First my eyes, then my nose felt it. Yes, irritation was in the air.  All over my block, pollen had fallen like snow and was covering the road like a quilt, leaving outlines of the cars after they had driven off.  As it doesn’t snow in Sydney, I had never seen anything fall so intensely  to leave a shape behind.

My suburb  was built for the Sydney Olympics and is heavily planted with Australian native trees and shrubs which makes it unique. To this day under the community title, it is a requirement that all gardens have a high percentage of Australian native plants. At present, it is the flowering eucalyptus blooms (see below) that lines every street that are turning the suburb beige, and irritating people’s hay fever.

 

 

The tall eucalyptus trees are approximately twenty years old and  bring a lots of bird life to the area. Every morning as I walk out the front door, I hear a choir of birds calling to each other as they fly off. This  gives the suburb a very Australian feel, which is unusual in the city. High up in the eucalyptus tree on our side fence lives a very cute possum whom we have nicknamed Tom. Every evening after dark, he comes to life screeching as he defends his territory and running and thumping across our roof as he plays. He once tried eating our lemons  but thankfully, they were too sour for him.

I love my block. It is a great part of the world to live. Close enough to feel the energy from Sydney Olympic Park and yet far enough away that most of Sydney does not even realize it is here. Hiding, tucked up in its own little enclosure surrounded by two of Sydney’s busiest roads and a jail on the third side.

As I enjoy the natural beauty of the fallen pollen on our block until the wind blows it away, I will treat the symptoms of my irritation as they arise. Who knows over time I may even desensitize to the effects of the pollen, while I enjoy living among the gum trees.