It's Been A Sunny Week

 Photos from my walks this week - in between all my various spring clearing efforts...

 

 Cherry blossom in the park (Tuesday)

 

 

The leaves in the photo to the right belong to a horse chestnut tree

 

Pedal boats in the river. (The Bodhi statue looks surprised, because last summer they were"parked" in a different spot...)

 

 

Tulips in bloom now

 

More cherry blossom - across the street from my supermarket

 

 

Another park revisited today

 

 

Still some wood anemones in bloom in shady places (the nights have still been cold, and the days not really warm either, except in sunny spots protected from the wind)

 

..."Shadow Shot Sunday"...

Soooo much birch pollen this year...  Causing problems even for those who aren't normally all that sensitive, I think!  My own confirmed allergy is primarily to grass, and a fairly recent test said nothing about tree pollen - but that still doesn't stop me from reacting with asthma, occasional violent sneeze attacks amd itching eyes after having been out among them for a while... (And in spite of asthma and allergy meds.)

Allergies

The photo is an old one, as I've not been in the mood to be out and about much this week. The thing is, since my 'efficient' Monday morning (see recent post), I've been pretty much knocked out by pollen allergy - related to a sudden explosion of birch pollen (we're having a particularly bad year for that, it seems), combined with the grass season starting up as well. On top of all it turned out I did not have any cortisone spray at home. I'm usually well prepared, but last year I actually did not need the extra cortisone, but got through that season okay with allergy pills + asthma med + natural salt water nose sprays. Now, quite suddenly - no end to the sneezing and swelling and itching...

On Tuesday, I was still not sure how bad it was going to get. On Wednesday, I had several loads of laundry to do (after the one washer in the common laundry room being broken the week before); not easily combined with also going out on errands. (Luckily, at least I did get all the washing done problem-free this time, aside from not feeling well myself.) 

On Thursday morning, after another bad night, I took the bus into town (to a pharmacy) and back. It was the first time in 15+ months (since corona) that I took the bus anywhere! But now I thought of all the trees still busy spreading pollen that I'd have to pass if walking...

To my relief, the non-prescription cortisone spray I bought did prove pretty efficient against the itching, even if it's a bit of a gradual process. I'm still feeling rather exhausted; but now (according to weather forecasts) hopefully looking forward to a rainy week ahead to make things better... (Something one does not say all that often!)

Paul Simon - Allergies (YouTube)

Good Friday

 

Good Friday came with Good Weather - blue sky, and "spring in the air". 

I decided I wanted to go for walk somewhere a little bit different from where I usually go, so at the railway station (above) I crossed the road bridge over the tracks, and on the other side turned left, to get to the little lake near our museum park. (The museum buildings are  up on the hill across the lake - hidden by trees in the photo below).

Originally, I had in mind to perhaps walk around the lake - but when I got there, I decided against it, because of.. 

... the incredible amount of spring tree pollen in the air right now... (I'm allergic...)

So, I decided that just continuing along the side of the lake where I already was, would probably give me more than enough of that stuff to inhale...

.... but would still provide an opportunity to snap some views with the camera...

 

Zooming in the playground on the other side of the lake, and the seagulls swimming in the water. Flocks of gulls always come here (inland), from the coast, along the river, this time of year. They can be a nuisance sometimes; but to me, they're also a sure sign of spring.

 I've reached the southern end of the lake now.

Instead of rounding the lake, I took another way back home. More photos in another post.

Sunday Summary

Magnolia tree in the Town Park (30th April 2012),
for Straight Out of the Camera Sunday

The past week we had some really glorious pre-summer days with afternoon temperatures above +20 C, and clear blue skies like in the photos above.

Besides all the lovely pink cherry blossoms and white magnolias, the birches are turning green – and letting go of all their pollen with a big boom… well, not audible perhaps, but not unnoticed by all us allergics!

(Photo from last year)

So really hard just now to tell where my old virus-related bronchitis (since Easter) ends, and allergy problems begin! Yesterday we had a strong wind blowing all day and I knew there were lots of birch pollen in the air, so I stayed in (it was also rather grey and chilly so not all that tempting to go out anyway). Today the wind has calmed down and the sun seems to have come back out – so I suppose I shall venture a walk in a while.

Looking back in my photo archives, it seems spring sprang a little later this year than last year; but a little earlier than back in 2010. So I guess pretty normal! Somehow, even though we’ve been longing for it for months, it always seems to come as a bit of a surprise when it eventually does come.

Like how C.S. Lewis describes it in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:

… Only a few minutes later he noticed a dozen crocuses growing round the foot of an old tree – gold and purple and white. Then came a sound even more delicious than the sound of the water. Close beside the path they were following a bird suddenly chirped from the branch of a tree. It was answered by the chuckle of another bird a little further off. And then, as if that had been a signal, there was chattering and chirruping in every direction, and then a moment of full song, and within five minutes the whole  wood was ringing with birds’ music …