Pukh Season

You are probably wondering what the sam hill is pukh?  I realize it looks like snow, and sometimes there’s so darn much of it that it gets shoveled, but it’s been pretty warm here…so, nope, not snow.

So what IS pukh and why is it falling on Moscow? Well, it’s the stuff that poplar trees release when they are feeling, ummm…frisky? Horny? I don’t think there’s a word for that particular situation. What is SUPPOSED to happen is the female poplar tree will stop producing seeds when she gets fertilized.  Enter Stalin. While he was in power many years ago, he ordered that thousands of popular trees be planted because he didn’t think Moscow was green enough. What he did NOT know was that trees come in male and female, and in tree-talk, every female needs a male. No one mentioned that these female trees get very frustrated and as a result, produce pukh in massive over-drive for a longer period of time.  Another brilliant plan from Stalin. So now every June the female poplars release unfertilized seeds: pukh.

It honestly looks and like it’s snowing again. This picture doesn’t do it justice, but it’s the best I could do that day. But it doesn’t feel like snow—it feels itchy. And it gets everywhere! I am not kidding you. EVERYWHERE. You have to lower your head when walking or it hits your face and itches your eyes. You constantly see people smacking their faces trying to get the pukh off!

Worst of all, you can NOT get away from the pukh! Open a window and the room will immediately fill with flying pukh (not too many screens over on this side of the pond). I was at the mall the other day and it was even floating around in there!

I hope it pukh’s off soon!