Friday, March 14, 2008
Cherry Blossom Battle
The following two pictures were taken at the Smithsonia for the sole purpose of annoying the crap out of my friends in Macon. Heidi checks out the Cherry Blossom swag.  Both Macon and Washington have Cherry Blossom trees (Yochinos to be exact) and they both have festivals. But because Washington, DC is u>Washington, DC they get to call theirs The National Cherry Blossom Festival. Macon is simply The Cherry Blossom Festival or sometimes just "Macon's Cherry Blossom Festival." In recent years, though, Macon has begun calling their festival "The International Cherry Blossom Festival." I'll be honest, I didn't know Washington had Cherry trees and a festival until someone told me about it while explaining why Macon's was so much better. Now that I am away from macon, though, I have found that most folks know of Washington's Cherry trees but few have heard of Macon's. If you review the web sites you'll quickly find that Washington got the Cherry tree ball rolling with a donation from Japan. (And that's my Asian reference for today.) While Macon certainly gets attention from Japan due to the trees and festival, the original Cherry Trees were all from a local, Mr. Ficklin and his "odd tree" on his farm. Further review will show that while Washington has a longer festival (by a week) Macon has FAR more trees that Washington and the number grows dramatically year after year and they give away and plant thousands of them suckers each year. I have yet to experience a DC Cherry Blossom Festival, but I have survived plenty of them in Macon. When they tell you the whole city turns pink, they are not kidding.  Sadly, one year they even made the Macon Whoopee hockey team put on horrid white jerseys with big pink flowers and lettering and dubbed them "The Macon Cherry Blossoms." Thankfully, the objections of EVERYONE forced the team to only wear them for warm ups. With this Cherry Blossom controversy surrounding me, there's really only one thought going through my head: So far this year I have had the itchy eyes once or twice but nothing full blown yet. I think here in NC, on the coast, I am just out of the reach of the cursed Cherry pollen. But I can't help but wonder if there's something else out there, just about to bloom, and ruin my nirvana.  |
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Yes Jason, Cherry Blossom does signal the onslaught of pollen. But, the pain you recieved in your sinuses wasn't totally from the Cherry tree!
Did you know that EVERY plant blooms? Every plant growing on earth produces a flower/blooms. YES!
Now, tell me what the largest/most prevelant tree is in GA...the pine tree. Ahh, the good old fashioned pine tree. Yes, one of the largest money making crops in Georgia! Everywhere you look, there is a pine tree of some sort. Even in downtown Macon.
Now for the kicker, Pine trees bloom at the same time cherry tree bloom, actually they start blooming before the cherry tree. That is why your truck was yellow! And...maple trees, elm trees, oak trees, tulips, daffodills, quince, forsythia, junipers and most weeds...the list goes on and on of the plants that bloom in the spring, at the same time as the cherry tree. Isn't spring grand in the south.
The cherry trees weren't the sole culpret of sinus problems...unless you are allergic to cherry trees. And, my guess is that even if you are allergice to cherry trees, living in NC will give you sinus problems because of everything else that blooms.
Sorry to rain on your Macon Cherry Blossom Festival parade.
brian renko
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Did you know that EVERY plant blooms? Every plant growing on earth produces a flower/blooms. YES!
Now, tell me what the largest/most prevelant tree is in GA...the pine tree. Ahh, the good old fashioned pine tree. Yes, one of the largest money making crops in Georgia! Everywhere you look, there is a pine tree of some sort. Even in downtown Macon.
Now for the kicker, Pine trees bloom at the same time cherry tree bloom, actually they start blooming before the cherry tree. That is why your truck was yellow! And...maple trees, elm trees, oak trees, tulips, daffodills, quince, forsythia, junipers and most weeds...the list goes on and on of the plants that bloom in the spring, at the same time as the cherry tree. Isn't spring grand in the south.
The cherry trees weren't the sole culpret of sinus problems...unless you are allergic to cherry trees. And, my guess is that even if you are allergice to cherry trees, living in NC will give you sinus problems because of everything else that blooms.
Sorry to rain on your Macon Cherry Blossom Festival parade.
brian renko
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: 8:22 PM
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