MEANWHILE – BACK AT THE FARM

 

So – there we were in town. As we approached the holiday weekend, Mike was recovering from a painful tooth extraction. We no longer celebrate the Fourth of July in a traditional way, but neighborhood fireworks upset Bess, so we had planned to spend the Fourth on the farm away from the noise. (Bess is basically deaf now, but she still hears and reacts to those loud booms.)

On Friday (July 3), Mike still needed to rest, at least from time to time, so we stayed in town, but Friday night, the local fireworks began and went on until 11:30. Bess was beside herself. We kept her in the house, but she would not be comforted. It was as if she were crying, “Make it stop! Make it stop!” We realized that we had to get out of town and into the peace and quiet of the country for her sake as well as ours. So, Saturday morning we packed up and drove to the farm.

As I was leaving the town house, I thought of my little hoodie. “I won’t need it,” I said to myself; "it’s gonna be hot.” That was the forecast all right, but they changed it. Not to carry a sweater along in summer breaks a longstanding family rule, and I paid the price. The temp was in the low 70s yesterday – a dull day with only the threat of rain. As Mike puts it, we’re midway through summer, and we’ve barely had any.

I figure the act of packing, traveling, and unpacking is enough work for one day, but Mike spent the Fourth putting finishing touches on the raised bed. I picked two cups of lovely strawberries and a few peas. The tomato and zucchini plants look good.

But – I noticed magpies in the yard, flying, cackling, and carrying on. I had vague feelings about them, like “what is that gang of marauders doing here,” when suddenly I thought of the cherry tree. I was on my feet and out the door. Sure enough! The cherries were gone – all of them! (Okay, I found four.) I was disgusted with the magpies and disappointed in myself.

You see, in past years I’ve insisted on swathing the cherry tree, but it felt like a useless endeavor because the birds never bothered the tree – not really, not more than I was willing to share. I thought about swathing it last weekend as family worked here, but it was chilly and rainy and besides, I didn’t think the cherries were ripe, so I let it go. Well, now I know that we have to swath the cherry tree. I won’t ever leave it to chance again because now the magpies have added my tree to their internal GPS locater. I only have to cover a few lower branches. We can’t reach the upper ones anyway.

The magpies are gone now, undoubtedly off to ravage someone else’s fruit tree. I can be philosophical about the loss. We like the cherries, but processing them is labor-intensive, so it’s one less thing to deal with at a time when it seems like we have plenty to do.

Speaking of fruit trees, I hiked behind the house to check on the serviceberries. Some are fairly ripe, others haven’t turned yet, and the bushes look dry. And while this elderberry bush is lovely and full, the berries are dry. KW