Full Steam Ahead
The orchards are alive with activity. The bees are busy delving into the peach blossoms, forcing their bodies between petals barely open and emerging with their pollen sacks bulging. They especially like the wild plums whose perfume wafts across the farm on the breeze. Max has planted the kitchen garden. Today we’ll plant new blackberries and mow the alleys in the vineyard. Grape pruning is next and apple grafting is soon.
The Pheasants are strutting and crowing; Mallards have returned to the pond where Red Winged Blackbirds have taken up residence in the bull rushes; Meadow Larks serenade. Yesterday Wink had a FOS sighting of a Kestrel. FOS is birdwatcher jargon for “first of season”: We’re enjoying becoming steeped in birder-lore since we joined Black Canyon Audubon and decided to open the farm to birdwatchers for a couple of special events. (Check the web site for details). Matt is moving into our worker housing and will be helping us this summer and through the harvest.
The peach orchard shows a brighter pink every day; apples are greening and beginning to show a hint of red. All this color is highlighted against the high mountains still white in snow. Cautiously, the old timers agree that the danger of a killing frost isn’t past until May 10. But with the current succession of bluebird days and temps ranging from 40s to 70s it’s hard to envision the need to crank up the wind machines again. Knock on wood. Our fruit survived the cold snaps of the last month better than we had hoped and, so far, we’re looking forward to a full harvest. So it’s full steam ahead.