public service announcement

Dear Readers-

If you do nothing else this summer, please apply your bug spray before you head out into the woods! The ticks up here in Minnesota are vicious, and carry all kinds of nasty diseases. (I was going to put a picture in here, but they all creeped me out. You know what one looks like, right?)

While Lyme's disease is the most common, there are many other viruses they carry. Mike has been ill for over a week, and yesterday the doc diagnosed him with one of those viruses. He now has antibiotics, and is on the mend, but it may have been avoided with a good dousing of deet.

My father battled two types of Lyme's disease for years (not knowing that's what he had) but is now better. Charlie had a deer tick bite when he was 5 or 6, and had to go on antibiotics as well. My sister was just tested for it, as was I, as I found a deer tick bite after a weekend in the northwoods.

Criminy, they clearly like my family!

So please, dear readers, get yourself some OFF or Cutters and apply liberally.

This concludes today's public service announcement, go back to your summer of fun!