The First, True Sign of Summer

The other day Mike noticed a huge red circle on the back of my knee. He asked me what it was and I said I didn't know since I hadn't noticed it until then. I reached back and touched and felt a huge bump. And that's when it began…….the itching. I could not stop, every time I thought about it I itched at the bump. Thankfully by now, the itching has subsided but I had forgotten that that is the one, true sign of summer in these parts. The M word – mosquito – yuck!

I spotted the first one in the house today while I was vacuuming. I thought about taking a picture of the little pest but instead I sucked him up into the vacuum.

There are some other things we're getting used to since we moved back to ND. Some examples:

-it already stays light until after 9:30 pm (in WA it didn't stay light that late until July)

-a "big" rainstorm is considered over an inch, within a 3 day period (last November there were records set in WA – some areas received over 15")

-people think Mike will tire of his "commute" soon, it is about 12 min. long (in WA his commute averaged at least an hour – each way)

-even though houses are less around here, groceries are more expensive. In WA I could buy a gallon of milk for $2, here it is at least $3.65

-I've managed to get two sunburns already. I am not used to the sun being out this much. I think I'll have to put a bottle of sunscreen in both vehicles so I'm not looking like a lobster all summer long.

-when we mention our hometown someone always knows someone from there. We have to be careful of our facial expressions when they say the name. I don't think it would be polite to say, "You're related to them???? Eeeewwww!!"