Poison Oak update

I remember that poison oak was nasty from when I lived here 25 years ago. I remember that the rash lasts longer than any rash has a right to - 2-3 weeks instead of 2-3 days. I don't remember how the rash can keep getting worse and going in and out of a stage that includes 'weeping blisters'. I will spare you a photo, but if you really want to see what it looks like - other people have posted photos on this page. There is an entire shelf at the local drugstore of salves and washes for poison Oak and I tried several - with minor successes. The most relief still came from a hot, hot shower. Ice helped a little too. Both the heat and the cold ease the itching for a while. Night before last was a 3-shower, 2-ice night with an hour or so of sleep in between. Liz got me to a doctor who gave me some prednisone, luckily before I had the chance to *shoot* myself! I started taking it yesterday and last night was just a 1 shower, 1 ice night! It also looks much more like a normal rash now rather than something from a documentary about a leper colony. Looks like I'll live. We've moved out to a county park called Lake Lopez. Lynne and John have joined us now, and I had hoped to do some hiking on the miles and miles of trails out here. hmmmm, I'm not so sure now - I'm a little gunshy - and I gotta read up on what happens with poison oak contact when you're already on prednisone. We could also go kayaking in the lake - no poison oak, but it's a little chilly. 39 degrees right now at 8am. Hopefully it will warm up. We'd *better* use our kayaks while we're here since the park charges $3 per night per kayak!! I've never heard of such a thing! Those poor kayaks stay on the top of our car day in and day out. If every place had such a policy - we'd be in trouble. I gotta admit, it's a pretty cool place though. Since we got here last night, we've seen at least a dozen deer, a flock of wild turkeys and a peacock. Here's the turkeys just wandering thru camp. And the male really likes to strut his stuff.