keeping it light on Saturday night ;-)

Science provides us with incredible insights into the physical world, large and small. 

Science can also provide us with insight into the why the physical world sometimes causes us a share of misery... ... of what, you ask, do I write? Well, there's nothing deep or profound about this, it's just become clear to me that allergy season is alive, well, and back for its next round. I could go all geekish on you with the biochemistry of how allergies work, but since it's after 11:00, and my allergies are currently doing this work themselves, I think I'll spare us all for now on that angle. Maybe another time. ;-)

In any case, juniper, thank you SO MUCH for your reappearance at the "high" level in the pollen count:

Yes, juniper, I know it's you... and not your buddies elm and sycamore... because I remember the grand times we had last year that involved large amounts of antihistimines. Here's hoping your visit will be brief! 

All sarcasm aside, it really is remarkable that something so small - a juniper pollen grain is only 25-30 microns in diameter - can cause so much awfulness!! Obviously, the "awfulness" happens when a bunch of those pollen grains get together and go airborne (strength in numbers, heh), but still... something so tiny... such a massive impact. Just so we know what the enemy looks like, here's a nice mug shot, er, I mean, micrograph of a juniper pollen spore from the University of Arizona:

And that's what we call keeping it light on Saturday night, folks. I'm gonna go pop a Claritin and get some sleep. 


+peace, and all good!