Tickled Pink

So yesterday morning, I set out with the family to enjoy a day at the Macon, Georgia, Cherry Blossom Festival, an event dubbed the “Pinkest Party on Earth”. Our trip to Macon was actually planned around a collegiate Parents Weekend with the Practical One, but the fact that it was timed to coincide with the Cherry Blossom Festival made us (that would be me) anticipate it all the more.

Because although my theme color for 2010 is orange, my favorite color is actually pink. And any reason to party in the pink is OK by me.

Macon, Georgia, by the way, boasts more cherry trees than any city in the entire US. The famed cherry blossoms in Washington D.C. pale by comparison. Seriously.

So we set out...even though that husband of mine voiced serious doubts as to whether I would actually see the celebrated cherry blossoms of Bibb County this year. He was positive that the same long winter which had inhibited our Japanese magnolias had likely intimidated the cherry blossoms as well. I, on the other hand, reckoned that cherry blossoms ought to have the same chutzpah as those pear trees which are currently decorating our street, and I set my stubborn heart on visiting Pink Paradise regardless of what that naysayer had to naysay.


I hate it when he’s right.

Because when we got to downtown Macon, this is what we saw.

Yep. Naked little cherry trees without the good grace to even blush. Oh, sure, they tried to hold up these festive little pink Chinese lantern disguises, but they weren’t fooling anyone. There was not a cherry blossom in sight. Not one.

I hrmphed for about a minute before deciding to get into the Pink Spirit nonetheless. After all, a day is what you make of it. So I set out on the Great Pink Exploration, determined to discover as much of that color, cherry blossom or not, as I could. I yakkity yakked through the festival area snapping pink pictures while the rest of the family lagged behind and pretended not to know me.

Here are some of my pink discoveries.

A pale pink pup.

This fellow was koolaid colored for the festivities. His name is Bo, and he was a friendly, but deaf, little guy. He let me pet him… before his owner had the chance to warn me that his “koolaid do” wasn’t quite dry yet. So, I guess that pink discovery #2 would technically be the palm of my hand. However, I neglected to photograph it so it doesn’t count.

Pink petals plastered all over the windows.

They decorated the stores, businesses, and even the cars.

 Everyone in Macon appears to get into the cherry blossom spirit. I liked it.

Pink Pretenders

From a distance, I thought these might be renegade cherry blossoms and actually jogged over to them, shiny red Kodak on high alert. Upon close inspection, I realized that they were just more Japanese magnolias.

Yes, I know. It was sort of a blonde moment...

And, more camellias… but pink nonetheless.

And these pink bushes. I have no clue what they are

And a Pink Poodle Pretender named Petals

At this point, the family was nowhere to be found... so certain were they that they would have to pose with that pretend poodle...

A precious pink pooch.

 His name was Whitney. He was fond of his hat. 

 A pink port~a~potty…. OK I was getting desperate…

Pink pillow pushers.

They were part of the bed races downtown. I think this team won. But they might have been edged out by these prideless pink Vikings.

Finally, we bought this...

A pink smoothie. In full disclosure, it wasn’t a cherry smoothie. Cherry ones won’t be offered at that smoothie stand until next week. Apparently, the cherry smoothies are on strike until the cherry blossoms actually arrive.

All in all, it was a fun day. The best part about it was that I got to spend time with my two favorite pink things, those daughters of mine. And Little Boy Blue was a pretty good sport too.

We had another grand adventure at Parents Weekend, but that will have to be a post of another day. I left this morning determined to return to try again another time.

And as I was leaving Macon, in the rain, I spotted this. 

Cherry blossoms...
I think they were mocking me...
But I took their picture anyway