No. Pollenacious is not a real word, but it popped into my head today as a way to describe what’s going on right now in central North Carolina. The pine pollen (along with a bunch of other kinds, including some grasses and oak trees) is flying high, low, and everywhere in between right now. And since our house is tucked into a pine forest, we get an extraordinary amount of pollen dropping on every surface. Yesterday the sky was so full of pollen that the sun was mildly fuzzy, it looked hazy all day, and the sunrise and sunsets were both tinted orange.
As the pollen count rises and the dry days linger, the spring flush of new growth continues, and with it comes one of my favorite things – the return of the bugs and other critters. Winter had them all safely tucked into logs and soil and wrapped in pupae, but now they are emerging and foraging and highly visible as I walk the homestead.
Ladybug on chokeberry flowers 
A brilliant miniature katydid in the forest 
Wolf spider among the leaves 
Bowl and doily spider with a web full of pollen 
A long-jawed orb weaver hangs between the downy serviceberry branches
In just about all those pictures, you can see pollen grains dotting every surface!
We’re seeing more and more butterflies, too – tiger swallowtails, fritillaries, falcate orangetips, pearl crescents, elfins, blues and azures, and sulfurs, too. So now we watch for eggs and caterpillars on our baby vegetables and all the host plants we’ve put in place…
Many of the native trees and perennials we planted last year in the heat of summer not only survived, but are now thriving and sprouting and blooming, delighting us each day…
Spicebush shining in the morning sun 
Sassafras leaves unfurl
And the woods are full of sweet surprises every single day…
Unknown flower (maybe cornsalad??) 
Fern fiddleheads 
Rain drops bead on the pollen-dusted jewelweed
The other night we stood on the deck watching the International Space Station fly across the sky while bats flew overhead, moths dusted our faces with their wings, and stars and planets lit brilliant spots in the night sky. In every moment here we find miracles and magic in the larger universe as well as the small and precious living things that share our space and place in the world. We are grateful for each interaction, for they enrich the very essence of our lives ,our hearts, and our beings.
Peace.
Endless Seeker 
Peace to you, Deb. I loved all the signs of riotous blooming and activity in the photos. I can feel your wonder coming off the printed page. Thank you.