Nature Post!

[rubyelf]

Honey is puzzled and amused with today's experiment. Today's experiment was to determine properly whether I am allergic to poison ivy (and by extension poison oak and poison sumac, all of which contain the same active ingredient). I know I've been in contact with it before, while painting houses or playing in the woods, but I've never had the rash

Comments

[matheius]

I'm with you, I rub myself on a lot of things in the name of science.

Is that a chipmunk or is it a stripy rat? I reckon it's the rat, because everybody knows that chipmunks always hang around in threes and sing songs.

Hey, new undies! Could you lace in some of those violets as well? They look pretty.

[rubyelf]

I will add some violets and any other pretty flowers I find to make your new undies as charming as possible. Maybe I can put a big mushroom in the front.

I don't know about singing but our chipmunks do a lot of irate screeching when you get near them.

At least I only rub already-exposed parts of my body on things in the name of science. It's just better manners than stripping down and rubbing your personal bits on things.

[matheius]

Oh, don't worry, if I'm going out to rub up against things, there's a good chance I'll already be exposed.

[rubyelf]

That's why you need some new undies. Maybe people will think you're some sort of nature spirit!

[mayanas]

So much green finally!

[rubyelf]

Still no leaves on the trees... but soon, hopefully!

[vjezkova]

You experiment with poison ivy is actually a field version of a real procedure at the alergologist! They use a small needle to get a sample of various allergens under your skin - only it is the inner, soft part of your arm. You wait 30 minutes and you see if there is a reaction. The doctor measures the blisters if there are any and you know for sure what you must avoid. So what you did was SCIENCE ALL RIGHT

[rubyelf]

I wondered if they were some sort of gall... and yes, that's definitely the proper word. Thank you for finding out for me! The fungi are strange-looking... people around here call them "brain mushrooms" because they get more round and wrinkled as they grow.

Ferns uncoiling are beautiful and there are so many kinds of ferns in New Zealand that I could see why the Maori viewed them as a symbol of life!

[sadme4b]

sorry, but your poison ivy experiment made me laugh - good luck! I'm not allergic to poison ivy, but am to poison oak - go figure! but -- I have 60+ years of experience with - no rash or 'where was I two weeks ago, I'm breaking out' -- then again, I do react weirdly to things. and being downwind when a neighbor was burning brush, that - according to my doc - contained at least one of the three, gave me one of the worst cash of rash into hives I've ever had. there's poison ivy growing up through the slats on the ramp into J's shed, and I'm not about to pull it - not going to take a chance! LOL

[rubyelf]

Still no leaves on the trees here yet, but when it does happen it will all happen at once!

We have quite of few of the pileated woodpeckers and they are SO LOUD... apparently when it's mating season they drum on hollow trees to make themselves even louder!

[brigantine]

He asked if I was TRYING to get a rash and I explained that I was TRYING to prove (or disprove) a point.

Science, man; go big, or go home. There's no use half-assing it. ;)

[rubyelf]

Damn right... it's SCIENCE. No point in fucking around. If scientists weren't occasionally willing to risk unpleasant results, there wouldn't be any good experiments!

(it's nice to see you back around, by the way!)