When you live in the heart of Arizona like I do, temperatures under 100 degrees Fahrenheit are nothing to sneeze at. Except they are. When the mercury finaly breaks in the fall, it’s a welcome relief to both your body and your check book. Winter, well, we had 10 days of that this year, topping our 6 days last year. The spring rolls around.
All things considered, I love spring. Except the allergy thing. I’ve always had some rather severe reactions to pollen, and there are some pretty fierce pollens here in Phoenix. Imported olive trees (which I think have been banned for new planting), orange trees, and even the saguaros. I’m not sure if summer spells the end of allergy season because it gets too hot for the pollen, or if it’s just because that part of the cycle is done.
Either way, there’s also a fungus in the soil, lesser known than the one causing Valley fever, which people have unusually extreme allergic reactions to. It’s called Alteranaria, and it’s no fun at all. In fact, it’s one of the reasons so many people here develop nasal polyps. All nasal polyps are good for is consuming the open spaces in your sinus cavities, and forcing you to be a mouth breather.
Come on 100 degrees!
