Bailing and Flailing in Fort Langley

Probably the saddest thing you'll ever see is a mosquito sucking on a mummy. Forget it, little friend.
-Jack Handy

People who claim they don't let little things bother them have never slept in a room with a mosquito.
-Anonymous

The flood has been averted and the time of rejoicing has passed. Was it only a month ago when I went down to the swelling river at lunch and stood somberly with concerned and nail biting town folk? We stared at the path that was no longer fit for walking and stood in silence. Even though no one was speaking, it seemed eerily quieter still with the water so near our feet. A block away from the river the stores, post office, and sidewalks were buzzing with speculation over, "how high do you think the water will actually get?", "are you prepared?", and "I heard that we will be evacuated in less than a week!".

The current was strong. It wasn't "safe" to leave the dragon boats in the water, so we portaged the voyageur canoes to and from the boat house twice a week. But we still paddled. I managed to get some of my finer belongings over to my storage locker, and every day I stared out my window at the green field and imagined it submersed in murky, silty, water.

I took pictures of the river on the day it reached its highest level. Since then, it has been slowly receding leaving a patterned baldness where the banks fell victim to erosion and a dirty trail of silt marking the water level which once made us tremble. How soon we forget when another nuisance comes along.

Vancouver might be resting under a cloud of smog during this (dare I say) heatwave, but here in Fort Langley we have a cloud of mosquitoes much like T.S. Eliot's "...yellow [black] fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes...Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains...Curled once about the house, and fell asleep." But I don't believe they DO sleep. I have been sleeping with one eye open and my hand on the fly swatter lately. In fact, there is nothing romantic about this. Checking each other for ticks is likely more fanciful than slapping each other because "you had a mosquito there."

Today at the grocery store, post office, and on the side walk the talk was a-buzz about the bloody-thirsty pests that have invaded our sleepy town: "How about these mosquitoes!", "I heard that it is only going to get worse as the water recedes", "Did you know that vitamin B1 and apple cider vinegar will keep them from biting you?", and "Sorry. Mosquito".

Being the object of one's desire is the finest flattery, and with this warm summer weather some of us are searching for a hot summer romance to sweep us off of our feet. However, being followed by this particular entourage who are trying to get into my pants and suck on my neck was not what I had in mind.

For now, I wonder what will soon (I am really hoping it will be soon) replace this nuisance so that it too is also forgotten?