergic to mushrooms or nuts,
don't eat them. If you're allergic to bee stings, get and carry your epi-pen
with you at all times. In short, you know your system- we don't. Apply the
same good sense you'd use at home at Pennsic, and you'll be just fine.

Phlip, who often wonders what it is about Pennsic which makes people who are
normally perfectly sensible forget to pack their brains.....

Nolo disputare, volo somniare et contendere, et iterum somniare.

phlip at morganco.net

Philippa Farrour
Caer Frig
Southeastern Ohio

"All things are poisons.  It is simply the dose that distinguishes between a
poison and a remedy." -Paracelsus

"Oats -- a grain which in England sustains the horses, and in
Scotland, the men." -- Johnson

"It was pleasant to me to find that 'oats,' the 'food of horses,' were
so much used as the food of the people in Johnson's own town." --
Boswell

"And where will you find such horses, and such men?" -- Anonymous