On Labor Day, I did some some brush removal, broken trees and limbs, etc. I’m usually good at avoiding the poison ivy and poison oak, as I’ve had both rashes and prefer neither. I wasn’t so observant about the little berries that was growing up one of the broken trees.
It was poison sumac. I’m also diligent about showering immediately after brush work due to my aforementioned experiences with poison ivy and oak, but to no avail this time. It wasn’t until the next day I was even aware there was a rash beginning on my arm. The itch and rash seem worse than ivy and oak, and Wikipedia says it is indeed more toxic.
How the itch has slowly gotten worse day after day, reminds me of one of my favorite authors, Hunter S. Thompson.
“Good mescaline comes on slow. The first hour is all waiting, then about halfway through the second hour you start cursing the creep who burned you, because nothing is happening...and then ZANG!"
Sumac could be described in very similar manner.