I went to the dr. It was a deer tick. He said they're bad this season - even treated new Lyme cases in the middle of winter. Anyway, just wanted to share what I learned:
Deer ticks are roughly the size of a sesame seed.
An engorged tick in your skin needs 24 hrs to transmit disease.
If the tick is found crawling, check the mouth parts & thorax. If the mouth parts are gone & the thorax is green, it may have bitten you.
The dr was adamant about nightly tick checks on everyone.
Buddy needs to be brushed before snuggling if he's been outside.
Buddy will be getting his lyme shot soon.
Hope this can help someone else.
Cheryl