pollen at the preserve

did anyone happen to notice all the pollen flying around on thursday?  I realize this is old news what with the rain and cold temperatures, but I had to share this. see the sandy colored stuff floating around the pond here in this picture? I am pretty sure it's pollen. there was a bunch of it on my car's windshield in the morning too. anyway, ian and I were riding bikes at the preserve (yes! Ian is home from college! yay!) and just as we stopped at one of the bridges to check out the flowers below I believe some of the flying pollen - it was so windy it was as if it was raining pollen - got stuck in my throat making me cough so uncontrollably I felt like I was choking. luckily this experience lasted all of 5 seconds. I don't ever remember being so inundated with pollen, ever. it was like a pollen storm. by the time we got home I felt like I had tiny grains of sand lodged underneath my eyelids. yes, these are my problems and yes I do consider myself lucky.
at least now the rain seems to be washing most of it away.
so, what are your plans for this memorial day weekend?