Dangling Cherries...

We have a cherry tree, which in some years produces lots of cherries, and some years not. Part of the issue is timing - getting to the cherries before the birds do.

This year there are TONS up there. Dangling, in their almost-red glory, perfectly unpecked and pristine. Too soon to pick them (the birds think so too), so they hang there and tease me.

"The birds might get us before you do!!! Neener neener neeeeeeener!!!"

Oh I've already picked some, a few of which were actually ripe enough to eat. I'd jump up, grab a branch and pluck cherries from it, reluctantly releasing the branch with many partially green ones still hanging from it.

My father-in-law will eventually make his way over here, and armed with a bucket and a ladder, empty the rest of the tree. One year the harvest was spectacular; the next, paltry and picked over. Meanwhile I'm left to stand under the tree, my hand shading the sun from my eyes, gazing up at the high high branches heavy with fruit, and wait...

(Hey!!! I could use one of the kids' super soaker squirt guns and shoot at the birds!! I could set myself up with a comfy lawn chair... glass of lemonade... hmmm...)

sigh.

Garden Harvest

While some people are trying the "100 Mile Diet" (for someone who used to live in 100 Mile House BC, this was confusing for me at first), I want to try the "100 Metre Diet". However with our current growing season off to a dismal start, if I actually did eat only the food I grew, I'd have other problems than worrying about the environment ;-)

So far I've eaten about eight nickle sized radishes, and three small new potatoes baked with butter and rosemary (no I don't have cows - the butter was me cheating. The rosemary was from my garden though).

The lettuce hasn't even sprouted yet. I could floss my teeth with the carrots. You get the picture.

I guess I just have to be patient, and meanwhile shop local...