Time to start preaching about poison ivy again.  This is the big oak tree on the corner of Stonebriar just below George and Priscilla's house.

 

I'm showing it to you now to remind you how to identify poison ivy in the winter.  Of course it drops its leaves in autumn, so you can't use the three leaflets for identification.  But it is easy to identify because it has these hairy roots on the vine that cling tightly to its support tree.  

 

And this matters because all parts of poison ivy are covered with Urushiol, a volatile oil that can cause skin irritation.  So be careful when you're in the woods, that you or your four-legged friends don't brush against it.  More importantly, if you are a leaf burner, make sure you don't have any poison ivy in your burn pile.  Smoke from burning poison ivy can do serious lung damage.  

 

I know I've written about poison ivy lots of times.   But this is one plant identification lesson I don't want you to learn the hard way.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!