Good morning to you, Cynthia. It's rainy, cool, and windy here this morning. I'm stuffed full of warm oatmeal and I'm going to throw on a rain jacket and go to the farmers' market to pick up some greens. I still have lots of spinach in the garden, but some mixed greens would make our salads better.

Our property was lousy with serviceberry, chokecherry, and pincherry trees when we bought it, and I've ripped out lots of them. As for the name shadbush, I'm reminded of my brother's favorite saying, who has had several life experiences not go his way: Timing is everything.

TM

TM, should have known this would be easy for you!

Cynthia

Good morning - cool here. the sun was out earlier, but I may be racing the rain to get laundry dry today!!

Should something about this question be bugging me Cyn?

Nancy.

While I have heard of serviceberry shrubs I am not familiar with them and no idea why they are referred to as shadbush or shad blow. Will be waiting for clues.

I am in SD just on the edge of the big snow storm. We have had no snow yet but lots of rain and high winds. I came last Saturday and have been renovating my sister's gardens. Finished planting and laying down mulch just before the rain started on Thursday. Loafed yesterday, reading and watching taped TV. This afternoon we heading to space via the movie Gravity. I will go home on Monday.

Bobbie - I heard about that snow-storm! Stay warm, and I'd love to hear what you think about that movie!!

Nancy.

Oh, serviceberries, aka Shadblow/shadbush, are so lovely in bloom. I am tempted to plant one out front instead of a dogwood to replace the hickory we lost. I am swimming upstream when I try to convince Chuck, though. Sigh. Of course, TM, sounds as if you would agree with him since one can spawn many more. Guess we will go with the Kousa since the natives haven't been doing too well lately.

Bobbie, I will be waiting to hear about the movie, too. The Washington Post gave it four stars.

So, if nothing springs to mind for you two, I will add more clues. Not sure about bugs, Nancy, but then I am often usually slow on the uptake.

Cynthia

Ahhh, perhaps it is what the bugs eat.....

Nancy.

Hmmm...no, bugs definitely don't have any connection to the reason for this name. In fact, these don't eat bugs and bugs don't eat them.

My ears are driving me nuts today. Not swimmer's ear- unfortunately, I have been nowhere near the ocean and we don't swim in the Potomac. The river is too polluted for that. Not the same river as in Washington's day. It is a tidal river, so no wonder the Chesapeake and the Atlantic suffer as well. But I digress...

Cynthia

I am so confused! So, are these shads well schooled?

Nancy.

Why, yes, Nancy. Large schools.

Now can you connect the the two? TM gave an excellent clue.

Cynthia

I've read TM's post several times and I still don't see it, but smelts come to mind...

Nancy.

Here are some of the little scrubby trees I have taken out. The one in bloom is a serviceberry - very pretty in early spring. I left this one in for a few years, but it went downhill for some reason, so I finally yanked it.

TM

The clues make me think fish. Is shad a kind of fish? From TM's clue I get timing? Not sure how to put those together with a shrub.

Postponed the movie until tomorrow as my sister wasn't feeling well.

Lake Erie used to have runs of smelts.....

Nancy.

Four stars for TM! The shad is a fish that, like salmon, spends most of its life in the ocean. It travels upriver to spawn in the spring. If you have never tasted shad, you really should come east in the spring when the shadbush is in bloom! That is how the serviceberry got its alternative names. The tree blooms in spring when the shad are running. Lots of folks love shad roe (it was a favorite of my mother). The fish is my absolute favorite. There are festivals in Pennsylvania and down here every year. The Potomac used to be thick with shad in Washington's time. Wish that were still the case!

Nancy, I love smelts, too. My mother used to fry them up-delicious. Paternal granddad was from a long line of Chincoteague watermen (landed in Virginia in the 1630s) and moved to Pennsylvania where he became a fish broker. We always had the best fish-even the cat got mostly fresh flounder to eat! He would come in with all sorts of fruits and fish that he got from the sources, so I was awfully spoiled when it came to food. Sunday summer breakfast at the shore was always a huge bowl of fresh lobster and everyone converged in one kitchen-great party! As a kid, I didn't eat it. Stupid me. Sigh. I had toast this morning.

Have a wonderful day and thanks for playing. Bobbie, I hope you get to the movie tonight. If you get a chance, let us know how it was! I am watering again even though we may at last get some rain this week. I am so tired of the dustbowl out there! Left the sprinkler on in the back all night long.

Cynthia

Thanks for the stars, Cynthia, and the question that made me feel smart. I found out about the shadbush a number of years ago when I was trying to ID the trees on the property.

TM

So they named the bushes/shrubs to coincide with the running of the fish?? Cool!

Nancyí.

Well, guess they noticed that they bloom at the same time that the fish are heading upriver. Yes, pretty cool.