Wind and Pollen...

...equal Allergies.














Patricia Hedrick / Pastel

Welcome to Sonoma County!
Ahh, yes, the lovely farms,
the grazing lands,
the vineyards,
the sheep ranches
AND

THE POLLEN!












Da was a medical doctor,
he specialized in chest diseases,
and he, himself, had allergies
and some pretty serious asthma.

A week before he died of ALS, he was really struggling for breath.
He was so patient and uncomplaining.
At his dilemma he chuckled,
"I never did breathe very well."

He was my medical confidante.
Especially with the children's asthma.
They struggled and I hadn't a clue.

The doctors sat up and paid attention
when I name dropped his name.

Humidifiers were recommended,
but they caused mold,
another lousy allergen.

Hot steam gave a little relief.
How many nights did we sit
in the steamy bathroom with croup?
Sometimes we'd pace around outside,carrying young ones,out where the air was cool and moist.

Sometimes we were off to the emergency room for a breathing treatment. Good old adrenaline. So good to open up the breathing passages. So good at HYPING YOU UP, causing chattering teeth and shaky body,but you could breathe!

My dad's remedy for his undiagnosed asthma/lung cancer was to take hour-long hot showers.
Cough, cough, cough, COUGH, COUGH!!
For an hour.
We felt for him, but frankly, it drove us all crazy.
Not to mention no hot water for the rest of the day.
Hard to avoid resentments about the 4 packs of cigarettes smoked each day.

I coughed a lot when I was young.
I was told that I coughed to get attention,
that it was a bad habit,
that I was sickly.
Wrong, I had asthma.

I asked Da where we could move so the children didn't labor so with their breathing,the Southwest?

Nowhere, he told us.
At one time a dry climate could help,
but people have brought all their allergen ridden plants with them, to the dry places.
Pollens moved with us!

The advice from the HMO was to de-dust the house. Give me a break. We literally live in the middle of acres of dust!
Covering the mattress ain't gonna cut it.

Welcome Spring and Summer!

After an off and on,

dry and wet season,

perfect conditions abound

with recurring grass and tree growth,

laden with pollen.

I'll cough and suck on inhalers according to medical advice.
I'll ride horses no matter the yellow clouds of pollen swirling around me.
I'll wear a cowboy bandana over my nose and mouth, steaming up my glasses.
I won't see well,

but I'll et the surefooted horses take me where they will, far away, into the grass and trees covered Sonoma County hills!

We moved here 30 years ago.
We learned that scientists studied allergens in Sonoma County.

It was so rich in pollen!

But, it's Sonoma County!
Aggravating our coughing,

but offering such beautiful landscapes

to the grateful, asthmatic aesthetes.

~%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%~