Well, That Never Happened Before

Some islands put warnings on popular beaches. Some don't.

Isn't it funny how surprised we are when the most ordinary thing that happens all the time but never happens to us happens to us? That's why I didn't know what was happening when the skin on my upper face, including around my eyes, was burning more and more as the day went on, to the point of rawness. It was like I'd been standing in front of a particularly wicked blow torch. For too long. Which, if you are standing in front of a blow torch for one second, that would be too long. Make a note.

Those pretty little apple things? They are not apples.

I put some cream on my face and forgot it was there when my friend who knows all things plant-y came by and asked what was wrong with me. Squinty-eyed, reverse raccoon looking, I said, oh, I don't know...and she said, you've gotten into some manchineel (or, in Spanish, manzanilla). Spanish or English, it works the same
"Contact with the bark or leaves is very irritating to human skin and can result in severe dermatitis with blistering, swelling, and inflammation" pretty much sums it up. Thank you, National Parks Traveler, for a description I even more succinctly called Hideous Face. Okay, it wasn't that bad, but it felt that bad and for a bit, I wondered if I was going to go blind because of all the matter my eyes were producing in defense - the body is amazing, really - but a lot of face washing, plus using aloe (forget the cream, it felt better, which at the time was saying a lot, but the aloe felt great AND is healing the skin fast).

The thing is, I know about manchineel. I've warned people about it. I've sent tourists to the clinic who got into it. How did I not know I'd gotten too close or that that's what it was melting burning my face? One, I was doing some landscaping and tossing some dead limbs into 'some bush' and not thinking about what I was doing because I've done it dozens of times in that exact spot. Two, it was the next day that the irritation started and I didn't connect the incidents, which my plant-wise friend did immediately. Point is, I wasn't paying enough attention, then I treated it wrong before I treated it right (yes, I washed my face at first, but it stung so much I went to the cream, effectively sealing in the toxins).

So now you know what NOT to do if you stumble near the manchineel tree - and you don't have to be rubbing your face in it. As I was told, you can go years and not have any reaction and then the 'next time' have a full blown reaction, the same as with bee or hornet stings. Now I know too.

We've also had wonky internet connections, also known as Semana Santa, that time of year that Culebra is invaded with campers from the big island and relatives from everywhere. Easter = Semana Santa/Holy Week. Of course, it is also Passover, but that isn't a real big holiday here...

I have no idea what this means but I do notice it all starts in Puerto Rico and blurbles out from here. But then, everything does.

No doubt our air waves are filled to overflowing with the invisible reaching out to satellites and towers and whatever other kind of heebee jeebee voodoo gets us connected (see illustration above). Especially as I read somewhere that Puerto Rico has more cell phone use than than anywhere else in the world. I could back that up with facts but I'll just say, I believe it. The last two days I've pretty much given up any long term computer use and I'm probably pushing the envelope with this, since I started it two hours ago and am hitting the slow wall now.

I'll leave you with this.

 So far, there is no rafting up going on in my bay. It's early days though.

So long! See you next time!

Have a toxin-free Tuesday! Do something that tastes like TA DA!