Just one of those weeks

Last week I thought I would have time this week to do some work on the
garage & shop. But nope, our farm got hit by a tornado on Sunday
morning.
So once again the garage & shop get put on the back burner.

So I get to spend the next couple of weeks cleaning up the mess. Lots
of large
oak trees got uprooted and some just got snapped off. Of course more
then a
few had to land on the fences. Got most of the fences fixed except
for 1 area.
Found out the hard way that there is a nest of ground bees or hornets
right where
the tree was on the fence. Little *******s got me good and my wife
had to take an
epi-pen to me. That kept me down for a day. Went out the next day
and put a
long strap on the tree and pulled it off the fence with the tractor.
Didn't see any
bees at all so I waited and watched. Nothing. Great, went out to fix
the fence and
sure as ****, the bees swarmed and got me good again. More epi-pen.
Guess I
will have to find the hole and gas them.

Good part is we will have enough firewood to last for years. Will be
taking some
of the larger tree trunks to the local sawmill. They'll cut them up
into boards for
25 cents a foot. Pretty cheap for good oak boards.

Bad part is we have to rebuild the chicken coop and put up a new goat
shed.
Good news is the 67 bug and the barn it's sitting in came thru without
a scratch.
In fact, all vehicles came thru. Trees landed all around them and
didn't touch
a single one.

Same for all the animals. Not a scratch or injury to any. All the
goats have been
thrilled with the downed tree. They love the leaves and think the
trees make great
places to play. Even with the fences being down they stayed right at
home and
no predators paid them a visit.

Other bad news is the chiggers got me yesterday. Got bites from
between my
toes up to my shoulders and everthing in between. Now that really
sucks.

Some weeks and days are just like that.

Randy

Not sure what a "chigger" is but real happy Australia doesnt have them!. We
do have "paper wasps" though which seem pretty close to what got you first.
My preferred remedy is to get a can of CRC ( generic spray lubricant )
which when ignited makes a blow torch that very quickly sorts out the
b@#$%^&s. Nothing wrong with pre-emptive strikes!!. Seen the shots from
Galverston etc on TV , where the devil would you start to clean up.
John

We're not anywhere near Galveston. We're about 700 miles north of
there
but that damned huricane came up and got us anyways.

Trying to figure out a way to explain chiggers. They are a little
insect
like a mite that get on you and burrow under your skin. Once they get
there they cause a red welt that itches like mad. I have yet to find
a
way to get rid of the itch. Folks will scratch themselves bloody and
that includes me. I'm guessing I have a good 500 bites, welts and now
scabs. The worst of the itches is between my toes.

Randy

On Sep 20, 3:24*am, "John" > wrote:
> Not sure what a "chigger" is but real happy Australia doesnt have them!. We
> do have "paper wasps" though which seem pretty close to what got you first.

http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/arthopo/chiggers/

Great explanation and pic too!



wrote:
> We're not anywhere near Galveston. We're about 700 miles north of
> there
> but that damned huricane came up and got us anyways.
>
> Trying to figure out a way to explain chiggers. They are a little
> insect
> like a mite that get on you and burrow under your skin. Once they get
> there they cause a red welt that itches like mad. I have yet to find
> a
> way to get rid of the itch. Folks will scratch themselves bloody and
> that includes me. I'm guessing I have a good 500 bites, welts and now
> scabs. The worst of the itches is between my toes.
>
> Randy
>
> On Sep 20, 3:24 am, "John" > wrote:
>
>>Not sure what a "chigger" is but real happy Australia doesnt have them!. We
>>do have "paper wasps" though which seem pretty close to what got you first.
>>My preferred remedy is to get a can of CRC ( generic spray lubricant )
>>which when ignited makes a blow torch that very quickly sorts out the
>>b@#$%^&s. Nothing wrong with pre-emptive strikes!!. Seen the shots from
>>Galverston etc on TV , where the devil would you start to clean up.
>> John
>
>

.. I have yet to find a way to get rid of the itch. Folks will scratch
themselves bloody and
that includes me. I'm guessing I have a good 500 bites, welts and now
scabs. The worst of the itches is between my toes.

Bacon grease. No foolin'
Used to get then when pickin' blackberries when I was a kid.

Bacon grease ?
****, every wild dog in the area would be after me then....

Randy

On Sep 20, 11:22*am, "Michael Rogers" > wrote:
> . * I have yet to find a way to get rid of the itch. *Folks will scratch
> themselves bloody and
> that includes me. *I'm guessing I have a good 500 bites, welts and now
> scabs. *The worst of the itches is between my toes.
>
> Bacon grease. *No foolin'
> Used to get then when pickin' blackberries when I was a kid.

> wrote in message
...
Bacon grease ?
****, every wild dog in the area would be after me then....

Hmmmm, didn't think of that.
But it works, the salt draws the itch and the grease smothers the chicker.

"Speedy Jim" > wrote in message
...
| http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/arthopo/chiggers/
|
| Great explanation and pic too!
|
|
|
| wrote:
| > We're not anywhere near Galveston. We're about 700 miles north of
| > there
| > but that damned huricane came up and got us anyways.
| >
| > Trying to figure out a way to explain chiggers. They are a little
| > insect
| > like a mite that get on you and burrow under your skin. Once they get
| > there they cause a red welt that itches like mad. I have yet to find
| > a
| > way to get rid of the itch. Folks will scratch themselves bloody and
| > that includes me. I'm guessing I have a good 500 bites, welts and now
| > scabs. The worst of the itches is between my toes.
| >
| > Randy
| >
| > On Sep 20, 3:24 am, "John" > wrote:
| >
| >>Not sure what a "chigger" is but real happy Australia doesnt have them!.
We
| >>do have "paper wasps" though which seem pretty close to what got you
first.
| >>My preferred remedy is to get a can of CRC ( generic spray lubricant )
| >>which when ignited makes a blow torch that very quickly sorts out the
| >>b@#$%^&s. Nothing wrong with pre-emptive strikes!!. Seen the shots from
| >>Galverston etc on TV , where the devil would you start to clean up.
| >> John

Long years back (1955?) we use a homeopathic remedy of sulphur tablets
(about the size of an Alkazelser tablet) that we took every day. Kept all
sorts of biting bugs at bay and cut general itch from allergens

Down side there were some unpleasant side effects ... but this too would
pass provide you stayed up wind.

On Sep 21, 2:00*am, "Michael Rogers" > wrote:
>
> Hmmmm, didn't think of that.
> But it works, the salt draws the itch and the grease smothers the chicker..
>

At least my own dogs would like me then.

Worst of the itching is gone now. Scabby but not itching.
Now I have some kind of bite between my toes. Guessing it's a spider
bite. nasty looking and smelling. Worse then usual.

Hoping it rains a little bit today so I can safely go out and try and
find
the opening for the ground bees or hornets nest. Then I can gas them.

Ah the joys of farm living.

Randy

> wrote in message
...
On Sep 21, 2:00 am, "Michael Rogers" > wrote:

Worst of the itching is gone now. Scabby but not itching.
Now I have some kind of bite between my toes. Guessing it's a spider
bite. nasty looking and smelling. Worse then usual.

Recluse, maybe????