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Along the Natchez Trace

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

What's the Buzzzzzz?


The blood suckers are bad here....

There are the mosquitoes that just love fresh blood from folks new to Maine.

They actually have the audacity to sell these guys in the Nature Store gift shop.  Talk about adding insult to injury...  and if you press their tummy, they buzz or a few seconds.  WOW!  Just what I need!


And, of course, the black flies... and the moose flies (I can't tell the difference from the deer flies in Ohio and the moose flies here... except we don't have moose in Ohio)... they both have a nasty bite and are pesky critters.

Sorry Judy...  the deer/moose fly experiment is a dismal failure....  the only positive thing I can say is that you can actually smash a moose/deer fly while it's piercing your skin...  or someone else's skin if you feel like giving that person a hefty swat.  I don't know whether they're slow or just saturated with blood and can't move fast.  (I'm talking about the fly... not the person I swat)

The No See Ums.... little buggers hit and run... don't even give a person a fighting chance.

Just last week I learned that there are leeches in Moose Marsh. LOTS of leeches! I can tell you right now that it will be a cold day in hell when I so much as put on waders and wander out that way!

My mother was a wonderful woman. I don't think I'll ever be able to blog about her because there just aren't words to express how many lives she touched and how influencial she was.

One thing she taught me was... You have to give back. No matter how little you have, you must share what you have.

Well, after a divorce in 1977, I was dirt poor. The big treat of the week was to buy a pizza for the kids with what money I had left over on Friday night.

But I really had listened to Ma. (Now I wish I could hear her again)

So... although I had no money, I was certainly healthy and able.... so I donated blood.

Every other month (as often as was allowed) I'd get myself to the Red Cross Blood Mobile and donate a pint of blood.

Things got better in my life. I met Bill and hey... we could actually eat out on a Friday night!

But I continued to give my blood to the Red Cross to use for whoever needed it.


To shorten this story up a bit, in 1996 I was scheduled for the knee surgery.  Since I'd had pneumonia a couple of times the routine check x-ray was replaced with a CT-Scan.  It showed that I didn't have TB (heck, I thought that was a thing of the past)... BUT.... it showed that I had a nodule on my thyroid.


Knee surgery got cancelled..... shoot! Now I'm scheduled for throat surgery.

The first surgery... inconclusive diagnosis.... the 2nd surgery at the James Cancer Clinic... still inconclusive.

No longer any thyroid, But... now I'm told I can no longer donate blood.

Drat! I'm one donation short of 8 gallons!

I think about sneaking in and donating one more time....

But... would my “inconclusive” diagnosis be harmful to anyone? I sure wouldn't want that.

Now... here I am.... 16 years later.... healthy as can be..... but....

These dratted mosquitoes are feasting on me..... So are the black flies.... and the moose flies are having a good meal as well....

All I can hope is that my blood is really tainted with some dreadful disease and those pesky critters are gonna pay!

So now, when I swat a mosquito or curse at a black fly... I just say.... Wait until you get Hurthel Cell Neoplasm you little blood sucker.... you'll be sorry!

Guess I never will get up to 8 gallons at the blood bank.... but hey, Ma, I tried!  

That's All For Today!


9 comments:

  1. You really aren't making Maine sound all that wonderful to visit with all the bugs (which I really really really really hate). When do they go away so someone like me can visit and survive? I admire those who donate blood. I've had pernicious anemia for 35 or so years and they definitely don't want my blood. But from my reckoning you'll reach your 8 gallons shortly just not to the blood bank.

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  2. The bloodsuckers. You tell em. I was coming up on a big gallon marker myself when they didn't want me sharing around my drug program. It was fun getting though, though.

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  3. Do the flies etc. die in the fall frosts?

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  5. You are a joy. One donation short of 8 gallons. At least it's not like being one card short of a full deck! Or one brick short of a full load! You have done an amazing thing and should be very proud of that. But stop donating to those damned mosquitoes and flies!

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  6. Or one can short of a six pack. You done good, and you continue to 'give back' through your volunteering.

    I haven't gotten that spam on my writing yet. Lucky you. :)

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  7. Going on 8 gallons? That is utterly amazing! It's a shame you're in a holding pattern to donate that last pint, but just the same, good goin' gal!

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  8. Great story, made me really happy that we haven't had bugs for awhile now!

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  9. Reminds me of the story of the two mosquitoes trying to decide what to do with their latest human victim. One said let's flip for it, heads we eat him hear, tails we take him home! Those are really BIG mosquitoes you have there for sure.

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