The Insects

 We walked on Jackson Trail in Yellowwood State Forest yesterday.  We've walked on this trail before, in late November and we were ready to celebrate our nation's birth by traversing it yet again, despite the heat and humidity.  I'm trying to up my game in the physical activity department as you know.

Come to find out, the outing was an unmitigated disaster due to poor trail maintenance.  A plethora of massive trees had collapsed onto the trail, forcing us to walk off trail to pass them.  I do not like to walk off trail.  Worse than the downed trees was the overgrowth of plants near the trail, constricting the trail to a four to six inch width for much of the walk once we got too far in to go back. Brush of all types scratched at my legs and arms. Sadly, I had worn shorts.  Invisible cobwebs continuously broke against my face.  My tick anxiety kicked in and by the end of the hike, I felt as if I were submerged in a tub of ticks.  I never found a tick on me, but many ticks are nearly microscopic, so obviously my fears are not unfounded. Back at home, I submerged myself in a bathtub of water.  Then I hit the couch with my computer, looking at images of sad animals whose ears were filled with hundreds of ticks. For the rest of the day, I had shortness of breath, and nausea.  Things went from bad to worse when we discovered that the old air conditioning unit we had replaced in our bedroom had a wasp nest inside it. We had left it on a chair in the bedroom after putting the new unit in the window. Wasps were flying everywhere in the bedroom.  Luckily, Husbandman handled the situation with aplomb and surprising bravery.  I sat on the couch, unable to read, completely out of sorts. Anxiety (shortness of breath alternating with small sobs) took hold of me and would not let go until we took ourselves out to a movie called Beguiled.  It was good and you should see it if you feel like it.  We then went to a restaurant for Chinese food which did a lot to bring me out of my anxious tub of ticks stupor.  Today I'm mostly fine.  I still feel like bugs are crawling on me, but I just have to live with that for awhile I guess.
 Husbandman and I are heading to Indianapolis to hear MIGHTY BROTHER play at the Eiteljorg.