Bugs & Blessings

I must say, it has been a lovely summer! I was sitting outside (again) yesterday afternoon, picking tiny hitchhiker burrs out of my son's socks before throwing them in the laundry, and couldn't help but thank the Lord (stay with me...). You see, we live in "the bush" (that means surrounded by forest, wild trees & shrubs, etc. - apparently "the bush" is a term that is common around here but not everywhere), and for the 4 summers that we have lived here, this is the first where I can sit outside any old time without first dousing myself in mosquito spray. Not only that, but I don't have to put on a sweater or a raincoat first, either! It has been an unusually hot, dry summer, which I have to say, is perfect for me. It's too bad that it poses a problem for the farmers & firefighters out there, 'cause I would like it this way every year. I don't mind watering my lawn & gardens a little more often. And a summer without mosquitos--that is just heaven!
The hot & dry weather has also caused an invasion of wasps & the like. I haven't really found it to be a problem here at home, but we went camping last week, and they were bad enough that we had to plan around them (sort of). I'm glad we had a screen tent to retreat to for our meals. But our first breakfast of pancakes & bacon (which we started eating outside the screen tent, because it wasn't up yet, on account of us arriving too late & too tired the day before) was less than enjoyable with those little creatures buzzing around. So, while I cooked and waved off wasps, hubby put up the tent. The boys ate breakfast in the tent, scarfing it down before the flying fiends could get at it. I wanted to get a picture, but we were all pretty preoccupied to stop and get the camera. The syrup-y plates that stacked up when we were done invited a whole swarm. Four or five of them found their way through the tiny hole of the bottle and were swimming in our syrup! Anyway, after that morning, we learned to do things differently to minimize our vulnerability to the nasty insects. I did comment to hubby, that I would be surprised to make it through our stay without anyone getting stung. And sure enough, our youngest got it. A wasp had gotten under his shirt and I guess felt trapped and stung him. He tried to be brave about it and didn't cry, but was white as a ghost & felt sick for about a half hour! None of our boys had ever been stung at all before, so I hoped that being stung would at least alleviate that fear of the unknown. So while the youngest became running scared of everything that buzzed around him, our middle son just stayed still and let them crawl all over him if necessary. He even let one land on his face, cleaning up the remains of his last meal off of his lips!! We told him that was unnecessary and maybe even asking for trouble. We learned that the wasps are almost non-existent in the evenings, and by supper-time we could eat outside and sit around the fire safely. We had an enjoyable 4 night stay at our favorite campground, and it was the kind of relaxation we have not had for quite some time. Hubby had to be readily available by cell-phone and emails the first 2 days, but the weekend was work-free. Of course, Friday brought in all the weekend partiers, and we (hubby & I) hardly slept a wink on account of the rowdies in the 3 sites across from us. They christened their weekend shortly after arrival with smoking and passing around something and smoking it, and I'm not sure what they ate but they had plenty to drink. The conversation & behavior was such that I was very busy trying to occupy my children's minds, eyes & ears with whatever I could to distract them. We decided to file a complaint at the campground office, and while the officers won't tell you how they will take care of the problem, we did notice a few less people the next night, and it was much quieter, too. They were even shush-ing each other quite a bit! I don't like being a party-pooper, but my kids don't need to see & hear that stuff. And I need my sleep! Everything else about the camping trip was really enjoyable. This was the closest thing to a holiday we'll have this year, so I'm glad it went well. We had great weather--no rain, and even some real beach weather. I enjoy the beach a whole lot more now that my kids are older and are more confident in the water. I can actually relax a bit, and playing in the water with them is more fun, too. I was also reminded how fortunate I am to have such good kids. Almost everywhere you look, you see some kid throwing a tantrum or disregarding their parents. While I am aware that my time may be coming, I am thankful for the real blessing that they have been/are to me (& others). I really enjoy being with them and watching them. It saddens me that summer's almost over...enjoy the blessings while you can!