Dudleys Diary

since I was about seven years old. I was out in the front yard, my dad had just finished mowing and was raking the grass. I went out to "help" him and he asked that I go around the end of the house and turn on the water hose. He said their was a faucet in the bushes up beside the house. I followed the hose to the edge of the shrubbery and peered inside. It was dark in there and I was a little concerned about what might be lurking, but my dad was counting on me. I then spied what looked like a faucet handle, it was round shaped and about three inches across and was right up against the house like my dad said it would be. I reached in and grabbed it for all I was worth and turned it to the left. Just one small problem, I had missed the faucet handle and had just grabbed a yellow jacket nest. I immediately felt a multitude of hot needles stabbing me with great pain all over my right hand, my arm and as I made a hasty retreat screaming for all I was worth, those suckers continued to chase and sting me all the way to the front door. They got my hand, arms, chest and face especially around my eyes. My dad followed me inside several steps behind. My mother picked me up and rushed me to the kitchen to doctor my wounds with baking soda and water. I remember my mother asking my father in an accusatory fashion "Why didn't you pick him up?" and I will never forget my fathers answer. "Pick him up, HELL I couldn't CATCH him!