(Note: If it wasn’t for the fact that Tech Month is already in full swing and I’ve got almost two months of columns scheduled going forward, this would’ve been so easy to turn into a humor column, but I digress…)
So I tried to be productive when I got home, and do you know where it got me? Tingly hands – that’s where!
I’ve been meaning to pull some weeds out front for a while before they really get out of control, so when I got home a little early today when it was still light out and with the garbage can conveniently not filled and thus ready for the disposing of said weeds, I pretty much just threw my stuff inside the door and got right to pulling. Normally the weeds out front aren’t too bad as long as we get them early – maybe a few stragglers that would fight to dwarf the actual plants if left to grow, but this time nothing huge. Halfway down the sidewalk, I was pretty impressed with just how quickly it was going and figured that another five minutes and I’d be back inside making a homemade pizza for dinner…
It was then that I reached to grab a bad weed.
At first it just seemed like it had little thorns on it, so I (foolishly) pressed forward, tried to navigate around them the best I could, and continued to yank the thing from the flower bed. Oddly enough, though, when I had finally raised it and it was several feet away from me in the garbage can, I couldn’t help but notice that … well … my hands still hurt!
I kept going, and they kept hurting/tingling until finally I realized that I either needed to stop or find a pair of gloves or something because it had rapidly gone from irritating pain to “Wow, that does really hurt!” pain. I even came in and tried washing my hands, but it only seemed to mildly subside.
Anyways, I was able to find a pair of rubber gloves (which looked kinda silly, but whatever) and finished the last of the weeding so at least the job is done, but I still think it’s odd that here three hours later, I’m still feeling the effects of whatever the hell those damn weeds’ defense mechanism was! I’m still not entirely sure if they’re some sort of very tiny, micro needles that are still attached to my skin, or possibly an oil or something that’s acting as an irritant. Fortunately, it’s died down to a persistent pins and needles feeling throughout my fingers with only the occasional sharper pains, but I still hope that by tomorrow it’ll have worn off altogether!
Still, leftover battle scars or not, they’re the ones lying in a heap in the woods behind our house instead of standing tall in the middle of our garden, so I win.
Congratulations on your victory!
Hi, It sounds as if you tangled with a thistle. They are horrible weeds that grow big and ugly and spread like dandelions. Never ever touch one without garden gloves — but I guess you know that now. I’ve discovered a few tricks in my years of war against weeds that might help. Now that you have pulled up the offenders, sprinkle the area with a pre-emergent, like Preen. It stops anything new from growing but does not harm plants that are already there. Do not use if you have planted seeds that have not germinated, though. Happy gardening!