01-06-2010 Day One

First day of June and it definitely is NOT June Gloom!!!  It is a bright sunny day with a little coolness in the air.  However, we know that by 11am the heat will slowly start to be felt.  Still, it is a beautiful day here in Southern Califonrnia!!

I was up early as I had promised Mom to help with the peach tree.  A pretty tree with tons of fruit on it!!  This will be the last picking of the season as the fruit is almost gone or it has just overripened for us to eat.  It will certainly be a treat for the birds and the squirrels!  I don’t mind as I have a live and let live attitude.  However, Mom, is of a different mind!  This year, since we netted the tree, Mom is of a more sharing mind.  She received all she wanted plus some as a result and she is willing to share what is left with the neighborhood animals. 

At any rate, the ladder was set and after a quick look to see what awaited me, up the ladder I went.  As expected, most of the fruit was overrippened but there were still a few left.  Those I did take an placed them in the basket.  I saw the gathering crowd of curious robins and sparrows as I started to remove the net.  All I can say, I certainly made sure that the fruit was left alone!  That darn net was secured pretty well and I have myself to thank for it!!

The task took a couple of hours to remove as the leaves and some branches managed to grow through the netting.  It is ok but I had to take great care not to injure the tree.  I hate breaking branches and leaves-I feel as if I am hurting the tree.  This was a job that took 3 people to net the tree but it was only I who was taking it down.  I did feel a little overwhelmed but the job did get done with some creativity.  hehehehe….I had secured one of Moms long stakes for her plants and I used it to manuver the net over the top of the tree.  I took care not to bend over too far as the pool was on the other side of the wrought iron fence.  I would definitely be hurting before I would hit the water!  Did I mention I hate bugs????   ewww…I do!!! Friendly spiders were in the tree along with a few ants and nothing more.  Still, I am not a fan of bugs! 

The net was taken off and I was pretty proud of myself!  No holes in the net and we can re-use it again next year!  That made me feel good as I know that Mom was a big fan of recycling what we had.  Now the ladder is put away, the netting is rolled and stowed away and the fruit is in the huge utility sink ready to be washed, dried and set out to be eaten.  Pretty busy morning to start out with I would say!

Now it is time for me.  I am off to the shower to wash off the bugs, sap, juice, scratches and sweat produced by the removal of the net and the harvesting of the last peaches!!

Welcome to the first day of June!!