Skeeters
As I lie awake at night on one glorious
summer day something buzzed by my head in the most peculiar way.
It wasn't long before I felt a tiny sting as a female mosquito launched
an attack to rob me of my blood, the very protein she needed to lay her eggs.
Immediately I swelled up in that area and it started itching terribly.
I applied some bug bite medicine and quickly felt some relief.
The reason I knew it was a female
Skeeter is because the males feed on plant juices and are nothing more than a
nuisance. The antennae's of the
males are quite feathery but I've yet to get close enough to a Skeeter to find
out the difference. Usually you'll
find Skeeters around still or stagnant water. This is where I experienced my
first mosquito while fishing on a nearby lake called "Lake
Washington."
Here is where my story begins…
It was bright and early in the
morning as I set off with fishing pole in one hand and a tackle box and lunch in
the other, for a secluded spot I now call "Skeeterville on Lake
Washington." The fish were
jumping out of the water that day and the air was filled with the sweet smells
of the forest after a light dusting of early morning rain. I rigged up my fishing pole complete with a small glow worm
on the end and launched it forcefully out into the quiet lake.
It made a "ker-plunk" sound as it sank into the water with the
waves rippling in circles around my line.
I sat back on a patch of grass and
waited patiently for a tug on my line signaling me there was a fish playing with
my tempting worm. The anticipation
grew as only minutes passed and down jerked the tip of my pole.
I jumped to my feet, my adrenaline pumping hard, as I reeled in what
appeared to be one very large fish! I
readied the net to scoop up my catch as it arrived close to the shore.
It didn't take long to realize that my glow worm was missing and there
was no fish on my line!
As I looked more closely a very small mosquito glared at me with rather
large confused eyes. He was a
slender fly with a long thin beak and narrow wings.
He had hair like scales along his veins and margins.
His antenna's were feathery, but most importantly, "How did he get
on my fishing line?" "Where
was my glow worm and where was my big fish I thought I had caught?"
Well at this point I was more
confused than the mosquito. But the
mosquito quickly straightened me out. He
talked! Yes, that male mosquito on
the end of my fishing line actually talked!
He complained to me that he was awakened from a restful sleep by a pesky
glow worm. Well I was in shock,
this day had not turned out like I had planned, and here I was talking to a
mosquito!
I wasn't about to go hungry, and I knew a big fish was out there just
waiting to be caught. Now the only thing standing between me and that fish was one
very talkative mosquito. I figured
since he obviously scared off my glow worm I would name this relentless insect
"Munchie The Mosquito."
By now I was in no mood for further
conversation and had a future big fish to focus my attention on.
But on rambled "Munchie" not giving me a moment to squeeze one
word in on my behalf. I finally
said; "Listen!" Right at
that moment I heard a faint buzzing sound from a distance.
As it grew closer it was obvious to me to take cover under some leaves
because millions of mosquito's suddenly swarmed the lake.
When I peeked out from under the very dirty and not to mention wet large
leaves there was "Munchie" shaking his head back and forth.
"Look;" He said.
"I tried to warn you but you were so focused on catching that large
fish that you totally ignored me." "I
may be talkative, but I also am the one that will help you catch your elusive
fish." "Here's how we'll work together."
"I will buzz the lake and lure the fish close to shore, you will use
your net and when the fish jumps up to catch me, you'll catch him first in the
net." "You have to be
quick so your fish doesn't get me first."
"Any questions?"
The first two attempts failed, but
finally the biggest fish I have ever seen jumped right into my net just as
"Munchie" had explained. Well,
working together had solved all my problems and one confused and talkative
mosquito was certainly deserving of my complete attention.
"Munchie" explained to me that he was able to help me because I
had helped him out in the past too. I
asked him to explain…
He said; "A female mosquito once
bit you and because of that she was able to lay her eggs."
"Well those eggs are now little mosquito's, my family, that I hold
very dear to my heart." "Helping
you to catch one large and elusive fish was the least I could do for you." What a lesson I learned on that fishing trip to Skeeterville.
If a mosquito has something to say, you'd better listen!
Copyright
1997 By Author ANTie Patti
