I am not a girly-girl. I’ve never treated myself to a manicure, I have less interest in shoes than most men, and my blow dryer last saw action several months ago when I removed one those flashy stickers some companies like to plaster all over their products. And yet.
And yet I am all about rainbows and butterflies and chirping birds and, yes, flowers. Not on t-shirts or binders or anything plastic and decorative, you understand. Just in reality, in this dimension.
Which is why I’m loving this summer so very much. Flowers are everywhere, blatantly growing and spreading and blooming. Three volunteer rosebushes sprouted in my vegetable garden, globe mallows are sweeping up and down the hillsides, and wild irises are grinning like lunatics in the mountain sunshine. It’s an obscene rainbow of blossoms carpeting everything outside of town except the rocks and asphalt. It’s like the Disney Channel, except no princesses.
What’s great about flowers, beyond the fact that they are nice-looking and they usually smell good and they stand still when I try to take pictures of them, is that they make no pretense whatsoever. They are all about the pollination, their petals and perfumes and colors brashly yelling, “Come and get it!” to any passing insects. It’s hard not to admire such honesty, especially when packaged so prettily.
Alas (if one can use such a word in 2009) this year the ridiculous abundance that overtook the local flowership completely skipped every fruit tree I know and love. Our neighbor’s apricot, which hangs halfway into our backyard, always produces enough to make any self-respecting fruit-lover sick to her stomach. This year, though? Only leaves. The plum tree? Nothing. Peaches? Not a one.
Only the Bing cherry in our front yard deigned to bring forth anything remotely edible – lots and lots of gorgeous cherries, swinging merrily in the early summer breeze. No doubt they were delicious, too. I wouldn’t actually know, you see, since the birds cleaned off the branches exactly one day before I planned my harvest. They did look yummy, though, plump and juicy and deep, sweet red.
Hrm. Now that I think about it, I take back what I said above about liking birds. Greedy little suckers. Flowers, though. Those I still adore. And rainbows and butterflies, of course. And once our trees start making fruit the way God and the garden center that sold them intended, I’m sure I’ll start liking them again, too. Check back next July, and I’ll let you know.
Obligatory flower photo. This one’s in our front yard.
You are so right about the flower explosion this year. Even I managed to grow a few!
@Laura – That’s awful! Not only did they take out your fruit, but the entire trees, too? As for Alvor, I have your address.
@Thanks, Natasha. I actually did that a long time ago, but I think the topic of this post just makes them more noticeable. Hope summer shows up soon for you. It’s already July – you should be roasting!
@Mama Zen – That’s wonderful! Aren’t they beautiful?
Lol, yes, they do stand still when you’re taking the picture, and whenever a breeze comes into play, it’s not their fault. =)
To Caryn,
Thank you for visiting my blog and for leaving a thoughful comment. It made me feel better when I read it. When I come across a book reviewing request and find I won’t be able to give them a good review, especially if the author themself is requesting it, I politely decline. For the latest book I had reviewed, I thought I would enjoy it, but certains things go turned around. Thank you for sharing your experience. =)
Pretty pic, Caryn. And the fruit trees in our neighborhood are gaily decorated with fake owls and long reflective strips–so at least people get to eat a little of the fruit!
Caryn, your photography is stunning! I *love* the photo you posted. Gorgeous. Wishing you blooming fruit trees in the future, bearing varieties of all your favorites…
I’m not a girly girl either, but flowers? Those I adore. Thanks for visiting!
@Linda – Yes, but those breezes are definitely a pain! They always come up just when I’m getting ready to snap the picture. Such timing!
@Conda – Thanks! And I love the idea of the fake owls and reflective strips. I may have to do something like that next year.
@Marilyn – Thanks so much. And here’s hoping your good thoughts for us come true. My husband just announced that he wants an orchard, so maybe that will increase our odds some?
@Abby – So I’m not alone there? Excellent. 😀
Ah, nature. As soon as you plan one thing, she throws a flowering monkey wrench in your way. If the results weren’t so beautiful, it’d be rude.
Yay! Another chick who’s never had a manicure. I don’t feel so bad anymore. 🙂 And nothing turns my head faster and makes me stop in mid-stride to take a second to admire butterflies and gorgeous flowers.
Aww, so sorry about your cherries. Damn birds. What happened to the other fruit trees?