Thursday, May 7, 2009

Here comes the fuzz!

If you're looking for the cops, there aren't any in this photo. Here you see the leaves and young shoots of the White Poplar tree ('topola' in Serbian.) The young shoots are covered with whitish-grey down that eventually loosens and blows off in the wind to such an extent that sometimes it looks like it's snowing. This 'fuzz' is really annoying. It flies in your nose, in your mouth, in your plate if you're eating outdoors, and in your windows. If you're wondering why 'fuzz' is used as slang for the police, here's what Wikipedia says that the word may have arisen "as a term of contempt for police based on the use of 'fuzz' or 'fuzzy' in other items of derogatory criminal slang of the period. To be 'fuzzy' was to be unmanly, incompetent and soft. "

12 comments:

marley said...

Tree pollen seems to be really bad this year, but this is the best/most I've seen!

Anonymous said...

Are some people allergic to it as well?
Santiago has a similar problem with Oriental plane (many people, including myself, are allergic to it).

Erin said...

i don't think i have ever see pollen like that...find it interesting how it wraps around the branch...thanks for sharing.
have a terrific thursday.

Virginia said...

That's a sneeze waiting to happen. I"d completely forgotten about "the fuzz"! LOL
V

Lowell said...

Yuk! Sounds terrible. Very interesting commentary, though, and certainly understandable that "fuzz" would take on a negative connotation!

Tash said...

a super close-up - fun info on the fuzz.
I don't remember these trees ...maybe there weren't any in Tuzla & Pula but I doubt that. I still remember the Lipa you posted last year. When we moved to NE LA, in the park there we found a lipa & picked the pods for tea. I can still smell the sweet scent (but I digress again).

Tash said...

PS - fuzzy logic - always liked that term.

Marie Reed said...

Eeeek! It sounds like a B horror film! Attack of the Killer Fuzz!

Thérèse said...

How photography opens the eyes.
I like this post.

Chuck Pefley said...

What interesting research on "fuzz". I'll have to alert my friend who's nickname is "Fuzz". He is pretty sharp for being fuzzy -:)

soulbrush said...

yup i was expecting the cops... what a fun and informative post.

Alexa said...

This is a beautiful shot, bibi—and it makes my nose twitch just looking at it! Don't recall ever having seen a photo of anything like this, and I worked for a gardening magazine for years. Fascinating.

SPRING FASHION

 This is a post that would be better in color, but maybe not. These colors were soooo pale.