Just a few days before the summer solstice in Lake Placid and I’m already tired of it. I will mark the holiday with a bonfire and a smile, and dream of long ski days.

I am just kidding, but only a little bit. Who doesn’t enjoy the warm sun on their shoulders on a bike ride, especially in the Adirondacks? And certainly, swimming in a crisp mountain lake after one of these bike rides is downright delectable. But the bugs, oh the bugs. Persistent biting black flies make gardening a challenge and the deer flies are large enough to lift a toddler.

The no-see-ums however, are my nemesis; they ruin nighttime reading. What kind of horrible creature bothers people when they are trying to read? An Adirondack no-see-um.

Attracted to light, this little speck of a bug is so small it is barely visible (hence the name) and can fly through regular screening. One could install no-see-um netting, as fine and dense as its name implies, but you may just as well build a wall. I wouldn’t mind if they just liked to come in and fly around, but no, they have to be nasty and bite. These flying torture devices go by several aliases: punkies, midges, or my favorite, all-jaws. So you have something barely visible biting you so hard that it feels like this fiend’s entire being is one big, razor sharp, tooth-filled jaw, while trying to relax with a little reading.

Yes, I turned a nice Telemark Tuesday post into an anti-insect rant. I know they are important so spare me the bat food discussion and enjoy the photo. I just want to go skiing.