Still Feeling the Cedar Fever



I think I need a gas mask, this does not work.

Well here it is late January already and deep into the 'cedar fever' season. Ick! I don't like it, don't like it at all! But the nasty pollen will let up, I hope, sometimes in February or horrors early March. We'll see. Right now it is high, high, high and I don't venture out much and yep, I'm still medicated. Sigh. I did try to walk outside but my eyes paid the price for it. And as you can see my get up was a bit crazy-scary lady so I'm back to the indoor routine.
We loved the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers game and the even though the Houston Texans lost I thought they also played a good game. We were shocked by the Packers poor play an the Denver game was a yawner. Two more play off games and then the Super Bowl and football will be gone until late August. Really hate that the season is so short but it's too brutal a sport for the season to be any longer.
Happy to see a new episode of Once Upon a Time and having said that is anyone else bummed that the hot Huntsman/Sheriff was killed? Note to writers of the show; It's a fairytale folks so don't kill off anymore of the fave characters, okay?

White spot are feathers all messed up-was he in a fight?

Ragged start to 2012 Walking Routine



Leaves lined with frost

Had a bumpy start to 2012 regarding my walking routine. It started off well and I got my miles in what with the lovely frost and all but then cedar pollen reared its ugly head and all was lost...at least for a while. Got an infection in my left eye and was tearing and itching and sneezing so much that it wore me down physically and I gave up and went to the doctor. She said it was an especially brutal season for 'cedar fever' and my visit resulted in my getting 4 prescription medications and one over the counter and orders to remain indoors until the situation improved.

Last night it started to rain and I thought 'hooray I'll go out and walk tomorrow' but in the morning it was more like thunder storms and while I love walking in the rain, lightning is another matter. So my indoor walking routine will have to do for at least another day. The doc did recommend that I use a painters mask when I go out for any length of time so I'll try that even though it looks strange but then again this is Austin so I shouldn't worry because people don't judge so much.  I'm not sure if I've posted the pics of the woodpecker. If I have just ignore them or enjoy them again.

Woodpecker giving us his profile

 Better look at his awesome red head

After Christmas

Tiny village decoration

Hope everyone had a great Christmas holiday. We got to visit our daughter and her family in San Angelo while my brother came and visited our Mom which made for a good time for everyone. We ate some good food, chatted a lot, and opened some nice thoughtful gifts. Thankfully the traffic was light for us going and coming and so was the weather. I took my camera planning on taking a lot of pictures but I only took one! Guess my memory is getting bad too. Guess the coming New Year is the next thing to celebrate. Not much to that one though. We try to stay up to see the new year in but sometimes when the clock strikes 12pm it finds us snoozing. ;-) The sun is shining brightly this morning and it's supposed to be in the 60's and 77 on Saturday! I hope the hot dry New Year's Eve is not a portent for our hot dry weather to continue on the rest of the year. We could really use a cool wet summer but I guess we'll have to wait and see what Mother Nature will bring us. One thing this sunny dry weather will bring is the dreaded Cedar Fever...some is here because my eyes and ears itch. Sigh...at least it is seasonal and will go away in about 5 or 6 weeks.

Special Day Indeed

I was moved by President Obama's speech which is not unusual for he has always been a great orator and well able to move people with the power of his words.America the Beautiful has always moved me and sung by Aretha it was really memorable. I confess here that Rev. Lowry's speech made me smile and I heard myself giving him a hearty Amen for which I hope my brother will forgive me. ;-) For a moment during the singing reality reared its head when the camera panned to the men dressed in black stationed on the top tiers of the capitol building...not all of them were holding cameras. But it's a joyous time for us and I did truly feel a dark cloud lift from my heart when I saw former President Bush and his wife Laura leave. I wish them both peace. It's comforting to know too that President Obama's staff is already hard a work and that really difficult task of getting our nation now starts in earnest. I know things won't change overnight but at least now we have people who no strangers to long hours and hard work and if only two or three promises are fulfilled in the coming year that we will all be the better for it.
A non-inauguration topic here. The dreaded Cedar pollen is over 4 thousand grams per unit which means it's very high. My eyes are swollen to mere slits and doctors are warning people who are affected by this scourge to stay inside for now. I'm following their advice. The photo above shows the pollen coming off the trees be they shaken by hand or wind. I'm sure the woman doing the shaking of the tree branches is not affected by the pollen because if she was she would never, ever do such a foolish thing.

Results Day

Frank had his follow up visit today and that pesky patch of irritation was indeed a superficial, non-invasive bit of trouble. He's going to have another 6 weeks of BCG treatments starting in February. It is not unusual for these things to be stubborn and hard to eradicate or to reoccur. The doctor is being super-duper cautious and this is a good thing. So things could be much, much worse and we're very positive that things are proceeding well. I know you'll keep him in your good thoughts and or prayers.U
Walking Stats January 4 through January 12, 2009: CEDAR HIGH-NONE, 3.057, 3.106, 3.023, park walk with Krystal 2 miles, Frank's biopsy-no walk but did ride stationary bike for 15 minutes, 2.501 cut walk short because cedar made my eyes water so bad that it affect my vision, none, 3.107 windy but cold and thankfully cedar on the low side.
For those of you not familiar with 'cedar fever' it is an allergy to mountain juniper that affects central Texans. From late December through late February and sometimes early March, many people experience an itchy, runny nose, sneezing, nasal blockage, excess tearing and itchy eyes. Others complain of itching of the palate, throat, or ears, and postnasal drainage. Some have fatigue, mild headache, facial discomfort, sore throat, partial loss of sense of smell, and sensation of ear plugging. My allergy meds keep the post nasal drip and sneezing under control and it's the itching of my eyes and in my ears and sometimes elsewhere that makes me crazy. Short of living in a bubble with a really good air filtration system you can't escape the effects of this potent and prolific pollen. Alas conventional therapy with antihistamines is not for me because they make my legs hurt really bad. The good thing is that it is seasonal.
Was a pleasure to see Hillary Clinton at her hearing today making her case wit nary a wink, a 'you betcha', or "I'll get back to you with some" quip. I wonder that anyone could watch her and marvel at the breadth and depth of her knowledge and then somehow throw their support to the governor from Alaska. To say that they are as different as night and day is putting it mildly.