Day 8

Irrational? Maybe.
Scared? Yes.
Got the ooogie-boogies? HECK YES!

Bees.

Saying I don't like them would be the understatement of the century. Truth is I am scared to death of them and if you ever want to see how fast I can run...put a bee behind me.
As a person who has spent countless hours enjoying time on the front porch I have seen my fair share of bees. Some are small, some are gynormous! Some have small stingers and others have stingers the size that I am positive could render me dead! Either way I will stop whatever I am doing and run for cover! Seriously, whatever I am doing...were talking, deep in conversation..it's like one of those cartoons where you still see my silhouette and than it falls down. Publishers Clearing House could be telling me I am the next 10 million dollar winner and I would totally slam the door in their face if a bee was anywhere in the vicinity. (hopefully they will come back later though).
I can trace this fear back to first grade. We used to say the Pledge of Allegiance before heading into our classrooms as a whole school. We would line up on the black top, hand over our heart and a certain lucky kid would lead us in the pledge and prayer. (some of you are shocked, Yes this was before we lost our minds in America and school and prayer and possibly the paddle were a part of every day life).
Back to first grade...
It was my day! I was ready! My blond hair was neatly braided down my back and I am sure my ensemble for the day was smashing! I asked for the WHOLE school to join me and placed my right hand over my heart. "I Pledge Allegiance, to the AHHHHHHHHHH" You see that's when it happened! It attacked me! My time to shine! That darn bee stung me in the face! I screamed and cried in front of the WHOLE school! My shame was known from kindergarten to sixth grade! I was forever the poor little dork who screamed and cried over a bee!
From that day forward I knew the bees had a sixth sense! They were waiting for me! To humiliate me! They taunt me with their little antennas and big ol' stingers! Just waiting to strike again!! Since that day a bee has never had the chance. (I have another experience with a wasp but that's a whole different irrational fear!) How have I survived the last 25 years? I am smarter than the bee! I am vigilant.
I was vigilant this morning and spotted this monster staring me down. Since I knew that my screened in porch would provide me the protection I needed from this vicious hunter I grabbed my camera...put on a LOOOONG lens (you didn't actual think I got this close did you?) and snapped my shot! Out of the corner of my eye though I saw the small tear in the screen...I am pretty sure the bee followed my glance and in super movie slow-mo we turned and looked at each other. He gave me a mischievous grin...he found a way to infiltrate my safe haven...with that I stood tall...flexed...opened my mouth...screamed like a little girl and ran inside!!!

This was about an hour ago... Don't worry my heart rate has returned to normal but I believe I will spend the rest of the day inside. Cause I know he is out there..patiently...waiting for me to come so he can finish what he started and ATTACK!

Can you see his taunting grin?