Oh, the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we’ve no place to go
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow …

Yes, it may be April 29th but it is 35F and snowing right now. The wind is blowing in hard off Lake Superior. In short, it is a lousy day for birding, taking a bike ride, and there is definitely not enough snow for cross-country skiing, which brings us to today’s post about Dry Eyes. This topic a a major bummer for anyone who has the problem. Unfortunately I count myself among the afflicted. In addition, living in a cold weather climate like we experience here in northern Minnesota means the additional factor of cold and low dry air. The end result is eyes have a hard time sometimes dealing with the elements. However, even in the desert southwest the same problem exists due to wind, dust and sand … just no cold.

I understand that many birders (also cyclists and skiers) have this dry eye problem. Over the course of the last year I have been trying to make a bad situation better. I hope the actions I have taken will help others: (let me know in the comments how you have solved this problem)

• I visited the eye doctor. Thankfully I have no underlying eye disease. Instead at age 63 my eyes have decided not to manufacture quality tears.
• When inside our home I have solved the issue of dry eyes by using Systane Nighttime Eye Ointment. This stuff has been a godsend. Eye drops did not seem to be working for me, but this ointment is fantastic. I use it before going to bed, and upon waking up in the morning. Life is much better. My only caveat is to keep lots of tissue on hand because the ointment gunks up one’s eyelashes, which in turn means dirty glasses. I clean my eyelashes early in the morning, and finding myself washing my prescription eyeglasses quite often.
• I made the purchase of computer prescription eyeglasses. The combination of using specialized glasses plus the eye ointment has made for much less tired eyes.

However, at some point most mornings I go outside to bird, bike and/or ski. Assuming we are in the “dry cold” season on Minnesota with a wind, my eyes immediately suffer. In addition, having difficulty seeing while skiing or cycling is not wise. In fact, while biking it can be dangerous. Here are the solutions which are working for me:

• I purchased prescription “transition” sports glasses. These eyeglasses wrap around my head and have a foam cushion on all sides which is in extremely close proximity to my head, if not in fact touching my skin. I use these glasses for birding, skiing, and biking. I will not win any beauty contests. The net effect is one looks like a dork.
• Upon recommendation of other cyclists, I visited a Harley Davidson motorcycle shop. For colder days I needed specialized goggles which fit over my prescription glasses. Solving this need was a must for cycling. The logic was that folks who drive motorcycles must be able to see at high speeds, and also deal with the issues of wind and cold. My purchase was Pacific Coast Padded “Fit Over Glasses” Riding Goggles. These babies are great, and fit comfortably over my glasses. Just as importantly they ride snugly against my face. They’re great for cold days, but in warm weather, uff dah (hot)!
• Thankfully, on warmer days the combination of glasses and a bike helmet with a face shied works fine. I purchase the GIEADUN Bicycle Helmet which has a removable face shield (attaches / detaches easily via three magnets).

For folks with dry eyes who wear contacts or don’t need prescription glasses, most of these solutions will still work well and there will be HUGE cost savings by avoiding the purchase of prescription eye wear. Lucky you! Similar solutions would still include:

• Visit a local motorcycle shop. Without the need to fit goggles over glasses, the selection of options is much larger.
• Purchase sunglasses (or clear glasses) with foam inserts from a company like 7Eye. The bike forums and posts about dry eyes tended to mention this company the most, but be prepared to spend around $100. Remember, you want glasses with the foam inserts. The US Military commonly use glasses like these for soldiers in harsh environments, whether their vision needs correcting or not.

Okay … here is the photo gallery of “Rich the Dork”

If you try on any goggles or glasses at a store, bring “all your eyeglasses” and bike helmet for testing purposes!

Rich with the Airfoil Goggles (prescription glasses underneath)

Rich with a pair of glasses with foam inserts (not the ones I ordered … they arrive in a week)

Finally … a bird photo, after all this is a Bird Blog. The sparrows are visiting Amity Creek in increasing daily numbers.

White-Throated Sparrow  (edit … thanks Teresa!)