My Gas Plant Bit Me...... Bad

So my Gas Plant Flower bit me.... also known as Dictamnus.  This is a flower I've had in my gardens for years.   It's very pretty and I love it.  My sister Starla got burned from it a few years ago when she cut it down for the fall it's juices got onto her arms and burned the skin.  We didn't really know what it was but after a few DNR, forestry husband and doctor visits they concluded it to be from the Gas Plant.  They see this very often from Wild Parsnip that grows in the ditches when people try to cut down the long grasses.  However since we know about this burning that can occur when cut I'm okay with leaving it in my garden and just being careful when cutting it down. 

 

Wednesday night I'm out weeding in the gardens, it's a beautiful afternoon the sun is shining and it's warm.... perfect weather for me (and the angry gas plant). 

 

Thursday I get a bug bite on my leg, that turns into two or three.... I don't think to much of it until Thursday night when I think I should take an allergy pill before going to bed.  I put on smartwool black socks that go up to my knees and long yoga pants..... sleep comfortable and snuggly warm..... perfect for me (and the angry gas plant)

 

Morning comes and I call Starla..... ummmmm what do I look for when the gas plant bites you?  Yep I think I have it.  Go to the doctor for a burn cream to apply and I should be good, caught it in time not like Starla and let it get worse for a week......

 

Here is day 2 before the trip to the doctor

 

Weekend was super busy I don't have time to fuss over this issue so I ignore as much as possible.  Put burn cream on and hope for the best as the sore start to turn into puss pockets and ooze yellow puss down my legs uncontrollably. 

 

Well by Sunday when it's really bad I hosted a family party at our house so no time for doctor visit, Monday will have to do.

 

Here is Monday morning Day 5  Can't wear pants, they itch like crazy I can't sleep..... taking 3 Advil every 4 hours for the entire weekend just to not itch the skin off my legs.

 

Doctor visit and she gave me medicine and a wrinkled up nose..... aren't they pretty?

 

Day 6, still getting worse

 

Showing progression and it occurs to me my legs are disgusting and not getting any better.

 

 

Still very painful and I read on line that if you got this you just ruined your summer...... great!!

 

 

Day 7 - starting to dry up a bit but still progressing 

 

 

The point of entry was my left leg and I am keeping a closeup sequence of it.  From what we researched the plant gives off the same liquid through it's flowers as it did when my sister Starla cut it.  That is how I got this, I just simply passed by it in the flower bed and it hit both my legs on the inside.  IT BIT ME......

 

 

On Sunday my sisters were determined to burn this plant.  It is suppose to flame up when it's flowering (why it's called Gas Plant) but we could not get anything to happen or we were just to afraid of it.  See my reflection in the ball on the fence standing waaaaaaaay back..... yep it bit me and I'm afraid of it.  

 

Not sure how we'll get this nasty bugger out of the garden (the baby one in the top left corner is the actual one that bit me) but it's way to dangerous for the grandkidsthat LOVE to pick flowers everytime they come over so as soon as it's done with the flowers I put my hazmat suit on and dig that sucker out and let it lay in the hot sun until it's dead.....

 

Lesson learned the hard way.... if you have this get a hazmat suit and get rid of it

Nephew Jarrod and his family

My oldest nephew Jarrod came home (not sure he will call it home since he never lived here but I will still call here home) for a visit last weekend with his lovely bride and baby boy.  We had a family gathering at the house and of course we need to try to fit in family photos of them amongst all the other events panned for the day.  Jacob was a trooper even with being tired and missing his own bed.  

When Jarrod was little I stayed with them when they went to find a place to live in Mt Vernon.  I don't remember much of that trip but it was hot and I got to spend time with my very first nephew.  

Now he's married, has a wonderful wife and a beautiful baby..... 

Jarrod likes all things HISTORY so when I wanted to use the wagon of course I had to tell him that this wagon is my grandmothers wagon and it's still painted from them.... I haven't painted it yet.  I know that's amazing that I haven't but I must treasure the paint my grandparents put on it.  

And when there are amazing clouds in the sky you must embrace them.

Jarrod and Ellen he is amazing, thank you for spending some time with me and I hope your trip back HOME was easy on all of you.  

Up North and Storms

We've been doing a few things up north but I've been slacking in the picture taking area.  We laid the carpet in the living room..... we didn't secure it yet since I've gotten  the okay to paint the fake brick wall and I want to be able to peel the carpet back when I do that.  But until then it still makes a huge difference.  We spend ZERO time in this room so the carpet should last a looooonnnnggg time.   After the carpet the room got a little brighter, it got a little cozier and we actually sat in this room for a bit.  I might need to buy a couch now.  

Even the old mis-matched furniture doesn't look all that bad.   After the bricks are painted the furniture will be next.  Before the carpet I could have cared less about any of it.   

This weekend our friends and neighbors came up with us.  We had a great time eating, drinking, pontooning, eating, drinking, wing tasting, rib judging, and bar hopping with them.  We had a long Saturday but after a huge breakfast on Sunday morning Jeff felt bad for me having to put up with the refrigerator handles being the wrong side so he offered to change them.... and then made John help him.  

I painted a chalkboard on the pantry door and started keeping the outside temperature on it.  Needed a photo so I could erase and start over.

Also a chalkboard on the closet door with a fun summer drawing.  

Not sure what the hammer is for.... maybe John was smarting off.

Sunday night we watched a storm roll in and since I've been bad with the photo area lately I thought I'd get it out and capture the moment.  

The storm was short but the rain and cold winds forced us inside.  

Family of 2....... then 5...........

These kids were so excited about having their picture taken........

Aren't they all adorable?

This was a new location for me so finding good spots was on the fly....... I stumbled across a section in the creek/river that had rocks you could walk out to with a shallow pool of water in front.  My first thought when I seen it was REFLECTION..... but how am I going to get on the other side of it.  Sun was behind them and a fun building in the background as well.  I had the oldest boy walk out there and I climbed through the woods to find a location to stand..... Yep it was going to work just like I envisioned in my head.  So the rest of the family got to the location and I swatted bugs, and prayed for no wood ticks to crawl up my pants leg.  The efforts on their part and mine were totally worth it.

Another location that made me squeal when I seen it.... I've been loving the sun kissed backgrounds and couldn't be more pleased with it.

Here's another version on the sun kissed background....

By the time we got to the end all three of them were ready to run and play.  

The story in short.... girl finds boyfriend she wants to marry, he asked her to marry him, they make plans for their wedding, they took on all three children at the same time a year and half ago.... wedding got delayed....... instant family and they are rocking it.

She is amazing for her momma skills with instant family but he's just as amazing for sharing her with them and being a great role model.  I could have listened to her all night long.

Flowers and more flowers

Spring has sprung and flowers happened.  

Last year in a wind storm we lost 2 of our flowering crab apple trees, which happen to be a favorite of mine even though my nose and eyes feel differently.  The only one left is the one the kids gave me a few years ago for my birthday and mothers day.  It couldn't be more beautiful so of course I needed to get some pictures and bokeh.  

The worst flower for mine and John's allergies is the lilac, they must stay outside.  But they certainly are very pretty.

The tulips are just about done, they may be one of my favorites.

Pink forget me knots - The start out pink and turn to blue.

Last fall I got some of the gardens cleaned up and this Sunday I got them mulched.  So happy with the results even though it hurts me to throw all those flowers away.   I still have many more to go so if you need flowers come on over I am throwing them away by the wheelbarrows full.  

Globe Flower makes a dramatic yellow appearance.  This is the one of the only flowers that stayed where I planted it and didn't have babies everywhere..... just for that I love you globeflower, you are a good plant.

More pictures of the crab apple tree, it's hardly showing any leaves.

With my walk around the yard for color I just had to capture the orange pot lid that I found at a second hand store.  When you find color that fits in the garden you have to buy it, even if it's a pot lid.  Think outside the box :)

Bleeding heart being all cute and stuff.....

Saturday mornings are for bringing flowers in the house.  Spring must be pink in my gardens.

A few dramatic clouds with a bright sun peeking through.

A little sunburst to make a fun photo with my lanterns hanging in the tree.  

Even though I've showed you these flowers a million times I hope you enjoy them again as they make their 2015 appearance.  Every spring as the flowers start to appear it makes me think of my mother in her last months.  She was very sick and couldn't go outside anymore so when us girls would come to sit with her one of our jobs was to walk around her gardens and bring in whatever flower was blooming so she could see them. This was something we had to do daily because mom insisted that things were changing and new flowers were blooming....  I was pretty young and didn't have the garden itch yet so to me when I would bring them in it was fun for me to hear her name them off like one of her kids.  She loved to see her flowers, she knew that someday we all would be loving them as much as her.  One of the days when we were all called home "because it was time" we all stood around her bed waiting for everyone to get there, mom was not very verbal anymore but she would cry for who or what she was going to miss.  I remember her saying she couldn't leave her flowers.... she loved her flower beds and she spent many hours making them perfect.  What I wouldn't give for those days again.... being able to pick flowers for my mother.  

Henry Marvin

Henry Marvin...... love his name..... was in front of my lens.  He did a great job being cute and all.  

We had a hard time getting him to zone out but in small burst we got a lot of great photos.

My favorite.... needs to be HUGE on the wall.

Henry's great grandfather is wrapped around him and he's looking up to the heavens just like he can see him.  

Great Grandpa Marv and Grandpa Al's helmets.

Henry is almost a month old so fitting in this basket was quite the job but I love his arms being crossed and his wrinkled up face.

It was nice to have a newborn again and he let me snuggle just a bit and smell him.  Nothing like the smell of a newborn baby that makes all the worries of your day disappear.