No Boating for Me, Bumble Bees 1- The "Dawg" 0

This past Tuesday, I went out to the boat with the intention of doing a bit of a float. I already knew that the Chain of Lakes was open, but only no wake. Plus, there were dire warnings about the extremely high bacteria content in the water. If you got any on you, you were supposed to wash it immediately (with what?) and take a shower.

When I got out to Rick's, I found the boat actually a few inches above the pier. I'd never seen it that high before. Water was up along the seawalls and grass on both sides of the channel. I would have had to walk through several inches of water to get out to the boat, so decided to take a RAIN check on my float.

Hopefully, I will be able to get out on Thursday or Friday.

Of course, we have Labor Day weekend coming up, always a big crowd out on the lakes. Hopefully the water will have gone down enough by then so that the no wake can be lifted.

Last evening, I was making a "Search and Destroy" mission against the dreadful Japanese beetles. It was essentially the "gloaming" with daylight fast leaving us. Out by the gazebo, I grabbed a dark object that I though to be a beetle. The buzz gave it away as not being a beetle. Before I could get my hand away, I'd been STUNG. Ouch!!! One very mad bumble bee buzzed away, probably planning on telling his buds about the stupid guy who thought he was a beetle.

This is the third time I've been stung out in the yard since 1993. Fortunately, I am not allergic to bee stings like Liz is.

The first time I got stung was by a bumble bee out by Frances' Back 40. It flew straight up and nailed me just above my right eye. A few years ago, while I was staining the deck, a wasp came up between the boards and got me on the rear end. Sure glad I didn't have to go to the emergency room for that one. "Let's see, what is the nature of your injury?"

Just one more reason to hate those beetles.

Do NOT Mistake a Bumble Bee for a Japanese Beetle. --RoadDog