Soft ticks live in crevices and emerge briefly to feed.

Trekking through the woods can present a few hazards along the way. These hazards are part of the process of exploring new and uncharted territory. I am not the sort of person that keeps to the well-manicured fairways or greens. In fact, I am not a big fan of golf. I prefer to scout around and look for new and exciting things. The sort of things that golf course managers dump over the fence - out of public view and with limited chance of public exposure.

Of course, when you spend so much time making your own trails, you may pick up a few ticks along the way.

It was recently reported that a complaint was shared with my former co-workers immediately following a staff meeting on Monday, March 31st. The complaint alleges that emails are being sent on a regular basis to the husband of a district employee. These emails apparently claim that the recipient's wife is unfit for her position with the District.

I find it mildly amusing that someone might actually think that I have the time and energy to send daily emails in an effort to undermine the professional credentials of a former co-worker. If I felt the need to make such a claim, it would be far more efficient to do so on the blog. It is a highly effective medium after all.

I have an unwritten rule when blogging. I don't attack or criticize people that are forced to contend with the same sort of incompetence that I had to deal with while at the District. I will not attack the Custodial Manager, Maintenance Manager, Custodial Supervisors, Safety Specialist or Office Manager. They are doing the best job they can under the circumstances. They have my sympathy and therefore will not be the target of any inquiry, unless they start downloading porn on company time or start wasting millions of taxpayer dollars.

What is even more unbelievable is that the claim was made on a Monday afternoon and I was approached by the same person at the Partners in Emergency Preparedness conference in Tacoma less than 24 hours later. We had a short and mildly uncomfortable exchange. At no time was it mentioned that emails were being sent to her husband. That would have been an ideal time to request that these emails stop. It was a public place. It was full of first responders. There was no imminent threat to any one's security.

The only rational explanation is that these emails are imaginary. I am not sure as to the motivation of the allegation. Perhaps someone seeks to bolster their status in the department while attacking my reputation at the same time. Perhaps someone seeks to be identified as a victim or a target. I just don't understand.

I have offered to investigate the matter. If provided with a couple of these email messages, (with header in tact) I will promptly determine the origin. Better still, ask Donovan Bray to investigate, if he has the time, inclination, or the ability to evaluate imaginary email.