I cut the grass today and the ground is sure dry. I kicked up a lot of dust and swallowed a lot of dust too. For the month of May Dulles has recorded less than a quarter of an inch of rain. National has received a bit more with almost an inch and one half. Scattered thunderstorms are in the forecast for a few days but this weekend will feel more like a July fourth holiday with highs approaching ninety degrees. Given our climatology it is likely to just get drier. When you cut the grass make sure you are cutting it at three inches or higher. In spring and fall it is ok to cut lower as you want to promote root growth but now as we approach summer you want to keep it higher to ensure the health of the blades of grass. If you water your lawn remember the best times to water are between four AM and eight AM. If you water in the evening you are promoting the growth of fungi as the moisture lingers as it cannot evaporate. You can buy timers for your hose at your local hardware store. Have a great holiday weekend and try to take time out to remember what Memorial Day is all about.

Some of you may have noticed my right eye was a bit swollen last Thursday and Friday. I got poison ivy a week ago Monday. Today it is on my hands and arms. I know you are asking yourselves “why didn’t he wear gloves?”. Well, I did. Here’s the problem. Last year my doctor told me there is no such thing as poison oak. I thought my daughter had that last year. She was a mess. Her legs were swollen and she had to take steroids to get rid of it. Turns out he is correct. It is all poison ivy from the same plant but that plant may be a small plant with three shiny leaves or may be a huge vine, sometimes referred to as a grape vine that wraps itself around trees, ultimately killing them. I thought that the big vines were safe per my conversation with my dermatologist last year. Wrong. I pried huge vines off a tree in the hopes of saving the tree and then pulled them down with my bare hands. I pulled vines down from the tree that were forty feet long. I wore gloves when I came across the small plants with shiny leaves. I wish I had washed my hands and arms thoroughly and right after I finished my project. The secret is removing the oil from the plants from your skin. Remember to wash thoroughly with soap in cool water. Yes, you can spread poison ivy. I gave it to my wife because I still had the oils on my arm two days later. Needless to say after my daughter’s reaction last year I have not been within ten feet of her since I contracted it. My eyes are better but my hands are still a mess. Here’s to Benadryl.