Like Monkeys

So today was definitely an experience. I had my first tick check. Like monkeys, a few of the girls and myself checked one another’s hair for ticks, which if you are like me and don’t know, they are these little bugs the bite you and can cause Lyme disease. We learned though that the ticks at Sewanee can’t actually cause Lyme disease because they first feast on lizards rather than mice and then move on to the deer. Although the ticks and chiggers originally freaked me out I still haven’t experienced them thank goodness. We started the morning with a hike that was over three miles up and down and in-between the mountains where we looked at insects, amphibians, plant life and fungi. After which we enjoyed lunch in the cafeteria, followed by a shorter hike through the ruins of what was left of old African- American homes, and their church. We learned how to identify land marks and plants that signify such ruins, and what the purposes of these plants were when the housing was originally built. Next we went to the cemetery - a place that I personally found extremely interesting because of all the history and cultural customs that each old cemetery has. After which we got to SHOWER  to scrub off any poison ivy we might have come into contact with, followed by the fore mentioned tick checks . Overall a great first day especially because we are going to the new frozen yogurt place tonight and NO TICKS !

Maggie