not far from the tree

Part I
At the end of July we picked plenty from an apricot tree. The tenants had just moved in and were just sitting down to celebrate on their back porch when we showed up to provide the entertainment for the evening - a circus performance of apricot picking! It was well-staged, with pickers at every level and in a variety of positions that showcased our strength and agility.

Part II
I walked through the laneway a week or more later and it looked like we had never been there. The tree was bursting with apricots yet again! I plucked a few to show at Harvest Wednesday (that we dubbed “Hillcrest apricots“) and scheduled another pick. We picked and picked and picked (in the misty afternoon rain) until we’d filled all of our bags and then some. Still there were more apricots on the tree. I walked past two hours later and more had fallen to the ground where we had just swept.

The fruit was flawless, and the tree was giving. Picking from this tree also brought our total of residential fruit harvested beyond 1000 lbs! Shucks, what a great tree.

It comes down to one of the most puzzling ethical debates for any fruit tree project coordinator: Am I allowed to pick favourites?