If it's any comfort to you I've changed my name to " CoughSnarffleAhchoooo Kleenex Please" for the past month or so. Should taper off soon that is until the freakin' ragweed blooms. :)
Good Luck.

Ok have no idea what happened to my prior post...but that is all we have been talking about at work. Yesterday was the absolute worst because our cars were covered in 1/8" of the yellow stuff. It was as though the trees knew that a storm was coming and wanted to get it out into the air. You can see the trees spewing the stuff into the air...yuck!

It is also causing bacterial sinus infections in those that usually suffer from allergies. 4 out 7 people in our office have it. Those of us without allergies are fine..only those that are allergic are suffering.

OT: Has anyone noticed that the poison ivy is way out of control this year, not only by how far it spread but the size of the leaves. They are HUGE!

Any way try to stay healthy this weekend.

I've spent the last 3 weeks engaged in the never-ending battle for truth, justice, and a yard free from poison ivy. The big shrubbery out back is almost entirely mulched with newspaper and leaves for the first time in history just so I know there isn't any poison ivy lurking in the weeds.

Oddly enough, the great green cloud hasn't really bothered me, and I do have allergies. Yesterday evening we watched it roll through the backyard, then watched the same thing happen in the neighbor's backyard.

Funny, I don't usually have a problem with spring allergies - autumn with the dampness and falling leaves is usually what does me in. So I can't for the life of me figure out why I spent this last weekend on the couch praying for death. I was convinced for awhile that I had a sinus infection (something I never had until I moved into this house - for that matter, I never had ANY allergies until I moved into this house) but luckily I felt better by Tuesday. Of course - just in time to go back to work!

The worst thing was I couldn't even relax laying on that couch. All I could think of was how I was wasting a three day weekend! Three full days of gardening opportunity gone! Oh, the guilt...

:)
Dee

To Flamingo1121: It may not be your imagination, it may be global warming, which is predicted (because poison ivy thrives more and more as carbon dioxide levels rise) to cause a surge in both the quantity and potency of poison ivy by mid-century...!

Yet another good reason to "go green" and buy a hybrid car!!

Here is a link that might be useful: 2006 article on poison ivy and global warming

too true - I read that article and though we can't afford a hybrid right now, I just convinced my hubby to get me a reel mower and a basket for my bicycle for quick trips to the store etc.

A couple of nights ago my combined carbon monoxide/smoke detector alarm went off at 2:00 AM, and about eight times more before 6:30 AM. Nothing helped - opening windows, getting cross draft by turning on the bathroom exhaust fan, vacuuming the detector (the first time in my life that I've vacuumed at 4:00 AM) .... I kept silencing it and it would start up again.

I called the electrician at about 7:30 AM and actually got him there before 11 AM. He replaced the detector and said all he could think of was either the pollen or a spider.

Also, shiny black ceramic smoothtop ranges are magnets for pollen.

Just had a strong thunderstorm go through - hope it washed the air out.

Claire

It just occurred to me that other allergy sufferers might find this helpful. Pollen.com will e-mail you a daily pollen alert for your zip code that says the level and what pollens are predominant. It's free and you don't have to do anything other than sign up. I've used it over the past 3 years to figure out exactly what I'm allergic to and take meds accordingly. I hope this helps and doesn't violate any rules.

Yes Mary, the yellow/lime green stuff is all over everything. When I walk across my deck I leave foot prints!. It's like walking on the moon...each step causes a puff of pollen...I hate the stuff. I am staying inside until the coast is clear, but I have my mask at the ready!

I have been having problems with pollen for almost a month it seems. That choky feeling in the back of your throat. God knows, I have enough medication, but sometimes nothing helps.