First aid advice

Went out to survey the damage from yesterday's winds. Not too bad. Tomatoes have some dead leaves but look like they'll recover.

I'm still having a problem with really itchy skin on my legs. Common problem for me in the winter but generally gone by now. Dry skin is definitely a part of it and I've blamed it for years on long underwear or sweats, each of which dries your skin out worse. But now I'm wondering and trying something else. I just crushed some Benadryl caps and mixed it with some lotion. See if there's an allergic aspect going on here. In childhood, my skin was so sensitive and allergies so bad I would get a rash from most detergents.

In any case, this is some advice I give people for their first aid kits. Keep Benadryl in the first aid kit. I don't care if you don't take it. I don't care if you don't have allergies. You never know when you or someone else may have an allergic reaction to something. Get the powder-filled capsules from a dollar store. These can be broken open. If someone has a severe allergic reaction and a closing airway, it can be mixed with a few drops of water and placed under the tongue. It absorbs quickly there. In a case like that, use 2 or 3 caps. For insect bites, poison ivy, poison oak or unknown skin reactions, it can be mixed with any lotion and applied. One cap for one application or 4-6 caps for a whole container of lotion. Unless it is subjected to extreme heat or cold, expiration date doesn't matter. It may become a little less effective beyond the expiration date but won't become toxic. Though ten years beyond expiration would be a bit severe.

Oh, and Benadryl will absorb into the bloodstream through the skin, so don't overdo it or it will make you drowsy. Be especially careful if you take other medications which are sedating. Only use the powder for lotion, not the cellulose capsule.

Okay. Supposed to be a breezy and cloudy but calm day today. Guess I'll go transplant out the lettuce seedlings. They should be okay if kept mulched.