About Insect Stings and the Weather

I have found that I can get relief from bee and wasp stings by dabbing on a little ammonia.

I just used this remedy yesterday! After the storm winds had passed, I went outside to see what kind of branches were down if there was other damage, etc. It seems a colony of stinging insects have lost their home, or it's sopping wet, and they were in a bad mood. Ouch, one on the cheek and one on the shin.

We lost power for a short time, but we did not lose any food. I would have been disappointed if all the meat I just bought had gone bad! We never lost water or telephone. The trailer shook hard once or twice, and of course, we had the usual barrage of falling pine cones.

From what I can see, Charlie's wind did less damage to trees and homes than the ice did last winter. We'd had two or three days of freezing rain and drizzle that coated tree limbs, power lines, etc. One medium sized limb from a pine tree fell trunk end first and holed our roof. Blackie, one of our cats, was right there in the hall and saw it come through -- now he hides during thunder storms. He only feels safe behind a toilet or under a bed. I'm glad Rick fastened down our storage shed -- one of the eight anchors for the four tie-downs pulled loose. That's as much from the ground getting soggy as from the wind.

Not far from us a tornado tore things up a bit. I need to call and find out how my friend Marilyn is doing -- she lives in a trailer in that area.

The water is always a separate matter. Flooding is the worst part of a hurry-cane, and Bonnie made it a one-two punch. I can't say what damage there might be in this area from overflowing waterways or storm surge. I'm glad I don't live where I'd know by direct observation! Local weather reports only one county of eastern North Carolina is still under flood watch, but the shelters are still open for people who live in low-lying areas. There is still a risk of flash-floods, so I think I'll delay my shopping plans, which would take me over a stream and a river. The soil is saturated, you see, and there are still lots of clouds with rain to dump.

It's bad in Florida, though. Worst since Andrew, the news is saying. Andrew was BAD, a bully-boy dope-smoking biker-dude of a hurricane. Andrew was my first hurricane since the redoubtable Agnes went as far north as Pennsylvania, so I remember it well. I think there will be a need to collect food and such for people -- perhaps not as many are homeless as with Andrew, but quite enough.

Rose B, mother of three, in NC