Did you know that here on the high plains, spring doesn’t really have a lot to do with the weather? The very FIRST sign that spring is coming, is NOT the beautiful crocus!
No, it’s not the sunshiney, cheery daffodils.
Nor the intoxicatingly fragrant Hyacinths.
No, spring is not announced here in the heartland by the beautiful Pheasant’s Eye Daffodils.
It is not heralded in on the prairies by the dainty, beautiful blue, Brunnera, either…..
THIS is What Tells Us That Spring is Actually Coming!
The Cedar trees bloom!
Every year, at the very first of March, Spring announces it’s soon-to-be-here, arrival by having most of the Cedar/Juniper trees in our windbreak break forth into SPEWING big clouds of orange pollen!
I am not even going to try to guess how many tiny cones–“flowers” (for lack of a better word) that a large Cedar tree has on it…..billions isn’t unreasonable! We must have 50? 70? trees that bloom in the windbreak that surrounds our house on two sides. Every year, they go into full bloom…March-May. Three. Months.
Yes, that means, if my math is right, 70 trees x BILLIONS = GAZILLIONS of pollen spewing flowers! THAT is a GARGUNTUAS lot of pollen!!! (Pretty sure that’s not proper English…)
The trees that bloom turn VERY rusty/orangey, so the tree rows are mottled with green and orange trees. When the wind blows, orange billows of thick pollen blow out of the trees. Looks like a dust storm!
“What’s WRONG with that, Julie?” you say, “It sounds pretty!”
The problem IS, that…….drum roll………I AM VERY ALLERGIC TO CEDAR POLLEN!!
Luckily, I am the only one of our family who has the malady, otherwise known as Cedar Fever. Our boy has allergies, but not to Cedar pollen, and we’re so glad! We should have invested in the tissue companies years ago…..we could be living very comfortably by now if we had! It would be VERY interesting to know how many cases of Puffs, or Kleenex (paid links) that I have gone through over the years.
And the allergy pills…the home remedies…because the pills only work part time, if they work at all. Some of them make my head CRAWL…like there are worms crawling around under my scalp!! AAACCKKK! And then the drops, or more pills….because the home remedies only work part time, if they work at all….it’s a vicious circle for three months every year.
Alternative Help
NAET – Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques. It is a special kind of acupuncture, Chinese medicine, and is an option that I have tried, and had some delightful success with, but the treatments never “hold” for me. The problem is, that if you go through the whole treatment, it is a long process, of at least 17 treatments. I am pretty sure that is why mine don’t hold–I haven’t gone through the whole process. 🙁 (Or maybe it’s just the fact that breathing in THAT much pollen is just overwhelming to my sensitive system??)
We live over 3 hours from a NAET practitioner, which means lots of expense just getting there, gas, motels, time off, etc. Also, insurance doesn’t pay, and it is a bit spendy, because of the 17 treatments. Therefore, not wisely, I only get a couple treatments a year, and let me tell you, when they hold, even for a bit, it is LOVELY! Like having no allergies at all–literally NONE! Although, I think I that after a bit here, I will surely be getting close to 10 trips….should have scrounged up the $ years ago!
We have several friends, who totally have had their food allergies cured by NAET! Allergic to pork? Boom! Oatmeal? Cured! Watermelon? No Problem! THAT is why I have so much hope in NAET! Because I have SEEN it work with several allergies. Moral of the story…if you have allergies, and live near a NAET practitioner, save up your $ and GO!
I hear that down Texas way, they have epidemic proportions of people with Cedar Fever too….I can feel for them!
Have you heard of, or been treated with NAET? Tell us in the comments! I would like to hear your stories!
And by the way–I think the REASON that all those beautiful spring flowers bloom so early is to make us LOVE spring anyway, love it, and YEARN for it….regardless of the downfalls that the OTHER side of spring brings to the (un)-lucky few!
Thanks for listening…had to whine a bit!
Good Thoughts
“But Cedar Fever is not just any allergy. It’s a scourge, a plague…” Patricia Sharpe
Daffodil photo by Maria Tyutina
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So so sorry! 🤧😔
Thank you! I’m sorry that you have to suffer with me!
I love those beautiful spring flower pictures from your yard If I !!had to pick a favorite I must say the purple crocus.
Yes, mine too!