Shannon Stacey


Adventures in insect repellent

It’s amazing how far you can fall behind when you’re gone less than 48 hours, but I’ll be playing catch-up today. I’ll be uploading a few pics later today, but for now, a few camping don’ts.

DON’T accidentally throw the bug spray in the cooler. That makes it very cold.

DON’T turn your head to respond to a question while spritzing one’s head with bug spray. While mosquitoes will stop attacking your mouth, the lingering aftertaste is horrific. The temporary blindness sucks, too.

DON’T continue to choose the campsite up in the woods at the top of the hill all by its lonesome, then complain when 11pm rolls around and you have to hike to the bathroom in the dark. And, while hiking back up the hill with a tiny flashlight, do not get spooked and start running if, like me, you don’t run regularly. When you finally reach the safety of the campfire and flop, gasping for air, into your chair, your husband will roll his eyes and call you a dumbass.

DON’T sit around a campfire with a bored, younger crowd. If said crowd should decide to pour bug spray into an empty beer bottle, put the cap back on and set it in the fire, DO run like hell. DON’T do this if you ever want to see the cap again.

DON’T decide to have a last night campfire with with leftover, wet wood. While you will chase away the mosquito problem for a twenty-mile radius, you and everything you brought with you will reek so badly of wet-wood smoke, your cats will hiss and spit at you when you return home.

I’ll save the story of my stripping in my sleep for another time.

Off to play catch-up.

6 comments to “Adventures in insect repellent”

  1. Anna Lucia
    Comment
    1
      · June 20th, 2005 at 10:07 am · Link

    *happy sigh* Shannon is home and all’s right with the world…..:penguin:



  2. Emily
    Comment
    2
      · June 20th, 2005 at 10:48 am · Link

    I’m sorry. Camping is fun – Why? :eyebrow:



  3. Charlene T
    Comment
    3
      · June 20th, 2005 at 11:03 am · Link

    Thank you for reminding me why I haven’t been camping in recent years. Although now that LL Bean sells a portable espresso maker, it might be safe to try again…:coffee:



  4. Shannon
    Comment
    4
      · June 20th, 2005 at 11:17 am · Link

    They also make “crank” blenders, too, for making frozen Mudslides without electricity. :nod:

    I think I’ll do a camping DOs post.



  5. Mary Stella
    Comment
    5
      · June 20th, 2005 at 11:27 am · Link

    Ahhh, more reasons why I don’t do any form of roughing it — other than the occasional low-rate motel chain. That said, your adventures were a riot to read.



  6. Shannon
    Comment
    6
      · June 20th, 2005 at 11:40 pm · Link

    We’ve done a few low-rate motel chains ourselves. :nod:

    Never have found one that will let us launch beer caps out of campfires, though. :dance:







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