I don’t know. I started mowing the front yard today. Not a small task. It is about 5 ac. Interspersed with trees. This place is not one where you plant trees it is one where you fight them to the death. They insist on being here. If you want a few feet of empty space you need a chain saw. At least it is now dry enough to walk. .A week ago, I would have lost the tractor in the yard.

Speaking of the yard: The apple and pear trees are in full bloom. The storms and the wind are scattering the petals. It is like a snow storm at 70 degrees. We have a pair of geese nesting in the back pond. They are very protective [ I am not permitted to fish]. The wood ducks are nesting in the old oak in the back arm of the same pond.

And the tree frogs. Their songs. Do you think that these are the songs that led sailors to their death in Germany? If you haven’t heard them don’t comment, even if you have seen them with their little sucker equipped feet on your window. Speaking of the parasites on society, the indian peace pipes and pussy toes are in full bloom, or whatever you call it.

It is great: It may be the answer. I know that for me, it=good. Sorry to to Al-d on you.

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2001

Answers

Here, the azaleas have been in full bloom. Coming down off the mountain in the mornings to head to work is absolutely beautiful.

(Ladies, you wouldn't understand. It's a man thing.)

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

Everything's blooming in Atlanta all right. I've been walking around looking like a coke addict for three weeks now- runny nose, red eyes, perpetually sniffling. When I wake up in the morning, my eyelids are sealed shut. Even the dogs have allergies, sneezing and chewing on their paws. Jane's fine though, wakes up every morning singing a happy tune, breathing through her nose and commenting on the pollen count. "Wow, the pollen count's over three thousand today honey! We might hit the record if we're lucky!" It's then I have to remind myself that she's the woman I love, and no matter how much she may deserve me, say, putting corn meal in her contact solution so she can share my joy at the record breaking pollen count, I will regret it in a month or so when I feel like a normal human being again.

Man, I wish I'd bought stock in Alegra...

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2001

Nice pic, Peg.

I'm reminded of the only time allergies really affected me. I was living in Laughlin, Nevada at the time and there had been an unusually large amount of rain one spring. Seemed as though everyone was getting sick with flu-like symptoms that dragged on and on and on. I finally decided to go to the doctor and with nary a second thought he diagnosed me with an allergy problem. Apparently this was what everyone else was also suffering from. According to him, the unusually heavy rains were causing desert plants to bloom which hadn't bloomed for a hundred years. Consequently, people who had never before had allergic reactions were now for the first time being exposed to these "new" pollens/irritants.

Z- As a kid I spent my summers at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Great place! Do you live near there?

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2001

CD:

A couple hours north [as the car drives], in the country, outside of yuppieville. We have no rocks here; just glacial till. When we moved here 27 y ago. We found 3 rocks on the whole place. We named them. When they dozed our large pond they didn't find a single rock. Only top soil down to the clay pan. They did hit surface oil and had to plug it with clay. It is really heavy stuff.

I moved here from the west. Never had allergies. Have them now. We are situated where all of the western, northern, eastern and southern fauna and flora converge. If you are allergic to anything, you will find it here. We go from bald cypress to quaking aspen. Whitetail to mule. Roadrunners to kites.

Best Wishes,,,,

Z

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2001