The annual itch

Our vet, Cherise, and her assistant, Kate, came to visit one day last week. They came armed with flea medicine and worming potions. I'd called after watching our Annie Dog demonstrating signs of the annual itch. Last year it was fleas. Another year it was a skin irritation probably brought on by her swimming in the pond at the old place.

Seems Annie gets the itch every year. I think she's got ultra-sensitive skin. I figured this year's itch must be signaling the beginning of flea season when I called Cherise, cuz she found several little critters crawling around on both Annie and Kiwi last year about a month after we moved here. So, last August, two dogs and five cats got the treatment, and once again in September. Cherise says as long as it's hot and dry, those fleas can rise again.

This year Cherise didn't find fleas, which made me happy, but we treated everyone as a prevention tool anyway. And, since Annie still itched, she got a low dose of steroids in hopes that she won't have to rub her body along the side of the house or anywhere else she can get relief from the itch. It seems to be working so I'm sure Annie is feeling a lot better.

Now, I've got the itch. Don't worry. I'm not crawling with fleas or lice or anything like that. It's those damn bees. They've been stinging me. Two days, two stings. One on the bridge of the nose Sunday, just as I was putting the water hose away. Felt like someone had swung a hammer at me. That sensation lasted about 15 minutes, long enough to know I wasn't gonna die if stung on the head.

Yesterday's assault occurred just as I'd begun watering. A yellow jacket got me this time right on the flab hanging below my elbow. For the second day in a row, I moved quicker than usual, grabbed the soda box and doused the wound with watered-down soda. This time the stinger stayed put. I could feel it throughout the day. This time, the sting also swelled a tiny bit.

This morning my nose itches, and so does my elbow flab. I think the amount of flab where said bee strikes makes a difference in the amount of swelling and itching. No swelling on the nose but pretty noticeable on the flab. I don't know how long the itching will last, and I probably won't call the vet. I'll just try not to scratch too much.

I'll also take a lot more care and vigilance while watering. It seems those bees are pretty thirsty this summer, and they'll fight for their right to get a drink. The hornets haven't figured out how to drink out of the water containers on the deck without falling in and drowning. I've got one vase out there with at least an inch of hornet corpses, but like the fleas, those pesky hornets keep rising again.

Bill says every time he goes out in the woods he discovers a new nest. So, I guess we've got plenty of stinging and itching possibilities ahead. Guess there's just one general way to avoid these discomforts:

BEE careful.