Chicks and Tiggers

Chicks and tiggers, chiggers and ticks...Was I just saying something about there being fewer ticks? Maybe in the forest, but other places? All I can say is, from now on I am sticking to the forest for walks because I think I have had my fill of ticks for the day...the dogs are on their second dose of frontline for the month and I am still pulling them off after today's adventures! It was a lovely walk however.

Marja and I decided to go on a photo safari on a local trail and maybe do a little geo-caching along the way.

But excuse me if my thoughts are disjointed, that comes from checking every few seconds if that tickle is a tick! Ticks aren't the only thing in over abundance...tent caterpillars are taking over Wisconsin.

Marja and I and all our dogs managed to hit the weather just right today.

Our walk got very much longer than we originally intended.

GPS assisted we went in search of a very distant geo-cache.

She's located a few lately. There are quite a few stashed in various places in the area.

And I was very pleased that Domino absorbed so much at school yesterday on the matter of loose leash walking...it made for a much more relaxing nature walk.

Ra is always such a good dog. I said we had quite a collection of great shelter dogs with us.

Before I realized that so many ticks were hitchhiking a ride...I thought it was a very nice place to be walking.

Though it does concern me that there are so many old barbwire fences still standing along the way.

But very few other hazards.

Of course every post was an excuse for a dog convention.

I thought someone should set a lamp post at the end of one of the canopied tunnels...it would look like Narnia.

Of course Charm got to stop and check out the cows along the way.

We stopped to watch a woodpecker.

Marja and her shadow...that's what I call loose leash walking!

Its a nice trail, just winding through natural places and manmade places.

With trees in bloom along the way.

And lots of birds, like this Purple Marten sitting on a bluebird house.

We walked all the way to the marsh which is a bird refuge.

For common birds like the red-winged blackbirds.

And unusual birds like Pelicans.

We saw lots of ducks, an egret, cardinals and heard lots of birds we couldn't spot. But we couldn't find the geo-cache.

So hurried on by a deadline dictated by sunset, we made good time home.

Everyone was tired and though it may be a few days before we all stop itching and we never found the cache...it was a good day. Good dogs, good company.