Skeeters and (?) ticks

We are finally having a break in this hot, hot, humid weather. But no such luck, last week when we hit the trails! I took my friend," pot stirring Sandy" . Not to say she is actually a "pot stirrer", she DOES do her share, it is the fact she is the first to point out when she thinks I am stirring the pot. (That little smirk of hers, with the hand motions of stirring an invisible pot. ) So, anyways the"pot stirrer," wants to go on a hunt. Nothing fancy, doesn't want to get all geocached out, doesn't need any special code name, no need for trinkets or special geo shirt, hats and whatever. She just wants to go for the hunt. I will meet her at the trails, and dress appropriately, I say, cuz, the skeeters are out of control! We arrive dressed, as if we are going on some Antarctic expedition. We coat ourselves with a haze of" Eu du off" . As we head down the trails, I am on the look out for skeeters. I know they are out there, they are hovering in their factories.. they are injecting steroids... they are lifting weights... they are sipping on citronella flavored margaritas.... They are swimming in pools of "off".... They are sharpening their needles.... They are ready. So, am I!! Getting caches with the pot stirrer, is quite fun, I set the i-phone and she takes over, following the little blue dot. Nice... no need for "coords" no navigational class needed, just a nice little hunt. And if I "break anything" ( thanks 1st Sgt) she is a paramedic. Hey , all is good. The pot stirrer points out, along the trail, deer prints hmm.. well could be, (certainly not a moose print or anything like that in this area, ) then she points out deer path, well, maybe, could be,( probably more of the trail I left earlier when I was going in circles,) but I will give her the benefit of the doubt. And then she points out deer poop. Really now... deer poop? How can you tell? Poop is poop, isn't it? Well, no biggee, I can picture Bambi gently strolling across the grasses, maybe a little one following. So... what is SHE picturing? Perhaps getting stomped in the head, by some huge deer as we fall down a creek or something? Oh no, the "pot stirrer" is thinking about TICKS! Now, my knowledge of ticks, is just...lets say limited I always thought the only ones worrying about ticks are the guys, all dressed out in cammo, sitting around the fire, eating chili, drinking beer at some "educational" outing called deer camp. I know ticks are small (anytime you see a story about a tick, they show it under a microscope with these gross legs, and they are always holding it with tweezers.) I ALSO know, is you have to burn them, to kill them. Now, I can't even light a candle with a Bic ( always burn my fingers) let alone be doing some Bic burning tick ritual. ( guess that is why the pot stirrer is here. ) The day goes as planned, the "pot stirrer "manages to get 3 caches, with no coord understanding or help.. Yep, ...she just follows the blue dot( now that is my type of geocaching!) I manage to get skeeter bites, the size of , I don't know what, but they are huge! I SAY huge!! We end the day, hot, sweaty, bitten, worn out. As we part our ways, the pot stirrer remarks, "don't forget to look for ticks, when you get home" Ticks, how can you tell if it is a tick? Oh, just look for a small black spot you didn't have before. Really now.... I am IRISH! So I either have hundreds of ticks, or maybe it is just my freckles.

Note to self: brush up on Lyme disease.