Every year the farmers watch for grass pollen like a pregnant woman watches for signs of labor. "When the pollen flies, it's five weeks to cuttin'" says Lowell Kropf, who drops his g's like any good farmer.
People with allergies such as my SIL Bonnie live in abject misery for about a month when the pollen is flyin'. Their eyes water and itch, and they feel like they can't breathe.
I was always grateful that even though I have asthma, I was unaffected by pollen.
Not this year. For some reason the pollen is affecting me like never before, not with watery eyes like Bonnie but with a scratchy throat and wheezing lungs. In the middle of Jessi's wedding on Saturday I had the asthma attack of my life and scuttled to the bathroom where I coughed and wheezed and even retched into the toilet while two teenage girls in the wings asked each other worriedly, "Is she ok?" It was awful.
Pollen count is measured by particles per cubic meter. 20 is considered high and 200 very high. In Eugene, 20 miles south of this area and most of the grass fields, the count often reaches 400 or 500 this time of year. I can't imagine what the count must be right here, where the pollen hangs in a yellow haze above the ripening fields.
Quote of the Day:
"We're either waiting on the Lord or procrastinating."
--my SIL Rosie, on building a house
I'm thankful to say that I don't have trouble with allergies myself, but now I understand far better why people who do have them suffer so much. I'd never seen so much pollen in the air until I headed down to Eugene Sunday afternoon for Stephen's program. Wowsers.
ReplyDeleteYea, the pollen....and yesterday I saw for the first time ever, a whirlywind of pollen. Just aswirling up in the air just like dust or chaff! That's too much pollen! Pauline
ReplyDeleteDon't move to Georgia. In the spring the pollen here has been reaching 5000. Add a drought(so there is no rain to wash it away), and everyone is sneezing and gagging. I hope it passes soon for you. Its definitely not fun to feel yucky with a houseful of kids home for summer.
ReplyDeleteI Like that quote - I believe I'm living my life that way without even knowing it! Enjoy your site very much Mary Horst
ReplyDeleteI think pollen is bad everywhere. Never saw my granddaughter have such bad asthma as she has this year.
ReplyDeletei love the last two quotes! : ) the one from Steve reminded me of Bonnnie's weding when we had to wait because her and Connie were in tears in the basement! : )
ReplyDeleteThis spring in SC, the pollen count was in the thousands as Fiorinda commented. It looked like yellowish green chalk dust on the sidewalks and beside the roads. Surprisingly it didn't affect my asthma this time around. I really feel for you though-I know how miserable it can be.:-)
ReplyDeleteLove the quote... we are also "waiting on the Lord or procrastinating" with our remodeling. How funny! :oD
ReplyDelete(Found your blog in a roundabout way... google led to something, led to darren-jenn's blog led to yours...)