Sharing a Slice of Life, Bugs

Over at Sharing a Slice of Life, this week, # 9, the keyword is BUGS!  Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww.

But, seriously, we all have bug stories.  Like, stepping on a bee, while barefoot.  Nope, that is not fun.

I remember a few 'encounters' with biting bugs, one was on a weekend campout with friends.  We were just sitting, sharing some conversation when all of a sudden a hornet decided the back of my arm was his to have.  It had to be the most painful sting I have ever experienced.  I could feel that sting like it was in slow motion, it was as if this nasty creature was  S-L-O-W-L-Y  drilling into my arm.  I could feel each revolution.  OUCH.

Not my story, but story of Son # 1, at a party, drinking a beer or two.  You just KNOW where this is going, yes you do.  He drank a bee which proceeded to sting him inside his throat.  Now, Son # 1 is quite bright (he IS my son, I am NOT prejudiced, nope, not one bit), but, can you imagine, he actually did this twice in one afternoon, followed up of course, by swelling of the throat, difficulty breathing and a trip to the ER.  This was one story I was happy to have missed the first edition, and just heard the story in the second edition.

One story, mine, that has remained fresh and vibrant in my memory banks, took place during one of our family's first camping vacations.  So happens, it takes place not 4 miles from where we live now, we did not live here then.  We had 2 weeks vacation, and at that time camping was the only financial option.  Huge 9 foot by 20 foot old army type tent, 2 kids, collie dog, Man's mom and dad, Man and I and a hoard of mosquitoes.  Mean, hungry, furiously biting mosquitoes.  Mean, hungry, furiously biting mosquitoes that it turns out I was somewhat allergic too, and that had developed a taste for ME over and above the rest of the family.

My bites would swell, itch, and itch some more.  The swelling would go down, and hours later, swell again.  I had calamine splotches all up and down my legs - - by the way, calamine really did not work all that well.  The worst tho, the very, very worst was the fact that the bites would swell the most at about 3 or 4 AM while I was tucked warmly into my sleeping bag, sleeping like the dead.  I would wake to the most intense itching imaginable, there was no way I could get out of that sleeping bag fast enough.  Best description is a woman on the verge of screaming, wild eyed, out of her mind, panic.  And, this happened for well over 7 miserable nights.

Just writing about those bites, I can almost feel them itching.  Don't scratch Carol!  Bugs, ewwwwwwwwwww!

* Source data for comic unknown.  When I went surfing looking for a graphic to use with this post I found this very graphic on several different web sites, never could determine the original source.  My thanks to the original designer.  Thank you for a perfect graphic for my story.


Copyright 2010, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

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