5/15/08 Toxicodendron diversilobum

Poison oak (and ivy and sumac) causes an allergic skin rash on contact. It grows as a dense shrub in open sunlight, or as a climbing vine in shaded areas. It appears everywhere in the west. The toxin is called urushiol; the name comes from the Japanese word urushi, which denotes a lacquer produced from the sap of kiurushi trees (Lacquer Tree). 1/4 ounce of urushiol is all that is needed to cause a rash in every person on earth.

We have it. It's seasonally beautiful, always toxic and we try to remove as much as possible. The big limbs are from a particularly huge growth. That's me in full protective gear carrying the base of a three-stemmed vine of it, and the chipper with poison oak (only) chips around it.

5/7/08 I forgot! (to partners)

About 20 years ago Steve and I were clearing brush on the road near the water tanks. I had the land tape measure with me. It fell into the slash pile and was lost.

I found it! I know how relieved you all are.

5/6/08 dead trees (to partners)

THINNING WOODS. The woods are thinning themselves and views now stretch right thru areas which were visually blocked recently. Except at our house I haven't removed a live tree of any kind, but just taking out the dead manzanitta and madrone opens the view shockingly.


CREEKBED; We've sporadically forayed into the creek bed near the cabin to reduce the hazard of it's becoming a chimney in the event of fire. We've removed a lot deadwood (nothing alive). Yesterday we took out 14 trees in a band no more than 25' wide above the creek crossing (now with a footbridge, which can be removed if there are objections--see pic), six of them still standing. There are at least 6 more in that area, plus a large dead fir which I don't want to fell alone. The hillsides are very steep; my current policy is not to look up.

NEIGHBORS. Many and close, their dogs, noise, houses and stuff. 40 acres doesn't seem so large anymore. Fewer gunshots though.

EMERGENCIES. Libbe is a principal in Laytonville's efforts to formulate an emergency response plan, coming along nicely thanks to much volunteer effort. An interesting bit of info from the LVFD is that we are not considered likely to have a devastating wildfire as neither the topography nor weather is as conducive to that in S. Calif. Danger from an earthquake might be more likely or--interestingly--victims of some kind of horror in the Bay Area (terrorism, disease) fleeing north to safety. In any case, Laytonville's biggest problem is the single ingress/egress route along Hwy 101. My preparation: stock up on wine.

SPENDING YOUR MONEY. Not a dime. I'll try harder.