More Animal Antics

Nate had a field trip yesterday. Off for a whole day at a sustainable farm, wilderness hike, learning about the native people, working in the farmer's garden, and eating a lunch (frantically prepared at dawn) consisting of NOTHING that creates trash. I could write a whole lot about the politics of the thing (including some wonderful guilt-inducing emails from the class mom), but instead I will say this:

Many moms brag that their son is a Chick Magnet. Awww, look at the cute little 8 year old with all the ladies cooing over him, and saying what a charmer he is...

After the field trip?

My son will now be known as a TICK Magnet.

Yup, The teacher even PHONED ME, to let me know that ALL the ticks yesterday were found on Nate. "It was like he protected everyone else from getting ticks, because they were just crawling ALL OVER HIM."

I shuddered a bit.

He even got to bring them home in a genuine bona-fide authentic FILM cannister. I didn't think those even existed any more.

Only one of the ticks had actually installed itself on Nate's skin, and it was unceremoniously removed by a docent who (and I quote the teacher) "...didn't have really good fingernails, so it may have left a mark...". Ick. We have the tick, should we want to have it tested for Lyme Disease.

Blargh.

I think I'll just keep an eye on the spot on Nate's shoulder where there is a set of fingernail marks, and watch for any possible bulls-eye marks. It's doubtful, as the tick was only attached for a minute or so, but still.

Usually, I would post a photo.

I don't want to take a picture of a headless tick.

So here's a random shot.

Backstory: The choir teacher I'm volunteering for also plays for the SF Ballet Symphony. He's not allowed to pay me (because I'm a volunteer, and also because there's not an extra DIME in the school's coffers right now), but he asked me if I'd like to go to the Ballet, and he'd comp me a pair of tickets.

So this was my Mother's Day Adventure with Kelly. We took public transit (scary and exciting, for us first-time noobs), and walked to the War Memorial Opera House...

...and had a great view (sorry for phone-camera shots. No cameras allowed inside)

(alas, this was NOT where we sat. This is where the President sits, or the Queen, or Larry Ellison, or someone else who can afford a private box. We snuck in here after the show, to see how the other half lives.)

Our view was not that bad, all things considering.

It was a great show. And it was the FINAL presentation, so they pulled out all the stops.