You have to accept summertime is nearing a close when the branches of your trees are heavy laden with fruit and a few of them tumble to the ground. I love observing each species and watch with anticipation as warmer weather triggers the show. From the budding leaves to the blooms and onward to the fruit multiplying and taking on colour to maturity.

My cherry trees started off this wonderful season bursting forth with elegant blossoms. Without fail, the birds appear and the race is on to see who can glean the most cherries. Thank goodness for tools like the cherry picker, that allow me to parlay a greater share and even the odds more against my feathered friends.

Nearby, gnarly looking trunks of grapevines emerge with leaves overnight. Soon tendrils reach out for support of anything to coil themselves around. Excitement rises within me as I spy the flower clusters maturing into little grapes. I relish my time spent sitting in my hammock chair wrapped up in the grandeur of seeing nature at work. A plum tree is just beyond my front door. Witnessing the plums enlarging and finally ripening to a beautiful purple, suddenly enhances the task of mowing the lawn. A sweet treat awaits each pass I make. (I can down 4-6 plums each time I mow!)

Meanwhile the pears are starting to take shape and before long it is obvious which ones are Anjou or Bosc. Later when the pears start to drop, my palate starts to water in anticipation of one more scrumptious fruit.

Not to be left out, my McIntosh apples join the race. This year they are flourishing and thriving like no other year. Striving to gather in the bumper crop, I found myself grazing on a few. One snack led to another and soon I could justify a few more as I realized lunch had passed me by. Nothing tops homegrown fruit. Though I feel a little daunted at the task ahead (envision a few hundred apples), I know I will be smiling this winter when I have a hankering for some apple crisp and can easily reach into the freezer for that pre-made bag of apples.

What a gift it is to live amongst such beauty and bounty! It is the simple things in life that make life worth living in my humble opinion. Come join me one night for apple crisp and see if you agree!