Relative Something

It is now July, and this is Monday, and I am back at work today after having stayed as long as possible yesterday at the lake with family and friends. Oh well. The weather at the lake was fantastic all weekend. It was hot (the sand on the beach, incredibly so), but that was no problem with the lake right there for instant comfort.

Now, being back in town, away from a lake, with a predicted week of hot, hot weather, I am REALLY missing the paradise of Big Round Lake. Many members of Cyndie’s family, and other friends in the community are staying up there for the coming week. Cyndie came home with me last night, but is looking into heading back up mid-week, without me. I will need to find my way up there again on Friday.

Looks like I brought a souvenir home with me from the past weekend. My first thought was, poison ivy, but this is just different enough to be mysterious. We are wondering about chiggers. Cyndie’s first hesitation was that no one else seems to be experiencing similar reaction, so why just me? Upon further consideration, I came up with one potential place of exposure where I walked that no one else did.

I helped inflate a new Rave Sports water tramp, and then carry it into the water. There are 4 handles distributed along the perimeter of the raft, and we walked it out across the dock by the boats. That meant that two people were on the dock, and two of us were in the water on either side. I walked through some grass and reeds into the lake to carry it far enough to slide it across  the dock into the water, toward the beach side. My path took me through a route where nobody would otherwise be walking. I overcame my aversion to walking through the wild area, for the good of the project we were working to accomplish.

Apparently, I have been rewarded for my efforts, with some unwelcome guests. The red welts are just wonderful on top of the faint sunburn I also acquired over the hours of fun in the sun. This life of luxury is not without consequences.

Here is a wonderful blossom that was among the reeds and tall grasses through which I traipsed: