New Time in Life

Hello,

I will get back to more reports of the visit with the grandchildren, but for now I must tell you about a new phase in my life. First, I do not like it one bit. It seems most unfair. I certainly never thought it would happen to me. How could this be that bugs, especially little flying ones that barely deserve notice, like me better than they like Leroy? I have always felt a bit smug and superior to Leroy because mosquitoes have ignored me if he is around from them to attack. I put on an appearance of sympathy if he was being bitten by them, but deep down I was glad that it was him and not me. Well now the tide has turned. Earlier this spring I had an itchy area on my neck and some on an arm. It was so annoying. I thought it must be hives and I could just calm down, do more yoga, and get past it. It did get better, but when I talked to my landlady I learned that she also had annoying itches on exposed skin. After a visit with her doctor, the conclusion was that it was the little gnats that attacked her when she would sit on the deck.

I don’t sit on the deck, but I do hang out clothes as well as do some weeding here and there. It made sense that it could be gnats biting rather than just hovering. Later I tried to work in the garden in Ely and a horde of those little critters descended on me. First I pulled shut my shirt, my UV shirt that is to protect me from the sun, but it was not long before I threw in the trowel and hopped in the car after it. No more weeding for me.

Supposedly the gnats have a season. As near as I can tell the bugs that came after me today in the Ely garden were a larger relative, it is probably a new season. The sad thing was that Leroy was working with me and he was not especially bothered while I was complaining almost the entire time. Really I am worried that I will not be able to sleep because of itches demanding to be scratched. Some creams help, but they do not entirely eliminate the sensation.

Are itches methods of torture? I could see it as being quite effective. My skin still feels sensitive in some areas where I was not in command enough of my hand to stop it from straying back to gave a satisfying scratch to the point of a little skin damage.

Now that satisfied Leroy just says, “No they are not bothering me,” as I flail my arms helplessly in the air to keep them away from me, especially my nose and mouth. And yes I did use bug spray this afternoon, but I think they liked it.

Paula