Homer's Travels: That Itchy, Paranoid, Creepy Crawly Feeling

Sunday, April 15, 2007

That Itchy, Paranoid, Creepy Crawly Feeling

This year there's been a bumper crop of that dreaded trail pest - the Tick. I have to say that I have had Tick encounters on at least 50% of my hikes. I talked about the first encounter here. Since then I have found ticks crawling up my pant leg and crawling up my shirt. After any such encounter, you get this itchy, paranoid, creepy crawly feeling that lasts the rest of the day. Before each hike I spray my pants and shirt down with insect repellent (25% DEET) that apparently does nothing to deture the blood sucking monsters. The last hike to Potrero John was no different except for quantity - Three ... count them, Three Ticks. One - I caught it on my shoulder while I was still on the trail. Two - found it while I was driving home. It was crawling into my hairline at the back of my head. I flung it out of the car window while yelling OOOO, GAAHHH, $%&*^%^&^!! Three - When I got home I took off my t-shirt and put it on the bed. Later that night I picked up the shirt and put it in the hamper. The wife, getting ready for bed, saw the third tick making its way across the blanket. It must of crawled off my shirt onto the blanket. She pointed this out to me and I promptly picked it up in a Kleenex and flushed it. We spent the rest of the night itchy, paranoid with a creepy crawly feeling.

The wife thinks I should undress in the garage from now on. She may be right.

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