Cedar Fever

(Note: This is the first photo I've posted with my newest Motorola RAZR V3 phone, after having to completely reinstall the software which had been working but refused to recognize my new phone. Arrrrghhh!)

I'm not sure why they call it "cedar fever" since these so-called cedar trees are actually juniper trees, but whatever. This is the time of year when the males start their pollination process which creates a life of misery for Texans.

From a distance, the normally green branches take on a rust-red hue starting in January.

When I first moved here I'd never heard of cedar fever but I was afflicted with it for the first 3 or 4 years I lived here. It would hit in mid-January and last until March, during which time buckets of snot would pour from my nose, coupled with sneezing, itching watery eyes. Very unpleasant.

About 6 or 7 years ago, after 7 years of being marijuana-free, I managed to score a decent amount of pot late in the year, and the following January was the first year I avoided cedar fever, and I've been pretty lucky ever since, as long as I stay on my self-prescribed regimen.

The locals suggest taking local honey to combat it. Me, I'm not real fond of honey. Aside from the fact that I don't like the taste of honey, it also doesn't make television shows funnier than they really are.