TICKS AND CHIGGERS

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE After returning from Kyker Bottoms Wildlife Refuge, I took a break to MOW GRASS. Late afternoon I decided to take Happy, Douglas and Shade out for a run down by the lake. It was still very hot and I didn't want to wander too far from water.

We walked along the edge of the lake clear at the bottom of the cliff that surrounds the old ruins. The dogs loved swimming. When we took a break; all three of them simply sat down in the water and waited until I got up to move on. I noticed some old beaver sign. I'd love to photograph a beaver. But, this sign was very old. Note the wood chips on the ground.

Then I noticed some newer, much more recent beaver sign. They were barking another tree. I'll bet I could set up near here and photograph this guy.

It's good to see active beavers in the area. They are very hard to find as they don't build dams and living rooms. They create or use holes in the lakeside banks as dens. Very hard to find. There is no beaver signature with just a hole in the bank. It was very hot out. I was soaked and I already picked a tick off my neck. It's amazing how they can get so high so fast. We cut straight up and over the cliff and came out in a meadow with very tall grass.

The ruins lay directly across this grassy meadow and we would take a break there. This is chigger and tick mecca. I'll be lucky to get out alive. I love tall grass too. And I'm talking about real, natural, uncut, native grass. Not the domestic "must be cut" grass. We reached the ruins worn out. I drank two quarts of water in an hour. I guess we shouldn't be out here exerting a lot of energy. Remembering the tick I found earlier; I decided to check my cloths for some cling ons. Low and behold look below:

A tick. And, he's on the inside of my shirt. How do they do that. Despicable little wretch! Below is the little begger magnified a bit.

These guys can cause a lot of grief in the form of medical issues. I have never seen so many. They exist everywhere accept at the high mountain elevations. They are invested in every forest I've been in and they get on me even when I mow grass. And what is this below:

Couldn't possibly be a chigger, could it? It certainly could be.. Below are a couple movies that show moving through the tall grass. It was a chore but, I made a big deal of it just in case the Disney people get hold of this blog. We didn't do much out here accept walk and see. Sometimes that's enough. The dogs got worn out and that was my goal. I removed a couple ticks from the wilds so it's safer out there now. Three movies are below. They show jungle life in Tennessee. They're quick movies: And yes; the chiggers got me on the ankles. Don't know what the answer is for them.