Thursday, July 24, 2008

Repellant Memories

My earliest memory of Raid Mosquito Coils is from a trip in my childhood to go camping with my aunt and uncle. In the evening when we'd be gathered around the picnic table playing cards my uncle would blaze up a few and set them around in an effort to keep our blood in our veins. Scents are tightly linked to memories and now whenever I get a whiff of these insect-repelling incense spirals I'm taken back to that time in a north woods campground. The other day I came across this box when I was looking for some protection in my own mosquito-infested garden. It's a vintage piece and I really like the style of the illustration. Even a sparse suburban concrete patio is paradise when there are no bugs! I believe it came from my co-conspirator's parents' house and that we acquired it when the house was sold and cleaned out. Inside the coils were still dry and when I lit one the old memories came back. And, much to my satisfaction, the legion of blood-sucking pests were kept at bay for as long as the smoke lingered.

0 Responses: