After having to wait all week, I finally got to go back out in the daylight on the deck today.
This past Friday before work I got stuck in a dilemna.
In a hurry to get done fast, I went out the upstairs outside door n quickly set down a water bucket next to the closed door n went around the corner to look at the flowers on the other deck section. When I turned to go back in there were about a dozen hornets swarming in tight circles about the bucket!
It occurred to me that I was trapped with no way to get back in the house, or downstairs without going thru the hornets... I'm allergic to bee stings.
Since I've lived here that's never happened to me before. I'd previously sprayed around the deck with "Shoo-Fly" repellant as I do each spring. Usually that keeps the bees from nesting up here. Threatening a nest would be the only thing that would rile up hornets like that, because they're very territorial. I've done alot of
past Bee research...
Rooting thru gardening supplies out there in a covered barrel, I found an old bottle of plant pest insect spray, almost empty. I took off the spray nozzle top, n tossed the remaining liquid near the door, ducking back put of sight around the corner.
Then the available bug spray was all gone, n didn't stop the hornets from milling round. What else could I use? So I started throwing water from plant watering jugs on that whole section of deck- Also did not deter them!
Finally, I decided to hold my cloppy flip-flops instead of making sound, gathered my courage, n I ran past the bucket down the stairs, while jiggily pouring out a water jug held over my head all around me- It worked!- Not stung, n not followed down off the deck, either.
Still had a big prob tho... No keys for car or other door, no money, no phone in my pockets yet! Not even a drink of wake-up tea! But now wide awake alright- heart pounding outa my chest too!
I saw the "R" summer neighbor on her porch, n asked of she had bug spray to borrow, but no luck. Other neighbors were out somewhere. I needed to leave for work soon or be late, n was a heavy traffic day too, on the holiday week-end- I felt pressure to hurry n think to solve the prob for myself.
What else could I do? There was a string-head mop on the downstairs porch.
A plan formed in my head to hold the mop out ahead of me to divert the hornets attention, n go up the stairs to try to get in the door. Quietly n slowly I went up the stairs. Part-way up, as soon as I could reach the bucket with the mop, I quickly pushed the bucket further down the deck away from the door, n rushed back down to the yard. the hornets were still crazy for another ten minutes while I watched them from downstairs.
Finally, they simmered down with the bucket out of their way, n I couldn't see many around. Once again holding the mop out ahead of me n flipping the strings about, I went up the stairs, spotted clear air to the door, grabbed the latch, n quickly ran in! I made it!
I quickly checked all over me for insects, n the mop too. Tho it felt like things were crawling all over me, I was clean- success!
Another "I'm alive!" episode in my life, n I solved it all by myself! Immediately I thanked the Creator n the Angels for helping me out.
At times like that I always want to eat chocolate Ice cream... but I had to hurry out the other door to get to work, which I did instead. I had to use the downstairs door all week, until I finally got Bee spray, sprayed after dark, n then had to wait another 24 hours before feeling somewhat safe using the door again.
I finally got in another sunset from the D-bridge too. I'm finally getting to that ice cream today too! It's been a very long, busy week...
