Fin

So, I'm back in Milwaukee after another more or less successful summer. I gathered (nearly) all the samples that I needed, there was one site however that just would not give up the goods. The site's subsoil wasn't clay (it was sand) and the surrounding area is so urbanized that it's hard to find tributary creeks that 1) exist and 2) aren't lined with concrete. I managed to get a few samples, but they're from the furthest reaches of my limit, so not likely to be of much use. Grr.

Oh, I realized I left out an important aspect of my summer, one that was reflected in "Tick Watch 09" but not illustrated here.

You may recall that I was assaulted by spiders last summer (I believe my field journal reflected my incapacitated nature due to the great spider assault of 08 or something). Well, those spiders apparently migrated after the incident (small wonder, I had disturbed their home). They moved to the woods in [redacted] County, just across from the [redacted] site, a little ways up the [redacted] creek. Hmm, that's a lot of [redacted]. It's still a top secret location, and I'm not really in a position to give away much in the way of details, but I encountered a very helpful landowner and I may be back out in the field briefly this fall to assist him at his property. Anyhow, back to [redacted]. I was tramping through the woods when I discovered all 50 of those goddamn spiders from last year. Rather, I discovered them with my body by flailing through their web, and saw them a few minutes later all over me.

Do you remember the movie Jumanji? Well, you may remember that at one point near the climax the group of intrepid heroes are attacked by cat sized spiders. They looked something like this:

Well, while not the same size, there were about a dozen spiders that looked exactly like this clinging to my body. I think I got away with only a bite or two, but between all the mosquito bites I got in Houston and the Poison Ivy marring my alabaster body it's hard to tell which damage can be attributed to which assailant.

Needless to say, covered with those spiders there was some 12 year old girl-like squealing, some flailing, and shuddering. In fact, I've got the heebie jeebies now just recalling it. I think I'll let this one go for now...