Chiggers by Mary
How could I forget to write about chiggers when they were so much a part of me? Literally.
Insect repellant and sunscreen are a mixed blessing. Applying them was an everyday part of our morning ritual, and removing them along with the dirt in the evening shower was something to look forward to.
Larry learned a lesson when he took a short nap under one of the large trees while cutting thistles. He described to me, with great pleasure, the beauty of the area and peacefulness . . . only to later discover he had been napping with chiggers.
Joshua managed to be attacked by chiggers during a walk upon arrival. He had numerous bites on his feet and ankles which turned ugly, and he scratched them the rest of his stay.
I definitely suffered the most. Both of us sprayed ourselves with repellant, but I always tucked the thistles and branches under my arms, and carried things close to my body because of my neck problem. Those chiggers couldn't believe their luck and just crawled straight onto me. Eventually, I read on the internet to really scrub in the shower and maybe a few might be removed before they took up residence under the skin. I believe it helped.
Since Larry wasn't as bothered by the chiggers, his curse was having to listen to my complaints and watching me scratch. Once, he was telling Josh how often I complained, and I started in again before he had finished his sentence. "See!" he said. "Har! Har!" They thought that a great joke to share, and replayed it often.
Larry did get a chigger bite while Josh was there, and he announced it with his little boyish grin by saying, "I have a chigger bite right where my bra strap would be, if I wore a bra." Men.
 | I don't have a picture of "suffering from chigger bites." I was too busy scratching to take it. Here is a photo of Larry cutting down a dead tree; potential for more chigger bites as I drag away the branches. Larry loves to use his chain saw. "Vroom-rah-rah. Vroom-rah-rah. A man thing. Tidbit: The locals call them jiggers. I'm guessing because the intense itching causes one to jig a bit? Tidbit: The locals don't use insect repellant. They wear high boots and long pants. Can't see that working for me. back to cash crop on to Togetherness |
