After all my yard work on Saturday, I woke up with some bug bites on Sunday. I had one on my forearm, a couple on my back and one on my neck. I noticed them, scratched a few times and ignored them for most of the day.
They got progressively itchier and I finally looked closely enough at my arm to see that I didn’t have a bug bite – it was poison ivy. I knew exactly where it came from, too. On Saturday I had cut down some poison ivy with the loppers, then left it in a pile with other vegetation to be bagged up on Sunday. By the time Sunday rolled around, I’d pretty much forgotten about it and thus did not hesitate to scoop up the leaves and branches with my hands. I had gloves on but my arms were bare.
By midday Monday it was quite obvious that I really only had one mosquito bite…and three rapidly-spreading patches of poison ivy. I’m covered with flaky smears of Caladryl Clear and trying desperately not to scratch.
My biggest worry is that the poison ivy will spread to my face between now and my party on Saturday. As it is I may have to wear a scarf to cover the hickey-like blotch of poison ivy on my neck.
Remind me again what’s so great about the Great Outdoors?
Leave a Reply