Why I can’t study: Part 1

I have decided I have too many problems and they are interfering with me being able to study. Studying is important to me and is required in order to pass my nursing degree courses which I really, really want to do. So I decided to work to solve my problems and help the community out a little too.

My first, and most annoying, problem is Mosquitoes. Here in southern New Mexico they are huge and plentiful, we always joke that maybe they are radioactive given the past nuclear testing within a fifty- one hundred mile radius from here. The kids cannot go outside to play without coming back in welted and itchy, or going out piled full of chemicals. If they can not go out, then they stay in and climb on me like a jungle gym which makes studying very difficult.

I first started my calling ‘housing’ which said that they will not spray till the count gets so high and that should be in abut a week or two. This was unacceptable because I think chemicals are kind of not good especially when there are others ways to try first.

I do not know too much about those pesky Mosquitoes so it took a lot of thought to figure out how I was going to be ride of them without depending of air dropped poison. I do know that they like still bodies of water like stagnant ponds for breeding purposes. So, I mowed (rather I had my husband mow) and walked around our housing structure looking for the local source and found no standing water in puddles or yard fixtures. But then I noticed the drainage system behind our houses about twenty yards that seemed to becon me to take a closer look. It appears to be here to drain water away from the houses and prevent mud slides when it does rain. It is approximately two feet across the top and V’s downward about a foot. I found that it had plenty of mud and weeds growing in it and was keeping water in nice calm breeding ground for these monster blood sucking trouble makers.

I went inside and put on long sleeves and pants and got my tools, which unfortunately consisted of only spade and a kid’s size wheelbarrow. I did not mind my meager tools because I was desperate to bring the joy back to playtime and free some study time for myself. I got started by filling up the toy and dropping off the diggings near a bush that really was more of a trunk-less tree. After a while, one of my neighbors brought me a real shovel and wheelbarrow and started helping me dig, asking me if this was “an anti-mosquito mission” and I sensed that same desperation I felt. The kids eventually brought some water out and enjoyed helping as well. A few other comrades brought out lunch and corralled the smaller ones away from danger near the play ground that is between the houses and the ditch.

At one point the kids were singing The Wonder Pets theme song, “What’s gonna work, Team work”, which I think became our community activism moment theme song because although we say it was the kids, I am pretty sure one of the adults started it and the rest of us were egging it  on.

Anyway, now the mosquitoes are few and far between now and less vengeful. I have made a few acquaintances that might grow into friendship and gained a little respect. The kids now have some play buddies that can hang together outside while I study at the bench mosquito free-ish.

What are you doing for yours?

Stay tuned for more trouble coming up soon in Part 2.