YUCK!!! Ticks!!!

Disgusted?  YUCK!!!  Willow had two of these things on her!!!  I used a Tick Twister to get them off, which worked very well (thank you, Dodo) and put them in a little jar.  Since one was quite large, I decided to bring them to the vet to ID them... yes, they were Deer Ticks and so I asked my vet to send them to be tested for Lyme disease.  

(This isn't Willow but this is what it looked like.)

And f!{%&*k!!!!  The test came back positive for Lyme!  I'm so upset!  And so disappointed that I didn't spot them sooner!  So now she's on 28 days of antibiotics and should be okay but what a scary thing to go through. 


Here's my Willow.

Where did we pick up the ticks?  We were on vacation in Prince Edward County, Ontario, mostly in and around Picton.  We probably got the ticks near the edge of a forest where there was a lot of deer poop.

 There was a lovely cemetery to walk in... where there was a posted sign:  "Dog lovers:  we have already seen ticks in this area, be aware and check your pets."

   The map below is from 2002 and shows Lyme cases in Ontario and things are only getting worse... it's a given that ticks will become more and more apparent this side of the border, all along the warmest parts... cottage country!

Everyone really has to become aware of this nasty issue and be smart about ticks!!!  Prevention is the only good answer, Lyme is such a terrible debilitating disease if it goes unchecked and becomes a chronic problem.   

If only I created in the studio as fast as in the kitchen!

Slowly, slowly,very slowly creeps the garden snail... and me.  Finally, finally I sanded the 3 papier maché masks for the bears and painted them a first coat of pure white.  I think they look pretty amazing and it's incredible how durable they are!  And patient!  The three bears, also incredibly patient, are now free to be finished up as I no longer need their heads to safely construct the masks.

In the kitchen, I've been experimenting, mostly with great success.  Here is the Carrot Cake Bars recipe, which actually has cheese cake swirls in it.  Yes, it is very good, and easy.  The only thing I changed was that I left off 1/2 cup sugar and used 2 tablespoons of honey instead in the carrot cake part of the recipe.  Give it a try!