I haven’t blogged in six days because for a good chunk of that I’ve been sleeping off medication. Any drug that cautions, “don’t drive, may cause drowsiness” puts me out for hours, so I don’t take even the mildest medication unless I really have to. Last week, not long after posting the July 21 blog about Japanese Beetles, I picked one of them off my peach tree to feed to Edwina (who was watching and waiting). The beetle shoved it’s hind leg barb into my thumb. Quite the effective defensive move. Much to Edwina’s chagrin, I tossed the beetle in the air with a yelp. My thumb was sore for a day, which wan’t too bad. But then I guess the toxin traveled into my bloodstream because I broke out into raised red, itchy welts all over my body, which shifted, like a moving map. Hence the need for antihistamines, which knock me out.

My girls won’t be hand-fed Japanese Beetles anymore!