Bad beginning
"You all know what this is," I half-told, half-asked a trio of kids who were walking with me on a trek of the Avalonia Land Conservancy's Benedict Benson Preserve, and when I didn't get an immediate answer, I gave away the shiny deep-red plant's identity. "Think 'leaflets three, let it be'," I counseled. "It's Poison Ivy, and I hope that none of you accidentally touched it." The kids assured me that they'd steered clear, but, alas, I couldn't be so sure about myself. I'd lather on the anti-PI soap when I got home, and I made a mental note to, for the duration of the growing season, make certain that I looked carefully before moving my hands in a new direction. The new leaves are tiny but fully armed, and they'll only get bigger and more potent. Best to steer clear.