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Lately I've gotten a bit of contract labor that has me out-of-doors cleaning up around campgrounds and a local boat launch ramp... Where I live is heavy with poison oak and ivy... being out and about doing what I've been doing means I've been all up in the poison oak and ivy! So I'm feeling somewhat good about earning some immediate cash, but I'm also suffering somewhat due to being all up in the poison oak especially. I didn't see any poison ivy but suspect it is there too, so sort of a toss up for days as far as what I'm feeling....
I've been told that there is no poison ivy here. I thought when I was younger that people said that both grew in the area. But yeah, I'm not terribly allergic to it but it doesn't help to get it on your arm and then get tangled up with a blackberry briar!
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It doesn't take much
Even a little poison oak or ivy can get to you. My sister-in-law got it from their dog who had run around in the underbrush near their house and she petted the dog, picking it up from his fur. I'm luck that I'm nearly immune to the stuff, so I went out and found the offending stuff and pulled it out by the roots, bagged in a plastic bag to put in the garbage can. There was only one plant any where the dog could have gone, so that was good.
My brother and I are both immune, but my sister is hyper sensitive to it. She used to get it from washing our clothes when it was her turn to do the laundry. Then to make things go from bad to worse, the developed the land where the offending plants were growing, cleared the brush and burned it. Wouldn't you know it, our house was down wind. She got it nearly ever where on her body from the smoke. We went through calamine lotion by the gallon for a couple of weeks.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Poison Ivy...
So I've been informed, does not grow in this area. Which surprised me quite a bit.
Poison ivy & poison oak
According to Wikipedia, "T. radicans [poison ivy] grows throughout much of North America, including the Canadian maritime provinces, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and all U.S. states east of the Rocky Mountains, as well as in the mountainous areas of Mexico up to around 1,500 m (4,900 ft)."
"The plant is extremely common in suburban and exurban areas of New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Southeastern United States. The similar species T. diversilobum (western poison oak) and T. rydbergii (western poison ivy) are found in western North America."
Here in California, the only variety is poison oak (T. diversilobum). It is very common where I live (Oakland, California).
Well I knew that poison oak
Was common around where I live. Didn't realize until the crew lead told us that there was no poison ivy in Ca that I only had the one to worry about. But that is certainly enough!
Do not forget
Poison sumac! My sister gets any of them just by being near the stuff me on the other hand have to have a scrape or open cut and get the crushed plant in it to get it. Have a good day and enjoy life.
Have a good day and enjoy life.
It could have been much worse
"Wouldn't you know it, our house was down wind. She got it nearly ever where on her body from the smoke. We went through calamine lotion by the gallon for a couple of weeks."
It could have been much worse. People who are severely allergic can suffer breathing difficulties from inhaling the smoke. Glad she was OK.
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
I noticed
That I was having classic allergic reaction in the form of 'hay fever' type of symptoms on Friday. I'm guessing that was from handling the dried and now breaking up stuff as we loaded it on a trailer to remove it as a fuel source. Not the most fun stuff to work with!