You can finish that line.
Just on the north side of our yard, there's a strip of land that's planted in plum, cherry, apple, peach, and quince trees. There aren't all that many of any one kind. We've been know to go pick fruit over there when it's been obvious that nobody else was going to take any of it.
A few weeks ago, some people in a big silver Mercedes came and parked behind our back gate. We heard mowers and other trimming equipment running on the old orchard plot, which had previously been pretty much neglected.
I was out in the back yard when the people finished their work for the day and came back to their car. I talked to them. They turn out to be the daughter and son-in-law of the woman who owns the little orchard. She used to live in Saint-Aignan but now she's lived in Brittany for many years — and they do too.
This past weekend they were here again. They mowed and trimmed and picked cherries — now is the season. Again, I saw and talked to them. As they departed, they said they were going to drive back to Brittany the next morning.
Go pick all the cherries you want, they told me. Otherwise, the birds will get them all. Or strangers might come and pick them. We'd rather you have them. I thanked them profusely, and wished them bon voyage. Yesterday was the day. It was bright and sunny, so I went and picked a bucketful of cherries. I see another clafoutis in our immediate future.
Just think.... if you hadn't been social.... you wouldn't have known.... or been given 'carte blanche'!
ReplyDeleteYou could offer Walt's services to keep the growth down.... in exchange for a small share of the harvest....you can bet, if they've taken the trouble to clean up, they'll be back in season for the rest of the choice.... except, probably the quinces!
Unless the clear up is prior to selling it?
I don't think they are planning to sell the land. It's a long narrow strip that is not constructible. I think the woman who owns the land is quite elderly. She has a house about a kilometer from here. Her daughter might be preparing to come live here again.
DeleteOur sour cherries aren't ripe yet, and we lost all our sweet ones.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, the sweet cherries on that huge tree out on the edge of the vineyard are just beautiful. And so are the ones on our across-the-road neighbor's tree.
DeleteThe sour cherries on all the trees in another neighbor's yard and out around the vineyard are either just not ripe yet or are stunted. Only the ones in my photos of the little orchard strip are pretty like that.
I think the late freeze in April was very spotty. Trees within a hundred meters of each other fared very differently.
Beautiful pictures, Ken, especially that first one ...: water runs in my mouth :-)!
ReplyDeleteCerises ! I would be found lying on the ground, under the tree, moaning softly, with this big round belly .. full of cherries :)
ReplyDeleteUnder the big tree full of sweet cherries is a thick stand of stinging nettles. You wouldn't want to lie down in that!
DeleteIt's good that you were around when the owners came by. The yellow plums will always be my favorite.
ReplyDeleteThose yellow plums are a fine memory. That tree blew down in a storm in a few years ago. But there are several other plum trees on the orchard plot, and they are covered in fruit. I hope they are the same sweet yellow plums.
DeleteA friend had a tree with Maraschino cherries, which she always said made the best Clafoutis.
ReplyDeleteThese cherries seem to be more iridescent, lighter than the ones you showed a couple of days ago. Is there some color difference in the type, or is that just camera stuff?
ReplyDeleteThese are sour cherries — cerises acides — that are good cooked in pies, as confiture, or in sauces. The others are sweet cherries — good for eating right off the tree, or also for cooking. I actually like the clafoutis made with the sour cherries.
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