Tick Season!

It was a slow day at work today, so I was given the option to take a vacation day.  I gratefully took the opportunity - after all I am getting too busy on the weekends with all these shows to go hiking, and that just isn't right.  What a hard life I lead!

The hike was outrageous with rocks, yet peaceful with pretty views and good wind and I will certainly post about it in time, perhaps tomorrow.  

But we had to cut the hike short.  It wasn't that the dogs were hot and thirsty and I didn't have enough water for them (hence giving them all of my own water and becoming mildly dehydrated.).  It wasn't that I would be cutting time short and would barely make it to Perri's agility class on time.  It was TICKS.

About 3.5 miles into our hike (I had set out to do 5 out.) I felt something on my leg.  I looked down and there were at least five ticks crawling up my boot and leg!  I had never seen such a thing!  If I ever get a tick, it's a single tick, and I discover it after the fact.  I brushed them all off and continued, only to have the same thing happen again.  

And if that many ticks were on me...

The dogs were absolutely CRAWLING with ticks.  Again, I have never seen so many ticks in one place.  It was horrifying.  I cleaned the dogs both off and walked a little further, but the ticks were on me and them again in no time.  Enough is enough!  

Count 'em, five on one elbow!  I had just removed one before taking this.

There was a tick between every toe.   Horrible.

I am itching all over just writing this. :)  UGH!

On the drive home I pulled at least 15 ticks out of my own hair and scalp.  I continued to find even more than that on the rest of my body and legs.  I think that I have never had more than 10 total ticks on myself in my entire life.

Back home, I went to work on the dogs.  I built a fire in the fire pit, and laid Molly out.  I pulled 42 ticks off her in one sitting, and 6 more later on.

I pulled 92 ticks from Perri, and 5 more after agility class. (Perri is catching on to the weaves VERY well, thank you very much.)

I still just can't believe it.  The girls had Frontline on, and I am told that I should try Advantix.  I love being out in the woods, but this was unbearable.  Had to be a specially infested area, though.

Let's not forget how CUTE Molly is when she pants, though!