You'd think by now I would have learned my lesson about walking around outside in flip-flops. But on the spur of the moment we ended up dropping by a friend's house, and of course I had to walk around outside and enjoy her yard.
Later that night, I awoke with my toe swelled up and throbbing. It's possible I was bitten by a spider, but I'll never know for sure.
What's strange is that after this experience, I don't carry a grudge against spiders, but my fear of snakes has intensified. I guess it's just the concept of unseen, dangerous critters out there. It also doesn't help that I've seen copperheads in our yard, and I've met one person who was bitten by one while gardening here in Upstate South Carolina. As a result, I have procrastinated on a few garden tasks: cleaning up the kudzu in our wooded backyard and weeding some areas.
When does kudzu start loosing leaves? Could I wait on my "kudzu cleanup" until they go into hibernation in October?
What precautions do you use in your gardening? Do heavy gloves protect you?
2 comments:
I've got centipedes in my garden. Long ones with lots of legs. A few wasps or yellowjackets float around every once in a while. I saw one bee yesterday when I went to water it. And of course, ants. Ants everywhere, especially when I water. I've seen on occassion a snail or two and potato bugs, and for sure, a spider. I've also seen worms, but from what I have been told by "expert" gardeners I have talked to, worms are good.
Sorry about your foot, I hope it gets better. Gloves I have found do work wonders for me. I have found them to be a good investment myself.
I'm very lucky where I live (New Zealand) that we really don't have any garden "nasties" to speak of.
There's the white tailed spider which gives some people a bad reaction if it bites. It was an Aussie import who ended up here. And there is our own native katipo spider which is poisonous but I doubt if many gardeners have ever seen one.
So I'm fortunate enough to be able to garden bare handed which suits me fine. Can's seem to pull weeds properly when I have gloves on.
Your foot does sound as if some creepie crawly nipped it while your were touring the yard. Here's to a speedy recovery.
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