poison oak...

I got the oak. Poison oak. It is not fun. My left arm is all red and blistery and swollen, My right leg has a red patch. There are other areas on my body where I was hit. I went to the hospital today to get some relief since my home remedies were not working. I am glad this job comes with health insurance.

So you may be asking yourself how does a botanist get poison oak? Bushwhacking through a willow thicket is how. Boy that sucked and to top it off I get the oak. Not my best day of work. This is a nasty plant! For most of my field biology career I never worked in the stuff. Poison oak does not grow at high elevation and does not grow in the desert. I guess I thought I was immune. Turns out that I am not. I will have to implement a strict decontamination procedure every day. I will have to wash my hands thoroughly every chance I get. And no more walking through willow thickets to look for snakes. I have to assume the oak is everywhere!