I’m up early (as is my tendency) after a decent night’s sleep (hoorah!), and I’m heading over to Vancouver Island to visit with friends. Yes, having only just having recovered my voice after a five-day bout of laryngitis, I’m placing myself in absolute jeopardy of losing it again–all those conversations I’m looking forward to– but it’s going to be worth it. . .
And if I’m left whispering and gesturing incoherently by the middle of the week, at least I can communicate by writing and sketching, as in these journal pages. (I suppose I’ll have to get much quicker at it though!)
This is one of two adjoining pages from my illustrated journal — the theme of the two pages being Fruit, and more particularly, Fruit Harvested from our Container-Grown Trees.
To the left of the page is a sketch of the last apple from our Scarlet Sentinel tree. The text below it says, Paul found the last of the Scarlet Sentinel apples today, fallen into a niche between the containers.
Across the bottom of the page, I’ve written, Then later, walking to mail a letter, I spied these two, and more, fallen from an old tree in a neglected yard. And suddenly remembered the gold-green, free-fallen apples Joel [my year-younger brother] and I would pluck off the ground at the house just above Kingsway/12th Street on the north side of 7th Avenue — on our way to the Library or Swimming Pool.
Musing off that journal page, I remember that those apples were sweeter than the Transparent apples growing on our backyard tree, the ones my mom made into applesauce and apple pies and Apple Betty (aka Brown Betty aka Apple Crisp). . . And I remember that most of the back yards in our neighbourhood had at least one fruit tree. . . .
To the right of the page, written parallel to the book’s spine: Those apples ripened much earlier than our Scarlet Sentinels, and they’d nestle on the ground among the magically golden stamens of the Hypericum (St. John’s Wort).
You can’t tell from my photo, but the red apples I found scattered over the ground were bug-bitten and decaying — that’s a little worm peeking out of the top apple, as I’ve written alongside. . . .
In the middle of the page, writing top down, I’ve thought about apples my own kids picked up:
There were a few places on Protection Island with old, neglected apple trees — Megan & Zach picked one or two up, I believe. But I wonder if any kids would bother much now. . .
Because I have a ferry to catch (walk; Skytrain; bus), I’ll save the second Fruit page for next post. I’ll leave you with a recent OOTD (Outfit of the Day) post, and I’ll ask you what memories you might have of free falling fruit; whether you see any around you these days; whether or not you’d pick up a piece to taste or to take home and use; whether, perhaps, you know of Gleaning projects in your community that take advantage of such bounty.
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I wore this outfit on Saturday — a brilliantly sunny fall day, blue skies, fire-coloured leaves wafting to the ground everywhere, and crisp enough (high of 15 C/59F) that I tucked a short-sleeved black merino mock-turtleneck under my linen jumpsuit, worn with my beloved new pink Oxfords. I twin-setted with my black cashmere cardigan, and grabbed a scarf as I headed out the door, just in case. Didn’t need it, though, during our stroll through our favourite garden centre (picked up a couple of pots of burgundy ‘mums and a maidenhair fern for a shady spot–inspired by an arrangement I saw at Lisa’s week before last.) . . . Nor while we sat on a sunny terrace at a new-to-us (and very good) Vietnamese restaurant in our neighbourhood. . . .Nor when we joined my sister and brother-in-law who’d made an impromptu visit to a craft-beer brewery just down the street. . . .
Still, I’m hunting out my gloves — we have another week of sunshine ahead, apparently, but the thermometer is dipping lower each evening. . . . soon I’ll have to wear tights, or at least socks, with those Oxfords. That pink is not going to warm me enough much longer. . .
Okay, running now. And looking forward to reading your comments later. . . Happy Monday!
Love those pink oxfords and your sketching continues to go from strength to strength. Apple collecting is a particular delight at this time of year. My Apple tree was a bit meagre this year but the apples were slightly less eaten so several pies and apple sauce have been made. Quite often we will go out walking along the country lanes and find kind people have left out baskets of windfalls for passers by to help themselves. I’ve got into the habit of carrying a thin collapsible bag in my pocket just in case. Enjoy your visit and good luck with the voice. B x
I love that idea of leaving out baskets of windfalls! That's very much the spirit that prevailed on the little island where I used to live — divisions of plants would often be put out laneside for whomever might want to dig them in to their garden.
Not much fruit harvested off our cherry or (dying) plum tree. The birds tend to get to the cherries first and then fly a little wonkily after they eat just a few too many.
Ha! That makes me think of the Roald Dahl story with the drunk-pheasant poaching
Your question recalled time when a child and delighting in the bounty of a neighbour's Italian prune plum tree in the autumn. My brother, sister and I would freely help ourselves to the beautiful purple plums, filling a hat sometimes with the deliciously tart and juicy fruit. We never saw the neighbour but I think they must have spied us during our raids to and from school. I hope they appreciated our enthusiastic theft.
I find myself nowadays considering fruit left on a tree as a treat for the birds, fallen for the deer, wild turkeys and coyotes in our area. Now, if there was an Italian prune plum tree around here I might not be so generous!
Wonderful — worth staining the occasional hat with that juice!
Funny that urban birds, at least, don't seem to bother too much with fruit left on trees. And in the parts of the city and its suburbs that border forested areas, there's always a concern about attracting bears, , , In fact, I've heard of one small town that's encouraged chopping-down of fruit trees if the owner isn't committed to harvesting fruit effectively, for the express purpose of avoiding bear problems. All kinds of indications there of the ways we've mangled our relationship with food, animals, Nature, etc.
We had an apple tree growing up and mom made the best apple pies…her pastry was really delicious. When we moved into our Humble Bungalow there was a heritage King apple tree that kept us and most of our family and friends in apples until almost springtime. Sadly the tree died and we replaced it with two dwarf apple trees but they were infested with caterpillars before we noticed and so our crop this year was quite small…have fun on your Island jaunt!
It's amazing to me how prolific these dwarf fruit trees can be, in comparison to those heritage trees we all seemed to know from childhood back yards.. . .
We had one of those transparent apple trees when I was growing up. My mum is a no pastry/pie type so we had apple crisp/crumble/Brown Betty and apple sauce. In fact, I have a brown crockery casserole that my grandmother used to use for Brown Betty. You are becoming an artist. I'm off to the Writers' Festival for 3 days . It's a good time because Monsieur is in what apparently his fourth week of pneumonia. I'm not a good nurse. Enjoy your island time.
Ha! I'm the worst nurse myself (at least, I think I was pretty good with my kids, but not so much with my husband;-)
That crockery casserole is a treasure — lucky you!
Enjoy the Writer's Festival — I didn't get organised in time this year.
There are apple trees growing near us and when I see fruit on the ground, I'll inspect it and put it in my pocket. There are also abandoned trees that we used to collect apples from, but now we get enough from our own trees.
While out boating the last weekend of August, we discovered trees loaded with plums on one of the small islands. Most were too green to enjoy, but I'd love to return some year when they are ripe. So much fruit grows unbidden here.
Enjoy your time on our Island!
I love finding those old fruit trees, especially magical on the islands. I recognized a few again by Nanaimo's boat basin this last visit — they carry so much history of earlier settlers. Those plum trees of yours — what hope they would have meant. . .
I've never been a fruit person! But I like to see the squirrels climb our native plum shrub, they are so happy with what they find. I do love those oxfords.
I'm always entertained by squirrels, so a tree that attracts and nourishes them — especially if I didn't care much for the fruit myself — would be great! (If any find their way up onto our rooftop to pilfer figs or apples, though, the affection is at risk!
Your journal is a gem!
This year is a very good for apples here-we have a lot of them…we always had fruit trees ( and both my grandparents,too ) so only joy outside one's orchard, was to pick wild blackberries while hiking in the hills near my friends seaside cottage-they were delicious,as well as the jam I've made
Enjoy with your friends
Dottoressa
In a meadow not very far from my home (about 20 minutes by bike) there grow apples, pears, plums and mirabelles. Every year I plan to go and collect some fruit for pies or cake, and every year I am late and somebody else has carried away the bounty. I have met some of my competitors: elderly gentlemen with a turkish or arab background, equipped with big bags and the secure knowledge of the right moment. In a park closer to my house there are two big chestnut trees, but I have never found a single chestnut lying on the ground. Last year I came across a big arab speaking family harvesting the chestnuts in a way which showed much exerience, with long poles and blankets. Im glad when I see that fruit and nuts are not wasted. I also think that maybe this way people who have had to leave their homes find it easier to feel familiar in this city.
I’m very impressed with how your art work is progressing. Creating feeds an important part of our nature. Also, the oxfords are fabulous. I have a pair of indigo patent leather ones that make me feels as if I should click my heals.
Ali
Your journal is a rich treasure trove of your travels and your artistic progress! Love those pink oxfords. I found a soft, black, Italian pair in a second-hand shop that supports the American Cancer Society. A great cause and a great find!
A childhood memory takes me back into the branches of an apricot tree in the heat of a summer on my uncle's grapes-to-raisins farm in the Central Valley of California. Such sweetness! Once the grapes were harvested at their peak of sugar content, my cousins and I would sneak out at night and eat from the sun trays. I remember a few upset tummies, too! 🙂
Thanks for the memories!
Charlene H