Dead River, MN

We arrived at the trail, got out of the canoe and trekked up to Shipman Bass Lake. There was lots of undergrowth, trees, and mud. The ferns along the trail were really beautiful. Once we returned to the cabin we found ourselves crawling with ticks. Found in environments like this, wood ticks are dark colored insects found in wooded areas, brush, and fields. Common to North America, ticks feed on the blood of animals and humans. Most ticks are relatively harmless, though several types are carriers of dreaded diseases like Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Lyme disease is a serious inflammatory disorder caused by deer ticks. It can affect the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and joints. Deer ticks are smaller than those normally found and are very dark in color. I found several crawling up my socks and down my back inside my shirt. This does not alarm me because I check for them when I go visit MN., and I'm not afraid of 'bugs'.

© onajide shabaka 2003