Silent Retribution

I always knew it could happen...but NEVER to me.

My house lies in a constant state of "stand still" while I'm sleeping...or so I thought.

Perhaps they were just biding their time...waiting and stalking and synchronizing their fangs until the right moment they can strike.

And my last post was the straw that broke the camel spiders back. It was the confession that I use bug spray and Off! to kill spiders and any other vermon that would threaten my relaxation while camping and laying in my hammock.

I woke up a few days ago with a red bump on the inside of my upper arm. I gave it my best nurse's inspection (as I am 1/4 nurse now that 1st semester is behind me!) and moved on.

Day 2, the reddened area was four times larger and the center was blackish/brown. Fleeting thoughts ran through the recesses of my mind that perhaps it was the calling card of a nocturnal visitor...an unwanted visitor. I quickly shewed the thoughts away.

Day 3...cue doctor. Indeed my thoughts and fears were confirmed. My fingers gripped the arms of the chair as the words so flippantly poured past his lips. "Ooooh, let's take a look a that! It's a spider bite for sure." (Could this man seriously be enthused about this?! Does he not know what this means?! There was a spider. In. My. Bed. On me! While I slumbered. Navigating my person as if to be on a midnight hike through the tundra.)

Unacceptable!

I literally shuddered in the chair in the exam room as he continued to talk. I verbally notified him of my severe (and over the top) fear of all things arachnid. He tried to make it better by reassuring me that it was not a brown recluse bite. I would not have returned home if he would have said otherwise.

I'm sad, I know. But seriously, I killed three black widow spiders in my backyard in the past two summers. I can't take any chances!

I think I need a bubble suit to sleep in.

Summer Fun: Camping

Unfortunately, this camping trip is not a recent one. This dates back to summer 2009. A weekend trip with my brother, sister-in-law, two nieces and of course, a very, very excited Daisy Lou.


It is a favorite thing of mine to pitch a tent, hang the hammock, start a fire and lay or sit beneath the canopy of trees.


And a camping trip with any one from my family proves to be a fun adventure! We always know how to make things interesting. On this particular trip my brother Eric waged a contest to see who could get a fire going first. From the start, he didn't lay out any rules or mention items we couldn't use, therefore, I made my way to my hiking pack and pulled out the following items: My survival knife, fire starter sticks, and a lighter.

If my memory serves me correct, I do believe he gave me a hard time about the lighter and fire starter sticks once he saw them, and I politely reminded him that he never said what we could and couldn't use. His method involved tree sap and striking flint. (which I'll get to the tree sap in a bit.)


So guess who got a fire started first!? Yep. I was never a boy scout (for obvious reasons) but when it comes to the outdoors, I'm always prepared.

My brother had success with the tree sap, and Punkin sure enjoyed burning and charring things just because she could! But before long, with the combined efforts of all our flames and charred kindling, we had a blazing fire just perfect to start dinner with!


Another fantastic thing about camping in this family, is that you're sure to eat well! I can remember dad cooking up fried potatoes, eggs, bacon, and sausage for breakfast and roasts with carrots and potatoes for dinner, or pork chops...it was and is always a culinary delight!

My brother made a delicious Low Country Boil, minus the shrimp this time but chock full of cajun seasoning!

The picture above is proof of how much of a weenie I truly am...I must confess that although I speak highly of the outdoors and praise a Mighty God for His beautiful creation, the one thing that can send me running and screaming like the girl I am is a spider. Go ahead and laugh or chuckle or shake your head in disbelief, but before I can even get one foot in my hammock I spray the perimeter with bug spray. If not, I have these visions of laying quite comfortably in my hammock, swinging ever so slightly and watching the tree tops dance in the wind and it all being brought to a halt by eight legs and two beady eyes. So yes, I am a weenie. But I'm okay with that.

Okay, so now for the educational portion of this post. My brother taught me something, that my other brother taught him. Tree sap makes a great fire starter! Above is a picture of Punkin scraping sap from a pine tree. When lit, sap will burn for quite a while, and in the process will also ignite small kindling and leaves. Below is a shot of some sap burning.





And to continue on with the fun educational portion of this post, I also had to get a little inventive on this trip. I've reached the age where I can no longer sleep on the ground when camping, I (and my joints) prefer an air mattress these days. I had let a friend borrow mine so I searched my house for the next best thing. I have a self-inflating mattress, but it doesn't do the trick for me, but I found a pool float in my laundry room and figured I would give it a try.


I ended up sliding the pool float down into my sleeping bag to keep it contained and from shifting out from under me. I had a quilt with me to cover up with so it all worked out perfectly! I slept so well that night, that the pool float is now and always will be a permanent fixture in my hiking pack. Much lighter than an air mattress and takes less time to inflate too!

All this talk of camping really has me wanting to make haste to the great outdoors, but alas the school and work schedule will not allow it most likely until next summer. Reminiscing is the next best thing : )

CUT IT OUT

So...obviously I'm beating the heat by spending a bit of time on youtube...okay, okay, I've essentially wasted two hours. But here's another MysteryGuitarMan video if you need a quick break from the day!

Phone Book Samba Stomp

I came across this dude on youtube, not sure of his story, but his videos make me laugh! Oh, to have that much creativity! I wouldn't know what to do with myself...other than use my house to make videos for youtube all week. Anywho...here's a fun one....

Heat Wave Silliness

Since it is just about too hot to think here in the Ohio Valley, (although I did trim the hedges, plant two blueberry bushes and hit a photo assignment in this heat...) I've spent the rest of my day snuggled up to the air conditioner and cruising through youtube videos. Probably not the best use of my time, but my mind needed a break from all the thinking. I won't complain about my medical microbiology class, but I REALLY wish there would have been a way to avoid such scholarly endeavors in the summertime! Anywho, here is the final entertaining little video I came across. Sit back, rest in the coolness of the AC and chuckle along...or shake your head in disbelief that I can find such things to be entertaining! Whatever floats your boat!

The New Toothless Grin

Oh the sweetness of the six-year old grin!

And the sweetness of the six-year-old face in general : )

I walked into my mom's house where Little Lauren Bug scurried into my arms. We talked for a second and then I saw it. The square hole in her mouth where a front tooth once resided. With an award-winning dramatic flair, I dropped her to her feet, raised my hands in the air and asked, "What happened to your tooth?!?" "Where did it go!?" She giggled and then immediately realized she forgot to show her Nana her new toothless grin! As fast as lightning she was off to the other room calling for Nana.


Aunt Amby had to celebrate the occasion with an impromptu photo shoot of her precious smile. Because before too long she'll be sportin' braces and running with her middle school friends and no longer scurrying to jump into our arms.

I told my sister-in-law I wasn't sure where they got her, but she sure is fun! She is a character for sure.

Friday Night Photo Assignment

Gotta love these Summer Concerts in the park!

I was commissioned to photograph Skip Bond and the Fugitives as they took to the stage this evening. To my delight, these fellas are from Bowling Green, KY., a town dear to my heart as I lived there for five years some years ago. Great to talk about a town I adore with actual locals! : )



The concert was on an hour rain delay, but that gave rise to some fun umbrella shots. These ladies were fabulous and willing to wait how ever long it took to see the band. They are big fans.

And these are some of my favorite images! While standing in front of the crowd taking shots of the band, a nosey little bug made it's way down my shirt! I thought I kept feeling something on me but could never feel or find it so I didn't pay any attention and kept shooting pictures. Finally I cornered the little bugger between my hand and shirt and then it bit me! I quickly made an escape behind the stage to try to get it out and hopefully not be seen wriggling and squirming and looking down my shirt by all of Henderson! After I gathered myself I looked up to see this....


What is neat about these pictures is that you can see the rain falling when the picture is enlarged. I like back-lit silhouettes anyway.

So aside from the pesky wardrobe invader, it was a fun night! Now, off to piddle with the sewing machine and a dress that is in the works before hitting the hay and then another photo session tomorrow with one of my favorite clients!