Soft, white, puffs of torture

"Oh, my eyes itch. My ears itch. I just feel crawly all over, and I forgot to take my allergy meds today. I'm about ready to claw my eyes out! I'm going crazy!"

"Hey, it's ok. Slow down. Breathe." He put his arm around my shoulders, rubbing my arm and giving me a gentle squeeze.

"I know, I know." I took a deep breath trying to calm my racing, crazy heart and my itchy eyes. "Let's just get this gardening done so I can get out of the air. I just wish I knew what exactly was setting me off. Ugh! There's more of that cotton wood floating around. I'm starting to think that is what's getting me." As I looked through the air, I saw more and more of the white puffs floating around me, and my eyes began itching just from watching them.

"Maybe," he said. "Here's your hoe. Do you want to work around the asparagus or the tomatoes?"

"You know, I did the asparagus last time. You do those. I'll do the tomatoes. Have fun with those trees, the asparagus is huge!" I saw some more of the cotton wood clouds fly by, gave one more scratch to my eyes, my ears, and my arm and headed to the tomatoes in our garden.

As I worked around our tomato plants, I began thinking about the cotton wood seeds flying through the air. I do wonder if that isn't what makes me crazy every Spring. This Spring just seems to be dragging on though. These pillowy fluffs have been clinging to me since April and it's mid- June. Will it ever end? I looked over at the tomato plants, oh no, there's cotton wood clinging to EVERYTHING! I flicked some off my right hand and watched it float away, then got back to work. The sooner I can get out of this giant, itchy cotton ball, the better.

"Hey, how ya doin'?" Wade asked.

"Oh, I could be better." I tried to shake off more cotton wood fluff. "This stuff just keeps finding me!"

Wade tried to hide his grin, but I know him, he's laughing at my predicament!

"Quit laughing! This stuff makes me feel like I've got inch worms and millipedes crawling all over me! Eewww!" I couldn't help myself, I danced a little jig. Somewhere between Britney Spears, Riverdance, and William Hung. Let's just say, it was not pretty.

"Here, let me help you." Wade said coming over and not even trying to hid his merth. He picked a piece of cotton wood out of my hair and tossed it aside. "It was very pretty, you know, kind of like a halo in your hair."

"Shut up." I grimaced at him and watched that piece of cotton wood float back at me.

"Hey, it likes you!" It landed on my hand.

Shaking my hand to lose that fluff once and for all, I turned to walk back up to our house. "Come on, before it follows me home."

Walking side by side carrying our hoes over our shoulders we talked about whatever came to mind, and I tried desperately not to itch my eyes.

Once back up at the house I went to put my hoe down and Wade noticed some thing on the end of it.

"Hey, it did follow you home."

There on the business end of the hoe, I don't know what it's called, was that piece of cotton wood waving and dancing at me. "You're mocking me" I gingerly scowled at it. It only waved more excitedly, like it was happy to see it's long lost friend. I itched my nose, my ear, and my eye. It waved in reply. I shook my hoe, sending it spinning off into the air.

It turns out that wasn't a very good idea. It floated toward me. I tried to duck, but it flew into my ear! This time Wade belly laughed as I tried to get that piece of cotton off my ear and get away from it. I put my hand up to my ear to pluck off the fluff, and shook my hand out in front of me like I was showing off a sparkly ring. Off the cotton fluff flew, spun around, and as I was taking in a sigh of relief, it decided to fly right up my nose.

"Umphf! Uh, it went up my nose! Oh!" I rubbed my nose and tried to snuff it out. I'm too lady like to blow a snot rocket, but I was close. "I'm going in!" I said handed Wade my hoe to put away, and ran to the safety of the house and to be rescued by my tissue box.

Wade came in a few minutes later. "How about a shower?"

"That sounds great. I want to be sure I'm clear of the cotton wood fluff, and I just feel coated with sweat and cotton wood. Let's go."

As I was getting read to get in, I brushed my hair, and thankfully my hair wasn't white with cotton decoration. What a relief! Then as I got undressed, I saw it. Stuck to my bra, socks, and even my underwear, there it was, happily clinging to me like a opossum baby to it's mama. That itchy, crawly, cotton wood, the one thing I am beginning to detest the most every Spring.