The coming Memorial Day weekend officially kicks off the summer season. A season of sunning by the pool, of working in the yard, of playing in the street after supper, of vacationing at the beach, of taking bike rides with the kids.

A summer, essentially, of outdoor fun. Provided you're not afraid of the special challenges that accompany the season.

And there's no reason to be, if you arm yourself with the supreme antidote for dealing with the heat, the sun, some pesky critters, some poisonous plants and whatever other seasonal challenges Mother Nature has in store.

A little knowledge.

We've identified some of the main excuses people give for staying indoors on a summer afternoon -- what Henry James once described as "the two most beautiful words in the English language" -- and let the experts explain why your excuse is just that. An excuse.

So no excuses. Read up. Head out.

Have fun.

The excuse: I'll get sunburned.

The rationale: I'll get skin cancer.

The remedy: It's true that prolonged exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer. So don't overexpose yourself, advises Dr. Courtney Mann, director of the Children's Emergency Department at WakeMed Health & Hospitals in Raleigh. Her recommendation: "Copious use of sunscreen." Preferably of 30 SPF or higher and applied frequently, especially if you're active and sweaty or in the water. (If you don't think you'll remember to reapply often, try a sunscreen containing glitter; when the glitter is gone, it's time to reslather.) Remember that children, with their sensitive skin, are more susceptible to sunburn so pay extra close attention to them, and that even if you're in the shade, you're still catching potentially harmful rays. And Henry James aside, the early afternoon can be a killer for your skin; the overhead sun is most intense between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Early morning and late afternoon are better times to be out.

Learn more: www.skincancer.org/preventing-&-treating-sunburn/worst-case-scenario-treating-sunburn.html.

The excuse: A tick will latch on to me.

The rationale: I'll get Rocky Mountain spotted fever or ehrlichiosis.

The remedy: It's true that North Carolina does have an unusually high incidence of Rocky Mountain spotted fever; the 535 cases reported in 2004 were three times the total of the next highest state. (Incidence of ehrlichiosis are less common.) But routine checks for ticks following a visit outdoors should catch the little buggers before they inflict harm. "A tick has to stay on you about 24 hours before the disease can be transmitted," says Charles Apperson, an entomology professor at N.C. State University whose specialty is bloodsucking insects. A tick check should be thorough; they gravitate to the darndest places. If you find one, Apperson says to use tweezers to extract it, being sure to get as much of its head as possible. Clean the area with alcohol, soap and water. (In particular, you'll be looking for the lone star tick, recognizable by the white dot on its back.) The affected area may appear red and be slightly swollen for a while; that's not a concern, says WakeMed's Mann. What is a concern are headaches, fever and a rash three to five days after the bite. If that happens, says Mann, see a physician.

Learn more: www.tic-nc.org.

The excuse: The outdoors are swarming with mosquitoes!

The rationale: I'll be bitten and catch West Nile virus or some other hideous malady.

The remedy: Yes, mosquitoes are annoying. But they also don't like bug sprays containing DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide, for you sticklers for detail). The Centers for Disease Control recommends that adults use products containing no more than 30 percent DEET, and that children use products containing no more than 10 percent DEET. Minimizing your skin's exposure to insects will also help. Do this by wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants in mosquito-prone areas, avoiding damp spots popular with the pests and by staying indoors at dawn and dusk, when the blood suckers are most active. Around the house, minimize the likelihood of skeeters taking up residence by eliminating potential breeding grounds, even, says Apperson, something as seemingly innocuous as a discarded bottle cap filled with water. The biggest threat from mosquitoes, says WakeMed's Mann, comes from scratching the bite and infecting it. To minimize the itch, she suggests taking Benadryl orally (it's available over the counter).

Learn more: www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/phpm/.

The excuse: I'll suffer heat stroke!

The rationale: Uncle Irv was carted away from the family picnic last year after he fainted during the three-legged race.

The remedy: Was Uncle Irv partaking of liquids other than those of amber hue? If he'd been staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water, he probably would have been fine. Did he take a time out from the softball tournament? If he'd started to overheat, he should have put himself in time out under the nearest shade tree. Maybe slapped a cool towel on his forehead, under his armpits or anywhere else where the blood runs close to the surface, too. To recap, Irv: Drink water, take advantage of available shade.

Learn more: www.mayoclinic.com/ health/first-aid-heat-exhaustion/FA00020.

The excuse: Plants don't like me!

The rationale: Poison ivy, oak and sumac -- they all bite!

The remedy: Know your enemy. Indeed, poison ivy in particular can be pernicious in this region. Your first and best defense is to steer clear of the stuff. And while that can be a challenge in a forest draped and carpeted with vines of various and dizzying characteristics, you'll do well to live by that simple childhood admonition: Leaves of three, let it be. (You'll also do well to avoid fuzzy vines wrapping themselves up the trunks of trees.) If you do come in contact, WakeMed's Mann says you should resist the urge to paint yourself with a standard itch-reliever such as calamine lotion. Instead, take Benadryl orally. It'll stop the itching, she promises, while letting the rash heal faster in the open air.

Learn more: www.fda.gov/fdac/features/796_ivy.html.

The excuse: Helmet? Who needs a bike helmet?

The rationale: I like the wind in my hair. Besides, I hardly ever fall.

The reality: Of all the concerns of summer the one that concerns WakeMed's Mann the most is kids -- and adults -- riding bikes without helmets. "This time of year we see more people on bikes and we" -- meaning the Emergency Department -- "see a lot of them who aren't wearing helmets." A few quick facts.

First, anyone riding a bike who's 16 or younger in North Carolina is required to wear a helmet -- it's the law. According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, the typical cyclist will crash every 4,500 miles; of the 750 bike deaths reported annually, 75 percent result from head injuries. And, again according to the Institute, 85 percent of head injuries can be avoided with a helmet. "In my mind," Mann says, "there's just no excuse for not wearing a helmet while on something on wheels that can go faster than you do."

"We can fix your broken bones," adds Mann, a mother of two, who says she has eight bike helmets hanging in her garage. "Head trauma is another thing entirely."

Learn more: www.helmets.org/guide.htm.