Practice What You Preach

Last Weekend while working out in the yard I had an unfortunate episode with a very nasty little insect referred to as a ‘Cow-killer’ wasp.  If you know what one of these are, then you probably are familiar with the intense and nasty sting they can inflect.

At the time I was walking around the backyard barefooted and apparently it was in the grass.  I must have stepped near enough to it that the grass bend down low enough for it to sting me on the ankle.  The unbelievable pain instantly shot up my leg, feeling like I had been stuck with a red hot poker.  As the seconds passed by the pain and burning got worse.  I was watering when this happened and my first reaction was to apply the cold water to my foot.  It didn’t help a bit.

It took me a few minutes to think as the pain continued to move up my leg to my hip.  I quickly picked some Plantain (growing abundantly around the yard) and hobbled into the house.  I must have been making comments and other sounds when I came in as my husbands first words where, ‘what’s wrong?’  I told him I’ve been stung.  Knowing what that meant (I’m allergic to bee and wasp stings) he immediately started the process of making a Tobacco paste, while I began to chop up the Plantain.  We applied the Tobacco and Plantain to the sting site and put a piece of strapping tape to cover it and hold it in place.

By the time we were finished with this process the pain had moved all the way up to the side of my body.  It was unbelievably intense.  Within about 10 minutes of the application the pain and burning started to subside a bit.  As a caution Bob got a Benadryl down me to counter act the sting.

Within the hour I was feeling a whole lot better.  All I can say is thank ‘Grandfather’ for Tobacco and Plantain!  And of course a couple of glasses of home made wine along with the Benadryl didn’t hurt matters either. 

I found some more pics of this wasp and also found that it is also called a velvet ant.  Seems that it comes in different colors as well….LOL, only in nature!