Back in Azalea Land

by Maggie Sefton



Yes, I am still Back East in Northern Virginia, my old hometown area, and will be for another three weeks.  We are having wonderful Spring weather, with really chilly nights and sunny daytimes in the 70s.  Lovely.  Of course, the Lovely Spring of flowers pushing up in our gardens and new light green leaves appearing on the trees also brings "Allergy Season" to many, many people.  Sneezing and itchy and watery eyes---all of it.


I never had trouble with allergies throughout my lifetime, only experiencing a few days of an itchy eye in April and May of the year whenever I traveled Back East.  Of course, a Springtime visit back to my hometown area has been part of my life for 15 years----ever since I first began promoting the Kelly Flynn Mysteries at the Malice Domestic Mystery Conference which is held every year in the Washington, D.C. area.


However, there was one "killer season" several years ago where I actually experienced not only the itchy watering eyes but also the sneezing.  That spring, the pollen was so thick it blanketed our cars.  We could write our names in it.  Honest.  :)   A light golden dust coated everything.  During those years, my granddaughter Natale (now 19 years old and a sophomore in college) was playing in the Junior High School soccer season with lots of other Northern Virginia teams.  Believe me, that was a test of grandparent fortitude----standing on the sidelines, watching the soccer teams run up and down the field, chasing the soccer ball, while we parents and grandparents watched----and gagged and literally choked on the amount of pollen floating in the air.  I remember one time when I opened my mouth to cheer Natale's team and literally choked on the pollen that I sucked in.  Honest, folks.  No exaggerating.


So, I'm "Back Home" in the midst of pollen season AND  our glorious Azalea Season.  All the trees are in bloom and some of the bushes, too.  In another warm week, everything will be in bloom.  Absolutely beautiful.  I certainly hope something pretty is blooming wherever you folks are living----if not now, then soon.  :)