Sunday, June 03, 2007

Ticked Off

Ugh! Woods and hairy dogs and bug queasiness do not mix. This year has been a record for dog ticks up here in the woods and I cannot have one itch without quickly looking or scurrying to the bathroom to make sure that there isn't yet another tick on me! I've pulled about 20 off my dogs in about a month (no easy task with healthy-coated Newfies) and their tried and true flea and tick topical treatment isn't even working. Ticks are the absolute worst insect I have encountered (almost impossible to kill because of their hard outer exoskeleton) and the only one I enjoy watching die a slow, painful death. Nice thing for an animal lover to say.....

Gross, huh? And what a way to begin posting again after 4 months.

I may be seeing more ticks in my life because I have been hiking at my favorite spot, Raven Trail every weekend. I have loved this little piece of heaven since I discovered it when I first came up here about 8 years ago. Tourists have not really discovered it yet, although there is a "forest art"exhibition going on there from now until mid-June, so I guess it won't be long, I suppose. Right now, though, I can still walk one of the 4 trails there without seeing a soul and the dogs absolutely love it there, and find it even more peaceful than my neck of the woods.