Pollen is ruling our world right now. Our black Subaru Outback is coated with a dull yellow powder, no matter how often we wash it. We blow through a box of tissues (literally) every couple days. And my daughter’s asthma and wheezing have been flaring up to the point of having to do breathing treatments with a nebulizer.

Various trees, grasses and weeds create pollen. One of the most common airborne allergens in the United States, it is picked up and blown around by the wind. It can cause sneezing, itchy eyes, dizziness and irritated skin.

In recent days, Narrowsburg was under an Air Quality Alert. It was the first time I remember seeing that in the 10 years I’ve lived here. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation said the air was unhealthy for sensitive groups, including young children and those with respiratory problems such as asthma.

I’m trying really hard not to curse the pollen. It is necessary to the life of the plant. In fact, it is the plant’s male DNA that is transported to the female part of the flower to enable the plant to reproduce.

We’ve seen lots of butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators aiding in the transfer of pollen as they move from flower to flower in our gardens. Last weekend, Rick Maloney got a delivery of honeybees that have been settling into their hives. The long, cold winter and spring led to several of his weaker hives dying off. Hopefully, the new bees will thrive this summer and create enough honey to share with us humans this fall.

Speaking of honey, the 2018 Narrowsburg Honeybee Fest is scheduled for Saturday, September 22. The organizers are now accepting vendor applications. Visit narrowsburghoneybeefest.com for details and to apply.

According to the Narrowsburg weather forecast, it looks like pollen levels will continue to be very high through at least the end of this week. I guess I’ll be making another trip to the car wash.