All That Remains

What a difference a day makes. I got stung four times by wasps yesterday, as I was mowing at the side of the house. I brushed against a palmetto not realizing that the wasps had built a nest on the underside.

After the initial stinging sensation that last 30 seconds or so, everything was fine. I even remarked to my wife that I would prefer to be stung by wasps than bitten by mosquitoes. Their bites itch like crazy for 48 hours and take five days to disappear completely.

I spoke too soon.

When I woke up this morning my right hand was swollen and the pinky was the size of a hotdog sausage. The two bites on my forearm and elbow had swollen forming two hummocks of flesh that itched like the blazes. As the day has progressed, the itching and discomfort has gotten worse.

Still none of that compares to the fate of this unfortunate blue jay whose wing was spotted lying forlornly on a sidewalk in Riverside. I guess it was the brilliant blue of the feathers that caught my attention. My wife chose it as her favourite, despite being presented with three alternative shots.

So there you have it, a scene out of CSI: Jacksonville, not quite as glamorous as the Miami version but hell I am no David Caruso. :-)