It’s That Time of Year Again

I’ve been sneezing, coughing and my nose is running. No, I don’t have COVID 19. I’ve got seasonal allergies. As most of you know, I live outside of Houston, and this time of year, all of SE Texas has a layer of fine yellow pollen EVERYWHERE! The pollen is so thick that when it rains, there are rivulets of yellow running along the ground. So, March is peak allergy season here.

Did you know that according to the National Institutes of Health, more than half of all Americans have one or more allergies? Fortunately, I don’t have any food allergies (that I know of, thank goodness). Allergies to shellfish, nuts, fish, milk, eggs, and other foods cause an estimated 150 to 200 fatalities a year in the United States. And of course there are the allergies to animals, the most common being to dogs and cats. Again, I’m thanking my lucky stars I don’t suffer from animal allergies. I’ve always had dogs and cats.

I’ve never actually been tested for allergies, but I know there is something every spring that sets me off. And the bad news? As the world gets warmer, allergy seasons lengthen. Researchers report that ragweed pollen season in North America has lengthened since 1965—by 16 days in Minneapolis, for instance.

At least
I know that by mid-April, most of what bugs me is gone—until next year.

Do you have any allergies?

Winner!!

The winner of last week’s giveaway is Sheliah Schodlbauer. Congratulations! You’ve won a CC Hunter t-shirt. Please email you address and t-shirt size to me at cc@cchunterbooks.com.