Allergy season

Posted 10/18/22

OUTDOOR Adventures By Brian G. Schommer “It’s that time of year,” could mean a lot of things when said in midOctober. It could mean hunting season is here or for others, it could mean that it …

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Allergy season

Posted

OUTDOOR Adventures

By Brian G. Schommer

“It’s that time of year,” could mean a lot of things when said in midOctober. It could mean hunting season is here or for others, it could mean that it is time to get that last minute yard work completed, which triggers the need to winterize the lawnmower and other seasonal implements. For those who prefer their lives indoors, it could mean time to get the dreaded fall housecleaning done, which if we are being honest, is it ever really done? For those who suffer allergies, it’s definitely THAT time of year and, yours truly is one of those folks. The trouble with that is, I am also an outdoors guy. I know that I am not alone in this conundrum. Today, this column is dedicated to those, who like me, love to get out and enjoy the great outdoors and… have allergies.

The sniffles are generally tolerable at first, but when they turn into a fullblown stuffed up head, the amount of tolerance changes. Add a bit of runny nose and headache to the mix and tolerable switches to “this totally sucks.” If this were the final mode, it would be one thing but add the sore and scratchy throat and the situation goes to the “I’m done” phase. That is where I was at this past Sunday at 5:30am when the alarm went off serving as my summons to get out of bed and head to meet the guys to go check deer stands and such up north. In addition to the fact that these prevalent allergy symptoms are like a certain virus that has infiltrated our lives the past few years, the text went out that I would not be making the trip, and it bummed me out.

I had no fever and was not really concerned about having the virus. I have had allergies all my life and was out in the elements the night before, so I knew what was ailing me. Could I have still gone? Sure, and been miserable which would make me far from good company. The focus of the trip north was to make sure the shooting lanes were clear; the stands were all solid and to do a bit of lastminute scouting, but the true meaning of the trip was the friendship between all the guys. Nothing brings a fun time down more than a gloomy goat and nobody wants to be that guy. We will all be together in the next few weeks when deer opener is upon us and not even allergies could keep me out of the woods for that, so while I really wanted to go, I stayed home and watched the Vikings move to five and one while the Packers dropped to three and three, so I guess there was some salvage afforded to my day.

We are all faced with making decisions and finding the priorities in our life and, sometimes, the decisions we must make, right, wrong, or otherwise, are tough. You might be asking, “How does this relate to the outdoors?” In my opinion, there is no better place to go when you need to think things through when faced with a difficult decision. No, I did not go outside and contemplate going up north with the guys to check stands. The decision was not that difficult; I was already at the “I’m Done” phase. The outdoors is for those more difficult decisions that will touch your life, and the lives of others around you more deeply. We all have these situations in our lives and the outdoors provides a fantastic opportunity to get away from your surroundings and put yourself in a different, potentially more calming place to allow you the chance to really think about the decision at hand and focus on what is most important for you and those whose lives will also be influenced by your decision.

Tough calls deserve a little extra focus as sometimes, if we just decide in the elements we are in, we tend to be a bit irrational and make kneejerk decisions. Frustration drives these types of decisions and by taking a bit of time to just catch your breath a bit, that frustration can at least have time to subside. We are blessed with plenty of places where we can go to do this… even if it is just out in our backyard. The problem is, sometimes, we don’t take the time and we let our frustrations take over. We sometimes need a reminder to stop, take a few deep breaths, and maybe even go for a bit of a walk or drive somewhere to cool off before our knee jerks and we end up kicking ourselves, figuratively, of course. This is one of those reminders. If you are struggling with a decision of the difficult in nature type, take the time YOU need for yourself and those around you. A few suggestions would be down by Lake Rebecca and the Mississippi River, down by the Vermillion Falls or maybe even the Ravine Park near Cottage Grove. Why these places? They all have water, which has a known calming effect on people, there is plenty of nature, sights and sounds to keep your mind occupied yet a bit distracted which forces you to focus on why you are there. Sometimes all we need is a little reminder… and here is yours. “Get Out and Enjoy the Great Outdoors.”