Ooh it has been a while. In my head--usually while I am behind the lawn mower--I have written books of posts. The trouble is, most of them don't end up here. The reason for that is energy. For some reason, when I'm behind the mower, I can compose all sorts of interesting and witty (at least to me!) posts, but when I think about sitting down at the computer to write them out, most of the time I'm too tired! Dis is vewy bad. I wish I had a little doo-hickey thing that would fit in my ear and I could just talk my posts out while I did the mowing. Then I would just have to transcribe and polish them here. The trouble with that idea is that I don't think I would be able to hear myself talk over the noise of the mower on the recording. Bummer. IV microphone perhaps? Hmmm. Maybe I could invent that and then I'd be rich! lol So anyway. The bottom line is that there have been lots of posts, just none here.
In other news, there seems to be a bumper crop of poison ivy this year. I don't remember seeing so much last year. Isn't it interesting how one year some kinds of plants thrive on the weather, while others don't do so well, but then the next year it's all switched up and other things grow like mad? I've noticed the rose bushes here in NC are just crazy with blooms this year. So beautiful. It also seems to be a banner year for the ivy. The poison kind that is. Maybe there was as much last year and I just didn't notice it much because I hadn't yet felt the onslaught of its wrath. Now though, since I have felt its fury---or itching---just a glimpse through the weeds makes my skin crawl. Literally, it does. Ever since I had my bout with PI a month or so ago, I have been plagued with this creepy crawly feeling all over. It's better than it was, thank goodness, but very often I still get goose-bumps or just a crawly feeling out of nowhere. Benadryl helps, but who wants to take benadryl every day? Anyway, as I was saying, just the sight of PI in the woods/yard makes me get all tingly. I want to destroy it all, but that would take a lot of work and imagine what I would look like if I tried. No don't do that. It will give you nightmares! lol Why is it that humans have to be the only living creature that is allergic to PI? Very strange. But I digress. Again. I'm trying to learn to ignore the stuff at the edge of the yard in the woods and just stay out of its way. But I can't ignore the vines that are starting to grow up the trees in the yard. I will not tolerate that! Invade the woods all you want you sinister plant, but you will NOT invade my yard! It's like it's testing me to see how far I will let it go, daring me to try to kill it so it can spread it urishiol poison all over me and drive me insane (ok, more insane! lol) with itching. A couple weeks ago I bought a commercial poison specifically for PI and PO (poison oak), and started plotting my revenge. But when I started reading the instructions it said not to use it within the drip line of trees. Not around the trees??!! Then pray tell what good is it? Most of the PI and PO around here is within the drip line of trees! The stuff out in the yard I can mow over! Don't need the weed killer there! duh! Unless someone can tell me how to mow up the trees, that is where I need the weed killer. So I was back to square one. Next stop Google. It's where I go to find out about pretty much everything these days. Have you tried it? It's a great place! Don't know how to spell something? Google it. Just spell it how you think it sounds and Google will politely ask "Did you mean.....?" and there you have the correct spelling. Need to know how to do something? Google it. And from out the clear blue sky Google will provide you with links to someone somewhere who knows how to do the very thing you are asking for. Need a supplier for an organic boysonberry face mask? Google it. Voila! Google will tell you where to find it, or find you someone who knows how to make it and has provided a tutorial---usually free of charge. Have you Googled today? =) But there I go on a rabbit trail again. Where was I? Oh yes, I was Google-ing a homemade killer for PI that won't also kill trees. I found several recipes, most of which use things you have in your kitchen and laundry room, like vinegar and salt and Dawn, etc. So most of them didn't seem like they would kill trees---unless you poured gallons and gallons of the stuff into the ground around them. Not my plan. I just needed something to spray on the PI that would kill it. Then I was talking to my mom and she had a recipe from a reputable garden expert that was made from vinegar, gin and baby soap. I didn't have any gin, but figured alcohol is alcohol, right? And no baby soap either, but I do have Dawn. So off I went to Lowe's, bought a 2 gallon lawn sprayer, and mixed up my brew: vinegar, Dawn and rubbing alcohol. Then I lugged the sprayer around the yard and sprayed pretty much every leaf of PI I could see. I used all 2 gallons. Yesterday afternoon I wandered over to the pines to take a look. What do you think I saw. Instead of the black and shriveled leaves of PI I was hoping to find, there it was, all green and perky and healthy as ever. And I think I heard it laughing at me...... Grr. So it's back to Google I will go and find another recipe and another until I find one that will kill this evil plant. Laugh now you leaves of three! Laugh while you can, because I WILL get you with something, even if I have to dress up in a hazardous waste suit and snip you off one by one. lol But not today. Today I'll stay inside and pretend I don't see "it" growing up the trunk of the oak outside my window, take some more benadryl (this post is giving me goosebumps!), and Google. =) Cheers!
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