Tick tock, red spot

Amazing what a few weeks in good soil, outdoors will do. The seeds I planted directly in the ground not only sprouted but are double the size of, and much healthier looking than, the surviving transplants alongside them. We picked our first two green beans yesterday. (Incidentally, Boy 1 has never liked green beans. Rather than eat his bean, he was perfectly happy to run around with it clutched in his fist, waving triumphantly and shouting "Bin! Bin!" I guess it's not just the taste that makes us love home-grown produce!)

This just confirms for me that in our climate, it doesn't make much sense to sprout most seeds indoors before planting season. Just toss them on the ground in early May, and for the most part, they happily grow on their own. The ones that don't--tomatoes and peppers--I'm better off buying already growing.

Alas, gardening has a dark side. We have a real problem with ticks in this area. Seems like I no sooner open the door than they find me. When I weed the yard, there are days I pluck more ticks than dandelions and oxalis. They are not interested in T or the boys (thank goodness), but I draw ticks like a picnic draws ants.

Usually the ticks here aren't too bad until we get miserably hot weather, mid- to late June. But already this year they are prolific. Even T got one while mowing the lawn this past week. Naturally I've had more than my fair share.

Ticks are just so darned--well--icky. When I find one attached to me, my first reaction is always an instant case of the heebie-jeebies. But not long. I don't hang around and wait before I make a near-frantic run for tweezers. A single quick (and effective...I get lots of practice) pluck is usually all it takes to banish the little vermin.

Wednesday, it happened again. I got a bite, plucked and flushed the critter, and went about my business. Yesterday, the bite was more swollen. Today, I woke up with the classic bull's eye mark.

Yep. Lyme infection. I'm stuck with antibiotics for a full two weeks now. I won't complain, though. Caught it early enough that's it's a simple infection, not long-term latent Lyme disease.

I guess it was inevitable. But boy, are the little suckers burgeoning like never before this year. My doctor's nurse said mine was the second case they'd seen just today, and those were not the first this season.

And it's only May!