Doing Battle

This is my battle-suit: three layers of latex gloves, and plastic newspaper bags, held on with rubber bands. The enemy: poison ivy.

And here is an unflattering view of my backside as I go to war.

I took a new tactic this time: lots of bare skin. I was a dangerously hot day - dangerous, because as far as I can tell, urushiol goes floating around on sweat, spreading it far and wide. I have had the oil go right through sweat-soaked clothing in the past. This time, I decided I would use caution instead of full-body armor. It worked. These photos were taken two weeks ago, and I don't have a rash.

Ironically, that's a black cherry, prunus serotina, there in front of me. Ironic, because I recently bought some black cherry seedlings, having failed to realize that I already had some in the yard.



It looks so harmless, doesn't it?

Look Mom, no poison ivy!