It is time for a good old-fashioned turf war. And I mean that in a super-literal sense. We had a couple days of heavy, soaking rain, so my turf is nice and soft. Today is a good day to get out and pull all the tiny little poison ivy sprouts that are all over the park. Where does it keep coming from? I have pulled it, and the man has chopped down big hairy vines of it that were covering two trees (one living tree, one hull that is now gone). Between us, we have been working this beat for more than a year. I keep finding it popping up far away from the shady woods where the big vines were, and last week I saw it next to my front walk for the first time. How does it propagate? Are there airborne seeds that can dump it anywhere? I've never seen poison ivy flower, but that means nothing. Until a few years ago, I couldn't identify it to save my life. I didn't touch any wild plants, so I didn't need to differentiate it. The last time I walked the main road, I saw thigh-high stands of it, just beyond my fence. I'm torn. If I ask the HOA landscapers about it, since it's technically on their turf now, what will they do to remove it? My guess is they would spray something toxic on it and walk away without a thought, and they would kill half of my thicket along with it. But I can't just leave those barbarians at my gate (literally).
Last night, I let the dogs out to pee before bed, like you do. It wasn't 10 seconds before the red-headed dog shrieked and ran back up to the door. I brought him back inside, and looked him over. He was a little dancy, but not limping or bleeding anywhere. He seemed entirely spooked but unharmed. But with thoughts in my head of my neighbor swearing there were rats under her shed and a snake in her yard just the other night, I slipped on shoes (and then switched from sandals to shoes that covered my toes when I remembered I was looking for a snake), and grabbed a flashlight. I wanted a weapon, so I went through the garage for a shovel. I can only imagine how silly I looked, hunting all over the park with a shovel and flashlight, but unwilling to go too deep into the trees and bushes, where I would undoubtedly jump and yell if something ooky brushed up against me. I never saw a single thing out of place, nor did I hear anything rustling in the dark. I think I know what happened. Yesterday I got a large metal star, a piece of Americana yard art, and I stuck it in the ground in the canna garden next to some sycamore trees, where he frequently goes. It is possible he tried to pee on it, and it bit him. He needs to choose his battles more carefully in the future.
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