#11 Priorities...

I had many more lessons to learn on the rode to becoming a cowgirl. My next one was priorities.

I was all settled in my new desert home and one night I was lost in a dream filled sleep. Somewhere in the night, the dreams turned real. I felt a sharp pain in my thigh.

Foggily I awoke, sure it was just a very vivid dream, when the pain came again. It felt like a knife was stabbing my leg.

I sat up, turned on the light and jumped out of bed. Pulling the sheets back I looked to see what could be causing the pain. Within my sheets was a scorpion. A tiny Bark Scorpion.

I let out the appropriate scream... more suited to a dying coyote, and went about protecting myself. Needless to say, the little critter did not survive our encounter.

My fight with death over, I began damage control. My leg hurt, a large lump was growing on my thigh. Actually two large lumps, as the little sucker stung me twice.

As a newbie to the desert, I was terrified. I'd seen many western movies and I knew, just knew, I was now going to die.

It was the middle of the night and I didn't want to die alone, so I called My Cowboy. We'd become very good friends and he always said that if I needed anything, to give him a call. I don't think he meant at 2 am.

He took it all graciously... and said he'd be right over. He lived only a few miles away and soon was on my doorstep. I showed him my wounds, told him where my will was and asked if there was anything we could do. His advice, as he really had none, was to call Tucson's emergency hotline.

Oh... I thought. I could have done that sooner.

They didn't seem at all disturbed by my early morning call and after a series of questions, they determined that I would live. There really was no doubt, only in my mind was there a threat. They did advise that should I feel ill or have greater discomfort to take some allergy medicine.

Whew... that was close, I thought.

My leg was hurting but I did not have any allergy medicine and prepared to go to the store. My new home town had all night grocery stores and one was nearby. My Cowboy volunteered instead.

"Rest, take care of yourself," he said, "I'll go." and off he went.

I was thinking that he was indeed a knight in shining armor riding on a white horse, going off like that to save me. I was off a little on the thought, as he wore blue jeans and drove a red pick-up truck.

I waited, but he did not return. Time passed... 30 minutes, an hour. I seriously began to worry.

Finally he came up the drive. His tiny truck filled with shopping bags.

It seems the grocery store was having a special... did I know strawberries were on sale? The store was pretty empty and in his cowboy logic it was a good time to shop. He knew I was really OK and why not put this store visit to good use. With weekly shopping finished, he came back to me.

As for my allergy medicine... he forgot it.

I never needed the medication. I was healthy and strong but learned a lesson that night. Scorpions are a nuisance but a fact of life in the desert. Few find them life threatening and usually only the very young or those already ill. In the desert, there were many more threats to be taken much more seriously.

The real lesson of that night was to be prepared. To learn about my new home and what to fear and what not. I also learned about priorities... and when a good sale couldn't be missed.