Call me Ishmael, er Fido...

I live "in town". I grew up "in the country". In the country, I expected that if I went for a walk in the late spring or summer, that I might have to fight some bugs.

I did NOT expect what I found last night. I walked into a small nature area 2 days ago just far enough in to smell the smells (it was too wet to keep walking)...but it was enough.

I had kept finding crusts of blood underneath my fingernails but I figured that somehow I'd inadvertantly picked my nose or a scab in my sleep (hey, unconscious, right?) and gotten some blood.

What I did NOT count on was that little jaunt in the woods leaving me with a parasite. Yup, behind my ear, just like Fido, I ran my hands through my hair (underneath where my glasses rest), there was a tiny tick attached to me. Of course, growing up in the country and spending half my life picking ticks off of various dogs, I knew immediately what it was and the reason for the black crusty stuff under my nails, I'd been scratching at the 'tick dirt' and didn't even realize it. Dammit. I told my husband to come over here 'right now' and take the tick off. Sure enough, I was right. Luckily, it appeared to only be what I call a 'dog tick' and not a deer tick, but I am going to google to be sure.

Guess I'll be sticking to concrete from now on.

On the other hand, my husband got to do a full investigation of all the areas a tick might hide, and if you've ever heard Brad Paisley's song 'Ticks' -- there's a reason the guy wants to check her for ticks. It involves taking all your clothes off and becoming very touchy feely.

Just call me Fido...