Mark Twain was right about a golf ball spoiling a good walk. However, nothing ruins a walk for me faster than insects. I know they are somehow part of the ecosystem but I find them bothersome. When things annoy us we say they "bug us" because insects are called bugs. At their best insects pollinate some stuff. At their worst they carry Black Plague and Malaria. I suppose maybe the butterfly has some redeeming qualities but certainly not the moth.
Do horse flies get their name because they pester horses' eyes or because they are nearly as big as a horse? Daily, I walk past many an acre where horses pasture. These flies are trained to only bite my legs and back. I can't reach them on my back and when I swat them on my legs I trip myself with a dog leash and look like a combination of Chevy Chase and John Belushi.
There are two other flying pests worth mentioning. The world famous mosquito, which in Iowa only seems to light on the back of a walkers neck and those damned swarming fleas which I always seem to breathe into my body before I realize the are in front of me. We need less insects and more beer!
Recently, I came across a swarm of butterflies. They began to land on my shirt. It was annoying.
I have two choices. Dress with long pants, long sleeve shirt with a turtle neck or spray everything with neet including the back of my shirt. There is a third choice. Become one with nature and learn to enjoy offering your body as a host.
Do horse flies get their name because they pester horses' eyes or because they are nearly as big as a horse? Daily, I walk past many an acre where horses pasture. These flies are trained to only bite my legs and back. I can't reach them on my back and when I swat them on my legs I trip myself with a dog leash and look like a combination of Chevy Chase and John Belushi.
There are two other flying pests worth mentioning. The world famous mosquito, which in Iowa only seems to light on the back of a walkers neck and those damned swarming fleas which I always seem to breathe into my body before I realize the are in front of me. We need less insects and more beer!
Recently, I came across a swarm of butterflies. They began to land on my shirt. It was annoying.
I have two choices. Dress with long pants, long sleeve shirt with a turtle neck or spray everything with neet including the back of my shirt. There is a third choice. Become one with nature and learn to enjoy offering your body as a host.
I'll take the second choice.
ReplyDeleteHey John!!
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog! How fun. I'm enjoying your anecdotes and tips.
And if you need more bug experiences - you can come down to El Salvador and visit me - I could tell you a few things about bugs ... size and quantity - oh - and VARIETY! They can be very cool if you take a few moments to really look at some of them. Although I confess to taking guilty pleasure at zapping (with my handy battery powered tennis racket bug zapper)as many mosquitos as I can in a given moment.
Hope all is well.
kathy mahler