A Gnaty Tale

I have been dealing with the aftermath of the heavy rains we had earlier this week. GNATS. Millions and millions of gnats floating in my pool. Millions and millions of gnats swirling round and round because the skimmer isn't skimming...too much water. I believe the screen enclosure surrounding our pool is the Mecca for all of gnatdom. There must be some sort of edict that all gnats must assemble on our pool enclosure in order to gain entrance into gnat heaven.

When it rains, as it did earlier this week, those millions and millions of tiny critters slip through the screen and plunge to their deaths below. I wish they would remember that they have wings. I wish they would remember they have wings and use them. We could avoid a lot of heart ache if they would. But they don't. I guess it's part of gnat martyrdom or something.

Picture me, all set to cool off in the pool on a scorcher of an afternoon. I have assembled my raft, my cold beverage, my sunglasses and my magazine only to have the the respite interrupted by mass gnaticide.

I am faced with two choices; go back inside into the cool comfort of air conditioning or spend my quiet afternoon scooping and straining those little buggers out of the pool. I went with option two. My pool boy was otherwise occupied.

And so I stood, for hours, scooping and skimming, scooping and skimming. I didn't have to move. The gnats kept coming, circulating around and around. And I believe reproducing in the process. Makes me dizzy thinking about it. I know I should have given them a proper burial, dug a hole, said a prayer. But it was getting dark and I needed to get inside, wouldn't want to run into any snakes.

It's a jungle out there.