Chiggers

The farm would be perfect if it weren't for the dying animals and the m.effen chiggers!  Chiggers are very very small tick like thingers that embed in the skin, salivate and cause your skin to rot.    The chiggers then eat the rotten skin.  They hang on for a couple days then drop off. They itch worse then the worst mosquito bite! I am covered with them.  I look like I have the measles.  They love the hot spots so under my bra and underwear is even worse.  Coco, has been rubbing him self down with diesel to prevent them and he only has a few.  So the other day, after many days of suffering and resisting  the diesel treatment for fear of a chemical burn or illness from diesel absorption, I gave in.  covered my legs and wiped down all the bites and my back.  After 3 days of this the bite had gotten better but my skin is now blistered and itchy!  I am no longer using diesel, and Coco now believes me that it's not good for skin. haha  So I've been soaking my diesel burned skin in the river and using a thing similar to Vics to keep them from getting on me.  I've also been wearing rubber boots and soaks to go out in the yard.  They aren't comfy and they are hot, but I do have less and less bites to scratch. 

Yesterday the farm owner was here and he and Coco plumbed the sink and toilet.  I no longer have to flush the toilet with a bucket of water.  They also fixed the water pressure so the cold shower is not like a waterfall.  I will be ready for swimming in Oregon when I get home.  Cold water's got nothing on me now! haha  Actually, of all the "comforts" of home, hot water is the one thing I miss.  But I just try to shower mid day when I'm hot and then before it gets too cold in the evening.  I'd like to say I'm getting more use to it, but I'm really not sure. 

Cheese!

Yesterday I sort of helped make cheese, well, I watched.  Today after I made jungle fresh banana pancakes, Coco started making the cheese.  It's a nice treat!  Our primary diet has been rice, beans and eggs.  But I'm not complaining.  There is a huge ass mango tree about 30 feet from the house so that has been great.  So much better than the mango in the grocery stores, even the grocery stores here.

I'm just rambling now!  I will attempt to update my back log of hand written blogging sometime soon.