Sunday, July 31, 2011

Bee Stings & Sun Screens



I'm guessing after decades of landscaping and gardening I've built up something of an immunity to bug bites and an overall nonchalance regarding scratches, scrapes and bruises. I admit with shame, (as someone who has been working outside since dinosaurs roamed), to labouring hatless and largely sunscreenless for many a moon.



I was thinking of Mike's post,(Subsistence Pattern), about sunscreen this morning so I actually sauntered into the shack where I keep my crap, grabbed the BurtsBee sunscreen someone gave me, (I'm too cheap to buy that particular name brand myself and I can only wonder at the expiration date but I digress..), and slathered it on.



Now allegedly it was not to be as humid today and I got off to a roaring start, ripping and snorting, digging and weeding, and before long sweat began to trickle down my face and into my eyes stinging as it carried the melting sunscreen along with it. Oh, did I mention I also rarely use a headband which of course would mitigate the sweat in the eyes routine? Even my grandpa always carried around an old handkerchief to wipe his face but I seem to make do with the bottom of my tee shirt.



But I pressed on. Undaunted. And then the bee that got caught in my hair and subsequently gelled into the sunscreen on the back of my neck chomped. OK, ouch.



But wait. Yesterday a honeybee got me on the arm. It's still a hair swollen but now I've begun conducting my arthritis experiments and last night tried to figure out whether or not there's anything to this apitherapy thingee. I read a bunch of articles and figured what doesn't kill me etc etc and if there is any benefit I'm covered. But I'd like to limit it to just one sting a day thank you very much.









3 comments:

El said...

Aw, your two girls look like Helen (B.O.) and Sarah (SLW)! I got them in the same batch when I got Mary Ellen, uberrooster!

I have a friend whose dad swears by the beesting arthritis therapy thing and goes out and literally covers his wrists and hands with his angry bees. Whatcanyoudo (shrugs)? Believe him, or think him the madman that he might be?

Makes me think I can't make fun of anyone's faith, ever, though I might try. But you might try to buy your own sunscreen (moral of story).

randi said...

Thanks El..yeah, I've been doing the hand flexing thing the last couple of days and,(I could be nuts), they seem to be registering lower on the old Stiff-O-Meter but intentional stingage, nah, not so much.

Mr. H. said...

I have a feeling that the whole bee and arthritis thing will not be a very popular treatment....but it wouldn't surprise me a bit if it actually works. Now I did hurt my elbow this spring and could be found stinging myself with nettles just to see...didn't really help though.