Sunday, July 21, 2013

Harvest Time

High in the tree
I'm filled with glee
The little masked bandits
Have left them for me!

My electric fence was completely effective and that during-the-night scream that I'd so looked forward to didn't happen, at least I didn't hear it but I have been sleeping quite sound these last nights.  We have two small cherry trees and as you can see here, our pesky deer neighbors had been trimming the lower branches before I put the fence up.  I'm an Electric Fencer from way back, but that long acquired skill has been in keeping cattle, horses, sheep and (sometimes) goats contained.  After daily inspections, one morning it was obvious something had tangled with this current fence and left two wires crisscrossed.


Last year, the night before we planned to harvest, the racoons showed up to foil our plans.  I had heard a commotion outside as they were feasting so went out to investigate.  Mom and her 4 babies were high in one of the trees, breaking branches and falling from one to the next as they completely gleaned the cherries.  I don't mean some or even most, they made EVERY single red fruit disappear.  Those cherries that escaped their jaws maybe fell to the ground but there was nothing left in the tree.  It isn't like we can't, probably more cheaply, go and buy some frozen cherries.  It is as much or more about the fat little buggers ruining our two trees.

 My view from up high......



It didn't take me long to get my old cherry-picking touch back but that's only with my right hand.  I'm just not ambidextrous enough to do a good job with my left.  Just when I think it's working, that hand goes rogue and there's no telling what it will come back with.  So, Left Holds Branches, Right Grabs Fruit.

I'm in the 2nd tree today and it seems that listening to Antonia, James and Cafe Del Mar is helping my cause greatly, possibly even making me a better left handed picker.  We froze 5# of cleaned and pitted little red ones last night and the 2nd tree will yield that much or more.  Lots of work but fun too!




10 comments:

  1. Oh THAT'S what you meant by "big beast or little one"...d'oh!

    Nice last photo. Those are some real soakers in the background. We just now got hit with a healthy downpour, but nothing enduring.

    Ummm. Lovely cherries. Check this out: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2013/07/cherry-mess-recipe/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was playing with you; the big beast won this round. We had showers on and off today, had been predicted, then retracted, then they happened for real. It's been a great day for picking between showers and pitting/freezing afterwards. Now beautiful outside, breezes are refreshing and the fruit is getting preserved.

      The fence is back on....I guess until the fruit I couldn't reach or chose not to pick rots and becomes distasteful to the little beasts. It will sure be nice to not look out and see branches broken.

      I had never heard of messes before and it looks like I've been missing out, thanks for the link!

      Delete
  2. Nice looking cherries. How many trees do you have?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Richard. Two, relatively beat up trees. We have about 5# of frozen fruit from each tree.

      Delete
  3. Had to smile when I saw the photo of your electric fence. Looks like you have a strand very close to the ground, maybe for the pesky racoons you mentioned. My Dad was an electric fence stringer as well and he once put a very low electric fence around my Moms' flower garden to keep chickens fron scratching and laying in the cool dirt.

    Looks like your plan worked this year and the yield looks might good!

    ReplyDelete
  4. There is one wire just above the grass and another one 2 T-post savings above that. I added a 3rd wire at knee height to dissuade the deer from nibbling too.

    An update to yield.....we have 16 1# bags in the freezer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Auto-correct bit me once again....
      "2 T-post spaces above that"

      Delete
  5. Harvest Time, already. Looks mouthwatering. I love cherries. Yumm!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. These aren't sweet cherries but they still smell wonderful and in pies and other baked goods, supreme. Peg looked up recipes to use the cherry pits (we lots of 'em) for a variation on balsamic vinegar that leaves a vanilla-ish flavor....we'll have to see.

      Delete
  6. I was always amazed anyone got any fruit off a tree between the insects, worms, and varmits. We had a pear tree where I grew up, but seldom got a pear. Up in my area there are now so many deer folks are having trouble growing flowers.

    ReplyDelete