Gross encounters of the third kind...

Here we are in August! Hard to believe that summer slowly waining, and the nights aren't quite a long as they were last month. But man oh man the humidity has kicked in just as people warned us. These past few days haven't been to bad compared to one day this week you walked out the door and just felt damp.

Along with the heat come the Cicadas. The loud nasty flying beetle like things which huge wings and they make an ear piercing hissing sound that when the cluster in the trees makes it hard to hear yourself think! The other day I was driving with the windows down and I kept hearing a noise and it would get loud and then softer and loud again. I thought for sure it was the car, nope it was the cicadas I was driving through a very wooded road and that tends to be their favorite spot. Now those who know me and flying beetles or bugs other than flies or butterflies know how I can react. In Halifax we get June Bugs which are large black shiny beetles that stick, yes stick! They fall from the trees or where ever and will stick to you, and oh just thinking about them I get the creeps! Of course to kill them is rather gross too, as you can imagine the crunch they make. A funny story about my friend Pam and I, I was over to Pam's house one evening and she walked me to the door and we opened the door to see a June Bug sitting in waiting on the threshold. I lost my mind. I had a skirt on and refused to jump over the bug in case I went up my long skirt I was wearing. I was screaming she was screaming it was hilarious! We slammed the door shut and waited hoping the bug would go away on it own. LOL. Good times. Poor Pam the things I have put that woman through, but man we have laughs. The best story though it the time she and I went camping at Hubbard's beach just outside Halifax. I had my little tent and she had hear brand new tent. We got all set up the black flies were terrible! I remember my glasses went flying off my face at one point because I was trying to get them off me. That night it rained and I was not and experience tent camper, and I was under a tree on a hill so the water ran under my tent and I was freezing. I don't think I slept that night at all. Finally the sun comes up the next day and I was already up and at it. Pam rolls out of her tent with pillow marks on her face, and said how warm she was and cozy in her tent she didn't even know it rained! Turns out she had a sleeping bag that went to the deepest lows, and I had just a comforter, again not an experienced camper at the time. I was grouchy and not feeling great from the cold so we decided we would pack up and leave for warmer pastures. As I was taking down my tent which had the black collapsible poles, and something went gliding across my tent and I started screaming and Pam thought it was a snake so the two of us fools were running around our site thinking there was a snake, when it turned out it was one of my tent poles. I think we peed our pants laughing when we made our discovery.

Anyway I digress, yes I am coping with the Cicadas, even when I think they are mocking me. I came home yesterday and there was one belly up on our step. He is still sitting there, I refuse to touch it. Lola has been having a field day trying to catch them through the window. Times like these when I know she would likely be happier as an outdoor cat but I am happier she is an indoor cat and can't bring them inside. Don't worry she finds other creatures that come in the house to show me, spiders, centipedes and the occasional fly.

Along with the Cicadas comes allergies. Mine have been pretty ugly all season long but lately they have gotten much worse. The other day my head was so congested that I couldn't hear out one ear. So while we were out getting our groceries I went to the organic isle and found a Neti Pot. I have seen these around for years and I knew people swore by them but I had my reservations. In case you aren't sure what a Neti Pot is, it's a ceramic (Aladdin's Lamp) looking thing, and you fill it with fine salt and warm water and put in up your nose and it comes out the other nostril. No one said it was going to be pretty! But it is suppose to help you clear your sinuses and is cleans out dust and pollen from your nostrils. I thought at this point what have I got to loose. We got home and I got it all setup and ready to go. I read the directions several times thinking how am I not going to choke on this. It wasn't that bad really. I was amazed at how much clearer my head felt. My ear unclogged a bit, I felt I could breathe easier so I though okay job done! Paul listened as I laughed and cleared my head waiting for the sounds of choking I am sure. He was to nervous to watch or try it himself. Mind you I don't think I would want him to watch me do this. Got up this am and I was my usual stuffy morning head but not as bad and most morning and I could still hear out my ear. It sucks having allergies that live in your upper sinuses. So I did the Neti again. This time to a captive audience, Lola decided to be my shadow, she sat on the back of the toilet and watched me do this. I got a little stage fright I must say. I was more worried she would come running over to drink the water draining from my head. Let's be real people! She is an animal and sometimes animals do nasty things, thankfully she didn't. Just another Sunday morning!

Would I recommend the neti pot? I would say try it for sure. I am not so sure if it's for everyone cause you do get the faint sense of water up your nose which is not always pleasant. It did help though. How about you? Anyone have non-medical ideas or rituals to keep their allergies at bay? Suggestions welcome!