The pears were ready to pick so we picked them (the kids did most of the work) before it got too hot. I was smiling the whole time thinking about how we beat the white-faced hornets to them, not to mention the opossums that were visiting the tree on a nightly basis.
Our tree is a standard pear tree and is very tall. I wanted every single pear on the tree but there was no way to get all the pears on the top branches. Of course the ones we weren't able to get are the ones that look the biggest and juiciest of all....oh well. I will have to settle for the 2 1/2 bushels we did get.
Sometimes (well, most of the time) farm work is not very glamorous. It can be hot, sweaty, muscle aching, and back-breaking work. It is also rewarding to some people but not to all people. For the most part, we like being able to tend and put up the food that we grow but occasionally a wistful thought crosses my mind. What would it be like to drop everything and head out to the beach for a week and not worry about animals being fed and milked? Then I remind myself that it would be a temporary gratification that only lasted as long as the vacation whereas the animals and garden bring gratification that is a lot more long lasting. Especially in the winter when you pull out the fruits of our labor and enjoy a satisfying treat that you grew, harvested, and put up with you own hands.
So I guess I had better go check the pears and see if they are ready to be made into Spiced Pears, Canned Pears, and Pear Sauce.
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