The main reason behind the lack of posting is that I’m working two jobs right now. Not my favorite thing to do but when extra expenses start to hit, what else can you do? (Bankruptcy is just not my thing.) Work plus family time leaves little spare change to spend on my own pursuits, and for my own mental health I’ve chosen to spend my free (yea right!) time not on blogging but instead on an outdoor hobby: Caching. Two weeks ago, I convinced a friend to head off into the woods with me and look for two very difficult caches. The 5 mile hike on a hot Sunday afternoon took us through the worst terrain SE Texas has to offer. We were drenched with sweat moments after leaving the car but were forced to wear heavier clothing because of the obstacles we knew lay ahead.

We saw (and avoided) snakes and crashed our way through sticky brambles and fields of poison ivy. We stepped in fire ant nests and fought off squadrons of mosquitoes. It was wonderful.

We ended up bagging one Terracache (A Bridge Too Far?) and one Geocache (Wood Works) and made it back home relatively unscathed...or so we thought.

Of course there is one hazard which is never seen until it is too late. In fact, it is never seen, period! Chiggers. These small (microscopic) buggers crawl around on your body looking for a hair follicle to bite. Their saliva (for lack of a better term) hardens the cells around the hair into a tube (like a drinking straw) which they then use to slurp out your precious bodily fluids.

I’ve read that the chigger doesn’t actually stay very long, but the bite sure does…and boy do they itch. They also have a funny habit of seeking out warm dark places to feed, and thus often end up around the ankles, inside underwear and around bra straps. (Never had any issue with the last one, myself.)

Our little caching expedition awarded me 20 to 30 chigger bites - on each ankle. The severe itching made it difficult to work or sleep…until I figured out the answer to the itching. First, forget all the silly creams and sprays. They don’t work. Instead take a bucket and fill it with the hottest water you can stand. No need to scald yourself but make sure it is uncomfortable.

Stick your feet (or other afflicted body parts – and a bucket might not be suitable for some of them) into the water. The bites will burn but keep them submerged for 5 minutes. It may stop hurting as your foot cools the water immediately around itself. Should this happen, simply swish the water around with your feet and the pain will return.

After 5 minutes, remove your feet (from the water). The meat should be tender and separate easily from the bone with a fork. Err…I mean the pain should stop within seconds and the itching will be gone (temporarily). This usually gives me about 6 hours of relief, and I usually do it right before bed so I can sleep.

Hope that helps.