A pear to draw two #phenology

The back yard pear tree continues to uncover ripening fruit. Every other day or so, more often when the weather is cooler, we get visits from one or two of the local whitetails. Since we failed to keep the tree properly trimmed(?) or shaped(?) or whatever is the proper term, there are now quite a few pears out of reach of both humans and deer. The deer seem quite content with the quality of windfallen fruit. The family, not so much.

a pair of whitetail does at the backyard pear tree

Photo by J. Harrington

Once this current hot spell (82℉ at midday today) has broken, we'll take an empty paper bag and our patented pear picker on a long pole and harvest some for chutney or something. We had been moving into a full scale autumnal mode when the weather roller coaster climbed another tall temperature hill and set us back a half season or so. We suppose that's only fair, since it is still a week or so until equinox.

Meanwhile, the colors of the impending season continue to spread. Hummingbirds were seen at the feeder yesterday. Leaves are falling and we're looking forward to recovering from a heat-induced lethargy. Today's another CSA share pick up day, so we'll see what else is going on in the broader neighborhood. Stay tuned.

                     Green Pear Tree in September

By Freya Manfred

On a hill overlooking the Rock River

my father’s pear tree shimmers,

in perfect peace,

covered with hundreds of ripe pears

with pert tops, plump bottoms,  

and long curved leaves.

Until the green-haloed tree

rose up and sang hello,

I had forgotten. . .  

He planted it twelve years ago,

when he was seventy-three,

so that in September

he could stroll down  

with the sound of the crickets

rising and falling around him,

and stand, naked to the waist,

slightly bent, sucking juice

from a ripe pear.

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