Miss Muffet & her friends

After writing this I had to come back up to the top and make a note. It seems like a lot of writing for such a silly topic, but this is so much a part of our lives in Montana. You just wouldn't understand if you haven't experienced it firsthand.
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I have to smile when I think about friends and family who might visit us here in Montana. Some friends and family that is. What makes me grin is wondering how they would react to the daily spider visitors in the motorhome, the daily sighting of slithering snakes in and around the river, the mice that make themselves at home under the tents & in the rental trailers, and the squadrons of mosquitoes that are so combative. The spiders and snakes don't bother me, but the mosquitoes are terrible. And thanks to the cat and dogs in the campground, we don't have mice.

Whenever we come into the motorhome we're quick and careful not to let mosquitoes follow us in. At least we try. Most times it seems that one or two get in and we usually attract them to us before we go to bed. Nothing worse than getting woke up at 2 AM by buzzing 'squitoes in my ear. When that happens, about twice a week, I have to get out of bed, turn on the lights and hunt it down. A couple nights ago I was bit 3 times and the itching woke me up, not the buzzing. I got up, turned on the lights and looked for the culprit. Rick woke up and just buried his head under the sheet. I couldn't find it and figured that since it had bit me, it was done for the night. The next morning Rick found it with the dust buster (aka bug vac) and said it was so big it was super-sized.

About a week ago, late one night, Rick had fallen asleep in his recliner chair. I noticed a dark spot on his cheek and took a closer look. I was surprised to see that it was a mosquito and I did what any loving wife would do. I ever so gently slapped it and killed it. Rick woke up, but literally didn't know what hit him. Or how hard.

Just a couple nights ago, after 11 PM, Rick had started to doze off in his chair and I woke him up to go to bed. He stirred and said OK. I checked the door and windows and looked back at him and saw a mosquito on his upper lip. Oh no! What to do?!? Thoughts went through my mind. He was asleep and didn't know it was there. He didn't remember the last time I saved him from a mosquito. Could I do it again without him knowing? If I didn't it would buzz my ear at 2 AM. So I gently, ever so gently, touched my hand to the 'lip biter'. Rick stirred and I pointed to the mosquito that was now on his shirt. It was still moving so I slapped it and it made a blood spot on his shirt, which I quickly wiped off. The only thing Rick remembers is that I smashed it on his shirt and made a spot. However, his lip started to puff up so I had to tell him that a 'squito had bit him. Liquid benedryl works wonders. It was barely noticeable the next day.

We actually like the spiders so we use the dust buster to gather them up and release them outside. We like them because they eat mosquitoes.

Oh, I forgot the worst of all -- the deer flies. They are the worst because they hurt so bad when they bite, they make a large red welt, and it takes a very long time for the itching to stop.