Backyard and Beach Beasties

This shot of a tiny sweat bee actually had me wishing it was Tiny Tuesday. 

I have paid a high price for lingering on the beach (and forgetting to spray on insect repellent) on our last day of vacation, a week ago.  About two days later, I developed some itching and small bites around my ankles which have subsequently spread over both feet and up my legs and arms in the ensuing days.  The itching is worse than anything I can ever remember and I have lost two nights sleep because of it.  Although I have my own, in-house MD, he is not a dermatologist and the steroid creams and antihistamines were not helping.  A trip to the dermatologist today confirmed that these are sand flea bites which will continue to bother me for at least another week.  Hoping to avoid oral steroids, she has prescribed a very strong topical gel and added a third antihistamine. 

My extra shot of a yellow jacket is actually uncropped, and not a creature you would want to get this close to.  We had our own encounter with yellow jackets last year when I stepped in a nest, and my husband, who came to my rescue, developed a delayed anaphylactic reaction to his stings. He is now undergoing 5 years of desensitization shots. Anyway, I was trying out the Canon 500D close-up lens on my 70-400 mm lens, which allowed me to focus in quite a bit closer.  The shot in flight was purely (dumb luck) accidental.