Three very disturbing things happened while on vacation in WY w/ my family. First, as many of you know I am terrified of ALL insects... butterflies, lady bugs, ants, flies, and all of the reeeeally scary ones too. It's a pretty bad fear, I've needed professional therapy for a while now.
First disturbing instance- while on our last day of fishing at Sibley Lake, I was actually sitting on the ground in no fear of insects (after inspecting the ground, trees, and air for bugs). It was a big step for me. As I got up I caught a glimpse of something huge and black and scary... it was a long-horn beetle. Ummm, these are huge, have gigantor antennae AND they fly! They also cling to you. I won't go into the scene I made w/ my screeches and running around, but my Uncle said I almost fell into the lake. So, I cried a bit and shook uncontrollably. I was sure I was free of beetle attacks as long as I wasn't sitting. About 10 minutes later I looked down and another one was on my shin!!! Okay, now I was reeeeally crying and demanded to go back to the truck so I could sit in it and be free of nature. On the walk back to the truck with everyone else, ANOTHER one came swooping through the air and tried to kill me. I swear.
Second disturbing instance- the last night at my grandma's and everyone else had left except me and my parents and uncle. I was sleeping alone in the living room (which I hate and am always scared). I was awaken by a noise... a banging noise... like tupperware clanging together. So, I immediately was sure that an animal was in the kitchen. I took Zoe and we hid in the bathroom for a few minutes- mainly because I needed to use the bathroom and didn't want Zoe to get eaten by the animal in the kitchen. I came out making a lot of noise and turning on lights so it would know I meant business. I was pretty sure it was a mouse and also pretty sure that if I fell asleep it would run across my face and laugh while doing so. Eventually my eyes shut and it was morning. I told my mom what I had heard in the middle of the night and she believed me. Then I told my grandma and she was like, "well, was it the deep freeze? was it the light to the herb garden? was it the tv? sorry, honey i don't know what to tell ya." She didn't believe I had heard anything, obviously. Skip to an hour later, I open the pantry to get a plastic bag and there it is on the ground in a mouse trap. Aaaand, what I heard was pretty damn accurate, because it was next to a stack of tupperware bowls. The image was frightening and I'm still scared it will run across my face as a mouse ghost.
Third and final and creepiest instance- Now in Rapid City at sis's. Packing up to leave on last morning and Zoe is sniffing at something on the floor, which looked like a gray rock. I go over to see and it was some kind of grotesque insect. Sickest thing I've ever seen. It was about the size of a dime, gray, shiney, and had tons of little wiggling legs. It was on it's back and couldn't move, thank god. Mom and I called my uncle in to determine what it was. He decided it was an engorged tick!!!!!!! Ewwwwwwwww! I am having a hard time writing about his cuz it was soooooooooo disgusting. It had most likely fallen off Bear, sis's dog. So, she called the vet later that day and asked about it. They said it had to of been on the dog for at least 3 weeks for it to have been that big. And brace yourself... once they become that engorged and release... they look for a place to lay eggs. Ughhhhh, I'm getting all itchy. If you've never seen a tick that big, please google it and you'll see that it's the sickest thing in all of the world!
Yeah, I'm pretty traumatized and have been constantly itchy since being tortured by insects and rodents on my vaca. I thought I was making progress over the last few years, but now I'm back to square one. I was thinking about laying out on the deck today, but I'm afraid I'll get attacked by spiders and wasps.
