This entry is from Gordon's personal journal, December 3, 2008.
I have to mention the ants. Maybe 10,000 of them. Or a billion? Who knows. They are making good use of the house, and I am guessing they live in the attic. Little brown ants. Marching in neat lines. Up and down the walls. Across the floors. Always searching for the smallest crumb of food and throwing a big ant party when they find one. But what are they looking for on my computer screen? Give them a shot of Doom, and they just find another route to follow in their quest. Aside from the nuisance of just being there, they seem harmless enough. Not like those large black ants I wandered into yesterday. I was just exploring the back yard when I found myself about a step from an interesting ant hill. The same time I discovered the ants, they discovered me. Wow, did I jump. They have a serious bite. First my foot. Then again. Then my leg. Then both legs. Ants in my pants! And still climbing up. I ran to the house, slapping my legs as I went. In a few strides I reached the door, ripping off my sandals. But ants continued biting my feet and legs. Off came my pants, and frenzy happened until all the ants on my feet and legs were dead. Much to my relief, they never reached the critical height of my underwear. My sandals on the step were still under attack by a dozen more ants. Somehow without getting bit herself, Peggy killed them and the ants still looking for me in my pants. I respectfully left those pants hanging for hours before I dared put them back on. I am so glad these were biting ants and not the stinging ants. At least the pain ended when the ants died. Siafu they call them. So watch where you walk, because not all ants are the same.
Ant Update. December 29. Although there are still minor skirmishes with the little brown ants in the house, I have declared victory. When they do send a patrol to investigate, which is not often now, they number only scores, or maybe hundreds at the most. A little well placed ant dust (well, lots of it actually) has brought them to their knees. As for the biting siafu ants, I still dare not venture into their well-defended domain. Take a look at the picture of the siafu and you will see why.
5 comments:
We are enjoying every tidbit of news you send along. We loved having Ryan with us Christmas Eve and at the cottage. He is a wonderful young man. You are in our thoughts and prayers everyday. Love, Barb and Roger
"The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah..." Your post made me think of that old song. I am so excited that you have a blog so that we can follow the Tans in Tanzania!
Laura
siafu - i remember those. a friend of mine gave me your blog. i spent 6 months in tanzania 2 years ago. that experience definitely changed my life for the better. may you discover God's blessings more and more each day! what out for those siafu - they will sneak up your pants!
Gordon & Peggy - it's great to get a small taste of your experiences from this blog! I think of and pray for you every time I leave the neighborhood by way of N. Lights. :) Gordon, as awful as your ants story probably was to experience... I am still giggling at the images it put in my head :D God's multitude of blessings (and ant powder) for you in 2009!
Love,
Cassie
I am glad you weren't actually hurt, and I gotta say, that's one hilarious mental image!
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