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Mea culpa. It was brought to my attention by a reader who suffers from pollen allergies that blooming acacias are not the cause of allergic reactions at this time of year. Acacias are largely pollinated by insects and have heavy pollen that doesn't tend to become airborne. It's the non-showy, quiet ones you have to watch out for. Warm temperatures earlier in the year are already creating havoc for those who have to deal with seasonal allergies.

SEATTLE — It was a snowy afternoon in the Seattle area when I attempted to ferry across the Puget Sound to Whidbey Island. Whiteout conditions got the best of us, so we chickened out and decided instead to go to a local arboretum and the garden of one of my sister's friends.

Sometimes you cannot see the forest for the trees, but I think most of the time you cannot see the trees for the forest. California’s Arbor Day Week gives us an opportunity to pause and celebrate our trees.