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Jul 18, 2010

MOTHER NATURE - OW!


Nestling in the woods above a winding stream the holiday bungalow was comfy and spacious and equipped with all mod cons. The weather was wonderful too - hot-hot-hot(!) with only two rather violent thunderstorms - and the Park amenities were excellent. Swimming, eating, walking, eating, climbing, eating, bowling and eating...!! Well, what the h*ck! Isn't that all part of enjoying a good holiday? Even though lots of normally 'forbidden' snacks and sweeties are now (despite all that activity) lodged for the unforeseeable future around the old hips and tum....

The setting was great; surrounded as we were with numerous different sorts of interesting trees, filled with birds of many lovely colours and inclination (I like birds). Cheeky Tom-Tits; raucous Jays; bossy Magpies; and busy mother ducks with their numerous fluffy offspring, all anxious to share our picnic breakfasts.

We were even treated to an occasional glimpse of two red squirrels, chattering at us from high up in the trees, although too timid to come down whilst we were outside.

All in all, Dutch Mother Nature at her most relaxing, picturesque and charming best....

WOAH... back up for just a moment there Geri!...

AND her worst!!!!!!!!!! *scratch, scratch*

Yup, I got bitten, remorselessly - by creeping, flying, whining, buzzing, horrible buggy things! Have been home two days now, but am still scratching at big red lumps on arms and legs. The one just above the left knee looks suspiciously tick-like too...
Why didn't I use the repellent on offer? Because I'm an idiot, that's why...tsk!

The second week of my summer holiday will be in Scotland, starting at the beginning of August - but since the end of last week the picture of beautiful highlands and the interesting woods and wild life they have there too, is now rapidly giving way to a vision of dozens of ominous clouds of.....midges!! I saw on the UK news recently that these pesky, tiny devils had actually driven hoards of camping tourists away....

Ah well - that's Nature, I guess. Take it or leave it.

I'll take it - but will be smearing myself in with 'anti-bug' from head to toe, the moment I leave the plane. Oh yeah..!

Happy holidays everyone! And take care, wherever you go.

8 comments:

Grannymar said...

Welcome back Geri! Well... I think it is a welcome... I am scratching just reading this! lol.

Geri Atric said...

Thanks Grannymar! Isn't that the way of it - see (or read) someone else doing it and off you go too! We used to set each other off like that in class at school, with yawning. Very contagious!!

steph said...

Love the cartoon, Geri!

Welcome back! I missed your tales of adventures รก la Geri.

From what I remember of a camping holiday in the Scottish Highlands many decades ago, dawn and dusk were the problem times with those pesky midges.

If I were you, I'd use it as an excuse to stay in bed late and make sure to be indoors at dusk no matter how beautiful the weather.

I see you like birds. If you were to come back in another life as a bird, which one do you think you'd be?

Geri Atric said...

Hi Steph! Have just checked the Scottish weather and it is awful at the moment (wet)! So if rain and midges are par for the course, I reckon there will indeed be a lot of early nights, with a pile of good books - and a lot of long lay ins!!

If I were to come back as a bird...? Then it would be the strong and brave Albatross - drifting forever, lonesome and free. Except of course for the couple of months when nature calls to meet up again for a bit of good loving from the one true, faithfull, lifelong mate - to produce the annual chick!
Failing that, perhaps a wily, cunning Crow..(?) They seem able to survive anywhere. But on second thoughts, living in a perpetual murder (i.e., 'Murder of Crows') sounds rather ruthless (!) and that I have never been, or feel I could ever be.
So Albatross it is then!!!

How about yourself Steph? Or would you chose some other species of animal?

steph said...

Geri

I often dream that I can fly (I'm sure psychoanalysis has it's own theory on this) and that I can swoop around corners with great speed and accuracy.

I wouldn't mind what bird I was as long as I could glide through the sky like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubeVUnGQOIk

Geri Atric said...

Steph ~ I have to take two 'planes at the end of this month - but I'd much rather have a pair of wings of my own to rely on!

Typed in the youtube link - but it can't be the clip you meant (there are quite a few) because the only thing I can see 'flying', is a poor Russian donkey, strapped to a paraglider?? Pity it couldn't swing around and sh*t on the fools who sent it up there!!

jay said...

Ah, I feel your pain! If there's anything out there that lives on human blood, it's going to make a beeline (or perhaps that should be a mosquito-line) for me. I don't like repellants, other than the natural ones like citronella, but I do use an 'After Bite' pen which my chemist recommended. It does work (provided you're not sensitive to ammonia) and is worth carrying around with you.

However, if you're going to be surrounded by midges, you'd be better to take preventative measures - perhaps the midge hat, which looks like a beekeeper's veil attached to a safari hat. The locals might laugh, but who cares? LOL!

Geri Atric said...

Jay ~ I have always wondered why mozzies go for some people and not others (?) Midges are not so choosy! I like the sound of that hat.

My daughter here in Holland has some repellent she uses for my youngest grandson (he always has an allergic reaction to mosquito bites) and it seems to work on him very well, so I'll be taking some of that with me on holiday.

They do have good stuff in Scotland, my daughter who lives there uses it - but unfortunately I have had a bad respiratory reaction to it in the past. Probably contains ammonia...?