Thursday, August 31, 2017

Rain, Kayaks and Ants

Although we’re a ways from Texas, we’ve been getting a lot of rain here, too.  Thankfully we’re not flooding and prayers for those in Texas and Louisiana who have lost so much.  Hopefully everyone will be generous and help them through this disaster. My only problem is that if the grass doesn’t stop growing and the rain doesn’t stop coming, I’m going to need a rice harvester to cut it.  That said, between the rains on Friday, I picked up another kayak from a friend who was clearing out his garage.  He made me a great deal on a Wilderness System 18 with a few scratches, but in very good condition.   I took it out Friday evening, hoping to be paddling between storms.  Well, another storm came up and I got wet, but I enjoyed paddling the boat.  I have never been a fan of rudders on kayaks and this one has a skew instead of a rudder.  It was windy and there were waves and whitecaps, but the skeg helped the boat to track beautifully as I tried it in various positions. This is a very fast boat.


DON'T STAND HERE!
my foot on Monday
But one bad thing happened.  As I was taking my boat off the car at a wildlife ramp along the Intracoastal Waterway, I received a call on my cell phone.  I laid the boat on a grassy medium and took the call.  It was from another paddler whom I’d left a message of going out paddling and since I thought he might want to join me.  As we were talking, I realized something was biting my foot.  I thought it was a mosquito or maybe a gnat.  When I looked down, I noticed that my feet were covered with dots.  At first I thought fleas, then realized it was red ants. I told my friend I had to go and ran out into the water to drown the buggers.  And then I went kayaking.  By the time I got home, my legs were beginning to burn.  I had 26 bites on my right foot and ankle and another eight on my right leg.  On my left leg and foot, I have another 20 bites.  I also received a few bites on my stomach and on my left hand!

Much of Saturday and Sunday was spent soaking my feet and putting baking soda on the bites.  The cool of the water helps a lot.  When I had to put on shoes and walk for a ways, my feet burned.  On Monday, I picked up some new “After Bite”® as I realized the bug cream I was using was over a year out of date.  That helped more.  I have now moved to calamine lotion and my feet are no longer burning as badly.



Last night, I went out for another evening paddle.  As I was putting the boat back in the garage, it began to rain again.
Last night's paddle

22 comments:

  1. I understand it's hard to drown those ants, and that their bite is quite painful. Sorry to hear you had to endure this.

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  2. Hi Sage - well that's great you've got a new boat for a paddle or two - the answer to a calm one is obviously to watch where you put your tootsies ... red ants are lethal - I'm glad the sensation of their bites is going away ...

    Also glad you've had some rain, but not per the likes of Texas or Louisiana ... cheers Hilary

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  3. If what you're calling a red ant is what I call a fire ant... their bite is horrible and I can totally sympathize. They stick like glue once they get on you!

    We've gotten several inches of rain off the hurricane (and still getting it), but nothing like the coast has gotten. It's been mind-boggling.

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  4. The only story I have about ants is when I was in 2nd grade in California ants got into everyone's lunch one day at school. My peanut butter sandwich was full of them. Ick! I didn't get bit tho. Sorry you did and hope the rain lets up so you can go paddling!

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  5. I hate that you got into those red ants, they are bad business.

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  6. I heard about these red ants and are awful !
    Nice you feel better Sage !

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  7. Back when my now 21 year-old son was a toddler I carried him outside one day so we could play in the front yard. While I didn't place him on top of a fire ant bed, I did put him put him in the middle of a trail of fire ants, which I didn't see.

    They immediately began biting his feet and it took me a more than a few seconds to understand why he started screaming in pain. Of course I scooped him up and wiped off the ants but the damage was done. I still feel like a horrible jackass for not paying closer attention.

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  8. Is this one of the sit-on kayaks, or do you sit in it. Can you photograph it in the whole please.

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    1. I did a long (20 plus mile paddle today since I got lost twice). I'll post about it Monday and will post a photo of the whole boat!

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  9. Been bit a lot by fire ants. I sure hate 'em. Itch like everything.

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  10. I think the last time we mowed our lawn was sometime in the middle of MAY! It's not unusual to not mow the lawns this time of year but not mowing since May is a new record for us.

    I've fortunately never had a run in with red ants. They sound vicious.

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  11. I’m so glad we don’t have red ants here. I’ve encountered them in Florida, and I hate them. Hopefully paddling the boat made up for the ant bites.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  12. leave it to the bugs to ruin an otherwise great day. We have red ants here and carpenter ants which have huge mandibles on their face and pinch the hell out of you. *shudders*

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  13. Yikes! So sorry to hear about the ant attack. They can be quite wicked. Glad to hear your feet are doing better now.

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  14. Ouch! We don't see many red ants around here these days. When I was kid, they were everywhere, and it seemed like I was always getting bit. We need a new kayak.

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  15. Yikes! Your foot looks like it was in pain for sure. Those bites don't sound fun. Glad you were able to find some ways to sooth the pain and burn.
    ~Jess

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  16. Sounds miserable, Sage! I hate insect bites. Hope you have a great week and aren't insect food!

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  17. Ouch! That's not fun, hope the bites have calmed down now.

    All the best Jan

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  18. Oh no! Ants are not my thing, and I once got bitten by a nasty one in the desert of Arizona and that was the worst bite ever!

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  19. So sorry that you had that run in with ants! Where would we be without calamine lotion! It was a constant in my childhood. Glad to hear that you are enjoying your new kayak, my friend!

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