Friday, July 17, 2015

Heebie-jeebies!

I've heard of a guy being a "chick magnet" but I must be a "tick magnet."  The way I dress to garden is downright comical (and UGLY).
I wear jeans tucked into tall socks and tick spray where they meet, long-sleeved shirts buttoned to the neck, gardening gloves to my elbow with tick spray where they meet, a sweat band with a big  sunhat and spray on the hair between the hat and my collar, AND a wide  neck bandanna sprayed with tick spray.  Doesn't it sound like that should protect me from ticks? 
I still sit down to weed and it is still necessary to tether my tools to my apron because I keep losing them.
My photographer (Maribeth, my sis-in-law) thought the back view was amusing, too.  It rained so weeding is easier and muddier (is that a word?).
 
Today I came in and took my usual shower with major scrubbing all over, especially my scalp. 
 
Much to my shock and horror, about an hour later, a tick crawled down my neck.  I scratched my head like crazy and two more of those nasty creatures appeared.  They're tiny and don't die easily.  I smashed them but with great difficulty and washed them down the sink with boiling water.  

I am pretty sure they were not deer ticks. They were small and did not have the red on their bodies.

My 13 days in the hospital in 2010 with Lyme's Disease is not something I wish to repeat! 
http://angeliladventures.blogspot.com/2010/10/bullseyes-everywhere.html
http://angeliladventures.blogspot.com/2010/10/home-sweet-bed-o-mine.html

Since the 3 ticks showed their ugly little selves, I've got the heebie-jeebies, itching and feeling like more ticks are going to show up.  Do you think it's my sweet blood?