Today I got to spend time with my girl, Sarah, here in Corpus Christi. The U-haul is loaded and Ray and I are heading back to CA early tomorrow morning. I have a student with a senior thesis for his B.A., who is awaiting my return. His deadline is next Monday.
It rained here today. Four inches in a few hours. Flash flooding, but none of the tornadoes the weather casters were worried about. It is funny being in Texas. It is so lush and verdant with all the rain – here and in Sherman – that I feel as if I can almost hear the grass growing. Everyone is happy with the rain, of course, since drought has been the status quo over the past several years.
But with rain and tall grass comes that beloved creature the “chigger” or the red or harvest mite, its more official name. I made the mistake of walking too close to some tall grass, which I know better than to do since I am a Texas girl. I have had some of the most itchy chiggers I’ve had ever, which sent me to the drug store and into my cousin’s medicine cabinet in search of cures. I came back with tea tree oil with jasmine, as well as some clear analgesic lotion. By applying both, I finally got some relief. I have two on the backs of my fingers, six on my elbow and 2 on my right shoulder. From what I can tell, I leaned over and those were the parts of my body that made contact with the tall grass. I know better, but I got too close. I had forgotten what torment chiggers can cause. Little microscopic bugs that get under your skin and create hell on earth for those dumb enough to expose themselves to tall grass in the South of the U.S. I am better now, but there were a few times I was considering just scratching the skin right off of my fingers. Not the best idea.
Sarah is already in bed. She gets up by 6 everyday. Ray is looking droopy over there working on his computer. I better wrap this up for tonight.
Happy evening to all. I hope to not scratch all night like I did a few nights back.
Take my advice, don’t even think about going near tall grass if you happen to be anywhere in the South!
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