Cherry Pickin’

I said to the [cherry] tree,
Sister, speak to me of Beauty.
And the [cherry] tree blossomed.

–Nikos Kazantzakis

Since late March when the cherry trees around the village bust into an amazing display of white or pink blossoms, we have been waiting and watching for the payoff.

Well, the time has finally come and we’ve been stuffed with cherries, filled buckets, pie pans, and jam jars and there’s no end in sight.

The cherry harvest begins with an empty stomach perhaps. The tiny green nubs had ripened and darkened with the summer sun, and they were finally ready to be plucked from the branches that bore them to fulfill their higher destiny- or at least that which we deem them fit to pursue…

This year was an amazingly good year for cherries. They filled nearly every branch and hung heavy and juicy in clusters. It was such an amazing feeling being among them in the trees, with the birds chancing a taste, and the afternoon sun shining through the waxy leaves. The view from our trees looked out over the west, towards the setting sun over the river valley.

Darren’s family came out one afternoon and shared a wonderful picnic in the clover patch. After we’d finished our tea, we grabbed ladders and buckets and headed over to the orchard where the cherries were waiting. We picked a few large buckets, destined for cherry pies, confitures, and Jeneane’s freezer. It was amazing the amount of beautiful fruit that was at our disposal for so many wonderful things. The branches were full and heavy with ripe cherries and harvest required only reaching into the branches and plucking them by the handful. Buckets and stomachs were quickly filled (at least for the moment), while everyone dreamed of what sweet delicacies were planned for our spoils…

Later that night, I got to work on a very special project: The making of my very first Clafoutis.

Also, a few days later and trying to salvage what remained of the now over-ripe and bird eaten crop, I took my first try at some Confiture and Jelly Making.

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