Ticked

Warning!

It’s a bad year for ticks!

We found three on us in the matter of ONE WEEK!

I’ve lived in this area  for all but 6 years of my life, and in that time,
I have had two ticks on me, separated by at least 3 decades.

It’s just not something we’ve been worried about.

Until now.

The first two ticks were found when we went to visit Flynn, east of Nowhere.
We had gone walking in the “wilderness” through some long, dead grass.
(It’s a prairie wilderness which is VERY different from the wilderness we’re accustomed to.)

Belle found one crawling on her the morning after.
It was NOT embedded, thank heavens.
The rest of us were clear and safe.

Until later that evening.

We went on another walk through the long, prairie grass and when we got home,
did a check as a precaution.

Sure enough, Scooter had one that had attached behind his right ear.

AUCK! BLECH! ARGH!

Totally disgusting.

We got the little bugger out, with minimal effort,
and ended it’s pathetic little life.

Life moved on for the next week.

It was opening weekend in my National Park.
Of course we were there!

There is still some snow and muddy spots in our favorite
off-the-beaten-path hike which meant we had to
go “off trail” through some bushes and rocks.

But still I wasn’t worried.
I’ve never worried about ticks before.
It’s not a big deal.

We spent a LONG day in the Park.
We got home at 11:30 pm.
Scooter walked in the house, and collapsed in bed, clothes and all.

When we got up the next morning, I checked his head, as a joke.
His hair is kind of long and I like running my fingers through it.
I said,
”Let’s just see if you got another tick yesterday.”

I about fell on my back side when I parted some of his
strawberry blonde locks and saw a big black squishy bug stuck to the back of his head.

Flynn was just as shocked.

“YOU’RE KIDDING!”

Poor Scooter.

We got out the oil and slathered the little sucker.
It was STUCK!
It wasn’t going to back out for anything.
We turned the hairdryer on hot and held it over poor Scooter’s head until
he yelled that he was getting burned.

No give.
I HATE STUBBORN BUGS!

More oil.

More heat.

Patient Scooter.
What a trooper!

I decided that I’d see if there is another way to get ticks out.
I looked up the CDC website and they said that oil and heat are old wives tales.
(I know! We were shocked to learn that too!)
That all you need to do is use your tweezers, get as close to the tick’s head
as possible and pull straight out.
Then clean the area well with rubbing alcohol or hot soap and water.

I was so glad Flynn was there.
My queasy stomach wouldn’t let me grab onto a tick and pull it out,
with it’s black skinny body (which was getting plumper) and squirmy legs.
Absolutely NOT!

But Flynn is brave and he got that creepy thing out of my son’s head.

The tick was TICKED!

So mad, in fact, that he brought a piece of my son’s scalp along in its mouth.

Look closely.
YOU CAN SEE THAT PIECE OF LIGHT PINK SITTING VERTICALLY IN THE
TICK’S PINCERS.
(I put a little arrow there to help you see it.)

Scooter was a hero through all of it.
He said he had a slight headache when it was all said and done.
But other than that he’s fine.
However, we’re watching the scab where the tick was.
If a rash or a fever occurs within a month,
we need to get him to the doctor immediately.

And we’re going to wear bug spray whenever we’re out in the forest/prairies this year!