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Sorry to have to post this, but I will today cancel my reservations to Bullards Beach. I have been SO looking forward to this trip. Although I didn't announce this on the Forum, I left for Yellowstone (with my wonderful and perfect-for-me trailer) on May 23, and returned June 4. I had a wonderful time.

In the park, and on the trip, that is.

Unfortunately, the RV place I stayed at (Grizzly RV, that everyone seems to like so well, that I had some issues with) had more mosquitoes than I have seen together in one place in my entire life (curiously, I did not encounter mosquitoes while in the park).

One day while backing up my van to hook up, the back doors of my van were covered with hundreds - maybe even thousands - of extremely voracious mosquitoes. It was extremely odd that they would land on a vehicle that had just stopped moving - and was, in fact still running (with exhaust fumes bathing them!) but that was the case.

I have never experienced anything like this.

I am allergic/sensitive to mosquitoes, and always to my best to avoid them. But I had to hook up. Batting my hat around with one hand, and doing the hookup chores with the other, I ended with about twenty or so bites, mostly on my face and ankles (although I had long sleeves and long socks on because it was cold - (I was bitten through my socks!). Some even bit me through my ankle-length, heavy, jeans.

One of these bites through my jeans, just below my right knee, became septic. My lower calf swollen to half again it's size (hardly looked like it belonged to me!), red, hard and hot.

I'll spare you most of the details, but I ran a fever of 102 degrees for several days. After being extremely ill for about ten days, including two visits to my local Urgent Care and two visits to my local Emergency Room (and taking two, heavy-duty antibiotics at the same time - one effective against Strep, and one effective against Staph), I am still quite ill - but, hopefully, on the road back.

I still have pain, redness and swelling in my leg, but the fever has gone as of yesterday. Unfortunately, I can also feel it trying to get into my lungs (after reading up, I know it can do this), so I am being extremely careful and mostly just resting. Which is ok - I don't have any energy left anyway. My butt has been basically just nailed to the couch since this began.

The longest walk I have made during this time - and I am a person that generally takes my dog on a walk of a least a mile every day - has been from the couch to the refrigerator.

I have not been so very ill in years - maybe never. At one point, I actually began to wonder if this might be "the one".

I have been trying to "stick it out" and not cancel my reservations, hoping that I would be well enough to make the trip - but I have decided to cancel my reservations today. I am concerned about being far from home, with my pets along (my dog and my cat) and having some sort of relapse far away from medical support, and with animals in need of care. I still very much want to come - but just not this time.

On to more happy news:

Just after returning from Yellowstone, the sale on my home closed. So I am committed to at least make the effort to do some further serious looking in Klamath Falls. As soon as I am completely well, I will come up to do some very serious looking there. I do have a Realtor that I am working with. I would consider Ashland/Medford, but the County those cities are located in does not allow my breed of dog. So that's out. On the other hand, Klamath County does not have breed-specific dog laws.

I am tentatively planning a trip to Tumalo State Park for maybe early October for a few days. I stayed there last year for the eclipse, and it was beautiful. Anyone interested? Plans not firmed.

As I have often mentioned here, I really want to move to a cooler climate, and get out from below Oroville Dam (I was one of the famous evacuees). I live in a small town near Sacramento (it is very hot here in the summertime), and no longer have friends or family in the area - most have moved to the San Francisco Bay area, lovely but completely beyond my price point. I also watch the weather websites - when it is 100 degrees+ where I live, it is the mid-80's in Klamath Falls.

Thank you.

Anne

sorry to hear of your misadventures with insect bites. Our bodies are certainly unique in their responses to things. Our immune systems definitely let us know what they will not accept!

On the other hand congratulation on the sale of your home and good luck on your continued search for a home base that works for you and your four footed family.

Tina took the words out of my mouth!

I truly am sorry about your mosquito situation. I can't imagine that. But also am elated that your home has sold. The area you are looking in is beautiful. I hope you can find a dream home.

I'm headed to West Yellowstone tomorrow and staying at Grizzly, so I will definitely call them tonight about the mosquitoes. I assume the problem has been caused by the tons of rain they have had lately.

Just talked to Grizzly, and they confirmed mosquitoes are bad because of the rain. They said they sprayed but the rain washes it away. Hopefully, the sun will come out on Sunday and dry things up. In any case, I have the full mosquito head gear and lots of spray for my body, so I am glad to be forewarned.

Anne, have any of your doctors tried prednisone? When I was in Florida and had those urgent care visits for my nickle-sized mosquito bites, that seemed to work the best. The antibiotics helped the infections, but 24 hours after my first prednisone dose, the red angry bites would start to turn paler and stop hurting.

Sorry about the mosquitos bug so glad for you on the sale of you home.
Understandable about canceling you plans, you have enough on your plate
now with trying to get well and now a hoyse hunting and packing for a move.
Best wishes on all of it.

shoot was hoping to meet up with you ...the bugs can be bad in that area when we were at the campground (not Grizzlie but in Highland Park I feel like I have misspelled that but cant' for the life of me come up with the proper spelling for short it was HP ) we were camp hosts loved it when the yellow stuff fell cause then the bugs would be gone.. get to feeling better and find that dream home...it is a beautiful area my aunt and uncle lived in Gilcrest somewhere in that area...
sheila

Wow! So sorry to hear about your miserable trip. Did you get to see anything there? Last year I was stuck there without a car for 4 days and only got one day to explore the park. So disappointing.

I hope you are feeling better soon. Congrats on selling your home. Good luck with your house hunt! I have heard that area of Oregon is gorgeous!

My goodness Annie. Not a great way to end what was a beautiful trip, but I well know the mosquito drill as we have it in the spring here and this year they were terrible with all the high water and wet this spring.

But congrats on the sale of your house. Now you can look in earnest for a new place. Somewhere out there, is one just waiting for you.

I arrived at Grizzly a couple of hours ago, and there are mosquitoes, but they said there were not as many as last week because the pine pollen has fallen. I hooked up carefully and then got out some flying insect Raid and sprayed all around my slides. The last time I got swarmed with mosquitoes once really badly in Michigan and I think they got in under the slides. It pays to carry a full complement of critter protection. I also took a couple of benedryl just in case I got bit outside.

Tomorrow, there is a 50% chance of rain, and then it is supposed to be mostly sunny the rest of the week, so hopefully, they will be gone.