i get itchy just thinking about it

ok, we bought our house in November. A nice, cool November at that, and the view from our back deck was pretty nice. We live on the top of a ridge, and when the foliage is dormant, we can see all the little city lights glistening through the tree trunks that criss cross our backyard. Well, since Alabama weather has once again decided to skip a season (more on global warming later) the view we once enjoyed is now blocked by all the leaves, brush, and VINES. It seems our winter home purchase left us with a backyard completely and utterly consumed in poison ivy. Not just a little here or there, but EVERYWHERE. I mean, it is eating the trees, the ground, and at this point it wouldn't surprise me if it could float, and tomorrow i'll wake up to find a vine maze hovering on my deck.


Everything you see in these photos is the IVY! Now, I have been very lucky, and thus far in my life, I have never had a reaction to the stuff. Once in California, I came home with some Sumac as a souvenir, but the ivy hasn't ever really affected me. Unfortunately, my fiance is not so lucky. Apparently, James is one of the lucky people who not only covers over with blisters and rashes when he touches poison ivy, but also is someone who would go into anaphylactic shock and may even die from touching it. This has not made me a happy camper. And our beloved dog, Juicy, has decided that the most comfortable place in the entire fenced area of our yard in which to wallow is a small patch that is padded in POISON IVY. He loves the stuff, apparently. SO, now every time we pat the puppy's head, or scratch his ears, or scrub him down, we are playing roulette. yea! I spent most of the morning pulling up the vines, spraying it down with Ortho's poison ivy killer, and then re-spraying it with "pet away" spray, which makes Juicy think he is in trouble, because the only other time we sprayed it was when he continued to try to eat our deck, our bench and any wooden parts of our house. (we have since calmed him with large branches he eats for snacks as part of his high-fiber diet.) Well, this summer should be fun.