OAK TASSELS

I was sitting outside trying to enjoy the beautiful day when a brown oak tassel fell out of the tree above me and swirled down to drop on my shoulder. “These things are killing me!” I said to myself as I picked it off of me and tossed it onto our lawn that was already covered in them.

My son Alex came out of the house. I waved him over to the chair next to me. “I’ve already cleaned your chair off!” I called.

Both our chairs had been covered in a coating of green pollen.

As Alex came over I began to itch my eyes. “I swear this pollen season is worse than last year.”

“You’ve been saying that for the past few years.” Alex reminded me.

“That’s because I was never allergic to anything before.” I picked another oak tassel off my chair and began to sniffle. “But these things are everywhere!”

“Seems like there’s a lot more of them this year.” We looked over at two squirrels chasing each other around the birdbath.

“Lucky me.” I snorted.

“When did you notice you were allergic to oak trees?”

“When we moved here.” Another tassel found it’s way onto my lap.

“Really?”

I shrugged my shoulders as I brushed it off. “I don’t remember ever having any problems until the neighbors across the street cut down those two big oaks in their front yard.” I shook my head at the memory and looked over at Alex. “Remember we were out on a walk and when we turned the corner the smell of the freshly cut wood started to close up my throat? Then my eyes began to water.” I shook my head again. “It’s been all down hill from there.”

We live in a heavily wooded neighborhood made up largely of oak trees. This is the time of year you see piles of oak tassels, raked out to the curb, waiting for the town to come by and pick them up.

Another tassel dropped on my head. I held it up to Alex.“I was driving by a group of kids that were throwing clumps of these things at each other.” I tossed the tassel to the ground. “There was even one little boy that had a clump of them on his head, wearing it like a hat.” I shook my head and had to laugh. “My eyes began to itch just watching them.”

Alex started to laugh. “Don’t worry they won’t be falling much longer.”

Just then the wind picked up and dozens of them began to swirl to the ground. “Well, I’m out of here!” I said as I headed to the house “I need to blow my nose and wash the pollen off my hands.”

“Remember just a few short weeks ago you were complaining that spring would never get here?” Alex called to me.

“Remind me to be grateful when this part of spring is over!” I said as I brushed the last few tassels from my shirt and went into the house.