Two things that we found extremely disturbing about our hike through New Jersey were the inescapable swarms of killer mosquitoes and the horizon-to-horizon carpeting of poison ivy (and they call it the Garden State???!!). We couldn’t do much about the poison ivy. I seem to be immune, but CLiCK! has a case of weeping blisters here and there on her arms and legs. To combat the mosquitoes, we doused ourselves with 100 % DEET, trying not to get it on our lips (tastes nasty and makes you mumble).
We think that the effect you see below is from the DEET. Thank goodness we’re in New York State now, where the high taxes have given the state the revenue it needs to eradicate both of these banes. Our lips have since returned to normal. CLiCK! is still treating her blotches of blisters.
You poor things! I haven’t seen cases of swollen lips like that since I was a kid going to Ruth Dieters News Agency in West Chicago! Yikes. The swelling goes down the faster you chew them! Hee haw!
Phew! Glad it wasn’t permanent.
Mosquitoes (state bird), poison ivy (state plant) and fat lips (must have drank the water) aside…..I was struck by the beauty of New Jersey., my much maligned home state.
Mike…I know you were concerned about weight loss but you look the same as you did in VA where my wife and I met you. In fact, you both look fantastic!
Sorry about Click’s poison ivy….that sucks!
Safe journeys, Mike and Gloria
I likewise was struck by NJ’s beauty! Lots. Of pretty sights, and more varied terrain than we experienced in quite a while!
Poison ivy is on the mend, thanks! Though there was a ton of it on the trail today – hope my ankles didn’t rub against it! Thanks for the great comments too!