We Got Lucky

J-man has a part-time gig this summer... he is cutting the grass for one of our neighbors. He enjoys it. He feels like a grown-up making his own decisions about when it is time to cut it... and the money ain't bad either!

As his parents, Carl and I have only place one requirement on this job. He cannot do it unless one of us is home. He is working with deadly machinery and you never know what can happen. Ya know what I mean?

When I got home from work yesterday he told me he was going to go down there. I told him to take some water and to take a break every once in a while because it was HOT. He took off. I heard the mower crank up... and then stop about 15 minutes later. I thought "good! break time!'

Then he came barreling in the door.... grimacing.

Trying not to panic I looked at him and asked what was wrong.

"I ran over an in-ground hornet's nest. One got me on the back of the leg."

He turned around, and sure enough, there is a big ol' lump on his calf.

He said that when he saw the swarm begin, he took off running. He said his knees were hitting his chin he was running so hard and fast. The image of that made me laugh. Luckily, he didn't get stung anywhere else.

After Carl got home, they went down to take another look and to spray some bug killer on the nest. Carl said the hole is about golf-ball size and there were tons of them flying around. They put what little spray we had on them, but it didn't get them all. They went and bought more to go apply it this morning.

We got lucky. Now that it has passed, I can see J-man getting swarmed and stung over and over. I can see him not being able to get home to safety. That scares me to death! But I can't tell him that... He was a brave guy that is taking care of his business. He kept pacing around the house saying "I don't know what to do! I need to get it done!" He takes his job seriously.

I'm just happy he got away safely.