Camping.
.Is it rational to engage in such an activity? Come on,People, let's think this through... We "invest" money on items that we don't usually need, and overstuff our motor vehicles with those items to the point where the passengers barely have room to breathe. Then we spend an extended time in a rough and remote location in order to make a futile attempt to simulate the comforts of our house in the 'burbs, which we're getting away from in the first place.
.
But all in all, it was nice. The weather was warm, but not too hot during the day, and refreshingly cool at night. It didn't rain the whole time we were out there. The stuff we forgot at home or left behind was not critical to the experience. The cooks (including Mrs. Craver did a fantastic job with the meals..
Not to take anything away from the work that anyone else did, but if I may be so bold, I wish to extend the Most Valuable Player award to an inanimate object..
Why? Because the mosquitoes were unbelievable!
The campground staff were saying things like, "I've been here ten years, and I've never seen it this bad!" Just before driving home, I counted twenty mosquito bites on my left hand alone. It was so distracting to have so many mosquitoes around us all the time. They just wouldn't quit! .
Let me say something about linguistic potential. The "I hate mosquitos" mantra could have become an all-around, multipurpose phrase, much like the Polynesian term "aloha." Context determined whether "I hate mosquitoes" meant "Good morning." or "Are you using this canoe?" ...but I digress..
Our campsite was equipped with an electric outlet, so we hooked-up a bug zapper. I couldn't say whether it caused any measurable decrease in bug bites, but if we go down, we go down fighting! BZZZZT!!.
Bug Zapper image by: Darren Palmer
Mosquito image by:
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13 comments:
Oh, I'd be toast. If a mosquito is within a 10 mile radius of my arm, it somehow finds it. The other night I was outside in the yard and counted no less than 6 bites in the 10 minutes I was outside. . .
Got to say - I hate camping...or at least what I remember of it...it's been ages.
As for the skeeters, I'm a magnet for them. If I'm one of three guys standing around in the woods...I come out covered in welts while the other two escape unscathed. What's up with that?
I've come to just love being immersed in nature!! I would love to do a camping excursion, but Wes isn't too fond of that, so I'm thinking maybe we should go rent out a cabin for a weekend in the Smoky Mountains. That would be really cool.
But no mosquitoes. They are not worthy of my blood. I still see no purpose for them on earth. Or roaches. Or cicadas. I literally screamed and ran upstairs when a cicada flew in one night....
I love camping but but but.. no mosquitoes please.
Aah it's a wish then I guess. However hard we try to move them away, they don't forget to sing in our ears.
And the wild ones are so big... They must be drinking (oh yeah, drinking) 10 ml blood at a time.
:((
I love camping. In California. On the coast with no mosquitoes.
They're bad this year. We no longer play outside after dinner, and that's a sad thing. But we were being eaten alive...in our own yard!!!
I seem to be the Jack Bauer of mosquitoes; they don't dare cross my path. Either that or they hate me.
I hate mosquitoes,
--pete
p.s. tag is coming shortly.
Yes, we also noticed that in our recent time away. We were saying that we experienced the "attack of the killer mosquitoes" on one hike. We literally came running out of the woods. And I picked huge fern fronds to give to the kids, as mosquito swipers.
Sometimes my littlest daughter asks, do you think there were mosquitoes in the Garden of Eden? Well, how's that for a theological stumper?
I hate mosquitos. Which is why I'm glad that I'll be staying behind when Musing Dad and two of our girls go camping this weekend. The point of camping? You forgot to mention how bonding of an experience it can be. Just think of all those memories you have that you'll be able to share with your fellow campers. My husband still talks about the church campout four years ago that fell prey to the "plague of flies". And I'm sure in the years to come you'll reflect back on your trip saying, "remember all the mosquitos that one time? I hate mosquitos."
Ok I apologize if this seems "inappropriate" being that it's taken from a beer commercial, but honestly these are some of my favorite commercials...they absolutely crack me up (it really has nothing to do with beer at all). But your blog post made me think of this so here is is. The words in parentheses are supposed to be sung.
Bud Light Presents Real Men of Genius
(Real Men of Genius!)
This 4th of July we salute you Mr. Backyard Bug Zapper Inventor
(Mr. Backyard Bug Zapper Inventor!)
Not content to harmlessly repel insects with lotion, you discovered a way to fry them with electricity until their bodies explode
(Zap! Ka-boom!)
Ah, the sounds of summer... Crickets chirping, birds singing, the blood curdling scream of a moth having 700 volts of electricity shoot through its body.
(Music to my ears)
Every night, a magical explosion of exoskeleton and insect goo that can only mean one thing...summer's here
(Die bugs die!)
So crack open an ice cold Bud Light Mr. June Bug Blaster
Then sit back and watch the fireworks
(Mr. Backyard Bug Zapper Inventor!)
Camping's great - but what yiu have to do is go camping with me because every mosquito will attack me and leave you alone!
Keep smiling
David
I like the idea of camping with campfire, etc. Just haven't been around or part of people who wanted to do it.
I do want to adventure more. Though fighting mosquitoes doesn't sound like the kind of adventure I'm interested in.
I've tried to leave messages on here for the last couple of weeks, but they keep disappearing! I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I'll give it another shot:
You should see my husband camp. He can go for weeks with just a backpack, and he has that down to a certain weight. (3 back surgeries will do that for you!) But he's got it down to a science. Me, give me a camper/trailer/Winnebago....I'll be content. ha!
One of my favorite quotes for students is: "If you think you're too small to make a difference, you've obviously never slept in the same room as a mosquito."
Craver, you would love these tennis racket looking things they have over here. They have metal wiring and are used to swing at mosquitoes and zap them. Great fun.
I don't know why the comments didn't stick, Stacy. What a drag. I'm glad you got through this time! I'm gonna have to get me one of them racquet thingies.
Before I move on, I have to say it one more time, Y'all... I hate mosquitoes.
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