Somebody on one of the blogs I read (I forget which one) mentioned a lack of wasps the other day.....well, all I can say is, we've got all yours here at the van. We have all the windows and both doors open, we do keep most of the curtains (including the door curtains) closed when it's sunny, but if there's a bit of a breeze it blows the curtains open a bit, and the wasps take advantage of that to fly in and annoy us. Betty tries her utmost to snap at them but obviously I don't want her doing that, she's not yet been stung but if she manages to bite one I certainly don't want her stung inside her mouth, it could prove fatal if she turns out to have an allergic reaction. We are having to get rid of at least 2 or 3 every day from inside the van, and batting away lots more outside. Blimmin nuisance, having been stung by wasps or bees several times over the years, I'm not a fan of them - what are they even for, anyway? I get bitten a lot by various flies etc too, I'm obviously super tasty 😒. Whilst I don't get anaphylactic shock, I do often have an allergic reaction to bitey things - red patches and swellings that take days to subside even after using antihistamine cream and taking a/h tablets. My sister got stung by a wasp a couple of years ago and she also had a nasty allergic reaction, which culminated in cellulitis, which took weeks of seeing the practice nurse to get under control.
We went to a local car boot sale this morning.....nothing of any interest (husband didn't even get any tools, amazingly), other than a pile of those square carpet samples, I bought 2 large ones for £3 the pair, they make good cheap doormats. All the stalls seemed to be either traders selling overpriced house clearance junk, or mums trying to get rid of all their kids clothes and toys. None of which was of any interest to me, obviously. There's a big boot sale on a farm near Cheddar every Sunday, we've been a couple of times. The trouble is it's just too big - there are 3 or 4 large barns full of mostly traders but some ordinary booters as well, plus a huge field with dozens and dozens of booters and traders. Takes absolutely ages to go round even half of it. Dogs are allowed, but Betty gets anxious in crowds so she has to stay in the car, which means one of us has to stay with her, sitting in the back with the tailgate open whilst the other looks round, and then swapping over. Which means it takes even longer to go round as we have to do it one at a time. I like little village boot sales best, generally they don't allow traders so it's genuine householders selling off their unwanted things, and usually at very cheap prices. You get a better class of junk at posh village boot fairs 😉😁 and people sell their stuff off cheap as they no longer need it and just want the space, they're not in it to make money.
We're popping home tomorrow morning to water the plants, pick some veg (no doubt there'll be a glut of beans) and collect a couple of parcels that have been delivered (both small enough to fit through the letter box). We'll give Betty a run in the field behind the house too, and collect a few more ready meals out of the freezer. Our lovely van neighbours C & J are arriving in the afternoon, so we'll have their smashing company for the next couple of weeks, really looking forward to that.
We're so settled here at the moment and really enjoying the peace and relaxation, I've decided we'll stay indefinitely, with husband or possibly both of us popping home once or twice a week.
I'm like you - tasty blood! Normally, I can get bitten by midges just hanging out the washing, but (and I'm typing this very, very quietly so they don't hear) so far this year, I'm bite free. Sod's law I'll get attacked next time I venture out! Have you checked around the van to make sure there isn't a wasp's nest anywhere near? How lovely that you can spend as much time at your happy place as you want. Shame you can't stay all year round, but at least you have something to look forward to in the winter. xx
ReplyDeleteToday I had a conversation about wasps with a friend. I haven't seen a single one yet she has been inundated with them and we don't live all that far from one another. Tony gets eaten alive all summer but the bitey things just spit me out after a quick lick.
ReplyDeleteOoohh that sounds so good - to be able to stay indefinitely, hopefully without the wasps, with just an occasional drive home to check all is well. Make the most of it and relax in your little garden at the caravan with good friends to chat with and enjoy a cuppa and cake. That's the life!
ReplyDeleteI am very tasty to insects and super allergic to horsefly bites and have the scars on my arms from their bites which take months to heal, mainly because of all the outdoor work for so many years. I have only had one land on me since moving here and I managed to brush the little bar-steward off before he bit me.
ReplyDeleteWasps do have a definite function as they are pollinators the same as bees and other insects ... they are just really bad tempered ones!!
What a good idea to prolong your stay and make it your base for a while. Lovely. A shame about those wasps though - they can be rather vicious when annoyed. xx
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