My Heart Beats Fast

The blossoms did it.  The sight of the fruit does it, too.  I'm nearly in a swoon.

The first of Things I get to do today is take my share of these beautiful cherries.  The birds have already gobbled the Bings from the central leader of the tree (it is grafted with five different cherries).  Next year I'm faster and smarter.  For now I have a photo on which my soul can feast and my heart can pick up speed.  I love this tree.

Race, heart, race.  Lapin Cherries.

Bing Bling

Sometimes the world loves a show off! Spring is that time. Perhaps the plant devas work over time in February and March to get ready for the extravaganza. Bling is all over my cherry tree.

Even if there are no cherries, the tree is worth having for the display. It's a grafted tree with four or five different cherries. Last year I ate two, not quite ripe, in a race with Nature and the jays and squirrels. This year there'll be protection over the small tree. For now, I'm reveling in their gaudy glitz.

Now You See Them, Now You Don't

Can't blame the birds really.  The cherries certainly look like the best fruit around.  I wondered if they were ripe enough.  Well, the birds spent no time in pondering that question.  They just dove right in,  big beaks and empty bellies.  Just minutes after this picture was taken, the cherries were gone.

Here's the full story.  The birds took a peck or two.  I knew they'd be back from more, so I hustled in and ate all the ones with peck holes in them.  We had a little race, the birds and I.  My besting them was front and center of the Things I get to do today.  The birds tested the ripeness.  I finished off whatever they said was ready.  There were six cherries on this branch.  That's this year's harvest.  Next year I'll have bird netting or a cat draped in the crotch of the tree.

Lapins.  Irresistible, indeed!