UGHHhh! (and Ticks)

Sorry for the lack of blog lately. I've been metaphorically shit on by life this week:

• Mr. Strut (that's my old grumpy Walker) had a hoof abscess (it just blew out today). 

• The storm that went through my area destroyed the roof of my tack room/storage shed and drenched everything in torrential rains, necessitating the start of a massive cleanup. My tack is mostly fine; my stored stuff (including high school year books) is not.

• The new (used) car I bought (i.e. went into debt for) just got a huge crack in the windshield, seemingly out of nowhere, and of course the windshield has to be replaced, it can't be fixed. 

• Finally, the flies, ticks and mosquitoes are so bad in my area I am seriously considering dousing everything in napalm. The poor horses can barely leave the barn. Again and again they try to go get a mouthful of grass, only to be chased back inside by bloodsuckers. I've resorted to giving them hay inside. And yes, I am spraying them daily, and they have flymasks. It's just so bad. Annie is especially bloody because of her fair/thin skin. Between her need for sunscreen and layers of  fly spray, I spend half my life covering her in some sort of goo. Poor girl. She's had two ticks on her this week alone, one of which she apparently bit or scratched... because I found it popped, a huge bloody splatter all over her tail. The tick corpse was still attached. Was that fun to pick off? No it was not.

 
   Speaking of ticks, here is a good website to help you ID which species a particular tick belongs to. It's important, because they carry different diseases. Those that most often spread Lyme disease are the Black-legged tick (Deer tick) and the western black-legged tick.Wood/Dog ticks carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (seen throughout the US) which can affect people AND animals. The Lone Star tick can carry Monocytic Ehrilchiosis.

The good news is, a tick only begins to transmit disease 36-48 hours after attaching. The bad news is, Wisconsin is a hot zone for infected ticks- there's a good chance any that you find carry something serious. So check you and your animals as often as you can! You can check this website to look more closely at how badly your area is affected by diseased ticks.

Pro tip: If you've been outside, throw your clothes in the dryer for 10 minutes on high. The heat will kill any ticks on your clothes before they escape into your house (washing won't).


Okay, a few more things before I have to go and deal with more problems:

• The Columbus Carriage Festival is once again happening this weekend in Columbus, WI. Remember my blog post on the Civil War reenactors last year? They're back again this year, with just as many amazing horses and riders! I have to work, but you should go. Admission is free; stuff like breakfast with President Lincoln and Grant, the Civil War era dance, etc are extra. Event schedule here.

• In Ohio, a human officer shot and killed a litter of kittens in front of children. I did not make this shit up: the article is here. The officer, Barry Accorti of North Ridgeville, OH, won't be facing any charges. The ASPCA is mighty pissed off, and if you are too, you should contact the following:

THE CITY OF NORTH RIDGEVILLE
7307 Avon Belden Rd.
North Ridgeville, OH 44039

Phone - 440.353.0819

North Ridgeville Area Police Department
7307 Avon Belden Road
North Ridgeville, OH 44039

Phone - 440.327.2191