Hung @ the Pub until the glasses were pulled. Ben and I continued our club activity discussion. Maybe 8 young riders that I spoke w/ earlier were in the Pub. They ganged up on me asking questions and me giving my answers from my aged perspective. They are just starting and I am on the other side of the bell curve. I only drink a pint of beer each night.
Drove back to Salmon Creek sleep spot. About 2AM I gave into the urge to just scratch the poison oak on my left arm. Felt so good immediately but immediately after I quit scratching the pain and irritation returned, of course worse than b4. I told my senses to take a holiday and find something pleasant to focus on. Pain was too strong. I decided that rubbing an ice cube would be treatment. I slid out of bed then raised the bed to be able to open fridge door and the freezer drawer. Successfully obtained ice which I rubbed over the sores. AH. Killed the fire. I was able to sleep the rest of the night.
Towards morning I heard what I didn’t want to acknowledge but it was what it was: rain drops. Today is another trail work day out on the flume trail. About 8:30 rain started in earnest. I prepared myself for outside work in case others showed. I drove to the meeting spot where 3 others waited. Ben let me run the wheeled weed whacker to mow 2 passes . I mowed powerfully sheering away the grasses. Almost completed 2 passes on short section when it quit running. Appeared to be fuel starved. dead. Bummer. Next cut was on the tall grass hike into trail work section. The grasses would be holding rain that would soak anybody walking thru it. I grabbed a hoe and walked thru the grass to join the others working in the dirt on the trail tread. Legs and feet wet we worked in the rain. About noon it let up for the rest of work day. Worked 6 hours making a beginner trail.
Day done. Walked back to van. During the day I had felt a like sting behind my left leg. I thought a cut but didn’t remember how I could have. I changed out of my wet long pants and looked for the source of the pain. It was an imbedded tick. I used my tick puller which failed to firmly grasp the tick body. Not enough spring tension. Sucker was anchored. I ended up using my Leatherman pulling the sucker off. I left mouth parts. The leatherman pliers couldn’t get it all out. Next was the cactus tweezers. Ripped flesh and the black parts were extracted. No red circle this bite.
Raining again. Going to fix burritos for dinner parked @ Rays. Then back to the Pub.
Didn’t do laundry today. Randy of the shuttle service, Oregon Adventures, will let me use the business shower.
http://oregon-adventures.com/