APPLE TREES AND HOT SUMMER DAYS

The farmhouse from behind the pond

“What happened to August,” asked brother Chuck. What indeed? It went the way of July, and now it’s already September 3. The current heat alert came into effect on Aug. 31, I think, but the weekend (and next week) should be more seasonable.

It’s hot, and I’m tired of watering, but I keep at it. The garden changes day by day. I’ve despaired of having more zucchini, but as I watered this morning, I discovered another overgrown squash that will grate up wonderfully for quick bread, and I saw a few blossoms. The tomatoes are slowly fading from green to white to orange.

The hummingbird feeders are now in storage, but this morning, a hummer buzzed me. Too bad. He’ll just have to live off the land.

Over the last several days, I noticed fewer apples on the “Empire” tree, and today I realized that I must pick them now or lose the crop entirely. Apparently, the deer are reaching over the fence. The apples snapped off easily, but I do think they could have stood to ripen a little longer.

Bess & Mike prepare to shoot clay pigeons

The Empire apple was developed in New York State during the mid-60s, a cross between the delicious apple and the McIntosh. It’s grown mostly in the northeastern U.S. So, why do I have this tree? Because four years ago, as I was shopping for apple trees, the nurseryman sold it to me. This variety was unexpected, but I guess I can’t complain. The apples are crisp, have good flavor, and are wormless.

Someone once told me that apples ripen toward the end of October, but if we waited that long, we would never get a single apple. They would fall off the tree and the deer would eat them. I think it depends a lot on the weather and the water. Anyway, I’m proud of myself for (mostly) saving the Empire apple crop.

The “Freedom” apple tree, planted at the same time, bloomed prettily in the spring but bore no apples. And the “Honey Crisp” apples were abundant but infected with worms even though we sprayed. I’m concerned about the trees that are closest to the grove.

Last Saturday, Mike and I walked down to the old apple tree at the end of the lane. It has been identified as a “Winterstein,” a variety developed by Luther Burbank in 1896. I have no proof, but I pretend that my grandfather and his twin brother, who homesteaded here in 1896, planted that tree. For an apple tree, it’s huge – probably 30 to 40 feet, which means it was grafted onto standard stock. The apples are wormy and mealy, but I chopped off the good parts and cooked them into delicious sauce. Mike says he’ll pick more next week, and I hope he can. The deer bed down under that tree, and they will eat the fruit on the lower branches.

Another rattlesnake greeted us as we walked around the pond the other day. That’s our ninth sighting this season, but I wonder if we’re seeing the same snake again and again. It seems short and plump to me.

We’re still hazy with smoke. I can barely see Teakean Butte to the north, and Cottonwood Butte to the south is totally obscured. KW

Little Canyon -- disappointing photo. Breathtaking in reality.