Stay in the Middle of the Path

The only difficult part of the hike we took during our field trip on Monday was...

....the poison oak.
It was everywhere on this trail.
The majority of the vegetation along the pathways was poison oak.




All the greenery to Sam's left: poison oak.

Somehow I have made it through 49 years of life without ever once having a case of poison oak or ivy. Of my seven offspring, three of the oldest ones have had bad times with it. I have witnessed the special kind of misery that this plant causes in the lives of people who are susceptible to its wickedness.

It only takes a microscopic bit of plant oil on a shoe or sleeve, which then spreads to the seat of the car, fingers, wallet, steering wheel and suddenly the world is a dangerous place and life becomes a bad dream of weepy, itchy, painful redness.



All the vegetation on Peter's right: poison oak.
He was taking no chances after he thought his sleeve may have brushed a leaf.

We are two days out and no sign that any of us had contact with the evil stuff.

 Whew!