Letterboxing for Idiots - Poison Ivy

So, I don't know how to really say this without being mean or hurtful. STAY THE "beep" AWAY FROM POISON IVY! Now for those of you that don't know what poison ivy looks like, look very carefully at the picture I have supplied you with. I had no idea what poison ivy looked like until I got it for the first time and looked it up on the world wide web. Now, us being letterboxers and all, will encounter this plant from time to time. Some of us will brush it and some of us won't. Some of us that brush it may develop a rash and some of us won't. For those of us that will develop a rash, and I became a first timer, life will become a living H-E-double hockey sticks. I used to be able to roll around in the stuff and laugh at my brother because he couldn't. look who is laughing now!

Poison Ivy can be contracted by brushing up against the plant itself or by rubbing up against an animal (cat or dog) that has. The oil from the plant, called urushiol, once on yourself, enters your pores and begins its one truly dreadful task. Making your life miserable.

For those of us that thought we weren't able to get poison ivy rashes, I have some bad news. You can. We all change. And to make things worse, they say that because of the change in global temperature, the amount of poison ivy growth, has increased 70%, meaning there is more of a chance that we will develop that dreadful rash. Not good for you and I.

So do yourself a favor, if you go out into the woods, wear long pants, a long shirt adn remember one thing. If you see leaves of 3, leave it be. Or buy some extra strenght itch relief spray.

For more information:
www.poison-ivy.org