Yeah - I'm still scratching, and yes, the chiggers are still driving me crazy. But after having time to think about what I wrote in part uno, I was so amused when I thought of a much better title, I felt compelled to write more about my personal infestation. Wishing I had spent a bit more time in the process of coming up with a title:' the hostess with the mostess' (being the person who has the tastiest ankles that are covered and consumed by the bugs that are keeping me clawing at my person, scraping the skin off.)
I've been applying some stuff I bought at the store on Sunday, and it works pretty good, on a temporary basis - but entirely too expensive to fill the tub with. I coated down with it, and then a goodly layer of bug repellant and did more stick picking-up. Increasing my row of little 'beaver lodge', near the street for the city to pick up with the truck that has the big grabber thing.
And some tree trimming. I cut back some azaleas, and dug up some of those vines that are mean as snakes. The things that have the big underground tubers that are so gratifying when you dig up: some as big as my cats. Big dangerously thorny vines, that grow up into everything they can find to attach to, and climb as high as the tree tops. I think it is smilax, but not the tame, thorn-less mild-manner kind people use to decorate wedding candlabra and receptions with.
In doing the very satisfying digging that resulted in huge tubers, I also dug up monstrously big earth worms. So big they should have been small snakes. Honestly, I am not making this up. Out there in the leaf mulch that has never been disturbed, they are so well fed and happy (and probably reproducing like.... earthworms?) they are as big around as my pinky finger, and at least eight inches long. Huge. I'm thinking of advertising them on Craig's list, but they won't be still long enough to take a photo.
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