ANTS IN MY PANTS AND OTHER CREATURES

So, always the usual saga of interesting things happening at the farm, and this weekend was not to be any different.  We did get to do several things out there that I will share in the upcoming days.

So we get there on Saturday and walk in and one of the cabinet doors in the kitchen is wide open!  Now, did I forget to close it last time I was there?  Or did something come up from under the house, through the openings around the pipes under the sink and "force" its way out by pushing them open?

No thank you, I don't want to be there and hear the door squeak open in the middle of the night, so off to the hardware store we went to get this:

Child safety lock!  Ain't nothing getting through those doors without a fight!  The noise is bound to give me time to get a broom, or a knife, or whatever.

I got all the mowing done and while mowing, I saw a couple of toads and, of course, mowed around them.  But this little guy/gal kept hopping into the path of the mower so I had to get off and push him to hop a different direction.



Image courtesy of davesgarden.com



...and then there were the baby bunnies jumping out of every thicket of brush I mowed near.  Since they were fast as, well, bunnies, I found this random photo online for your viewing pleasure.  

So then on Sunday, I go out there by myself.  I was digging holes for some more fruit trees and I had scooped up a shovel full of dirt and tossed it into some brush, but just then a big wind blew through and most of it blew back my direction.  Thinking nothing of it, I kept working.  Then I felt it.  A sting on my leg.  Then another on my arm.  Then another on my head.  Then another under my shirt.

Fire Ants!!!  I had thrown a shovel full of fire ants into the wind and then stood downwind of them.  They blew back onto me and a few landed pretty much all over me.  A couple of them in my hair, a few on my arms, and a couple that managed to crawl down my shirt into my pants, while a couple more crawled up from my shoes into my pants.  Really?  THIS AGAIN?  

They are vile, nasty little creatures that don't need to exist.  For those in other parts of the country/world, they are relatively small ants that have a nasty bite that burns (hence the name).  It also leaves a little pimple-like bump for a couple of days after biting.  Thankfully all of my little bumps will be covered by clothing for the duration of this week at work and I won't subject you to photographic images of said bumps.  Mental note for the future, never toss anything upwind while standing downwind...you never know what will come back on you.

DIE FIRE ANTS, DIE!

However, all this fun in the sun over the weekend did lead to my first

'farmer's tan'.  Isn't that what it's called?

My arm

Both arms burned red from the short sleeves down...the face and front and back of neck burned as well?  The rest of everything pasty Winter white?  Yep, that's me today.  Thankfully, once again, in addition my ant bumps, the long sleeve work shirts will cover this up all week...unless I wanted to go this route:

Image courtesy of cafepress.com

My boss might not appreciate it though, so long sleeve button down it is.

I will NOT however be entering any contest like this:

Sadly, once again, NOT ME in this photo

Never a dull moment in the country, but you know what?

I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I love every minute of it

(though some minutes less than others).