An Auspitious Start

This month is off to a rather bad start.

The power went out about 2:00 this morning. Not a big deal since we can sleep in the dark just fine, and I don't need an alarm clock to get up on time. But since it's still dark when I get up to start my day, it was a problem then. The power came back at 6:00 and I was able to get my monthly invoices out and get started in the workshop before the electricity flashed several times and went out again.

It was light now -- about 8:30 -- but I have become rather dependent on the power tools to get my work done. There was a time when I didn't need electricity at all for woodworking, but that was long ago.

So I went out to the barn and got the weed whacker (gas powered) and did some trimming around the yard. Still no power when I was done, so I fired up the tractor and began mowing. But the tractor wasn't running right and it kept getting worse until it finally died and wouldn't start again at all. So I left it where it died and walked back up to the workshop. The lights were on again, so I went back to work.

About a half hour later, Tim came in. Tim lives nearby. He said, "I heard you trying to mow, and heard that your tractor was giving you trouble. Don't know what it would be just from listening to it, but I know you want to finish your mowing before it gets hot, so I brought mine over. You're welcome to use it if you want." That's Tim for you; the man has a heart of gold, there isn't anything he wouldn't do for or loan to a friend.

So I used Tim's tractor to finish up. It was a nice one too, he'd just gotten it. Tim buys, repairs and sells lawn equipment. This one looked to be practically new and it had an automatic transmission, something new to me on a tractor.

As I was coming down a slope toward the barn, I mowed over the top of a new nest of yellow jackets, which swarmed out and nailed me good. I was wearing my straw hat, so that protected most of my head, and my pants were thick enough that the bees couldn't get through them, but the tee shirts I wear for working in the shop are thin, they went right through that and stung me all up my right side from my waist to my shoulder, my neck, the back of my head, and my left hand, because I was reaching over my shoulder with that hand trying to shoo them away. So they nailed that several times.

In an attempt to get away from the bees I jumped off the tractor and put some distance between me and they. It is fortunate I was driving Tim’s tractor, not mine, for his automatic requires that the operator keep a pedal mashed down to control direction and speed. Let up on it and it stops. And it has a dead-man switch under the seat, leave the seat and it kills the engine. My tractor has neither, so it would have become a run-away if I’d bailed off of it like that.

Mom's house is right near the barn, so I stopped in there and asked if she had any Benadryl; an OTC antihistamine that is good for combating the effects of bee stings. She did not. So I went home and called Marie, who got what I needed and brought it to me.

Now; I've been stung by most every insect there is – except maybe a scorpion. Some are worse than others, but these danged yellow jackets are by far the most venomous lil buggers I've encountered. While Marie was on her way here, I jumped in the shower and ran straight cold water on the stings to knock down the swelling as much as I could -- and our well water from 400 feet down inside the mountain is ICE cold right out of the tap. I stayed there as long as I could stand it; which wasn't real long I'll have to admit. It got to where I was shivering so hard I couldn't stand up, and I was going numb from the cold! But it helped.

When I got in, my left thumb and the two fingers next to it were so swollen I couldn't bend them. The icy water got two of the fingers back. My thumb took two hits from the bees, so it is still swollen up like a sausage and my hand looks like it's been snake bit; very swollen, red, and hot to the touch. The stings along my back and neck hurt, but won't interfere much with my ability to function. The hand is going to be a problem.

I took some Maximum Strength Benadryl and laid down for a bit to let it do its thing. I went back to the workshop later, but the Benadryl made me so groggy it would have been unsafe to operate power tools. One moment of inattention and I’d have a much worse problem that a few bee stings to contend with. So I took the day off, took my Benadryl every 4 hours and puttered around in the house.

By the next morning I was doing much better. So much better I decided to forego the Benadryl and it’s accompanying grogginess. A little hydrocortisone cream for the itching and I headed out to the shop.

This was SO much better than the last time I got stung. Then I suffered fewer hits, but I allowed nature to take it’s course and it took 4 or 5 days to get to this point. I’m definitely going to keep some Benadryl in our medicine box from now on. I’m sure this won’t be the last time, and next time it may be worse.

That’s all for this time. We hope you are healthy and happy, for those are the true riches in life.

Doug
Smoky Mountain Woodworks
Custom designed, solid hardwood furniture.
http://www.smokymountainwoodworks.com/