*Is back*

[jl_merrow]

So, the holiday was lovely; the pile of laundry now eagerly awaiting my attention somewhat less so. Picspam (of the hols, not the laundry; would I do that to you?) possibly to follow, assuming I can get my arse in gear (don't hold your breath).

BUT... why are European insects so much bitier than their English counterparts? (I include Scotland in Europe, btw. It may be a year since I was last midge and tick fodder, but I have not forgotten, oh no. *glares in vaguely northwards direction*) And how is it that I emerged from a week in the Austrian countryside unscathed, only to be nommed on prodigiously once we hit Salzburg in a feeble attempt to prove to the kids that we can haz culture?

*scratches furiously at scarily large insect bites*

But they did enjoy the Mozart. :D

Comments

[mangopip.livejournal.com]

You're baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! And I'm tipsy! *L*

[the-flic.livejournal.com]

Yay, you're home!! Can't wait to catch up xx

[jl_merrow]

Yay! To both! ;D
Although it is frightening trying to catch up with what everyone's been posting while I was away. I love your shoes though. *g* I have a very similar pair, in purple *kisses shoes* It's a shame there's all that water between us; I'm sure our shoes would like to get together sometime and go out for a drink... *is bad*

[jl_merrow]

*hugs*
It's great to be back! :D

[mangopip.livejournal.com]

Purple?? In purple? *dies of envy*

Oh, our shoes would be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad...;)

[spindriftdancer.livejournal.com]

Meh. Come to Canada. We'll show you annoying insects... ;p

It starts with black-fly season in April, morphs into mosquito season in May, and ends with wasps and deerflies in September.

Then we have winter.

[jl_merrow]

Deerflies, eh? Are they like horseflies, only cuter and with antlers? ;D

[spindriftdancer.livejournal.com]

Heh. No. They're striped, and shaped vaguely like fighter-jets. They take variously-sized chunks out of your skin (depending on the dimensions of the fly). But if you don't notice them land you won't feel the bite until after they've left. Their mouths release a local anaesthetic... which only works for about a minute. Then it hurts like hell.

I keep a tube of baby teething gel around the house. It seems to work best for bug bites.

[spindriftdancer.livejournal.com]

We have horseflies, too. But they're big and black, and take larger chunks out of your flesh. And hurt more. Lol, they're the spoon of the bug world. But, they're also slower and easier to smack.

[jl_merrow]

Yikes.
*makes mental note never to leave English shores again. Except possibly in winter. And wearing industrial-strength bug-repellant*

[spindriftdancer.livejournal.com]

Bug hats work pretty well, too.
http://www.nextag.com/OUTDOOR-RESEARCH--2701033/bug-hat/brand-html

Less toxic chemicals that way...

Plus, it also depends on where you're going to be. Up north can be pretty bad. Where I am (in the 'soft' south) it's just mostly mosquitoes, and if you avoid marshy areas you're not doing a slap-happy dance *all* the time. The woods are not for the faint of heart(:

I would *love* to go somewhere that didn't have bugs the size of sparrows ready to eat you alive. I'm never visiting Africa. Or anywhere with big centipedes. Ever.