Mid-summer harvest

Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Harvest commonly refers to grain and produce, but also has many other meanings. We refer to harvesting as the process of picking, plucking or collecting any part of any tree or plant for eating or daily use. I guess it excludes our biggest harvest by far – clippings from lawn mowing and grass from weeding!

Because the trees bear fruit at different times of the year, there will naturally be a number of mini-harvests instead of a major big one. Sunday 12 January 2014 was just one such mini-harvest: In our sights was the ripened crop on the plum tree (and, for another reason entirely) bounty suspended from the three lemon trees, like Christmas decorations in December.

Tyler hard at work (0567) stripping the lemon tree while Brynn was getting busy with her most favourite – the green beans growing near what will eventually become the jardin potager (the ‘kitchen garden’ in French).

I suspect that he has just let loose one of his famous sayings, judging by the look on the face!

Tyler worked industriously without belly-aching (which he always does, bless him – in stark contrast with so many other teenagers) and soon the laundry basket (0573) was half full with lemons – at least 10 or 12 kilos, and the trees were, so to speak, completely empty! Here he goes, taking the harvest to the kitchen for further processing – just not sure what process, though…

Around the same time, Brynn arrives (0574) with her Red Riding Hood basket. Luckily, there had been no wolf to interfere with her harvest. She completed the green beans and had already started on the plums near the Main Lawn.

Back at the harvest fields (at the plum tree), Brynn discusses (0579) intently ways and means to pick the plums, most of which are hanging from branches high up, w-a-y out of her reach.

Brother Tyler stretches up on tip-toe (0580) to reach the fruit on higher perches without too much effort, while sister Brynn stands by, and offers voluminous unwanted advice to the labourer.

Brynn’s basket (0583) is reasonably filled with a selection of produce, which she plans to take with her as sustenance at Pony Camp as from Monday 13th.

Tyler, bless his gumboots, will always come up with something to say: Let’s hope he stays this way: sometimes it is just a little frustrating, but it always has some sort of entertainment value and is always upbeat. Here he is (0584), perched somewhat precariously at the highest point in the plum tree, and out of the blue, has just quoted a line out of a Monty Python sketch, “Hey, I can see my house from here!”

Whilst the picking and harvesting the fruit, and looking at your house from the top of a tree may be over, Brynn still had piles of work for the rest of the afternoon, including juicing dozens of lemons. Here (0587) she makes a fruit joke while washing the crops before further processing. A huge Thank You to the young labourers. What a change from having to watch the telly!