Friday, May 1, 2009

Earthworms and Cats and Ticks...Oh My...

OK, first off I have to apologize for not having any new photos for today's post. Both batteries to my digital camera are dead, and organized person that I am, I can't seem to find the charger. It's around here some where.......


So, between rain showers, I finally got a bit of my garden in today. Not all of it mind you, but a good bit of it. It's actually a trial and error type of thing. I have a feeling some of my plants will be moved before all is said and done. I may have planted them too close together. But, at least they are in the ground.

The soil here isn't the best, but a while back, when I dug out my little garden spot, I tossed a couple bags of Miracle Grow Organic Garden Soil on top. I am trying to grow my veggies with no chemicals, which is why I chose the organic mix. As I was digging and planting, I did come across some wiggly little earthworms, which is a good thing. Maybe there's hope after all.

Muffin followed me out into the yard, as usual. I'm a pretty realistic person. I know there is no way I'm going to be able to keep her, or any of the other little monsters....I mean felines...completely out of my garden. But, about five minutes after I got my icicle radish sprouts planted, she was playing around, tossing a dirt clump in the air, and she dug one of my radish babies up. So, I told her to get out of my garden (she just laughed at that one) and replanted the sprout. Cats!!!

Then, there is the tick problem. I have a feeling it's going to be a bad year for ticks. I walked back into the house and immediately pulled one off my pants leg. Of course, any time I work in my garden, I will head right for the shower and scrub like crazy. I am so paranoid about ticks. Any time I find one on my person, it's all I can do not to run screaming hysterically around the house. And for good reason, too. Let me explain....

When I was a kid of about 5 or 6 I reckon, Dad decided to take me camping on one of our weekend visits. So, late into the evening of our first day on this little trip, I suddenly started screaming and holding the side of my head. Dad had no idea what was wrong, just that I was going nuts basically. The youngest of my brothers, Dennis, was along with us on this trip, and Dad figured he had done something. (Dennis was picking on me a lot apparently.)

Dad started getting onto Dennis for picking on me, and in the mean time, I kept on screaming. Deciding something else entirely was going on, he piled us into the car and and off we went to the ER. Upon close examination, the doctor found that a tick had gotten into my ear and was sitting right on top of my eardrum. (There was no pain as it hadn't bitten me, but the screaming was set off by the crawling of the thing I'm sure.) **shiver**

The doctor was worried about getting the tick out as quickly as possible so it wouldn't bite into my eardrum of course, but he didn't want to try and get it out with any type of long instrument as I might not be able to sit still and a worse injury could ensue. I guess the solution was obvious. While nurses, my dad and the hospital janitor probably, held me down, he shined a light into my ear and let the tick crawl....SLOWLY....up on its own. Yeah, there was more screaming involved. But, it did work.

Now, I know that was a long story, but can't you see why I am so nuts when it comes to ticks. My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest when I find one of those things on me. And if it's actually attached, I'm just plain gone. I can't even remove it...have to get Chris to get it. (The things he puts up with.)

I have a feeling this gardening thing is going to be interesting......

2 comments:

Angie, Catladyland said...

Ticks totally creep me out!

I admire people who grow their own veggies. I'm not much of a gardener.

Susan M. Bell said...

Yeah, well, we'll see just how much of a gardener I really am. My hopes aren't too high. Did well with my tomatoes last year, so at least there's a chance I'll do pretty well with those.

Wait until you see my post about where I'm planting my cabbage. You'll laugh at that one. :)