Fragments From Floyd

It itched a little, and I rubbed a spot under my right arm with my left index finger. Funny. It feels like its barely attached, I thought, of what I assumed was one among a little life-long constellation of axillary nevi. But no, as I looked, this particular mole had legs. And with disgust, I pulled the small but growing tick away from its 180 pound lunch and flushed it to its septic final resting place. Yuk. I called Ann at work to ask where were the Doxycycline tablets we keep for the dog. Supposedly, taken within 24 hrs of a tick bite, this antibiotic prevents tick borne organisms from making you (or your dog) ill. I just now noticed a tickle on my neck that was migrating left to right. You guessed it. Must have come off this sweatshirt I wore while taking striped maple leaf pictures the other day.

It's gonna be a long summer of ectoparasites and blood suckers. Our winter was too wimpy--more like a Deep South winter where mosquitos, chiggers and ticks survive February just fine. We'll tuck our pant legs into our boots when we go berry picking, wear light colored clothing that shows dark crawling spots, avoid the pines up behind the house, and wear repellent as a last resort. And we'll be on alert for moles and freckles with sucking mouthparts.