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Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Dog Days

Here's my mystery plant -- can anyone help me identify it? I am thinking it could be poison ivy or poison sumac.

It's hot! Around 100 with a heat index of 107. I don't like it, the dogs don't like it, and the garden loves it. We will have plenty of corn in a few days, maybe for dinner this Sunday when the family comes for a "feast," or on Tuesday when Ernie and Uncle Bill will be here en route from Detroit to Pasadena. And so far, knock on wood, there are no worms in the corn! I'm still picking and freezing green beans, I've eaten the first tomato, we have yellow crook-neck squash, and there are melons/pumpkins on the vine. I planted Heart O' Gold cantelope, nostalgic for Fallon's famed melons, and I'm hopeful that we have some of them coming along. I'm not sure this climate and soil will produce the fruit of my memories, but I'm dreaming.

Here's our biggest baby watermelon -- it's about the size of two grapefruits. In our melon patch, honey bees are as busy as . . . well, you know. There's no sign of colony collapse in our area.

Ben is home, settled in, and I am at ease. The drive to and from Saint Louis was uneventful except for a special stop at Trader Joe's. It was frustrating to be there and to be unable to buy frozen or fresh food because I had no way to keep it safe in the heat. But I did manage to stock up on some Two Buck Chuck.

By the way, the spider web disappeared the next day.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Melody,

    Well, I just finished cruising through a couple websites on poison ivy, and your plant doesn't look like it to me. The 3 leaves on your plant aren't really separated enough. But then what could it be?????

    Valery

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  2. Turns out my "poison ivy" is morning glories with bluish purple flowers in the morning. I don't know what is giving me the rash unless it is just the contact with the squash vines which are kind of prickly.

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  3. While chatting with a friend, I mentioned my allergy to ivy (ordinary English ivy). Her response was, "Then, keep away from morning glories. They will cause the same rash."

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