chiggers and spiders and bears

as summer comes to nashville i find myself covered in red bumps. i've been getting bit by chiggers on a pretty regular basis for about 3 weeks now. you'd think i'd spray on some bug spray by now, but i haven't.

a few mornings ago i woke up with a new bite. it didn't itch, and it was hard to the touch. i thought it was interesting, but didn't think much of it. that afternoon i was doing laundry. when i pulled my sheets off my bed a dead spider fell out. i picked it up by the leg and sure enough, it had an upside down violin on its head. i called my doctor and they just told me to ice it and watch it for any changes including necrotic tissue. so far so good, i think it's shrinking now. and to think i get bit in my apartment rather than at camp where i've known of a few people to get bit.



i found another dead one yesterday when i was digging through the mountain of laundry. i'm a little freaked out and considering not being such a slob. i'm ready to get rid of a whole bunch of stuff i never use (and ask the apt complex what kind of pest control they use). it's funny how every single crevice and crack becomes obvious when you know what can be hiding in it. check your sheets before you climb in!

on a happier note, megan, blue and i headed east to the smokies to go camping with my family. it was a great trip, and the most fun i've had there in a few years. my little cousins are growing up fast. i discovered how out of shape i am after hiking 6 miles over roots and rocks and barely being able to walk the next day. getting old i guess.