Agree that many people may suddenly develop a sensitivity, something to

guard against.  But my brothers are not sensitive either, nor others on my

father's side of the family.  I understand that sensitivity has a genetic

componant, and that seems to be the case wit us, because we were exposed to

it routinely.    Logged over hills where I grew up, and an abandoned pasture

on property behind my grandparents' farm were infested with poison oak (same

thing in shrub form) and we rarely had so much as a bump.   Wonder if being

mixed native american is a factor.  



Last year I was cleaning out some Virginia creeper from  behind my barn

minus gloves and bare-armed.  Later as I was looking at the pile, realized

that some of it was poison ivy-- hadn't been paying attention.  No rash.  I

don't worry about it, though I'll probably wear gloves next time if I notice

any ivy.    Irony is that the year before I'd cleared the same area of

common buckthorn (invasive alien), and probably inadvertently opened the

area for the creeper and poison ivy.  Wonder what the birds will plant back

there for me this year?  



Apologies for being off-topic.  



Dayle Ann

Brandon