Invasion of biting insects…Ouch!

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Yesterday afternoon, while chopping and dicing for dinner, I felt two sharp stings only seconds apart on each of my calves.  Startled by the sharp pain, my eyes darted around the kitchen for the nasty culprit(s), dishtowel in hand, ready to snap the life out of the perpetrator. 

Actually, I’ve become quite good at this task since I’ve spent more time in the kitchen with a towel in hand than looking for a fly swatter which is rarely handy at the opportune moment.

With the temperature in the low 90’s with humidity to match, it was impossible to keep the kitchen window shut, hoping for the little breezes that swoop off of the mountains periodically.

Most often having the kitchen window open attracts bees and typical houseflies.  Conscientious about keeping the kitchen clean and free of food debris, we’ve managed to keep the indoor flying insect population at bay.

Not yesterday.  It must have been the barometric pressure.  The horseflies were on a mission to visit me and dine. For some odd reason they seem to be attracted to me, not Tom, who seldom is bitten by anything, other than the relentless no-see-ums in Belize and the mosquitoes in Minnesota, jokingly referred to as the State Bird, when in fact the loon is the State Bird.

Dining in the kitchen last night was not fun, although we had a delicious meal of homemade mozzarella cheese stuffed Italian meatballs, topped with savory marinara sauce with sautéed mushrooms, locally made Parmesano/Reggiano cheeses, a side of grilled eggplant, seasoned with herbs from our own garden and of course, our favorite giant bowl of coleslaw. The locally grown horseflies were in Heaven with the smells wafting through the air.

Not one to wear perfume and scented products (one learns this living in Minnesota) it must be my personal scent that flying and biting insects find appealing. I found this recent article that unfortunately, didn’t provide me with a clue as to why biting insects bite me.  It’s always the same old, same old, as I sit here on the veranda with flies buzzing my head as I write this, Tom within four feet of me, safe from the wrath.

Still waiting to hear back from Budget Car Rental about swapping out our “sold” rental car, having canceled our road trip plans, we decided we’d shop for groceries today. With careful meal planning every two weeks, we found ourselves running low on a number of staples. 

Our plan was to enjoy our morning coffee with a light breakfast with a plan to head down the mountains to our favorite market in Pescia, Esselunga, almost 30 minutes away. 

Routinely checking our email during coffee time, I sat at the kitchen table, showered and dressed for the day, thoroughly savoring every swallow of fine Italian coffee, topped off with equally fine real cream.

Aware of the possibility that last night’s horseflies may still be in the vicinity along with a few bees that had joined in the festivities, my trusty white dishtowel was on my lap ready to go into action.  Distracted by a noteworthy article that popped up in my Facebook account, I didn’t notice when a flying thing landed on my towel close to my right hand. (I later noticed a smidgen of red sauce on the towel from last night that most likely attracted the creature.

Ouch!  Something bit me so hard on the pad of my palm that I literally jumped out of the kitchen chair, swatting wildly with the towel. Immediately, my hand began to swell. Our concern; not the pain, the swelling, or the redness, but was it a wasp or hornet sting that, with the intensity of the pain, set us on a path of response?

Both Tom and I are dangerously allergic to bees (used as a catchall phrase for certain flying stinging things). Last time either of us had been stung, we ended us in an emergency room, receiving Epinephrine and Cortisone injections, antihistamines, and ice packs for days.

Based on the intensity of the sting, I had no alternative but to assume it was a bee sting and react accordingly.  Of course, as we’ve mentioned before, we have several EpiPen in our medical kit in the event of such an occurrence.

Overreacting is pointless but a solid plan in place that we had previously rehearsed immediately went into action. Here were the steps we took:

1.  Immediately, I put a Benedryl tablet under my tongue for rapid absorption.
2.  Grabbed the EpiPen, reread the instructions, and placed it in my jeans pocket in the provided case. Is breathing compromised?  If so, use the EpiPen before completing the following.
3.  Used a credit card to wipe off any excess venom and stinger.
4.  Washed my hand in warm soapy water,
5.  Checked the bathroom mirror for any redness around my throat, chest, and groin area, all of which, for both Tom and I, were the bodily areas to react within minutes, besides the site of the sting.
5.  Made an icepack, promptly placing it on the affected area of my hand.
6.  Put on shoes, grab wallet and ID, more Benedryl, EpiPen, ice pack, and towel and head out the door.

Please keep in mind, the above is what we will do. Please consult your physician for instructions appropriate for you and your family members. 

Our plan was simple.  We’d drive toward Pescia where the grocery store is located along with the closest hospital to Boveglio. Normally, if there is a reaction to a bee sting it is within minutes, not hours.  It would take us a half hour to arrive at the hospital. 

With the actual use of the EpiPen, it is highly recommended that the patient immediately receive medical care.  This is a life-threatening occurrence for many people such as us, with proper medical care subsequent to the injection vital to ensure against further possible consequences. 

If there was no swelling of my throat, no systemic rash, and no massive swelling at the site of the sting, most likely it wasn’t a bee sting but a horsefly.  As we traveled down the mountain with no further reaction, Tom driving quickly but safely on the multitude of hairpin turns, I became convinced that it wasn’t a bee sting.

By the time we drove into the Esselunga grocery store parking lot, one euro was in my hand to pay for our grocery cart, my smartphone was in the other hand with our grocery store app loaded with two week’s of grocery items, and I was feeling fine.  We’d made it in 27 minutes, a good trial run.

Although a little sleepy from the Benedryl, I was ready to shop, leaving Tom in the car to read a book on his smartphone while he’d wait for an hour and fifteen minutes to come to find me. With not a word in English in the entire store, my former one hour shopping time had turned into almost two when we came to Tuscany.

In the past, getting a horsefly bite would result in a badly swollen and inflamed appendage or body part. Not the case today.  Although the now three bites (the two calf bites and the hand bite) are itching like crazy, I’m happy as a clam to having been spared.

As I write this now, I’ve moved inside to our bedroom, the totally bug-free zone where we never open the windows, use a floor stand fan and keep the bedroom door shut around the clock.  Usually, we feel fairly “safe” on the veranda with no flowers or plants nearby but today, after they were “buzzing” around my head, I’d had enough and came indoors.

Soon, back to the kitchen to make dinner, clean dishtowel in hand, I’m ready to snap those flies into oblivion to be able to enjoy another blissful evening of fine food, playing a little Gin, watching a favorite show, and idle chatter with my hubby.

In any case, it was good practice. I doubt Africa will be a bug-free zone! After digging through my suitcase, I found my Permethrin anti-insect long khaki pants, deciding to wear them during dinner. Let’s see how that works!

Its a “buggie” life…Flying insect photos from a pro..

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These “bug/flying insect” photos were provided by Chris Kelly, a professional photographer on his recent visit to Tuscany.  He too, observed the vast number of flying insects inspiring him to take these excellent photos. Thanks, Chris! Great photos!
Looks like a regular bee, doesn’t it?

As a kid, when a bug, flying insect, mosquito or bees buzzed my head, I’d jump around and scream. Over the years living on a lake in Minnesota, I got over it, with an occasional jump but never a scream. Bugs were everywhere. 

By August, the wasps, yellow jackets and hornets flourished, practically dive bombing us when we attempted to enjoy the outdoors. Tom and I are both allergic to wasps and hornets.   

Over the years, on many occasions, my hand or foot would become swollen beyond recognition from a horsefly bite, with itching lasting for 10 days or more. Even a paltry mosquito bite could cause swelling and itching for days.

Really?  Please don’t stop by!

None the less, we spent considerable time outdoors days and evenings, swatting, spraying, dancing about to ward off the biting insects in Minnesota, the mosquito being the most prevalent.

When we arrived in Belize, we were plagued with the notorious no-see-ums, having as many as 100 bites at a time, they too, itching for many days and nights.  Once we moved to the air conditioned property in February with screens and air conditioning, we were well protected, especially at night.

Chris said he shot all of these insects on one single walk in Tuscany over a week ago.

The dilemma here in Boveglio boils down to the lack the screens or AC, not just on our house but in houses throughout the area.  I suppose the residents take them in their stride. We’ve yet to accomplish this feat. The exquisite blanket of vegetation covering the mountains, hills and terraced areas, provide a lush environment for flying insects along with a wide array of bugs we don’t recognize nor do we fear. 

Were it not for the risk of a serious reaction to a sting, neither of us would give it a thought.  Although anything buzzing around one’s head at night is rather annoying. As mentioned a few posts ago, we now keep all the windows and the door shut in our bedroom. Yesterday, lovely Lisa and Luca, the owners of the house, brought us a stand fan making last night’s sleep especially comfortable.

Yes, we’ve seen these buzzing around the flowering basil. No annoyance here.

Today, the temperature is in the low 90’s.  Luckily, in the evenings the temperature drops considerably. If we chose to open the windows in the bedroom at night, we may be inviting bats inside with the hundreds we’ve noticed flying around the house as we’ve sat on the veranda in the evenings. 

Yesterday morning, I heard an outrageous buzzing while chopping and dicing in the kitchen while Tom was in the other room.The kitchen window was opened. After awhile the buzzing stopped replaced by the lesser buzzing of other flying insects entering and leaving the kitchen through the open window.

This appears to be a type of moth, not so scary.

I should mention that we keep the organic waste, of which we have quite a bit due to cooking most of our meals, in a tightly closed and bagged container in the kitchen, emptying it often. We’re fully aware that such a container would surely attract bugs.  In our old life, we had garbage disposals, not the case after leaving Minnesota last Halloween. 

There are five separate containers for recycling down in the trash area. We sort and remove all of our trash frequently, keeping all windows closed anywhere near the  outdoor trash area.

Most likely, this insect doesn’t sting.

Back to the outrageous buzzing. This morning, again while chopping and dicing, I heard it again as did Tom.  Looking up at the log ceiling in the kitchen, we saw a yellow jacket or hornet coming out of a small opening near the mortar and the wood. Oh, no! Its making a nest inside the kitchen. Somehow, we shooed it outside the window.  Minutes later it came back inside working its way back inside the little hole in the ceiling.

Not feeling like driving down the mountain today to get some type of spray, our only option for today was to shoo the thing outside once more, when we weren’t able to kill it and proceed to close all the windows in the house.

These things are clever. Shall we wait to see if 25 baby hornets are born in the kitchen soon or shall we drive down the mountain to find a hardware store in order to purchase an appropriate spray (first, we’ll translate the possible verbiage).

Wanting to be outside awhile ago we spent an hour on the patio in our chaise lounges, swatting the flying things. With the herb garden growing within a foot of us, they were swarming us for the entire hour. Back inside, we’re now on the less-“buggie” veranda with a few flies, an occasional bee and less often, a gigantic loud hairy black dive bomber.

This resembles a beetle, not necessarily a stinging insect.

While researching the Internet this morning for possible solutions and descriptions of these flying insects, I stumbled across these amazing photos of a sampling of a few of the flying insects of Tuscany, taken by a professional photographer, Chris Kelly (yes, I’m jealous!) writing to him asking permission to use his photos. As it turns out he took these photos in Tuscany while he was vacationing here only a week ago. Chris was delighted to share his work, as us “web geeks” often are. 

Naming these must be left to the bug experts of the world. Please comment if you know the names of any of these. With literally millions of species on flying insects, it would be an impossible task to find their varieties in order to name them correctly.

As an aside, this morning while chopping and dicing I had intended to make a salmon salad using canned salmon as one would use canned tuna. We’d purchased two such cans while shopping a few weeks ago. 

With Tom having the leftover taco salad tonight, I though a big bowl of salmon salad atop shredded romaine lettuce and raw sliced veggies would be a perfect meal for me, along with plate of steamed green beans and sautéed eggplant. 

Whenever we have leftovers which is only enough for one of us, I make a single separate dinner for the other. Waste not, want not. Never wasting a morsel of food is our motto, hardly ever throwing away any leftovers. 

After chopping the fresh crispy celery, purple onion and hard boiled eggs using the Mezzaluna knife (see instruction video), placing them in a large mixing bowl, I opened the big can of salmon, poured off the excess juice and dumped it into the bowl. 

Instead of a glob of salmon freely popping out of the can, it was a batch of about 10 small fish. It was mackerel! Yikes and yuck! Well, my “waste not, want not” theory kicks in as I continued to make the salad. That’s my dinner tonight! I’ll have to eat the entire bowl so we won’t have more organic waste to attract more flying insects.

Part 2…Continuation of our day trip to the Monkey River and the rain forest…My 65th birthday…

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Jason driving the boat with his feet in order to get an “eagle’s eye” view of the manatees. His ability to spot wildlife is astounding!

Today is my 65th birthday. Unable to “lunch with the ladies,” to receive the usual much appreciated cards and gifts from family and friends with no mail delivery available to us here, Tom gave me this gift of a day on the Monkey River and journey into the rain forest. 

Nothing could have meant more to me, to experience this memorable day and also to share it with all of our family, friends and readers.  Today, we’ll grocery shop, walk on the beach, spend time at the pool and tonight, dine in one of our favorite romantic restaurants, the Singing Sands. What a day!  I qualify for Medicare (can’t use it outside the US) and am having the time of my life in this amazing country. 

Back to our story:

The rain forest is filled with a wealth of nature’s miracles. Seeing first hand the vegetation that may be the answer to many of the world’s illness added to our commitment that the rain forests must be preserved. This massive untouched area gives one hope.  The country of Belize is dedicated to the preservation of these areas, constantly striving for ecological purity. 

The jungle.
Termite nest.  They were busy at work. Hi
Termite nest.

Unusual trees hold secrets to health.
The varied rain forest floor.  This was a nature of the path we walked.
Largest bamboo growth area in Belize.
Four turtles sunning on a log.
 

Iguanas, as do other wildlife, blend into their environment, making them difficult to spot.

Croc climbing out of the river to the shore.

Leaving the rain forest, we jumped back into the boat, swatted more horse flies and headed to Alice’s Restaurant for our awaiting lunch.  The food was hot, delicious and much welcomed along with ice cold bottled water.  We engaged in lively conversation with our Ruth and Howie. 

Alice’s Restaurant was hosted by a small group of friendly, kind and attentive staff. We weren’t sure who, or if there was an Alice.

Shortly after we ate lunch, Jason appeared coaxing us back to the boat for more adventure, the long fast bouncy boat road back to Placencia with multiple stops along to way to look for manatees. Excited at the prospect of seeing these massive creatures, we couldn’t get back into the boat quickly enough.

Much to our delight we saw several in the open water area between the mainland and the Placencia Peninsula.  Elusive mammals, they place their blubbery snoots above water for only seconds to gather a gasp of air, quickly dashing back under the sea.  They were nearly impossible to photograph.  Please bear with the photos that we managed to take and see the link for more about the manatee of Belize with better photos.

Look carefully to see the outline of the possibly 1000 pound manatee in the water.  We’d hoped for better photos but, they’re shy and don’t do the “show” familiar to whales and dolphins.
At the exact moment we shot the photo, a mother and baby surfaced for air. 
More feet driving.

Returning at the lagoon at 2:00 pm as planned, covered in bug spray, bearing a wide array of bites, we felt dirty, wind blown and ready for a spray from the outdoor shower followed by a dunk in the pool. 

It was a perfect day.  We loved every moment.  For now, this is our home and our “backyard” is a treasure of gifts bestowed upon us by Mother Nature and the sea.  Thank you, Mother Nature.  Thank you, sea.  Thank you, Jason.  Thank you, Tom Lyman.  And thanks to all of our readers for adding to our adventure by “sharing” it with us.

Jewelry sale day results…strange visitor

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This worm or caterpillar was atop Tom’s blue Croc as the last shopper as the jewelry sale walked out the door and screamed.

We live on a peninsula, a narrow “road to nowhere.” We are the second house from the end. With water on both sides of us, there is no sidewalk, no curb, no gutter and little parking room. We’ve always considered this a small price to pay to be surrounded by water.

As a result of this parking dilemma, in 26 years in this house, we’ve never had a garage sale.  The idea of strangers coming to our home, parking on the lawn when the few space run out, made us cringe.

Alas, our estate sale guy Jim Anderson suggested I sell my costume jewelry rather than leave it for the estate sale where it becomes difficult to control with many shoppers hovering about.  

As I wrote in last week’s post, I sold my loose gold and silver while awaiting an offer on my wedding ring, hopefully to hear soon.  A sale at our home was the most practical solution, albeit our concerns about the parking.

My dear friend and next door neighbor offered to be “the guard,” helping me put up the signs and keeping me company, making the event less dreadful.  

I hoped for rain so I could cancel it, watching the weather report every few hours.  Why put off the inevitable?  Then, I looked up “jewelry lots” on eBay, hoping to find that I’d get a good price for the entire batch. Not the case.

The signs I made on neon pink poster paper with a huge black marker, all purchased at the Dollar Store for less than $5, easily glued to the sign bases Tom made for me last weekend using four $1.69 wooden stakes, nailed to four pieces of particle board the hardware store cut for me for $9.00.  Total sign cost was around $20.  

The signs read:

Fashion Jewelry Sale
Today 2-6
Nothing Over $21
Gorgeous!
With the signs in the ground appropriately scattered throughout the neighborhood, my dear neighbor and I sat in my kitchen sipping frosty glasses of iced tea, viewing the pleasing display of the 200+ pieces patiently awaiting the first customer. We were tentatively optimistic.

As it turned out 2:00 pm was a poor time to start a sale.  We were hoping to catch the “on their way home from work” crowd, which we did to a degree. But the first three hours were a bust.  A kindly, experienced garage sale enthusiast suggested we try in the early morning when the serious shoppers are frantically driving around.  

The end result of the sale was $152, not what I’d expected.  I looked up “jewelry lots” on eBay again.  My dear neighbor pushed me, “Let’s do it again next Thursday. I’ll help!”  Grudgingly, I agreed.
Next Thursday at 8 am we’ll be ready to roll again.  I’ll change the time on the signs with the purchase of one neon pink poster for $.69, cut into small squares to tape over the old times with the new times.  

As the last shopper walked out the door, her plastic bag of jewelry in hand, her daughter let out a gasp.  This is what she saw, atop Tom’s Croc, outside our kitchen door:
Anyone know what this is?  Or what this will be someday soon?  Is it a worm or a larvae?  I don’t have time to look it up online.  Good thing this critter wasn’t inside his Croc when Tom slipped his foot inside.  

I guess Africa will have bigger, scarier such things.  I didn’t scream. Instead, I took a photo.

Scorpions?…Boots, please!…

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Scorpions in Africa may be from 6″-8″

After reading numerous articles about appropriate clothing to wear while on safari, it only took a few sentences for me to be convinced that proper boots are a must in the bush.

Some websites recommended a short boot and others suggested a taller boot. Although only slightly concerned about creatures crawling up our pant legs, I have opted for the “long BugsAway pants tucked into the boot concept” with a lace up boot. 

This will allow me to tighten the boot at the top to prevent Mr. Scorpion from running up the boot and slithering down the inside of the boot. Oh, please, no.

Tom, who’s used to heavy steel toe boot required by his 42 year railroad job, doesn’t like the idea of boots at all, hoping to toss them out with his watch on retirement day, this upcoming Halloween.  With Mr. Scorpion in mind, I’ll continue to get him on board.  Perhaps, he’ll come around when he sees this photo!

Over the past several weeks while enthusiastically researching boots I had a litany of requirements in mind:

Functional:  Must keep creatures out.  Must be sturdy, providing sure footing.
Must have a thick sole to prevent puncture by thorny brush or snake bite.  
Water resistant: Waterproof, not necessary, but they must be able to withstand a rainy day, subsequently drying without damage.
Comfortable:  My feet are picky.  My feet insist on comfortable shoes.  There is nothing wrong with my feet.  I don’t have bunions or protrusions. I have a high instep which is manageable. For some goofy reason, shoes hurt my feet.  Most of the shoes I’ll be selling at the estate sale will be newer shoes I’ve worn only once, blistering my feet, never to be worn again.  The remainder will be comfortable, overly worn shoes, for which no one would want to pay $1. 
Proper fit:  Comfortable could cover this aspect, but boots may be somewhat comfortable in the foot with a poor fit around the ankle and particularly, the calf.  I have skinny calves.  Yes, I have skinny, muscular calves after years of working out and running around doing my 10,000 steps a day for most of my adult life.  My calves are small, measuring only 12″.  Most boots have a shaft circumference of 14″-15″ leaving me with a huge gap, large enough to fit my hand.  A  lace-up boot may compensate for this anomaly.
Attractive, stylish:  Yea, yea, yea, I know. Cute boots are not necessary.  If all of the above can be accomplished and, the boots are stylish, I will consider it a bonus.  After we leave Africa, the boots, if stylish will be worn and enjoyed for years to come.  
Lightweight: The pair of boots I purchased last night, weight 1.4 pounds.  This is the nature of the beast (no pun intended).  Boots take up vital space in the suitcase.  Solution: wear the boots while traveling by air when weight is an issue. (All bags, regardless of the number are acceptable on cruises, provided any one bag doesn’t exceed 70 pounds.)  If the boots are comfortable, wearing them for long periods will be possible.  Wearing socks, I can remove them on the plane if necessary. Yes, I know, the security check at airports requires the removal of boots.  OK, let’s see.  Scorpion?  Boots?  Scorpion?  Boots? Boots win!!!
Price:  This was tough.  How does one find all the above at a great price?  Well made boots are expensive.  For weeks, I watched boot sales on eBay to no avail. I checked out endless boot resellers, discount wholesale stores and sales at major retailers. On eBay most were offered at BUY IT NOW prices resulting in little opportunity to negotiate, although I did contact a few sellers with lower offers, with no results.  

Last night, I decided to return to my normal process; find the product I like, then price shop.  The Olympics on TV in the background, Tom at my side, contentedly in his comfy chair, playing with Ancestry.com, his favorite pastime activity, I finally found the perfect boot from a manufacturer I know is comfortable and fits me well.  

Excited by this find, the price and size search began.  Two hours later, frustrated with little results, I wandered over to Amazon.com, my favorite online store where I often buy everyday products at great prices, with free shipping, avoiding a trip to a store.  

When I had searched for the boots on Google, a link to Amazon came up on the 2nd page indicating a “weak reference” to the product which drove me away. Usually an item comes up if the search includes the brand, the model and the size.  In this case, it did not.  

Although not hopeful, I pulled up the Amazon.com link to find my boots!!  My size, to boot (no pun intended)!  Yeah!

The total price with shipping was $161.98. Of course, I would have loved to buy these boots for less. Originally, they were offered for $174.98 + shipping. The $25 savings provided a small consolation, but then again, Mr. Scorpion definitely provided the final motivation.

Clark’s Women’s Orinoco Jump Boot

 


Clark’s Women’s Orinoco Jump Boot

 

5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review) | Like(3)
Suggested price: $175.00
Price: $149.98 
Size:
Color: Stone Leather
Leather
Rubber sole
Shaft measures approximately 16″ from arch
Heel measures approximately 1.25″
Supple Leather Upper
OrthoLite Footbed
Full Inside Zip Entry
Rubber Sole
Steel Shank

No bed bugs for us!…

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These ideas just pop into our heads.  We research.  We discuss the options.  We consider price, shipping costs, quality, weight, and most of all, how badly do we need it.

Both Tom and I cringe at the thought of bed bugs.  Who doesn’t?  

We currently have a dual king Sleep Number bed, for us, the most comfortable bed in the world.  The fact that the head and foot of each side of bed raise up by two individual remote controls (as well as adjusting the degree of firmness), resulting in the necessity of two separate mattresses and box springs. 

The only drawback has been the difficulty of the cuddling, being divided by a crack between the two mattresses.  We have managed to compensate for this quite well, thank you.  Use your imagination. 

Giving up our bed is not easy for me.  It is the only piece of furniture to which I will sadly say goodbye. Suffering with a painful spine condition, the bed has been a lifesaver for me over the past 9 years since we made the pricey purchase.  Tom could sleep on a bed of nails!  He won’t miss the bed.

As we wind down here, the topic of bed bugs has come to the surface. Will our vacation homes have more or less risk of bed bugs as opposed to a hotel?  We’ve decided that we would rather haul around a solution than haul around several thousand bed bugs in our luggage.  

As a result, we will need zippered high quality bed bug proof mattress, box spring and pillow covers!  Yes, we’ll now be hauling an extra 9 pounds (approximate weight. We will weigh them when they arrive).  This may sound foolish and overly paranoid.  But, I ask, have you seen photos of bed bugs or the risks to one’s health?  Yikes!  

Yesterday at noon, laptop in hand, frosty iced tea beside me and parked in my comfy chair, the online search began for the zippered high quality bed bug proof mattress, box spring and pillow covers.

A new dilemma, entered the picture.  What size do we buy? A few of the houses we are renting, have a king sized bed, some are queen while others are simply old fashioned double beds (talk about cuddling).  It would be impossible to haul varying sizes.  

Most king-sized beds have a split box spring.  After much research, we discovered the importance of covering the box springs as well as the mattress.   

Solution: purchase two zippered queen-sized box spring covers in the event of double box springs on the king beds and, purchase one zippered king-sized mattress cover, although too big for the smaller beds, can be tucked in under the mattress.  

After searching through ten various bedding sites, to determine full retail price, quality brands that we also allergy proof, bed bug proof and comfortable to sleep on (no vinyl, no latex), I found my way back to eBay for some serious bed bug free shopping.

This was not the easiest item to find. The quality and pricing was all over the place. After a good hour and a half of searching, I finally found what we needed, the king mattress, the two queen box spring and the two king pillow covers, all meeting our criteria. Grand total $173.17.  

Each time we will arrive at a property, before unpacking our bags, we will have to cover the mattress, box spring and pillows of the bed we will sleep in.  We may be exhausted from traveling, may have been flying for 24 hours or more, may want to fall on our faces on the bed.  

Then again, when we leave for the next location, we’ll have to remember to take them off of the bed early enough to wash and dry them, and fold them properly to fit into our luggage.  Not an easy task.  If we have an early departure with no time for laundry, we will be bringing an airtight sealed bag that we will carry on in order to keep it separate from our luggage until we can launder them when arrive at the next spot.  Not an easy task.

We console ourselves for this daunting task by reminding ourselves: no more lawn to mow, no weeds to pull, no windows to wash, no hauling patio furniture, inside and out, no carpet to shampoo, no cars to wash, no hatches to batten down in winter, no more utility bills and on and on and on.  

Life is filled with trade-offs.  Yes, we are trading one load of tasks for a whole new world of tasks, in a new environment, with new people around us, with new scenery to enjoy.  But one thing remains the same, we will have each other. And that, dear readers, is how and why we do this; to share a once-in-a-lifetime experience with our lover, our best friend and our favorite companion with whom dreams are made and ultimately realized. 

So, one more item is knocked off the list, that will give us peace of mind, reduce stress and add to the enjoyment of “living in the world” for no less than three years and maybe, health providing, many more years to come.

Be well.