We recently spent a week semi-roughing it in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. I had a big post ready about ticks and mosquitoes, and my review of insect repellents and your health. But after sitting on the post for a week, I want to say that sometimes you just need to get out and NOT find a geocache. Wandering with no urgency, that is no cache to find, can be a beautiful thing. No, I haven't fallen off the wagon. I'll be back in the game. I did carry some coords with me to WI. We were just in a really remote area.
This post has changed from 'Tick Check, Caching With Ticks and Mosquitoes' to 'Things I Enjoyed Without Geocaching.' I don't regret not adding to my cache finds because I...
1. Saw the sun set at Long Lake in Wisconsin.
2. Added a lot of flora to my life list.
3. Added a black bear to my fauna life list.
4. Paddled a canoe almost every day with my kids.
5. Got one tick. The ugly totals:
Mr. GAIN's tick count = 0
G of GAIN = 2
A of GAIN= 4
I of GAIN = 3
N of GAIN's tick count = 24
Mosquito totals: too many to count. We'll be scarred for life.
I can't say that I enjoyed getting a tick, but getting it meant that I was having fun outside. If I did not get the tick, then I would have been inside not having as much fun as if I were outside. Guaranteed.
3 comments:
Hey, we just got back from Door County, Wisconsin two weeks ago. Fabulous weather, fabulous geocaching, and no ticks. But the mosquitoes were big enough to knock out of the air with a baseball bat!
We went out yesterday in search of geocaches (just west of the Twin Cities). My geo-wife, the lovely wayfarer222, was clever enough to put some spray on her shoes (100% deet). I didn't use any. After about 300 yards, I had a dozen ticks crawling up my socks. And that was that! No more geocaching. Word to the wise - use the chemicals.
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The Northwoods Geocats
AGHK! 24 ticks? How? Poor N!
Mama podkayne asks how N got 24 ticks. Answer: old school canvas tents with no floor, and heavily wooded camp sites and hiking trails. We were in fairly undeveloped lands. A count of 24 was on the low side for our group in the tents. Tarps were installed for tent floors in the last couple days. But as my last sentence states, we'd rather have fun outdoors for a few days and get a tick than stay inside for a few days. Some experiences you just cannot replace.
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