FOTO FRIDAY

Friday again! Oh how the time flies when you are having fun, or lately this seems to be an attribute of aging!

Here are the photos I would have included in Monday's post if blogger, and probably a number of unidentified factors decided to be uncooperative, maybe even my brain.

I am posting these in small or medium format as there are a number of them, some of which may be of little interest , not posted with the intended text.

All should be clickable for enlargement, but who knows. This is only my third post trying to use the Blogger newer composition tools.

Luckie's un-favorite boarding kennel; her veterinarian's office which we consider the best care for an aging dog, and the attendants love her!

The Morning stop for breakfast at the Kopper Kettle. Hardy, AR. Not sure who designed the website but it is awful. Other sites mention service and menu/cuisine/service within unsavory terminology. My evaluation was adequate. The sign is a paint-over. Ifyou enlarge it you see part of some other sign. All I can make out so far is Bob;s something or other--a challenge like trying to figure it out drives me stir-crazy.

At least we made it to Tennessee! Whoopee!! Crossing the Mississippi River is always some kind of milestone on a very long road trip.

Pyramid Arena in Memphis, named for its twin city in Egypt where many pyramids are located. It is the 6th largest pyramid in the world! We passed it soon after crossing the Mississippi Riv.

We stopped in Cookeville TN for dinner at Golden Corral, one of my husband/ favorite dining buffets. It was one of the better and newer units in the chain; food was hot; a grill for individual steak orders, an assortment of continental and ethnic selections and a dessert bar with chocolate emphasis.

From Cooksville we traveled toward western edge of Knoxville, stopping for rest and the night at this EconoLodge just off I-40.

Above three weather shots depict the threatening weather we faced early Sunday morning headed for the North Carolina state line and the impending, uncertain detour.

The above three photos are along the Smoky Mtn. US 70/24 detour route from Newport TN to Ashville NC we chose from recommended detours around the rock slide closing a portion of I40 between Ashville and Knoxville. The 3rd photo is my favorite of the three, despite the raindrops on the windshield. In the green field to the right I saw the largest flock of wild turkeys I've ever seen -- around 30 with a gobbler strutting his stuff, tail feathers in full fan. Wonderful, but nowhere to stop for photo!

NOTE: Above six photos were shots through our  the SUV windshield. Significant rainfall is shown as white speckles on some photos.

We FINALLY arrived in Southern Pines, NC around 5 p.m. EDT to our reservation at EconoLodge, a very nice unit acquired from Holiday Inn Express.

After calling husband's sister to inform her of our arrival, we decided to carouse the area for chow. We ended up at Bojangle's. a popular chicken 'n biscuit chain.

Infamous Bojangle Sporks: husband confiscated a significant number and I became an accomplice when he asked me to confiscate additional sporks. 

Photos: All Creatures Veterinary Clinic, Golden Corral, EconoLodge(s) and Bojangles acquired from Internet.

All other photos are NitWit's work.

Golden Smog

Overnight the world was covered with golden dust--at least the world of Aberdeen, NC and the area know as the Sandhills which is locally known for sandy loam populated by pine forests, multiplicity of golf courses, and towns with "pine" in their names-Southern Pines, Pinehurst, etc.

Our Toyota Highlander Hybrid seemed to have been repainted yellow dust and sticky pine sap---yuck!

When we opened the morning papers, headlines revealed the source of the paint job: the annual pine pollen invasion which is reported to be the worst in seven years according to allergy sufferers, including this horse's nose! To further antagonize respiratory compromised persons, the pollen season entered in raging hurricane force, early.

With allergies, asthma and COPD on my palette of maladies, I anticipated trauma before making this trip. My previous trips to the Carolinas resulted in some kind of respiratory reaction with which to contend on the return trip home.

My primary physician supplied me prescriptions for antibiotics, steroids and cough syrup-just-in-case scenario. Allergy inoculations were up-to-date. Extra inhalers were packed. I also had routine prescription meds. My ammunition for front line defense was ready for airborne invasion.

My husband also suffers from some allergies and COPD. He had similar ammunition.

Both of us had supplies of Benadryl, the popular OTC allergy remedy, or its generic version, Diphenhydramine HCl and also an OTC cough syrup, Delsym. We use these two meds as the first line of defense despite its drowsiness side effect.

When we arose to the phenomenon of golden dust, we did not flinch. The duration of our stay we had mild reactions and no illness initiating the need for stronger medicines.I had coughing spells calling for the stronger cough syrup but most of the 2 oz. bottle returned home.

According to newspapers there were many unfortunate sufferers with symptoms of itchy swollen eyelids, weeping eyes, runny nose, nasal discomfort, itchy ears and coughing, etc.

Besides the dust, which reminds me of the green oak pollination in Arkansas, the other phenomenon was the visible airborne pollution. US Hwy. 1 is a main thoroughfare of Aberdeen and Southern Pines. It is a long, straight segment in one area. Looking down the road, it appeared we had fog or smog in Aberdeen and Southern Pines, only instead of grey fog it was yellow smog.

I've seen fog, smog, heavy rainfall, white-out snowstorms, sandstorms, etc. but never pollen so thick it was atmospherically visible. All the sneezing probably is a road hazard, if they sneeze as hard and repetitiously as I do.

The horizon was tinted the same color. It was downright eerie. In Arkansas we have oak pollen covering everything yellow-green, but to my knowledge the pollen does not tint the atmosphere and horizon--at least not the 30 years I've lived here.

There were pollen alerts, advising persons with compromised respiratory systems to stay indoors. I heeded the advice for the most part. Husband was outside more than I; he had mild reactions. It is the first time I remember, we started home without allergy or cold symptoms making the long drive more miserable and tirng.

Pine pollen grains are larger in comparison to other pollen. Some experts say it is too large to cause most reactions. Current sufferers vehemently disagree.

However, experts say the golden smog this year is not just one pollen but the result of extreme weather preceding the normal pollen season causing early pollination of pine along with many other spring plants, resulting in an early, abnormally heavy pollination complexity.

What was most amazing is the azaleas burst forth in all their glory during our second week in NC. Usually our allergies decide we should be miserable to the nth degree when we're in the Carolinas during azalea season. This year we barely knew they were blooming.

Ironically, Sunday, after returning home, whatever is in the air in Arkansas has me wheezing audibly. I tanked up on inhalers, carried one inhaler to church along with cough syrup. I am grateful my allerg8es abated until I returned home.

Luckie is having some allergies, too. What a threesome this household is!

PHOTOS:
Pine Pollen Smog: 1,2,3
Husband, myself and azaleas - Easter Sunday

[Will be in Springfield MO most of week seeing endocrinologist.]