Doubly cross ticks - I hope!
For the second year running local gardeners may have been dismayed by the unusually hard frosts that Budleigh Salterton has experienced. But pets and their owners should be pleased that the icy weather will have helped to see off many of the pests and parasites which can turn a pleasant summer's day walk in the woods into an annoying and even dangerous experience. Ticks are one of the main culprits. I'm moved to warn people yet again about these unpleasant creatures having just read the worrying account of his experience of Lyme disease by Times journalist Alex Wade. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article7016850.ece Alex was brought up in the Budleigh area. I met him by chance on the beach here during the pebble-building competition last year, and he was kind enough to write a piece about my blog in his Times 'Coaster' column at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/outdoors/article6582488.ece ine.co.uk/tol/travel/outdoors/article6582488.ece ...