Stalin's Snow

The "puff" is literally everywhere and at times falls so heavily it really looks like it is snowing.  For someone who loves the real white fluffy stuff this summer substitute is kinda nice! Too bad I could not get a picture of it falling from the sky... I'll keep trying. For now you just have to appreciate the pictures from the source and where it has gathered on the ground.

These unseasonal snowstorms are a legacy of Stalin, who ordered the trees to be planted in 1934. It was clear that the city needed some greenery to soften the concrete desert that was emerging after many of Moscow’s more picturesque buildings had been removed to make way for Stalin’s own vision. The poplar tree was chosen for its durability against the harsh Russian climate and its ability to reach imposing heights at relative speed. Hundreds and thousands of poplar trees were planted but, unfortunately, almost all of them were female. Without enough male poplars to partner them, these female trees now release a stream of unfertilised pollen into the air, and so create the unique summer blizzards of Moscow.