Sunday's musings about Poison Ivy

So, I'm a muse? Probably not. Today was spent in quiet contemplation. Well, if running a weed-eater is quiet. I keep spaces around some trees in the yard for my 'animals' to have a place to hide. There is or was a box turtle in one area that I weed-ate (weed-eated?) and if he is still there, I'm sure he thought I was going to harm him. Of course I didn't and wouldn't. The only harm came to the poison ivy which is trying to climb a couple of trees in the yard.

Now, poison ivy is not a plant to be grasped lightly. If you doubt, there is help here, or here. However, I dislike poison ivy because I am allergic to it now. All in my childhood and youth and young adulthood right to middle age, I never had a problem with poison ivy. Then one foolish day, trying to impress someone, probably a grandchild, I grasp the ivy, rubbed it on my forearm, and declared I would not suffer.

Ohhhh, but suffer I did. Like never before in my life. Well, I take that back. I have suffered worse. I think I used lotion or something to get rid of the rash but what I didn't realize was that the poison was now in my blood. A bit later, maybe a summer later, I was out working on a piece of the Appalachian Trail that I maintained (at the time, not now) and I was whacking with my swingblade, taking down poison ivy vines where ever they grew on tree or land. I had covered myself up with long sleeves and a headnet so that I wouldn't get spit upon by the ivy. Well, nature called as nature does. I went behind a tree and without t-paper, used an oak leaf. After all, oak leaves are safe, right? Yes, OAK leaves are okay, but the alert person distinguishes between poison oak and real oak leaves. And I was not very observant that day.

A trip to the doctor and a steroid shot later, I was better but I did walk funny for a while.

I now use the easily identifiable sassafras leaves.

End of tale.