Poison ivy blisters wept through her shirt. Determined not to go the cortisone shot route she toughed it out. "You should have washed in bleach, you should have used fels naptha soap, here have some homeopathic tablets, swim in the ocean or in a chlorinated pool, use calamine, use hydrocortisone cream, so many pre-creams you could have used, how does this keep happening to you? You look horrible." All I know is that after the agony my new skin is, albeit a little red, smoother and softer than ever. Could poison ivy be the natural plastic surgery alternative to the chemical peal? This could explain why I have the skin of a fifteen-year-old.

Skipper emerges from between the woody phlox stems and the clump of powder blue eupatorium. Plopping down and rolling on his back he demands attention. He likes to lounge beside me while I pull weeds and deadhead perennials. He is the garden king and, as such, determines who will live and die in his realm. Mr.Green lives in the knautia tangle and sometimes serenades me while I work. I am hoping that the king will not find out that this interloper has taken up residence in his kingdom. I'm sure there is nothing Skipper would like more than to catch a beautiful, large green bullfrog. What a present that would make left on our doorstep! Even though I entreat him, all the time, not to catch birds, frogs or snakes he continues to ignore my supplications. I pray Mr. Green will remain silent. I know, however, how proud he is of his voice and how he likes to show it off. He is looking for a girlfriend but, I'm afraid, all he will find is furry death.

"Mom please don't go! You're always gone too long and you never carry your phone. The dinner will be late and nothing will get done on anything else. You're like a person obsessed and possessed ...you're boring. You can't just go out there and come right back. Every time you go it's as though you enter a time warp and hours later you emerge. Unless I come and find you in your world I don't see you. All I have to say to your friends is she's gone out and they know where you are and that you won't be back til dark. It's ridiculous. I don't care about your silly flowers and veggies and bees and birds. Why won't you come in?!!"