The creeping vine

This vine is creeping all over the walkway to the deck. A neighbour told me he thought it was poisonous... I had thought that it was Virginia Creeper or something similiar and benign... I have someone coming to help tidy up the back yard on Tuesday, and didn't want them to come out in some horrible brown blister rash, so I took a sample to the local garden center (in a ziplock bag just in case) for identification. After fearlessly taking the leaf out of the bag, squashing it in his hands and looking it it closely, the garden-center guy declared "Virginia Creeper" and muttered something about people thinking everything is poisonous and that this creeper is actually a nice decorative plant. Once the deck is rebuilt, I will allow the creeper to decorate it. And will keep a look out for the real poison plants.

One thing we do have to look out for in the garden (and everywhere here) is TICKS. Ticks are nasty little creatures the size and shape of a sesame seed with legs. They jump onto warm-blooded creatures and start to eat. Blood. Have treated the pets with Frontline, which magically kills the darn things though still have to check them daily. There's no Frontline for humans, however, so we have to look for them carefully--they can carry Lyme's disease, which needs to be treated with antibiotics.

Ask Karli about her opinion of ticks... ;-)