Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Bite me

Ohio has the best insects.

I just returned from an 8-day extravaganza in the motherland. SO fun.

I feel so happy lying in bed at night, windows open, drapes blowing, listening to the crickets and the .... to be honest, I'm not sure what combo of creaky insects are responsible for that noise, but it just sounds so quintessentially OHIO SUMMER to me. Mix that with the the wind in the trees (my fave sound), and I sleep like a baby.

The locusts, when they come out, only add to the effect. They make a GREAT noise. If you haven't heard it, well--- go Google it or something. They're pretty fascinating insects, actually, but that's a story for a different post. Another fascinating, fascinating post.

Then there's the lightning bugs, popping up in the dark backyard at night. My kids thought those were fun to chase. I guess I took it for granted that we got to spend summer nights growing up collecting those things. (I am dangerously close to sounding like Andy Rooney now.)

BUT: the mosquitoes can go suck themselves. They're not really a problem in Seattle, so I'd forgotten how annoying they are.

The real injustice here is that you'd think they'd take one bite of MY BLOOD, in all its toxic nastiness, and they'd do the mosquito equivalent of running to the sink and spitting their mouthload directly into the drain. BUT NO, they bit and bit away. I was hoping this might be one of the little-known PLUS SIDES of getting chemo, the natural mosquito repellency, but alas.

Before all this is over, I'm determined to figure out SOME cool side effect chemo has (like acting as a very expensive and drastic mosquito repellent). Stay tuned.

5 comments:

  1. I'm h headed to the motherland tomorrow!! Thanks for reminding me of the great things back there. (Did your accent come back when you were there?

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  2. that is one of the nice things about Seattle- there aren't too many bugs here that bite, except fleas! glad you had fun at home :)

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  3. Shelly, you are right on...we grow those blood suckers big and hungry out here! I get bites even mid day....amazing. Happy to read about life, and I am with you about the Harley dude, sometimes that 'moment' happens and it is the essence of why we are here. Life. It does rock. Take care my strong friend..

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  4. I either forgot or never knew you were an Ohio gal. Grew up in Hudson myself!

    Always sending thoughts,

    Paul C.

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  5. Shell! Just returned from Ohio and had the exact experience with the bugs! Liam wanted to bring his jar of lightning bugs back to CA. We told him they probably wouldn't survive (nor would the CA agriculture bouncers like it very much). He was trying to explain how good he was at taking care of all of the earwigs, pill bugs and other yard creatures he's discovered lately. Kid had a good argument. Our collection could rival SF's Insect Zoo!

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