No-See-Ums

Never saw em. And yet, five days later I'm still scratching and applying Lanacaine like it was a drug. Oh wait. It is. Here in the Adirondacks No-See-Ums is the term used for Black Flies, and now I know why. Up until last week, I was always diligent about my use of bug spray. I posted spray bottles at the door and used it religiously if I went outside. Last Friday, it was an absolutely gorgeous day and I made the decision that I was going to lay out on the back deck. I know the flies were on the front porch, because I could see alot of insect activity. But the back deck is in direct sunlight and one full flight up from the ground. Not a great atmosphere for bugs. So I lay down on the lounge chair and relaxed in the sun. It was fabulous. Later on that day, I looked at my ankles because they were incredibly swollen. I could not believe what I was seeing. I looked as though I had elephantitus. And then, the itching began. It was brutal. And as the saying goes, I never saw em, never felt em, never will do THAT again. I have learned the hard lesson about black flies. I have read accounts of history where explorers were driven to insanity by the itching. I get it. Totally. I also now understand the benefits of Lanacaine. I was going nuts with the Benadryl, because it just was not cutting it, and I happened to see a commercial for Lanacaine. So I figured "why not?" WOW! It was great! Just like novocaine - only a lotion for the legs. My ankles were happy-I was happy. I now travel with bug spray and Lanacaine. A deadly combination! As the explorers say-don't go out without the bug spray! This is not my hand. This is a stock photo of no-see-ums. Educated is forewarned.