Walking past Conzatti Park tonight, I found myself (as always) greeting one of the random street dogs. As I stopped to pet Flaco, he got very excited, smelled me, jumped up at me, and wanted me to pet him more. When I stopped petting him, he began to carefully nibble my denim shorts and hands (until I pulled them away) as if he were cleaning the pulgas (fleas) from me. A bit afraid, I kept repeating, “No, Flaco, No.” A man selling candy in the park began watching me and Flaco; he was laughing a little. I was trying to figure out what happens if Flaco does more than little bitty bites, so I sat down on a park bench until he decided I was clean enough.
Speaking of fleas, I complained that even though I wear my Oaxaca perfume (mosquito repellant) every day I have bites on my legs and arms and hands, and Flor asked if I had eaten cactus (nopal) or had been in any weeds (hierbas). I haven’t had cactus, but I mentioned that this weekend while I was visiting the presa (dam), I had been sitting on the ground and there was vegetation surrounding me. She said that there is a plant called Mala Mujer (evil woman) that can cause the type of reaction I am experiencing. She suggested garbanzo bean tea or milk to soothe the reaction.
shewhodaresnothing 