Harry and I just celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary.

Do I have any advice to young people as to what makes a successful marriage?Nah. No two people are the same. No two marriages are the same. What works for one couple may not work for another.What keeps me stuck to Harry's side like Bugger Lice?Well, he's cute. Even though he's totally bald on the top of his head, it's a beautifully shaped head. And it has freckles. He's got gorgeous steel blue eyes, the most mischievous grin and really good-looking legs.He makes me laugh. He does a million different silly things just to tickle my funny bone.What makes him a good husband?Well, he seems to continue to love me even after I do really stupid stuff. He has provided well for his family, he supports me in all my endeavors and he never ever says "no" to me.Am I a good wife?Well, let's just say there's always room for improvement.But it's kind of hard to be a great wife. Especially when he asks me to do something I really don't want to do.Example: Husband takes his hunting dog out for a run. He returns with a pair of pants full of Bugger Lice.(Note: I always heard that pronounced Bugger Lice. I wanted to talk about them in this week's column and wasn't quite sure what they were really called so I thought I'd check on the Internet. Well, it came up with Begger's Lice, correct name, Hackelia virginiana. Or as another site called it, "Nature's Velcro." Just thought you'd like to know. I'm here to inform.)The very same day I just returned from a weeklong vacation with my best friend, Connie, to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, I expected to be treated like a long-lost lover. Instead, my cute, wonderful, funny husband points to a pair of jeans on the picnic table and says, "When you have time, could you please pull those Bugger Lice off my pants?"I don't know. Maybe it's just me. But if I had swum around the ocean and a million billion jelly fish attached themselves to my swimming suit, I think it would be my job to remove them. I was a little confused as to why he thought it was my job to remove his Bugger Lice. And yes, I do find I have some spare time since I've retired, but removing Bugger Lice from his pants was not how I envisioned spending some of that time.I think those of you who are married, knows that it's all about "give and take." So, I gave those pants a good long week on the picnic table and I took my good old natured time getting around to picking those little suckers off.Now when I looked up Bugger Lice, aka Begger's Lice, on the Internet, I came across this conversation on Flocknocker's Goose Roost site: "We're All About Geese. This is where we come to discuss the fine art of hunting geese, goose hunting equipment and tactics."I thought you might get a kick out of it, like I did.CamoHunter: Well guys I hunted a marsh yesterday that was covered in those darn weeds that have the three-prong long skinny seeds that stick to everything and now I have them all over my clothes and gear.What's your method for getting these suckers off?Mike: Use an old comb and brush your clothes. Then start picking at what's left with your hands.HOLLYHONKER: Pressure washerDUCKDIGGLER: Flame thrower! I kid … I kid!3Bands: Your hunting knife will work real well. Stretch the fabric somewhat taught and scrape the clothing with the edge of the blade (like you were shaving the cloth). This will remove almost all of them.Salthunter: I pay one of my kids … and usually try to avoid the place after that.Drakebuster: Basically any object that has an edge that is straight and flat. I've used old scrap pieces of window trim, and even shims that were lying around in the shop to get them off waders before. That was the best way I found. The knife idea would work, but I'd be afraid to cut the material if I slipped.AllBusiness: Best advice I can give … Beer, a trash can, your fingers, lazy boy and the World Series …Jhartwig: Yah … those are some really dandies! I have always used my fingers and it takes time, but gets the job done! I would be interested next time in using either the edge of a knife or something with a flat edge as drakebuster suggested! Good Luck! Personally … I think AB had the best idea!MarketHunter: I've had some luck blowing them off with a pressure hose or an air compressor. The knife thing works too, it's just slow. I use a butter knife so as not to risk cutting anything.We had three kinds down at home, the little green three cornered things we called "Stick Tights," the brown ones that sorta looked like a two horned bug were "Beggar Lice" and the oval shaped ones with burrs all over them were "Cockle Burrs." The beggar lice were the hardest to get off by far.CamoHunter: Thanks for the ideas guys. On the decoy bags, I ended up going with the power washer and that worked all right. For my clothes, I just washed them at work with a bunch of golf balls in the wash machine and it got them off pretty good. The "prongs" are still in the clothing but at least the arrow is gone.They sure are a pain in the butt and next time I hunt that place, I'm wearing rain wear.(Linda Note: Golf balls in the dryer? OMG! How noisy must that have been? And where does he work????)HighLooker: I've been thick in the beggar's lice and cockleburs, and gave up picking. I just pull the ones that annoy me too much and use the rest for camo.BIGHEST: I got into a patch the other day in my fleece … actually I found if you put them in the dryer … WITH NOTHING ELSE, it will pull a lot off.(Linda Note: Thank you. I wasn't getting the golf balls aiding in removing Bugger Lice thing either.)I was almost tempted to add my own personal method which is, let the little stickers on the pants for a long time, they kind of dry up and are fairly easy to scrape off. Oh, if you have a crappy job to do, it always goes better if you share it with a friend. My sister Diane offered to sit and pick Bugger Lice with me. It made the job go faster and we got to spend some quality time listing our husbands' "sterling qualities," almost like an old fashioned quilting bee.But Ladies and Gentlemen, here is my favorite response from the Flocknocker's Goose Roost blog's Begger's Lice conversation. Drum roll please …Road Runner: A good wife would take care of them.It's official. I am a good wife.