Otherwise known as yellow jackets.

I’ve always had a hard time asking for help. I have to be so incredibly frustrated with my own inability to do something that I’m in tears before I will give in and ask for help. Some of this is because I’m a stubborn sort and some is from years of Mark working weird hours and not being home when things needed done, so I had to do stuff myself.

And there are things I’ve never wanted to learn – no interest in motors, sorry, guys. Nope, not one. Let me turn the key and the car/mower/whatever does what it should do and I’m happy.

So here I am, with a ton of equipment that I don’t know how to use. (Although why anyone needs 3 weedeaters is beyond my comprehension) (I can hear him responding to that with “you have 6 sewing machines”) (Actually I have 7 but we won’t nitpick) One of the pieces of equipment that I need/want to learn to use is the zero turn mower. It hasn’t been started since May so I knew it probably wouldn’t.

The Farmer brought up a battery for it after discovering that it was in need of one. And a former student, who I think the world of but never expected to step up like this, came up yesterday to see if they could get it started and teach me, and the Farmer, how to use it.

It wouldn’t start. Not unexpected. It was also covered in leaves and spider webs, so they cleaned off what they needed, fiddled and faddled as guys do with that sort of thing, and determined that it needs some work and the Student can do it, once they can get it to his shop.
The Farmer left to go make feed for his cattle, we had coffee and a slice of cake I had made, and I suggested we see if one of the two leaf blowers (yes, we have two, not sure why we don’t have three, but again – 7 sewing machines) would start. One is gas powered, the other has a battery – and I know where the charger is, so I learned yesterday that THAT’S what that goes to! That one was fully charged, so off we went to the patio to clean off the leaves from the mower and the wood splitter. (I have no desire to learn how to use THAT thing!) Student had a grand time telling me how much power this blower has, so I said, “I wanna play!” I started blowing the leaves away from the foundation.

It was all fun and games. I got to the window well thingie, (I don’t know the technical name for that) and it was just full. I turned the blower on turbo and went to town.

And then ……………. why are the leaves hurting my face?

And I hear, “RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” as I realize, it’s not the leaves.

I blew out a nest of yellow jackets.

They were quite royally pissed off.

Thank goodness, I am not allergic. I was handed 2 Benadryl and the Student stayed with me for a few hours just to make sure I was okay.

I’m fine.

He left, I needed a shower. Nice hot water. Minus 100 rating there, do not recommend! Holy crap the pain hit! I couldn’t stay still, it hurt to sit, to lay down, to do much of anything. I took an Ibuprofen. It took a while for the pain to slow down, then the itching started.

I think I have about 12 stings, maybe more – a few on my eyelid, that seemed to be a single one yesterday but since the swelling has gone down, it looks like maybe 3. One under my nose. The rest are on my legs, my sweatshirt protected my upper body. And holy moly, they itched last night!

I am extremely grateful for my friend. He was ready to take me to urgent care if I so much as looked wrong, and would have stayed longer had I asked. And the Farmer is going to come up and we will spray the hell out of that nest one night.

I’m going to ask for holy water tomorrow at church and pour it on the nest first. I’m thinking those little bastards will smoke when it hits them.

Satan’s minions, that’s what they are!