Perhaps I shouldn’t have bragged about the air quality improving in my city. For the last two days we have been under what is called here an “Ozone Action Day.” These are forecasts for ground level ozone, or smog, that are above a threshold for what is healthy.
The latest data from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (formerly TNRCC or ‘Train Wreck’) gives the Beaumont-Port Arthur area a “moderate” air quality rating which is in between what is good and pollution levels that can cause health problems for certain people. Yet, I believe I have experienced some discomfort from the smog during the past two days.
My eyes have had that itchy feeling although not nearly as bad as the misery I experienced during mountain cedar fever season when I lived in Central Texas. A little Visine every now and then fixes me up in dealing with the summertime smog. That wasn’t the case with that toxic mountain cedar a.k.a. ashe juniper. I took prescription Clarinex and used special allergy eye drops, and my eyes still itched quite spectacularly. I never knew allergies could be so bad.
It is kind of hazy out. That is just something you come to expect here during this time of year. As that sage Rosanne Rosannadanna said: “It’s always something.”