Will the Cherry Blossoms Bloom On Time? Only Time Will Tell...

Before I wax poetic about the Cherry Blossom Festival I want to highlight some problematic weather.

GO TO THIS SITE FOR BREAKING UPDATES IN YOUR AREA

http://www.weather.gov/

Special concerns for Florida today and Carolinas tomorrow...

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?map.x=228&map.y=130&site=tbw&zmx=1&zmy=1

More on this at the bottom of today's blog .. but basically

it's a repeat of Hot Tropical Beauty from the Gulf of Mexico

slamming into the Ice Queen

Like a wild weather roller derby..

A friend flew into Tampa today and it was rock and roll time as it was a very bumpy ride.. 

Now.. I'm going to talk about a hot theme right now which is...when will Spring come and whether the blossoms will bloom in time for one of America's most favorite Spring Events... 

Okay... there were too many pictures to choose from... too many iconic Cherry Blossoms with the _____ Monument in the background. Choose your favorite DC monument as it doesn't really make a difference because when you dress it in Cherry Blossom Pink even the most die hard pink haters...smile. Why? Because nothing says Spring like those delicate pink blossoms blooming in our nation's capital.

At a time in our history when most park services are trying to eliminate any non-native tree .. America's favorite Spring festival is based around what is basically a non-native tree! Yes, they try to take down the Australian Pines in South Florida even though I love them so much. They try to get rid of the Moluccas trees  that suck up all the water out of the everglades but the dirty little secret of the beautiful pink trees is they were imports from Japan.  I suppose when a tree blooms so beautiful.. no one cares where it comes from as in South Florida we wax poetic about our Royal Poinciana trees...that were imported from India.. Madagascar... so many legends but they were not there in the swamps when the first European and Spanish settlers got to the land of Flowers. Just saying... they bloom in Miami around May and sometimes you see them in Key West at the end of April. They are stunning. If you don't want to take a chance on the cherry blossoms in DC in two weeks you may want to save your money and travel to Miami or Key West in late May and you will be I promise.. blown away.

And, think about it.. in a land where there are always flowers 365 days a year.. every Miami kids goes crazy over the blooming of the "Flame Trees" and purposely drives by their own personal favorite tree to take a picture, to smile and posts the pictures online. What is more amazing? People up north who have not seen flowers all winter going crazy over their first blooming trees or.... people in a land of flowers 365 days a year who go crazy over one particular tree with scarlet flaming flowers? Think on it.. Nothing says May in Miami better than a poinciana tee in full bloom. I'll be there at the end of May.. trust me. Can't wait...

But I digress and this is about every person living up north waiting on Spring. Personally I have a dogwood tree I cannot wait to see bloom. And, hoping to go to Wilmington for the Azalea Festival. Mind you people round these parts or worrying over whether they will bloom on time as well.

http://www.ncazaleafestival.org/

No one in North Carolina is oddly thinking the Pines will not dump their pollen on us ...so why worry on Spring? You KNOW the pollen will fall... so will trees begin to bud somewhere. And, if they don't bud on time by you... take a trip, hit the road and find a festival that speaks to you.

So despite the ongoing March Madness and Madness in the Ukraine... people living up north are worrying this year that Winter will never end and Spring will never come.  And, the Cherry Blossom Festival in particular is getting lots of press as people are worried that the Wicked Winter of 2014 will mess up the Cherry Blossom Festival. What if there is a violent, wintry episode in less than 3 weeks in DC at the peak of the proposed festival? What a bad winter storm messes up travel across the country and anyone flying in from Billings, Montana will have to worry on getting stranded at O' Hare stuck drinking ale in the airport rather than shooting poetic Spring pictures to sell at a Summer Arts Festival in Bozeman?  Yes, long sentence, but that is how my creative mind works. And, yes there is a Summer Arts festival in Bozeman if you wondered.

http://sweetpeafestival.org/  August 1-3.

The Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled for the Spring Equinox.  Usually... in most years the iconic trees are awash in shades of pink and rose set against bright, blue skies and happy smiles. This year no one in DC is smiling and most people are depressed afraid Spring will never come. This is not a disaster movie called "The Year that Spring Did Not Come" but a year when Spring is simply delayed.

Spring will come. I am just not sure when it will come. And, I'm sure some trees..somewhere that were hit by ice or snow may be affected. But.. if so.. hit the road Jack or Jill and find a festival you can support and spread around lots of money in their local economy.

Unless an early season Tropical Storm bothers them... or Sub-tropical you can usually bet on the Spoleto Festival in Charleston in early June.

https://spoletousa.org/

Wishing on Spring? Choose your social media of choice... put on a nice Spring Song... sip some Cherry Wine, turn up the heat... and just pretend..

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/spring-equinox

http://www.pinterest.com/search/?q=spring

Here's a good song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PspqaLsXCLs


Sometimes Spring is a state of mind. Put on some color, change your nail polish.... and make believe. Lots of people do..

I have my own secret weapon that won't work for everyone. I love Pure Seduction from Victoria's Secret.
I may be cold, but when I spray that on I feel warm inside ;)

Pure Seduction is a fragrance from the Victoria's Secret Secret Garden collection. A combination of melon, plum and freesia... smells incredible.

To learn more about the beautiful non-native imports read a bit.
http://www.nps.gov/cherry/cherry-blossom-history.htm

A tease to the pink, floral drama is below...but read the story in the link above. Learn how she didn't give up and remember that next time you see a beautiful cherry tree somewhere on your block that someone planted because they will always remember that Cherry Blossom Festival they went to when they were young.

1885: Mrs. Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore, upon returning to Washington from her first visit to Japan, approached the U.S. Army Superintendent of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds, with the proposal that cherry trees be planted one day along the reclaimed Potomac waterfront. Her request fell on deaf ears. Over the next twenty-four years, Mrs. Scidmore approached every new superintendent, but her idea met with no success.

And..remember... you can always go to your local Michael's or crafts store and buy some silk dogwood branches and cherry blossoms and decorate the inside of your house while sipping Sweet Tea and take control of your options. Don't wait for Mother Nature to declare she is done with Winter. Sometimes you just go to do what you got to do...

As for me... I'm going to New Orleans at the end of  March where I will speaking at the Mariposa Annual Cat Conference on a River Boat.. even if it's not warm I'll be on the Mississippi River on a Riverboat. It will be just fine..

http://www.catadjuster.org/Community/Calendar/TabId/77/ArtMID/4643/ArticleID/5050/Mariposa-2014-CAT-Conference-New-Orleans.aspx


I'll be in Miami in late May to watch the blooming of the Royal Poinciana Trees. If you are there now.. best place to be is on Calle Ocho on March 9th for Carnival Miami. Just saying if you are lucky enough to live in Paradise you may as well do the conga and enjoy it!

http://www.miamiallaround.com/carnaval-miami-2014/
http://miami.about.com/od/artsandentertainment/a/carnaval.htm

You can follow the Cherry Blossom Festival online...
https://www.facebook.com/CherryBlossomFestival/info
Be there friend ;)

As for the real weather it's happening down in the Gulf of Mexico and slamming into Florida today and then that low rides up the coast towards the OBX area doing the dance we've seen before as warm, moist, hot air bangs hard into the cold winter Ice Queen leaving a trail of wreckage and havoc across parts of the South. I'm actually very interested in speaking to some of those adjusters at that Mariposa Conference on the effects of this past Winter's Ice Storms... and the differences between the damage they see from them vs hurricanes.



I'll be updating the blog later today with more information on Winter.. but I know a lot of you simply don't want to hear it so ...trying to brighten up your life with some Spring themes..

Besos Bobbi

Ps..some info on the Festival from their Facebook Page.


Welcome to the official page of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
Description
Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates spring in Washington, DC, the gift of the cherry blossom trees, and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan. The Festival produces and coordinates daily events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit. Events are primarily free and open to the public.
General Information
Explore our website to learn more about the Festival and its events, the spectacular gift of trees, and everything you can do to make the most of your visit to the nation’s capital!

Follow us on Twitter at @cherrybossfest for up-to-the-minute Festival news.

Have the Festival in the palm of your hand. Download our free app, available for iPhone and Android: http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/visitor-information/festival-app/
Basic Info
Founded 1912
Location Washington, District of Columbia
Contact Info
Phone (877) 442-5666
Email ncbf@downtowndc.org
Website http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival...