Every year it happens - sometimes it is better than others. It is nature and we have no control. We get to sit back and think about it. Wait for it. Wonder how it will be this year. The anticipation is half the fun.
What is it? It is the blooming of the old orchard that sits to the south of our farmhouse. It was planted probably 40 years or more.
It hasn't been pruned or cared for properly in over 25 years. It is wild and unruly. Trees have been uprooted and lay on their sides. The orchard now is a shady place for our sheep to graze and wait out the heat of the summer.
Every other year, the orchard puts on a show. It has reverted back to a wild status - thus the every other year flat-out gorgeous show. It usually happens the second week of May --give or take a few days.
And then one day, the little white flowers pop out with the heat. I look out the porch windows and see the sea of white lollipop shaped trees from the window. It is stunning.
If I have time, I bring my camera out and go for a walk with the dogs to catch the blooms in a photo or two. The blossoms are fleeting. They are only open for about 3 days before they start to fall to the ground and are replaced by green leaves.
Sadly, the orchard's show is over for this year. We will wait for the bounty of apples that it may bear in the fall. The sheep will enjoy the shade during the hot summer days.
Until next year - thank you Mother Nature for the show.
3 comments:
This reminds me of the pear orchard on my grandmother's property. Thanks for taking me back to my childhood!
I was born in England but have lived in the US since I was 10, with an almost four year stint there when my youngest was 9. The best memory from my childhood, and my more recent sojourn in the UK, was the gorgeous spring blossoming trees. Often they perfumed the air. When the petals let go it snowed pink and white softness, in profusion. Sometimes the wind whipped the petal bounty into dancing patterns. As a child, and as an adult, I always found it absolutely entrancing! It's the biggest thing I miss about living here.
--elizaduckie
I grew up next to a small apple orchard in Charlton MA, and spring and fall were always such magical times. I need to bring my own children to experience the outdoors much more, thanks for the reminder!
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