An Ode to Chiggers

Apparently, as of a few nights ago, the chiggers are back.

I broke my two cardinal summer rules:

1. Always wear bug spray when you go outside (we use Evada-Bug (note: this is not a paid advertisement for any product mentioned in this post--I share this out of the kindness of my heart)), and

2. Always rinse off after you come in from outside.

I didn't do either the night I was helping Seth put the water tanks on the back of the truck. And I am now suffering the chiggery consequences.

When I ordered 6 bottles of Evada-Bug last summer, the company sent me the Hot Rex Skin Smoothing oil and the Cool Rex Skin Soothing oil as freebies to try. I used both on the chigger bites and they seemed to help calm the itching until it wore off (I also added some prescription steroid cream for good measure).

But until they started working, thanks to Olivia Newton John, I sang this as I sat there scratching:

Maybe I hang around inside
A little more than I should
We both know I don't go outside
You lie in wait to pounce on me
And make me itch and scratch
So I believe you really ought to know

I hate you
I honestly hate you

You don't have to answer
I feel it in your bite
And in every welt you leave behind
You are mean and nasty
And you must realize
That it's coming from my heart and the rest of the places you bite

I hate you
I honestly hate you

I'm just trying to make you feel uncomfortable
So that you'll go away and leave me alone
But this feeling doesn't come along everyday
Just when you jump on me
So I take the chance to say

I hate you
I honestly hate you

If I could see you
I'd totally squash you flat
This moment might be ending in your demise
But you're invisible to me
And I'm a target to you
So I guess we'll just be leaving it at this

I hate you
I honestly hate you
I honestly hate you
I hate you, chiggers . . . . 

Lyme disease comes to the Holler

Earlier this spring, we (and by "we" I mainly mean "Seth") removed two ticks off Cael's head at two different times. He's an active boy who enjoys running around outside and exploring down by our creek. 

After the second tick was found and dispatched, I ordered several (6) bottles of Evada-Bug Spray. It had served us well last summer, keeping most of the chiggers and ticks at bay, and I realized we were entering the season when we would need it again. 

The package arrived a week or so ago but I haven't been religious about applying it when we go outside. I've enjoyed the chigger-free spring and wanted to keep believing that chiggers wouldn't be a problem this summer. However we've all (except Kieran who refuses to go outside when it's hot -- from what I've read, some individuals with Williams syndrome react to the heat more than typically developing children) experienced a chigger bite or two lately. 

Earlier this week, Cael had been itching a few of the bites and Seth was putting a steroid cream on them to help with the itch. And then I started putting the Evada-bug spray on the one spot that he was continually itching. Later that evening, this past Tuesday, I unzipped Cael's pjs to put some more on the bite and found this. 

I texted it to Seth and asked him what he thought was going on. When he got home, he and Cael spent some time looking up ring worm (or "worm ring" as Cael calls it) symptoms on the web. Cael said, "We got to see a lot of pictures of bugs!" He finally decided that's not what he had and that he didn't know what he did have so we just let it go.

Until this morning, when my mom shared a post about Lyme disease on Facebook. We knew about Lyme disease, of course, but because I was thinking the bite had come from a chigger, it didn't cross my mind that that was what it could be. And he didn't seem to have any other symptoms. When I saw the photo, and googled more pictures of Lyme disease, and sent the picture of Cael to my mom and SIL Katy who both weighed in, I decided I needed to get Cael to the doctor right away.

I called the doctor and got an appointment for 11 this morning. When we arrived, the doctor took a look, said, "Well, that's interesting," called his colleague (our friend from church, Dr. Dan) to take a look, and they both agreed it was symptomatic of early-onset Lyme disease. He prescribed a 2-week course of antibiotics, which should take care of the infection, and Cael sipped his first dose tonight ("Can I have more tomorrow?" he said).

I'm thankful for God's grace, through a Facebook post, in helping us identify and begin treatment for this disease. I hate seeing the affects of the Curse in my little boy (check out this article on bacteria from a biblical perspective), but I'm thankful for the promise of future redemption from the Curse when God creates a new heaven and earth free from that Curse for those who have repented of their sin and believed in the salvation offered only by Jesus Christ. Do you know for certain that you'll be there with me?

The Promise of Spring

When I first moved to this area almost 18 years ago (has it been that long?!), I enjoyed experiencing the changing seasons again, after living in Florida for several years. For the past two years, however, winter has become an enemy to me. Last year, for the first time, I experienced that heaviness and depression that I've heard others speak of. And, although we were able to spend five weeks in Florida this winter, the cold and cloudy days seemed worse after we got back. And then we've been hit with snow after snow and bone-chilling cold that makes it difficult to spend much time outdoors. 

So, I've spent the last few weeks huddled on my couch under a blanket with no energy to do much of anything. And the boys have spend a lot of time in front of the TV, I'm sad to say. I wish there was some spiritual encouragement I could offer but my motto during these times is "do the next thing." Some days it really feels like I'm just putting one foot in front of the other.

On Friday, I somehow mustered enough energy to take the kids outside to play in the snow for what I hope will be the last time this winter.

We went for some sled rides (through the mud that was exposed because the snow had already started to melt). 

 And climbed through the snow tunnels we'd built. For the life of me, I can't figure out how to build an igloo and end up just digging tunnels through piles of snow.

And, we enjoyed the playset for awhile. (At least we didn't need to worry about chiggers.)

It felt good to be in the sun and when Cael got out his lawnmower to mow the snow, I was reminded of the promise of Spring. 

And today, when I walked out of church and didn't need to keep my heavy winter jacket on, I was encouraged that Spring is on its way. I stopped at Lowe's on my way home (the boys had stayed home with Seth because he wasn't feeling well and they seemed to be a bit on the sickly side), and the veggie seed packets drew me in. The sun was shining, the air was warmer, the snow was melting, and I was able to think about gardening again.

We haven't done much gardening the past few years, apart from the perennial fruits we have (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, grapes, etc.), but Cael has asked about growing some things lately (mainly pumpkins and corn), so I thought we might try our hand again.

After I got home and unloaded the car, Cael helped me get the soil into the starter cups.

 Kieran joined us eventually.

And we planted pumpkins, corn, green peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, and cukes. 

I know it's a bit early, but it was just so nice to be able to be outside without having our nose hairs frozen and it was so nice to see the sun that I couldn't help getting the seeds started. 

Cael found some puddles of melted snow to use as water for the seeds. 

After a few minutes, Cael came back and asked, "Have they growed yet?"

After we got the seeds planted and returned everything safely inside, we went to the barn to check out Seth's new creeper (that he uses to work on the cars).

And, in another sign Spring is on its way, Kieran got out the little tractor and drove it around the yard and through the puddles. 

I checked my flower beds on the off-chance that the bul1bs had started growing and, amazingly enough, despite the snow and freezing temperatures of the last few days, they had. It always makes my heart glad to see the green tips poking their way up through the dead leaves of last fall and the remaining patches of snow. Another sign that Spring is coming.  

I had almost forgotten what it felt like to have energy and the desire to be outside and to get things done. There is hope that Spring is coming.

There's a super cape under there somewhere.

PS -- Not that this matters to anyone in particular, but I'll be taking a short break from blogging (I know, I know -- I said I was going to post every day this year; it's my blog and I can break my own rules if I want to) to work on a few other writing projects that I need to finish. I'll be back in a week (or so), Lord willing.

How to survive chigger season

Our first encounter with chiggers came about a year after we were first married. We were living in a condo I'd purchased before we met and had gone into the woods at the house Seth had purchased before we met (and where we live today) to do some target practice. When we were finished, we needed to run to a friend's house for a party, so I took a quick shower (Seth didn't think he had time), we changed clothes, and then went to the party.

Later that same day . . .

Both of us started itching all up and down our legs, but Seth seemed to have more itchy spots than I did. And whatever we had gotten into -- we didn't know at the time -- was a hundred times worse than mosquito bites and poison ivy. Much more itchy, and the itch just didn't stop. For weeks. In fact, Seth was so desperate for relief that he tried a bath in water and bleach to make the itch go away. It didn't work. His legs ended up white, but the itch still remained.

After much Googling, we figured out we had been attacked by chiggers, and thus began my hate-affair with those nasty little bugs that inhabit our property.

The baby chiggers -- the larva, the stage that bites -- start appearing when the weather heats up in the summer, usually in June. And chigger season lasts through early September. So it's about this time every year that I start seeing this when I look about my kitchen window:

(Chigger not to scale. Images in window may appear

larger than they really are due to Stacia's overactive imagination.)

I've been trying to survive chigger season with the fewest bites possible for the past eight or so years, and since the boys came along, I've doubled my anti-chigger efforts because I hate the thought of my two little guys having to deal with chigger itch. These are my Rules for Surviving Chigger Season 101.

Rule Number One: Do not go outside. Ever. (This is more realistic when you have a child -- as I do -- who doesn't do well in the heat and doesn't like to spend long periods of time outside. On the other hand, this is not so realistic when you have a child -- as I do -- who loves being outside and would be outside all day if I let him. I'll let you figure out which child is which.)

In the event that following Rule Number One isn't possible, proceed to Rule Number Two.

Rule Number Two: If you must go outside, wear an anti-chigger outfit, like this one. (This is more realistic if you have a child -- as I do -- who likes wearing socks and wears them all the time. This is not so realistic if you have a child -- as I do -- who loves going outside in his "crocodiles" or "feet" (aka crocs and bare feet).)

In the event that following Rule Number Two isn't possible, proceed to Rule Number Three.

Rule Number Three: Hose down all exposed body parts and also all clothed parts with Evada-Bug (thanks to my cousin Sandy for that recommendation). Or sulfur. Your choice.

Rule Number Four: While outside, periodically perform the Chigger Dance, which consists of brushing your hands down each leg to remove any chiggers that were not deterred by the Evada-Bug barrier.

Rule Number Five: Never, ever think, "Oh, I can get another wear out of these clothes" about clothes that have been worn around chiggers. Chiggers cling to clothing and will stay on clothes for a day or two, waiting to pounce on the next warm body to inhabit them. Chigger clothes always go straight in the washer. And the body that inhabited the clothes goes straight in the shower/bath. And no one who has been outside gets into any bed without first going through this procedure.

Am I paranoid about chiggers? You might say that. But here's the thing: my rules work. The boys have never had any chigger bites (that I remember) and this season, both Seth and I have had just two or three (compared to the 15-20 bites we had that first time out). I call that success.

Of course, the rules have also made my entire extended family and friends paranoid about visiting us during the summer ("Are the chiggers out? Oh, well, maybe we'll visit later . . . ."). But that's a small price to pay for chigger-free Holler living.

Subduing the chiggers

Note to those with the middle name of "Crunchy": Please stop reading now. Really. You won't want to go any farther. I talk about chemicals in this post.
If you've hung around me or this blog for any length of time, you know that there's one thing about Holler life that I cannot stand. In fact, I downright hate this one particular aspect of it.

I can handle bathing in rain water. And I'm not particularly bent out of shape about not having cell phone reception here. I don't even mind seeing the occasional fox stroll across the lawn (like Seth did the other evening).

However, I do. not. like. chiggers. I hate them. I hate the fact that they're practically invisible so you can't tell if you have any on you until they're gone, leaving behind large itchy welts that itch like nothing else. And I hate that those itchy welts stay itchy for weeks and that there's not much that calms the itch. And I hate that they inhabit our lawn.

I got my first chigger bite of the season the other day. I hate it. I hate the chigger that bit me. I hate the itch it left behind on my hip. And I don't want my sweet little boys (well, one of them is sweet, the other one who shall remain nameless but whose name begins with C and who looks like this

has recently begun showing signs of being on the strong-willed end of the spectrum) to have to contend with chigger bites. 

In my research, I haven't found many "earth-friendly" solutions to the problem of chiggers other than spraying pesticides. At one Internet recommendation, I spread sulfur and ended up smelling like rotten eggs. And still with chigger bites.

Another site recommended frequent mowing to rid one's lawn of chiggers. I'm fairly certain that if Seth mowed every day that we probably wouldn't have a chigger problem. And I'm fairly certain that when I suggested this to Seth, he suggested I was crazy in the head.

So I'm left with few options:

1. We can never go outside again. And that playset that Seth so recently built will never again be used. Until winter. When there are no chiggers. (Incidentally, this was my MO today after having received the chigger bite yesterday--we stayed indoors all day.)

2. I can hose the boys down with bug repellant whenever we go outside. (Although I'm not completely confident the DEET-free eucalyptus-lemon oil stuff I bought works against chiggers.)

3. I can throw everyone and everything in the bath immediately upon entering the house after having spent any length of time outside. (We would probably run out of water fairly quickly with this option.)

4. I can spray something such as Talstar on my lawn to rid the Holler of chiggers and enable us to once again play freely in our yard and on the playset. (And this is where I lose the crunchy people.)

I chose the last option. And tonight, after Seth mowed the lawn, I filled up the three-gallon sprayer with Talstar and began spraying our lawn. Since I have no idea if the chiggers like to congregate in any particular area, I sprayed the whole thing. The whole acre. I took seriously God's pre-Fall command to "subdue the earth" by subduing the post-Fall chiggers.

Here's hoping it worked and we can enjoy our great outdoors for the rest of the summer.

Enjoying God's great outdoors

 Kitchen window, day 116

Today the mailman brought us another book that was recommended to us based on my previous post. (Thanks, Marcia!)

After we opened the package, we went outside to enjoy the gorgeous spring weather God graciously gave us today.

Kieran found a caterpillar on our walk down the lane.

And Cael really enjoyed feeling the grass beneath his feet and hands.



And in his mouth. (Kieran decided it was his turn in the stroller, which seemed to be just fine with Cael.)

"But what about the chiggers? Aren't you afraid Cael will get bitten by the chiggers?!?" you may be asking yourself. Rest assured that chiggers don't appear until summer--sometime during the month of June, according to my previous calculations. So we were safe exploring the wonderful world of grass today.

I hope.

Blackberries

It's blackberry season in the Holler.

I have mixed emotions about blackberry season. On the one hand, blackberry season brings . . . blackberries.

And blackberries are delicious covered in whipped cream. Or blended into a smoothie. Or baked into a cobbler.

On the other hand, I've come to the conclusion that blackberry season heralds the advent of chigger season. And we all know how I feel about chiggers. BIL Dan was rewarded for his hard work in the yard with a couple itch-inducing chigger bites (sorry, Dan). And I've begun to keep my yearly chigger-bite tally list. Maybe it's time to call the pest control guy again . . . .

The Chiggers are so bad this year . . .

The chiggers have been out in full force this year. According to the pest control guy who came to spray our lawn (at my request), they like wet, warm springs and summers--just the type of weather we've been having. Even with my anti-chigger outfit, they still managed to make my legs their dinner several times this summer.

The chiggers are so bad this year (how bad are they?) that while I was reading The Friendly Duck to Kieran the other day . . .

. . . I was thinking this . . . .

Out my kitchen window, day 73

This was the view . . .

. . . when I went out to clean my chickens' coop after donning what I like to affectionately refer to as my "anti-chigger outfit": thick knee-high socks, rolled up capris, and my yellow duck shoes. Seth likes to affectionately refer to said outfit as "Sweetie, you're embarrassing me." Really, though, we live in a Holler--am I really expected to dress to the nines everytime I walk out the door?

Egg update: None yet.

Chiggers ... I hate 'em!

I'm a hypochondriac by nature. You name it, I've had it (or at least thought I had it) ... appendicitis, cancer of the neck, tongue, nose, stomach, intestines, and hip, carpal tunnel syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, allopecia, brain tumor, deep vein thrombosis ... .

If I believed in labeling behavioral patterns (which I don't), I would probably also classify myself as having a touch of obsessive-compulsive disorder. One summer, a long long time ago, a friend of mine ended up covered in poison ivy--inside and out. I spent the rest of the summer compulsively washing my hands and obsessing about the fact that I was going to break out in poison ivy at any time (I never did). Finally, my mom smacked some sense into me (pick up your jaw--she didn't really smack me ... she made me memorize 1 Peter 5:7. I think there was finally an, "Oh, knock it off!" too), and I stopped.

This brings me to the topic of this blog: chiggers. My OCD tendencies kick into overdrive during chigger season. Summer is prime time for chiggers. Chiggers are insidious little mites that live in our yard. They are invisible to the naked eye, and yet their effects on human skin are monstrous. Once on the skin, they settle in nooks and crannies to feed -- ankles, behind the knees, etc. A chigger bite can itch for weeks.

Of all God's creatures, I like chiggers the least (what was their function in God's original "very good" world??). Chiggers aren't like ticks, which you can actually see to remove. If a chigger has made its way to cranny on your body, you won't know it until you began to feel the "chigger itch" hours later. Of course, this causes me to obsess about having chiggers crawling all over me. Even after showering, I just know the chiggers are still there. And since you can't see them, who knows where they're hiding? At the very least, they're not known to carry disease, so I haven't been obsessing about contracting Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or malaria or the hanta virus from them.

I've lain awake many nights thinking about chiggers crawling on me, and plotting their demise. I want to enjoy walking in my yard without fearing an attack of the chiggers. So, this past week, I spread some sulfur, which chiggers allegedly loathe, chanting, "Die, chiggers, die!" Now we not only have chiggers, we also have the smell of rotten eggs swirling around.

So, who wants to be the first to sign up for a bbq and croquet party at our place?