The Garden-Viewing Party Still Unsettled

I had considered announcing it for this next Sunday, but I haven't finished all the weeding yet.

The hollyhocks are blooming. So are the tall day lilies and the Kaiser Kronen (Emperor's Crown) lilies are budding now. And... I saw some half ripe raspberries in my high raspberry hedge this morning.

So, perhaps the first Sunday in August, the 7th. I've checked and the long weekend (with a holiday Monday) is in fact, this very next one. August 1, is known as Saskatchewan Day here in our province, but in some Canadian Provinces it is call Civic day.

(I think all this happened because some years ago people complained that they needed one more long weekend in the summer - especially if they could not afford to go to another country for their vacation.)

Hopefully, I'll know by next Tuesday so I can announce it in the RoseBouquet.

I recall that last year my watermelon were looking so good that I could promise some to those who came to visit my garden. But they got off to a slow start. So I can't count them yet.

<*> TIPS & SOLUTIONS: <*>

When Insect Bites Become Painful Welts

Do you have serious reactions to insect bites? This is not always constant; we can find changes come over us over different stages of our lives. Or just different bug in our vicinity.

I have never liked insect bites, but could usually brush them off and forget they happened after a day or two. But then, I mostly dealt with mosquito bites.

I'm not sure what insects bit me at Bird's Hill Park in Manitoba on the 17th, but I got some doosers on my lower legs and around my ankles. Earlier last week I thought they had cleared up, but last week Tuesday I had to tie a scarf around my left elbow to keep my fingernails from constantly reaching to scratch a bit there. A few days later I told myself, "There. They've all healed up now."

However, night before this last one (Sunday night) I woke up at 4 am and found all the bites on my lower legs had turned to welts, and they itched tremendously. I got up and put aloe vera gel from a large leaf of my aloe vera plants on them. That gave temporary relief.

Then I had to get up again and find more potential solutions, including pain killers. I was exhausted when I woke up.

All day yesterday, I kept my pant legs pulled up so nothing would touch those tender spots. I seriously considered whether this wa surgent enough to go see a doctor. But I found a bottle of spray aloe vera, and frequent drenching of my legs with that spray bottle helped to a degree. I also took painkillers for the night.

I had not fallen asleep yet when the swollen welts began to burn as if on fire. Apply aloe vera gel was only a momentary comfort. I tried putting on long socks, butin a few minutes I janked them off!

Then I remembered that when I burn my finger in the kitchen my first go-to-remedy is an ice cube. I hold it on the burn until the pain lets up. So I prowled around the kitchen and pantry until I had gathered a bucket full of ice packs, and some extra towels to wrap some of them around the ice.

Back in bed I arranged one big one underneath my lower legs, and two on top. Ah! The pain began to hush! I rearranged them once more before I fell asleep. No more trouble all through the night. I had a good sleep. PTL!

Just minutes ago I found that the biggest one had a bubble of clear pus - so I helped it out!

I just occurred to me that not everyone may think of ice as a good remedy for a HOT bug bite!

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