I... hate... TICKS!!!!

[Splintercat]

Ugh. I've got the creepy crawlies tonight after a visit to the Viento area in the Gorge. I had changed out of my trail clothes at the trailhead, mostly because of poison oak where I hiked today. Then I spent the afternoon in the Hood River Valley, taking photos, before heading home.

So tonight, I'm getting in the shower and doing the standard tick check -- and ugh! A tick on my side, almost on my back. He came loose in my hand without more than touching him, so I tossed him in the sink, and unfortunately, down he went - so I didn't get a great look at him, except that he looked to have a spot in his back. No bite, so I was a happy camper. Took an extra soapy shower, and figured that was the end of the tick saga.

So a few minutes ago, I'm sorting through photos from the day, and scratched something that felt like a little bump under my chin, in my beard (which is extremely short right now). I swore something fell off, went to the bathroom, and saw a spot of blood. Hmm... went back and looked around the floor under my desk, nothing. So I figured I'd scratched one of my many bug bites open.

No more than five minutes after I had sat down again, I felt something crawling up my calf..! Ack! I looked down, and could see it was a tick, so I tore off a piece of scotch tape and WALLPAPERED him! Plucked him off with the tape, and sealed him for life with another piece. He's now hanging on my bulletin board, for future reference...

Back to the bathroom, and a liberal cleaning of the bite on my chin with about 2 gallons of alcohol... and ANOTHER all-over with the mirror. I'm thinking I simply missed the one under my chin on the first pass, so will have to watch that in the future. I HATE TICKS!!!

This is a first for me on several fronts: two in one day, in the middle of summer and having one hunt me down IN THE HOUSE..!

Nope, I don't like this a bit... and now EVERYTHING feels a bit creepy-crawly..!

-Tom

[Waffle Stomper]

Doesn't that just tick you off

Sorry, could not resist. Hope the universe doesn't get me for that

[zombie]

After reading that, I'M feeling stuff crawling all over me! Dang ticks! Ugggg...

[fettster]

On a positive note, you can at least take solace in the fact you made me feel much better about not getting out to hike this weekend.

[Paul]

I REALLY dislike ticks. When I did the Rogue river trail in 2006, I had a total of 5 buried in me in one day. One on teh back of my thigh I didn't catch until the next morning.

Over the 4th my younger lab got one buried in his front arm pit that he picked up from the Gorton Creek trail somewhere.

Nasty little buggers.

[Splintercat]

Five at once..? Yowsa. I was freaked with two..! Hate 'em.

But having thought about the terrain I was in, I'm pretty sure I picked them walking along an old roadbed (described in my Viento report) that was chest-deep in grasses. I also carried home about five pounds of grass seed in my clothing...

I'm thinking that next year I'll just put a drop of Advantage on my neck when I do the dogs...

Tom