Category Archives: nature

Urushiol Pain and Products

Posted on September 3, 2021 by Roger Gosden

A week after nightly creaming my face and arms with hydrocortisone I’m still itching. Each exposure makes the reaction worse next time. A few people, including our gardener, are lucky they don’t react to poison ivy, nor wildlife or pets … Continue reading →

Posted in garden, Health, nature | Tagged Chinese ancestor chair, dermatitis, lacquer, lacquer tree, Poison ivy, Toxicodendron, urushiol | 1 Comment

Eastern Bluebird

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Roger Gosden

One of our most popular residents, there is even a Virginia conservation society dedicated to Bluebirds. Someone who grew up locally told that they were uncommon when she was a child. Fifty years ago these cavity nesters had trouble finding … Continue reading →

Posted in Inge Curtis birds, nature | Comments Off

Great-crested Flycatcher

Posted on August 24, 2021 by Roger Gosden

Flycatchers are allies of those who loath mosquitoes and blackflies without spraying their yards. This handsome bird is found east of a north-south line splitting the North American continent in half, and projected to lose western territory and perhaps gain … Continue reading →

Posted in Inge Curtis birds, nature | Tagged Flycatcher, Nicholas Vigors | 1 Comment

Time flows down Powhatan Creek

Posted on August 6, 2021 by Roger Gosden

Time flows down Powhatan Creek As I lowered my kayak into the creek, I knew the water wasn’t the same as before, nor am I the same man. Hardly an original thought. People have pondered the river as a metaphor … Continue reading →