I can no longer count the number of mosquito bites on almost every part of my body – including parts of my body that make me wonder how the skeeter even got there.

Every day I wake up with more bites than what I went to bed with.

I could play connect the skeeter-dots but the design wouldn’t be a pretty one.

The Skeeter Screen mosquito deterrent I’ve faithfully used for many years seems to have become useless.

I Try Not To Scratch But…

Sometimes the scratching happens before I realize I’m scratching.

Once a bite is scratched or rubbed… the bite becomes an open wound.

The small, reddened wounds are warm to the touch.

There’s Been More Rain Than Usual This Winter…

The back of my campsite is also a swamp – making it perfect conditions for hefty mosquito reproduction.

Related Swamp Post: What Is This Stick-Legged Swamp Critter With Wings?

I Know…

Skeeters can carry disease and I do my best to avoid them.

But the skeeters are extra-savage this year!!!

On Nikki’s Day Off…

We skipped our planned outing to Key Largo and went on the hunt for a better mosquito repellent.

The repellent had to be safe for me and not cause an MCS reaction.

Nikki Knew Of A Product…

She grew up having to live with my MCS needs. Other than myself, Nikki knows me better than anyone on planet Earth.

We stopped at a couple stores in Homestead (Florida) looking for Murphy’s Natural Repellent.

Nikki went in each store but they had no Murphy’s in stock.

Nikki Goes Into The Stores Because…

I can’t go into too many stores in a single day.

This includes doctor appointments, hair appointments, getting groceries or any place where the toxic-to-me levels are potentially high.

But Of Course…

I’m human and, when I’m feeling good, I think I can do “normal people” things.

I’ve been known to try too many places in a single day… and usually regret it.

You can’t blame a girl for trying to be normal every now and then – even if she fails!

Through An Online Search…

We found Murphy’s Natural Repellent on Amazon but I didn’t want to wait for it to be delivered.

Looking in the surrounding areas, we found it at Target in Kendall – about 25 minutes away.

After a short debate about driving to Kendall, Nikki mentioned there’s a Chick-Fil-A in Kendall and it’s not too far from Target.

Between Nikki’s food allergies and my food allergies we can’t eat at too many fast food places. All either of us could get at Chick-Fil-A would be fries and a lemonade… but that was as good of an excuse as any!

Nikki placed the Target order for curbside pickup.

The order wouldn’t be ready for a while so… our first stop in Kendall would be Chick-Fil-A!

All In All…

It was a fun day, even if we didn’t go to Key Largo.

We got lunch (if you want to call it that) through the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru and found somewhere to park and eat before heading to Target.

About The Murphy’s Natural Repellent…

In my opinion, the Murphy’s Natural Repellent doesn’t smell bad.

However, if you go spray crazy… the smell can be strong – for a brief moment.

So far, the Murphy’s bug spray works fairly well. The skeeter bites have drastically reduced!

Making Life An Adventure…

Nikki and I were planning on having an adventure in Key Largo but, instead, we opted to find a mosquito solution to keep my body from getting more chewed up.

Somehow, we’ve always been able to make an adventure out of any situation – even hunting for bug spray!

Parting Thoughts…

My peeps in the northern states are dealing with nasty blizzard conditions. I’ve always said I don’t miss the snow but, if I had to choose, I don’t know if I’d rather have an over abundance of mosquitoes or an over abundance of blowing, drifting snow.

What are your thoughts?

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