The Problem With Getting Ticked Off

But really, it didn’t seem to like me…

Regular readers will know that I get out and run in the woods – it’s good exercise, a great time to think, and keeps you on your toes.

And events from this past weekend’s run gives me something to think about.

If I’m not good enough for a tick, well, just what is going on?

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Finding a new entrance to a park

This was the great part of the effort. I had wanted to get out to run in a park, and while I’m close to a couple different, I really dislike the thought of driving my car to run.

So I’ve found routes that allow me to run a “warm up” over to a park, and then run a workout through the park, with a built in “warm down” getting back home. (and as long as I don’t hurt myself, it works very well – if something goes bad, I’ve still got that 2 mile warm down to walk back home;-)

Anyway – on the way out to one park, I ran by what appeared to be a new playground.

So I had to alter my plans and check it out.

Great terrain and addition

So yes – it’s a new playground for tiny tots, and a bit of a natural grotto with paths, trails, and features made out of logs and tremendously large stumps. And as expected, it has a trailhead into another park I’ve used for hill workouts.

It’s not the best place to run in later summer because of overgrowth, but right now the smaller plants have not yet begun to grow, and it’s a fine place to run – so I did.

The unexpected guest

Things went well, and I had a great workout. I stayed outside for a half hour picking up some hard debris, and then went in to have a nice breakfast and read the paper.

And that’s when my guest announced itself.

With a little “plop”, a dark quarter inch fleck of plant matter dropped onto the paper.

Oh – but on closer examination, it wasn’t some plant that had gotten stuck in my hair – this had legs…

One squish later, I was feeling a little creeped out.

A little web searching found a nice image of a deer tick, and while mine wasn’t as nicely magnified, it did look pretty much like that…

It looked like a good day to wash everything, and actually follow the “repeat” instructions on the shampoo bottle.

But wait a minute

Let’s think about that insect for a moment.

I clearly picked it up in the woods – I was traveling at times and saying “hey – I’m following a deer trail, and here are the deer’s tracks and everything”.

The tick was probably up on a tree or branch hanging over an area where deer are likely to pass.

When I went by or underneath, it jumped off and found itself a new host.

And about an hour later, it was leaving.

That sounds like enough time to latch on, and ticks aren’t known to be fussy eaters.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that it left and all – but is there something wrong with my blood!?!

I mean when I squished it there wasn’t this pool of blood around it, and the online articles seem to indicate that it feeds for a few days.

Clearly – it decided not to stay on me.

Perhaps a more tasty meal

This may go down in the archives of unexplained phenomenon, but my best guess is that it thought there might be a better meal available.

Inside the house we’ve got several other people, but perhaps more interestingly, a dog.

Maybe after enjoying the warm up of the indoor temperature and smell of a canine it wanted to “trade up”.

Aesop’s Fables

This almost sounds like it could be material for Aesop – from the tick’s perspective.

Some sort of moral about greed or something.

The insectologist in me thinks that it’s probably “the right” thing for the tick to have done though.  It had no future on my head, and a reasonable chance if it could successfully switch over to the dog.

Not good enough for a tick

But me – I’m left feeling like I’m not quite good enough – even for a tick.

But I’ll find a way to let this roll off my back.

Because even worse than getting upset about something is allowing it to carry on after the event.

(Oh – and if I get sick, we’ll know where that came from…)