Don't Blame the Goldenrod

I've been in the house all day, hiding from the wind and the ragweed pollen. Whenever I see fluffy golden flowers, I know what's coming--hay fever. Imagine my surprise when Sue, a fellow NEOBA (Northeastern Oklahoma Beekeepers Association) member, told me that those golden plumes aren't ragweed. It's goldenrod, not a serious allergen. Among it, however, grow ragweed plants with their inconspicuous blooms producing nuclear weapons grade pollen. Foraging bees love it. I don't.

A common theory about seasonal allergy treatment is that local honey, created from neighborhood pollen, helps the immune system fight hay fever. I'm not sure it works, but I'm willing to try anything right now. My recipe is a big dollop of honey in nice cup of tea doctored with the juice of half a lemon. Effective or not, this medicine is deeply comforting.