Fun with mud and ants

[Jims5543]

With all the rain we have had over the last few days things are... well... very moist.

I tried to stake a house today, one of the hubs, I could push it into the ground with my hand no need for a mini sledge.

When I was walking to the back of the pad and down it since it was too small for the house, I started sinking into the ground about 4". I stopped and retreated, they were not getting that hub set.

I drove up to the big subdivision where I am working on a few hundred homes, it was soup there too.

I had to re-stake a house because of a Transformer interfering with the driveway, the old form boards are still in, we are just shifting it a few feet to one side so it misses the transformer.

I stepped over the form into the middle of where the house will be and my foot disappeared into the dirt, caught me way off guard and threw my balance off, especially since my hands were full, I had a grade stake and mini sledge in one hand and a grade pole in the other.  I had to quickly bring my other foot forward to catch my balance, which, of course, also sank into the mud.

So I had 2 feet about 9" into the ground and they were suctioned to the ground. I am stuck, the only option is to throw my tools forward and start trying to work my way out. Then, much to my horror I noticed that in the same mud was a fire ant nest that I had disturbed. My legs were now covered in mud and ants. Time was not on my side.

I could not break the suction so I had to pull my foot out of my shoe, stand on one foot, reach down and pull the shoe out with my hand. Trying not to get ants on my hand. Then shove my foot back in it and repeat with the other shoe.  The first shoe went fine the second, not so much.

As I pulled my foot out and tried to reach for the second shoe a glob of mud dropping into it.  I tried to shake it out to no avail, my other foot was sinking again. I had to put my foot in on top of the mud and walk in it.

I went out in the road, took off both shoes and beat the mud off best I could. Grabbed a few sting relief wipes I keep in the first aid kit and wiped off the mud and treated the stings.

I was so pissed off I immediately started having vision problems, probably from my blood pressure, I was fucking pissed off to no end.

After I finished there I drove 50 minutes home and took a nice shower.  Cancelling the rest of the jobs in the field today.

Hows everyone else doing today?

[MiniDave]

I stayed inside, it's been pissing down all day and the sump pump is running about every three minutes......it's supposed to rain all night and all day tomorrow too.

[John Gervais]

I took the mini for a short spin up the coast today and got a little dry beach sand in my topsiders, but thankfully it came out rather easily.  I did have to blow slightly into my left shoe though, while balancing exclusively on my right foot.

There was also an intimidating ladybug that perched itself on my windscreen wiper.

[BruceK]

Geez.  For those of you who may not be familiar with fire ants, when they attack it's a coordinated mass stinging attack from the fast-moving little fu@&$ers.  I've still got residual red marks on my legs from all the stings I received during a fire ant attack last August!  Fire ants are the worst.

[John Gervais]

I remember them from Arizona - I'll take the ladybug any day, regardless of how big it was.

[MiniDave]

Yeah, my daughter got stung when she walked out to her car we were visiting my brother in Dallas, suckers HURT!

I remember my brother called the building caretaker and a young guy in boots up to his knees came out with a pump sprayer and stuck it down the hole, they came boiling up out of the nest and started up his boots, he nonchalantly scraped them down with the tip of the spray wand then sprayed them......I think he put about a gallon of pesticide into that nest

[Jims5543]

I think this is brilliant and after a day like today I applaud this.

[tsumini]

With all the rain we have had over the last few days things are... well... very moist.

I tried to stake a house today, one of the hubs, I could push it into the ground with my hand no need for a mini sledge.

When I was walking to the back of the pad and down it since it was too small for the house, I started sinking into the ground about 4". I stopped and retreated, they were not getting that hub set.

I drove up to the big subdivision where I am working on a few hundred homes, it was soup there too.

I had to re-stake a house because of a Transformer interfering with the driveway, the old form boards are still in, we are just shifting it a few feet to one side so it misses the transformer.

I stepped over the form into the middle of where the house will be and my foot disappeared into the dirt, caught me way off guard and threw my balance off, especially since my hands were full, I had a grade stake and mini sledge in one hand and a grade pole in the other.  I had to quickly bring my other foot forward to catch my balance, which, of course, also sank into the mud.

So I had 2 feet about 9" into the ground and they were suctioned to the ground. I am stuck, the only option is to throw my tools forward and start trying to work my way out. Then, much to my horror I noticed that in the same mud was a fire ant nest that I had disturbed. My legs were now covered in mud and ants. Time was not on my side.

I could not break the suction so I had to pull my foot out of my shoe, stand on one foot, reach down and pull the shoe out with my hand. Trying not to get ants on my hand. Then shove my foot back in it and repeat with the other shoe.  The first shoe went fine the second, not so much.

As I pulled my foot out and tried to reach for the second shoe a glob of mud dropping into it.  I tried to shake it out to no avail, my other foot was sinking again. I had to put my foot in on top of the mud and walk in it.

I went out in the road, took off both shoes and beat the mud off best I could. Grabbed a few sting relief wipes I keep in the first aid kit and wiped off the mud and treated the stings.

I was so pissed off I immediately started having vision problems, probably from my blood pressure, I was fucking pissed off to no end.

After I finished there I drove 50 minutes home and took a nice shower.  Cancelling the rest of the jobs in the field today.

Hows everyone else doing today?

...add some drama with a 7 foot incoming tide? ;D

FWIW Google "stuck in Turnagain Arm Alaska"

[Jims5543]

Did not sleep well Thursday night. I am sure the raging thunderstorm from 12-2AM did not help.

I had to backwash the pool again this morning at 0600 with the water being about 1/2" from running over the top of the pool.

Took another 8" out of it this morning. 5th backwash in 4 days totalling about 20" pulled from pool.


I noticed Friday my ankle is swollen, I have about 50 ant bites on the one ankle. That kept me up most of the night last night.

I used to be allergic to fire ants when I was in my teens I did a round of allergy shots over 6 months to build immunity to them.  I really felt like shit yesterday after that and all last night.

Friday morning I did not feel well either, like hungover but I didn't drink.

As the day was going on Friday I felt a little better. I was just looking forward to a good nights sleep Friday night. By Friday evening I felt normal again. Saturday felt 100%. I am sure all those stings were not good for me.

I finally washed the mud off my boots today. What a mess.

[Jims5543]

...add some drama with a 7 foot incoming tide? ;D

FWIW Google "stuck in Turnagain Arm Alaska"

Heading to google that, doesn't sound like fun.

[MiniGene]

...add some drama with a 7 foot incoming tide? ;D

FWIW Google "stuck in Turnagain Arm Alaska"

Heading to google that, doesn't sound like fun.

I used to have nightmares about that as a kid growing up in Alaska.  When I was young, my foot got stuck in some deep muddy glacial silt and my dad had to pull me out.  He told me aftwards a guy once got stuck in it to his waist and had to be pulled out by a helicopter.  The suction was so strong that the helicopter ripped the dude in half.  I have no idea if my old man was BS'ing me (probably was), but I was terrified of that mud after that.  I was only about 8 or so, so I'm pretty sure he figured the story would prevent me from playing around in the mud--it worked!

Jim, sorry to hear about your double-wammy mud & fire ant ordeal.  That sucks!!l  Those fire ant bastards are no joke!!