See No Evil

It’s all done so sneakily.  You don’t know what is hitting you.  You think you are safe.  But oh no, you are far from safe.  You don’t hear anything, but they are out there.  They are close to you without your knowing.  Maybe they wait until you are distracted with an activity before they make their move.  They wait until you could mistake their presence for something else.  They wait, all around you, and in large numbers. A tingle on the arm.  A twinge on the big toe.  You brush it off, unknowingly.  Over and over, selectively picking away at your body they go in for the kill.  Tingle, twinge, tingle, twinge.  They show no mercy.  They attack relentlessly.  While you are sitting, while you are walking, even while you are sleeping…..

No See Ums.

These tiny flying blood suckers have decided they are going to destroy me, one bite at a time.  They made this decision the moment I arrived in Florida.  It’s taken me this long to figure it out.  All this itching, well it was the No See Ums.  I am bruised.  I have welts on my welts.  I have scratched until I bleed.  On my feet, my legs, my arms, my sides. They are everywhere.  I have tried 7 or more different bug sprays now, and none of them do squat.  I have sprayed or applied bottles of Benadryl to relieve the itching.  I’ve taken enough Sudafed to put me into a coma, hoping to minimize the urge to itch.  All for not.  I look like I’ve been in a bloody war.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!  I CAN’T TAKE IT ANY MORE!!!!  ARGHHHHHH!!!!

I cannot let them win this battle.  I have fogged the campsite.  Repeatedly.  Heck, I’ve fogged the dogs!  I lay awake at night practically ripping my skin off.   I don’t know what it feels like to not be scratching myself raw. Nothing I try is working!! Perhaps vodka or tequila will help?????  No, I have to be on my game.  So it’s long pants and long sleeves, continue dousing with Deet, and praying for a strong wind or a hard freeze.  Oh wait, I take that back.  No freeze!  But on the other hand…..