I watered the garden yesterday, gave it a good soaking. It took nearly all day. As I was puttering around, I noticed that a couple of cornstalks were seriously leaning toward the ground. The husks had been peeled back to expose the kernels, and a few bites were missing from the cobs. Danged racoons! Apparently, my high-tech sonic pest deterrent isn't working. We need a more serious deterrent, something along the lines of a 12-gauge.
Otherwise, the garden is doing well. The Ford Hook butterbeans have big pods on them, and they are beginning to fill out. Tomatoes are loaded with fruit. The butternut squash have baby butternuts on them. The rattlesnake beans are beginning to put out runners. The cucumbers and crookneck squash are still cranking out product. The watering ought to send them into high gear.
It's going to be really hot (upper 90s) for the next few days, but the tropical storm in the Gulf is supposed to bring us some lower temperatures mid-week. There are a lot of chores left to be done in the garden, but none that can't wait until Thursday evening, when it shouldn't be so hot.
* * * * * *
I had my second accupuncture appointment Saturday afternoon. It might have been my last visit.
When I got out of the shower Saturday morning, there was black stuff oozing from my taped-up belly-button. It was those Chinese herb beads melting. I peeled off the tape, dug out the beads, and cleaned out the remaining goo. Yuck. The "beads" taped to my ear, belly, and arms were holding fast. I did not mess with them, except to take one off my ear that was feeling sore. Examining the tape, I found a tiny little black dot, about the size of a sesame seed, and I wondered how it could've made my ear sore.
On this second visit, the accupuncture doctor poked me in some different places - two in my cheek, one in my neck, more in my feet and on my stomach, and one on the back of each wrist. Despite my protests, he insisted on giving me another B-12 shot. They filled up my belly button with beads again, and said for me to come back on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of this week. He said that if I continued to follow his instructions - no fried foods, no fat, no nuts, no meat - I should lose 3 - 5 pounds in the coming week.
Hell, I could lose 3 - 5 pounds without getting poked.
I did not make the appointments while I was standing at the counter, paying for this second visit. The first visit had cost $175, herbs and all. The second visit was $75, including the B-12 shot. The thing was that I could not see many results from the first visit. I might have had a little more flexibility in my hands, but the accupuncture treatments and the bead-pressing hadn't seemed to curb my appetite at all. I wanted to think about it a bit before making any more appointments.
I went straight from the accupuncture office to my granddaughter's birthday party. She noticed the little tape squares on my arms and started asking questions. When I told her there were "beads" under the tape, she insisted on seeing one. Thinking that I could re-stick the tape, I peeled one off to show her. There wasn't a "bead" under the tape as there had been on the one I'd taken off my ear; there was a needle under it! A tiny, 1/16" long needle! Ohhhh, it gave me the creeps. Then I thought about the tapes on my stomach. They'd been "pricking" me all afternoon. When I came home from the party, I peeled one of the stomach tapes off, and, sure enough, there was a needle in it, too.
I went crazy peeling off tapes.
I pulled off the remaining seven tape squares (every one of which contained a tiny needle).
I pulled off the tape over my belly button and dug out the beads. In doing so, I discovered another needle in my belly button.
I dug the remaining "beads" out of my ears.
I think I've had enough accupuncture for this lifetime.
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