MSPCGT: The Bugs are Taking Over

Before heading up North a coworker - a native Yooper - warned me about the clouds. "Look for them off the Mackinaw Bridge. Look to the East. It looks like smoke from a fire. It's bugs."

Ok, admittedly I thought she was pulling my leg, but our first stop at Tawas Point proved her right. Who knew? 

This one's at the Village of Fayette. It doesn't look like much, but that cloud is like a mile away. ShelleyJean has better pictures of the swarms.

And the bugs were bad, but luckily we came prepared. I felt stupid for about 3 seconds and then relief! Soon we were wearing them in town without a second thought because the gnats, midges, mayflies, fish flies, and mosquitoes were bad! We heard we missed the black fly hatching by just a few days! It's been a wet Spring, so it will only get worse.

This is my head net - Sea to Summit. It cost a little more, but I liked it better than the cheaper one TaGeez found in the State Park gift shop. This one has a drawstring around the neck instead of elastic and came with a protective pouch (to avoid unnecessary holes).

With 56 more State Parks to go, this will be our most invaluable tool of the trade. 

You heard it here second.. or third.. or fourth...

Interesting geocaching bits from social media or the blogsophere...

I admit that I love geocaching blogs, podcasts and social groups. There's just something about being around other LMW's (Like Minded Weirdos). Here's a collection of interesting tidbits from this week.

• I read on a group site that this guy read elsewhere that this other guy from Houston attended an event in Kansas where a Lackey was present. The Lackey said Challenge caches are coming back, and that he's on the group hammering out the details. Crossing my fingers.

• The new site for Midwest GeoBash is online and usable. Just 6 more months until Bash!

• Don't forget two new CITO souvenirs! Attend a CITO event the weekend April 16-24 and another the weekend of September 17-25 to earn them. Check out this cool site by the A-Team of upcoming souvenirs.

• NPR posted an interesting article about The Best Way to Keep Mosquitoes from Biting? Rates the different  sprays and how to effectively use them. Interesting, though, that they left off the surest way to avoid mosquito bites - just cache with me! They LOVE me - ugh.

• The 104-stage D/T 5/5 Multi (L.E.G.O. - Mega Multi: The Devils Run) in Canada was archived for for lack of maintenance. I can't imagine how much room that will free-up for new caches. 

• Speaking of maintenance, this is my pick for funniest maintenance log I've ever read.

Mosquito Twister?

You’ve heard of “tornado”?  And “sharknado”?  But how about a “mosquito twister”?  Yeppers, a photographer in Portugal captured a funnel cloud of mosquitoes!  She hurriedly packed her things and raced to her car…. only to be surrounded by them!

Click here for images:

http://io9.com/why-this-tornado-is-infinitely-more-terrifying-than-a-1581975036

I must admit…. I thought the family suffered on Memorial Day in the Metroparks (it had rained for several days before), but we were lucky. We only had a few bites. 

Thanks to my sister, WikidKriket, we know to keep Witch Hazel nearby for bite relief.  When I get bit, I welt up quickly.  Rubbing Witch Hazel on the area sooths the bite and the welt diminishes almost immediately.  We even found these handy “hazelet” pads for our packs!

I’ll share our Memorial Day Metropark pictures soon!