Allergies and Musical Nights

The last few nights it seems Paul's allergies have hit a crescendo. In the earlier part of the night his nose plays the quiet notes and melodies of a sweet slumber, but around 3:00 his nose is so blocked up it plays like a trombone hitting the highest notes of the composition. In reality, it's sounds more like a party favor on New Year's but regardless, it creates an element of surprise so powerful that it not only wakes me up, but wakes Paul up himself, as he sits up and says, "what was that?"

So I've looked up on Wikipedia what might be causing his allergies, and most likely isn't anything special to North Carolina. The most common allergen out there is Ragweed which is pervasive across all of North America. Since North Carolina has more greenery in general than California, it probably also has more ragweed. In case you want to see the culprit, here it is:

Botany is such a fascinating science and so I'm working on learning the plants in my new environment. Here is some of Wikipedia's comments on ragweed:

"Each plant is reputed to be able to produce about a billion grains of pollen over a season, and the plant is wind-pollinated. It is highly allergenic, as the greatest pollen allergen of all pollens, and the prime cause of hayfever. The plant blooms in the northern hemisphere from about mid August until cooler weather arrives. It usually produces pollen more copiously in wet seasons. Two species, Ambrosia artemisiifolia and A. psilostachya, are considered among the most noxious to those prone to hay fever.

Ragweed is a plant of concern in the global warming issue, because tests have shown that higher levels of carbon dioxide will greatly increase pollen production. "