The Evil Ones?

  A lot of folks suffer from allergies this time of year and pollen is the biggest threat to their comfort.  A few weeks back, these folks were in fear of allergy attacks due to the pine pollen that covered just about everything in sight.  Few reports of sniffles, itchy, watery eyes and sneezes resulted from that outburst of pollen flurries since pine pollen is not the culprit.  Now, another layer of pollen.  It seems that the Deep South is spared the heavy snow storms only to endure the onslaught of heavy pollen storms. Once again, everything has been coated yellow.  This does, indeed, make you thankful for the spring rains that also hit the area.  Today, was a nice rainy day.  The latest layer of pollen has been cleansed from outdoor surfaces and people can breathe again!

  This latest bout of complaints of allergies CAN be attributed to the pollen storms of this week.  The oak trees are heavy laden with the pollen makers.  Oak trees make both male and female "flowers" with the male being most noticeable.  The male "flowers' or catkins droop down on all new branches of a mature oak and produce the pollen that causes all the problems for allergy sufferers.  

  This year, if all goes well, it seems as if there will be a bumper crop of acorns for the critters to munch.  Every limb on the oak trees around the Bayou are literally covered with the pollen producing catkins. On sunny, dry days, that pollen floats on the breeze and pollinates the female flowers but, also, coats everything else.  So....it is the oak pollen that folks should deem as the "evil one" even though without it, there would be no acorns.  Things all have a way of working for the good.  Folks, if need be, go take your allergy medicines as it is going to be a rough spring for you.  The oak trees are blooming.