Oh Cedar Tree, Oh Cedar Tree

It's that time of year again here in central Texas. The one time of year I kind of wish I lived somewhere else: Cedar season. For those of you not familiar with this, every year, starting in December, the Mountain Cedar trees begin their mating ritual. The male trees put on tiny cones that eventually burst, sending brownish pollen into the air in search of the small green cones of the female tree, or the inside of your nose. By mid-January cedar season is in full swing, and for many of us here this means nasty bad allergies. The symptoms are harsh enough to warrant being called, "Cedar Fever."

How can some fairly small, pretty harmless looking trees cause so much misery? I don't know, and I don't care. What I do care about is feeling better and being able to peacefully co-exist with the outdoors right now. Seriously, it's not like we live in some snow covered, frigid place where being outdoors in winter is just silly. I am developing a strong dislike for these trees because they keep me from enjoying the outdoors for almost two months during winter. My cedar allergies laugh at OTC antihistamines, and my allergist says I'm not severe enough to warrant the shots (oh, I beg to differ). So here I sit today, INDOORS on a very nice day, googling remedies for Cedar Fever. NOT my idea of a good time.