Five Photos, Five Stories: In the morning

In the morning.

In the morning, before I go for a walk, I have to gear up.  I normally associate gearing up with winter walks, but when you live near water and are practically surrounded by marshes, the insects can be formidable.  I put on long trousers and tuck the bottoms of the pant legs into my socks and boots.  I wear a tight t-shirt that is tucked in the waistband of my trousers, and over that goes a long-sleeved t-shirt.  All the tucking in keeps out the ticks.  A hat and my sunglasses go on next, and then I can head out the door with netting in my pocket in case the deer flies are so bad that I need to cover my face.  Once outside, I spray with insect repellent, usually just those areas where it might be possible for bugs to get in or bite.