OK, as I'm sitting here typing, I'm hurting like hell so I need a little sympathy.
It's been raining for a week here in East Texas but it finally broke this afternoon. With all the rain and 85 degree temps, the grass in the yard has grown like crazy. I couldn't stand it any more so in the late afternoon I decided to go do all the trim work with the walk behind so I could get a flying start with the mowing tomorrow. I was around back, running the mower up a steep embankment, way too steep for the tractor, when I ran it over a 2" diameter hole in the ground. "Strange" I thought, "That wasn't there the last time I mowed". I was in kind of a hurry so I didn't notice the ground nesting hornets boiling out of the hole until the first one stung me. All in all I was stung four times before I got out of there but I was lucky because most of the little buggers attacked the mower which I unceremoniously abandoned.
A half can of wasp spray took care of the little devils but they didn't die easy.
There was still some daylight left so I jumped on the tractor and started cutting the yard. About ten minutes into it something bit me on the shoulder blade. Bloody hell, it hurt so bad that I thought I'd been shot. It must have been one of those big ol' horse flies.
Now, I'm not allergic to stings or bites (except for chiggers) and with me they usually hurt for a couple of hours and then the discomfort starts to fade. Not this time. Eight hours later and they are still hurting like a SOB. I've tried rubbing on benzocaine to try to ease the pain but it's not working worth a darn so I've gone to my Plan "B" .... Scotch. I'm on my second one. It's not helping much with the hurt but they are making me warm, fuzzy and sleepy so maybe I'll get some rest tonight which, up until now, I seriously doubted I'd be able to do.
So, tomorrow I'll be on the tractor cutting grass, if it doesn't rain again, but you better believe that there will be a can of wasp spray in the cup holder and a fogger close at hand. I'm going to be ready this time and it's going to be war ... all out war, no prisoners will be taken.
It's been raining for a week here in East Texas but it finally broke this afternoon. With all the rain and 85 degree temps, the grass in the yard has grown like crazy. I couldn't stand it any more so in the late afternoon I decided to go do all the trim work with the walk behind so I could get a flying start with the mowing tomorrow. I was around back, running the mower up a steep embankment, way too steep for the tractor, when I ran it over a 2" diameter hole in the ground. "Strange" I thought, "That wasn't there the last time I mowed". I was in kind of a hurry so I didn't notice the ground nesting hornets boiling out of the hole until the first one stung me. All in all I was stung four times before I got out of there but I was lucky because most of the little buggers attacked the mower which I unceremoniously abandoned.
A half can of wasp spray took care of the little devils but they didn't die easy.
There was still some daylight left so I jumped on the tractor and started cutting the yard. About ten minutes into it something bit me on the shoulder blade. Bloody hell, it hurt so bad that I thought I'd been shot. It must have been one of those big ol' horse flies.
Now, I'm not allergic to stings or bites (except for chiggers) and with me they usually hurt for a couple of hours and then the discomfort starts to fade. Not this time. Eight hours later and they are still hurting like a SOB. I've tried rubbing on benzocaine to try to ease the pain but it's not working worth a darn so I've gone to my Plan "B" .... Scotch. I'm on my second one. It's not helping much with the hurt but they are making me warm, fuzzy and sleepy so maybe I'll get some rest tonight which, up until now, I seriously doubted I'd be able to do.
So, tomorrow I'll be on the tractor cutting grass, if it doesn't rain again, but you better believe that there will be a can of wasp spray in the cup holder and a fogger close at hand. I'm going to be ready this time and it's going to be war ... all out war, no prisoners will be taken.