Wood Tic's

So I asked Shawn to go geocaching with me this Sunday morning. Amy & Kristen have been at a Seeds Church retreat to Camp Cedarwood for the weekend. Shawn & I have had a really quiet weekend alone with Ty (kind of nice). So we start off in Haskett Manitoba..Never been there before. Really beautiful. Then we went to somewhere in between Haskett and Pembina Valley Bible Camp. Last place we go is to a Provincial Park near the US border and Pembina Valley Bible Camp. I think it was called Pembina Valley Provincial Park. Really gorgeous. Hiking trails galore. So we are off to find a cache. We walked for about an hour. I was more like dragged by our dog Peaches. She loves the car rides and hiking trails..You have to walk near fairly large cliffs...Ty didn't do too bad. Hated to hold onto our hands as we walked near the cliffs until he had a close call. So after walking for a long time...we get down to a gorge with a creek. Shawn of course says the cache is across the creek. Are you coming? I say no thanks and wait on the rocks with Ty (who happens to be screaming bloody murder that he wants to be with Daddy). So after about 15 minutes, I start to think of the cougar in Manitoba and start to freak myself right out. What if.... Finally Shawn emerges from the thick bush on the other side and says he found it. He crosses the river and begins to feel itchy. He is literally covered in Wood Tics. Anyone who knows me.....I freak out. I absolutely hate them. So needless to say..I immediately drop my shorts and lift my top and make Shawn check me before pulling the 30 or so off himself. Seriously...Shawn wasn't going to drop his pants...but I made him. Thank goodness because there were visitors there too. Ty had 3 on him. 2 on his legs and 1 on his head. I strip Ty to nothing. As we get back to the trail again. We pass several people. This park is very busy. So if anyone saw me, they saw almost everything. Who cares....All I know is that you won't catch me hiking for awhile. Not at least until the tics are at bay. I can't believe I never thought of tics while sitting on a rock in thick, tall grass. Tics are for more scary than an my imagination of a could be cougar....