Use Your Words - Cherry Storm

Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once, and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

My words are:

cherries ~ enchanting ~ smiling ~ memory ~ irate

They were submitted by Simply Shannon - thanks, Shannon!

Now one would think that those aren't the hardest words you can get for this challenge. Still I have been struggling. Of course it doesn't help that I don't have a lot of quiet me-time to brainstorm.

So today as I dropped Colin off for his practice I saw this billboard:

A Cherry Storm???

What in the world is that?

Chriesi is Swiss German for cherries.

As you may know Colin's hockey team is in Zug, a city almost an hour's drive from home, and the region is famous for their cherries and especially the Kirsch liqueur.

Upon googling it turned out that a couple of years ago they re-introduced an enchanting custom that goes back to the 18th century when they used to celebrate the official beginning of the cherry picking season.

At 12 noon of Cherry Storm Day the church that possesses the largest (and therefore loudest?) bell will ring for a full 15 minutes. In the olden days this was the official invitation for the citizens who then promptly, equipped with ladders and baskets, ~~rushed~~ stormed to the public cherry tree area that had previously been guarded.

The new tradition integrates the primary custom into a fun race: people carrying ladders that measure 8 meters = 28 feet, are running a course all through the old town. Kids get half-lengths, ladders, that is. Same course.

Photo Source

After announcing and honoring the winners there will be a street festival taking place in the old town, offering of course all kinds of cherry specialties. One of the treats is called "Cherry Storm". I am still trying to find out what it is.

Not only am I smiling while researching this event, it also brings back a fond memory of the great pumpkin paddle race - some of you may remember. Brave participants paddle on the pumpkin patch's local lake, using their self-made "boats" - yes, they're giant hollowed pumpkins!

I kept mulling over how to use the word irate in this post.

Feeling all happy and fuzzy about the Cherry Storm and the Pumpkin Regatta, how am I supposed to be irate? The only thing I can come up with is the fact that this Cherry Storm is taking place on Monday, and while local kids get to attend with their schools, C has to sit in his usual classes, so we won't get to go. Booo!

What I will do, however, and this has actually become a tradition of mine, is to bake some cherry treat for my blogversary! I hope to find out the recipe of that Cherry Storm, of course.

Thanks for sticking around! At the end of this month, it will be five years that I keep blogging!

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