Bugs 'N Bumps

Be Ye Dragon Or Damsel?
Originally uploaded by boondockma

Yesterday, I had more fun with my camera. The birds weren't cooperating, and none of our plants or flowers were speaking to me, so I wandered around until this little fellow caught my eye. He was on the move, and I can't catch and snap so fast as he was moving through the air, so I chased him around the yard for awhile, until he finally decided to pose for me.

Unfortunately, by the time he decided to cut me a break, I had managed to stir up quite the coalition of mosquitoes! I waved them off as best I could while attempting to shoot this fellow's profile. I was just getting ready to snap what I'm sure would've been the perfect prize winning shot when a rather large mosquito landed on my arm.

I briefly considered going for a shot of the mosquito as she dug in, but my aversion to big red itchy blotches took over and I gave her a well placed swat. I watched as she tumbled off my arm, then glanced back to my original prey. Naturally he had taken off at the sound of flesh slapping flesh and so my photo shoot was done for the day.

It didn't take long for me to realize the mosquito I had managed to beat to the punch wasn't the only one who had managed to land on my body during my pursuit of the lovely blue fellow. I began to itch, and when I looked it came as no surprise to note the red bumps emerging from the itchy areas.

Fortunately, in my 50+ years on this planet I've managed to learn a couple tricks to deal with these sorts of incidents. The first I learned long ago, when my now adult children were young. That would be an ordinary tube of toothpaste! While I suppose it's possible the gel would work, I've never tried it, opting instead for the regular, good old fashioned paste. As it dries it takes the itch away and, as a bonus, if you catch it early enough, and let it dry completely, it even takes the bump away! The only drawback to this method is it can get a bit messy, depending on where and when you need to apply it. A well placed band-aide can help you out here, but, naturally this slows the drying process down. I've also found toothpaste is good for other insect bites.

Then there's the second option, which is even more fun than the first! This one I learned from my Stepmother several years ago, and has turned out to be not only an excellent, immediate source of relief for the itching, but a fun application for the kiddos! This would be good old fashioned Mrs Stewart's Bluing. Yup! You read that right. Just head to your laundry aisle at your friendly local grocers and grab a little blue bottle. When the beastly mosquitoes attack your little darlings, squeeze a bit on your applicator of choice (I ball up a square of toilet paper for this), being careful not to allow it to spill on your carpet, clothing, etc. Dab it on the bite and your young'un will be proudly sporting their itch free, blue polka dot until you wash it off.

Hope you're all having a wonderful itch free Monday!