Lessons learned from a FireAnt Hill...

As if to compound an already horrific situation , the people of south Texas have survived Hurricane Harvey's fury only to find themselves under water, and at the mercy of huge floating piles of hungry fire ants... Can you imagine anything more diabolical??!

           ~ photo by Bill O'Zimmermann

All that rust-colored "debri" in the water?  Those are floating piles of fire ants!!!!

                          ~ photo by Daniel Schneider

And for those friends who are not familiar with this Texas pest, they are pint-sized little terrors.  A bite from one of these miniscule bugs will sting like fire... hence the name... stings like fire I tell you!  And you won't be in Texas long before gaining a healthy respect for these blasted critters.

Thanks Hurrican Harvey!  An ecounter with one of these floating ant hills you left behind will be sure to ruin our day!  Unbelievable!

Truly, it is almost as terrifying as finding a snake (or two or a hundred!) on your boat...

(Surely this picture is photoshopped... I have no idea... but I apologize for any nightmares that may ensue... can't even breath... just stop already!!)

Ok, but back to the floating fireants... it's one of those phenomens of nature that defies logic. Well, if you are a scientist you could explain all about their little waxy bodies repelling water and their ability to float while hooking their little legs together...yada, yada, yada... they are still tiny little terrorist bugs that you want to avoid at all costs.

The only upside to the floating fire ant piles is that you can see your opponent, hopefully, long before you get too close.

Because in their natural environment... like our lake place... they build huge fire ant homes and live underground.  Well, that is until you disturb them.  Like with your foot, or your boot... or a stick. We kind of know. It's happened...

And this fire ant hill is a solemn reminder of the way cancer hides underground, growing and growing until it finally erupts with a venom that is terrifying.

A cancer diagnosis is sucker-punch scary.  It can knock the wind right out of your very lungs and overwhelm your fragile heart with a stinging fear.  The attack is relenteless, and seems to be nightmare-never-ending...

But there is Grace.  There is Hope.  You will find your footing.  I promise you.

You will begin to move forward.  Into the fight.  Back into the living, shaking that paralyzing shock.  Give yourself time.

Lean into family and friends.  Do your research.  Trust your gut.  Then get out the Amdro.

Well, that's what we call it in Texas.  Amdro.  Amazing, Amazing Stuff... When we see those growing fire ant mounds, we go on the attack first before they do.

Amdro

Kills Fire Ants Dead!

We buy stock in Amdro (no, we don't, but we should!)

Amdro is a smelly pellet that fire ants seem to love, go figure.  They take this smelly pellet down deep into their underground home and feed it, like the finest elixir, to their queen, and the next thing you know... deader than a doornail. Yay!

But the thing is, we have to be disciplined and vigilant. And treat the mounds with Amdro early. Or we'll end up walking thru that fire ant mound and get the snot stung right out of us (Texas-speak for lots of swearing and jumping up and down).

So that's the lesson learned from the fire ant hill.  No matter what we face in life...

Be proactive.

Be disciplined.

Be strong.

Learn all you can about your opponent.   And don't be afraid to fight with everything you've got.

Trust me, we're Getting Out the Amdro down here in Texas!  

{Sure hope it works on floating piles of fire ants!}