Tick Tick, Tick Tick....

...and I don't mean Brad Paisley's song either! That is gross! I HATE ticks! Worse than any other critter on earth! Worse than scorpions which we experienced in Az! If you live where there is a tick problem, like we do...read this about Ticks.
My wonderful Cowboy Hubby takes off riding the colts everyday, through the CRP ground, through creeks; over hills and back. The Border Collies work, run and romp along with him, mile after mile. With Hubby being a horseback, he rarely gets a tick on him; however, Mac, Tess & Millie come home loaded! Hence, they come into the yard, on the porch, and Ol' Mac, no doubt brings 'em into the house ('cuz he's spoiled now that he's 13 yr).....which brings me to the subject and even more reason for me to hate these critters! Two weeks ago, just by chance I happened to notice a 'spot' on my boob while getting dressed, IT WAS A TICK! Already embedded! Didn't even feel it! Well, last nite I flew outta bed at 4 am...'feeling' something...sure enough, just below my tailbone...was Yep! a tick! It hadn't embbed yet, thank goodness! FREAKED me out! Couldn't even go back to sleep! CREEPY!!! Picking ticks is part of our evening routine, before coming in for supper. I find them (Hubby's fingers are too rough to feel unless they are engorged) and Hubby plucks them....I just can't stand to do that! We have a jar of alcohol on the porch to put them in, as the article says, and it's getting quite full! YUK!!
Boy! ...is it ever noisy around here at 5am! Birds up the gazoo in the Hawthorne tree out our bedroom window, wild turkeys gobbling off in the distance, rooster crowing like there is no tomorrow; horses whinning for their breakfast, goats blahhing (?), calves bawling on the knoll for Momma & a 'drink', Millie & Tess barking from their kennels....with only 4 hours of sleep when I was rudely awakened...all these noises irritated me more! So, I just got gave up trying to sleep somemore, got up and made my morning coffee, sat on the front porch listening to all the morning chatter going on and surprisingly, when you aren't trying to sleep, it's quite beautiful "music" !
Hubby helped a local rancher move his cattle today, very uneventful he said. Came home and worked another colt....I heard a 'thud' while working in the garden, but I ignored it. He wasn't hollering or anything! So how was I to know he hit the ground and knocked the wind out of him.....again! Wonder how long 'til this eating dirt, gasping for air, barely walking comfortably gets him on a different path! He ain't as young as he used to be.
With the economy going the way it is, his age, where we live.....the cards are stacked against us! Hopefully, this hosting the MontanaTV1 Ag & Ranch Show coming is our ticket to some relief! Time will tell!
edit: 9/27/08MontanaTV1 failed this summer and will not resume...