Sign Warning of Poison Oak at Descanso Gardens

I remember the old Boy Scout saying, “Leaves of three, leave them be,” referring to how to recognize Poison Ivy and Poison Oak. As I sat on a bench overlooking the lake at Descanso Gardens, I noticed the sign, which was next to a thicket of highly suspicious plants, presumably poison oak.

It would have been tempting to touch one of the plants, but I have already been troubled by itchy legs attributable to my Type 2 Diabetes. So I just sat there for about half an hour waiting for Martine. She never came that way, so presumably she detoured onto another trail.

Descanso is riddled with trails going in all directions. That is one of the charms of the place, along with the large number of benches fronting scenic viewpoints. We eventually met at the Chinese garden, where I sat reading Zen Poems in a perfect location surrounded by camellias. Then we met yet again by a pond which used to have a dual fish fountain (see image below) years ago that we used to watch.

Fish Fountains at Descanso in 2007

Although the fish fountains are long gone, we still like to think about them. So it goes.