Little Stinky Bugs

You know that Spring has arrived when you spot the first stink bug of the season!  Yesterday's discovery, actually.  Yes, I know that Spring won't be here for a few more weeks "officially" and that we could still have winter weather.  But along with little stinky bugs, pollen is suddenly making it's appearance known.  My allergy symptoms can attest to that!  By the way, the stink bug was gently coerced into leaving the door frame and heading off in another direction on the porch.

I don't think what I had a few weeks back was actually the flu.  I think I had something else.  RSV, respiratory synctal (not the right word but I can't remember!) virus.  Which is making it's annual rounds lately, as it does this time of year.  It can be bad, it can be fatal if a young infant or older person gets is.  For most adults, it's "just" a flu-type but without serious side effects but it's still a hard one to deal with and get over.  I've had it before, when Otter was less than a year old.  She was exposed to it but we didn't realize that the child she'd been around had something serious.  Until the doctor sent us to the ER!  We had just been to Tulsa on our "do we want to move to OK" trip and inadvertantly exposed Otter's grandparents to it.  After we got home is when Otter got really sick.  She was pretty sick, but she was lucky - some kids wind up in the hospital.  I think one of the nephews on Bill's side did wind up hospitalized with it.  It's also a contributing factor to asthma developing.  Otter already had it, asthma is something that you are more or less born with if you did have it, but it might have remained dormant longer than it did.  It can cause asthma to be a lot worse than it would have been otherwise, as Froggy can probably attest!  I did get it at that point, but I didn't have a bad illness.  However, I think that it's what I had recently.  I fit the symptoms.  Especially the way that it came on so fast.  And took so long to get over.

I started the 2nd police officer donation scarf today.  I got the base chain done and two or three stitches on the first row.  I didn't have much time on my lunch hour today, I might get back on it tonight but I'm not sure.

I made another discovery today, it was a nicer one than a stink bug trying to get in the door!  Last fall, Otter decided against planting anything in the tulip bed.  She wanted to give the bed time to rest and recoup.  The last tulips we planted were mostly regular bulbs, but there were some that were 2-year bulbs.  This is the 2nd year and they are coming up.  Along with a boatload of daffodils!  It was a nice surprise, we didn't expect the 2-year bulbs to come up although we probably shouldn't be surprised.

I had another discovery, but it's from several days ago.  Remember those confused bluebonnets?  The ones that don't know what season it is?  Well, they are still there.  They've survived several very hard freezes and they are STILL ALIVE.  They look to be very healthy.  I'm hopeful that they'll actually get to the blooming stage, but there's no way to know yet if they have been too damaged by the freezes.  But I'm just glad that they are even still there!  Bluebonnets are very special.