Peachy

 I am learning all about fruit trees this year.  I have had my peach and apple tree for 3 years now, but I am just now figuring out how to take care of them.  My peach tree had a yield of about 5 peaches last year.  This year when I went to check on it there were hundreds of baby peaches on my tree.  I decided to peruse the internet to see how to care for it and if there should be that many peaches on the tiny branches. I found a cute video of a farmer explaining how to care for it.  I needed to thin out the branches, trim up my tree and spray it down to keep the insects from devouring my fruit.  It was pretty sad taking off all the peaches.  Look at that bowl full.  I still didn't take off as many as the guy said but I figured I would have more guts in a week or so when it would become even more obvious that there would not be room for the peaches to get nice and big because they were crowded.  I felt like I needed a little memorial for those baby peaches that never  got to reach their full potential.  So sad, but the others will thank me.

 I also decided to finally make use of my garden area.  I've half heartily tried a couple of times, but I am not good with plants.  I did get a ton of cherry tomatoes last year, but that was the only thing that survived.  This year we've got watermelon, cucumbers, 2 kinds of chili peppers, rhubarb, zucchini, red onions, basil, and some steak tomatoes.  We had some crazy wind that crisped up all my poor plants.  My heart broke again at my failed attempt at being a farmer.  But I babied them back to life and so far they seem to be perking back up.  Fingers are crossed.  I even got going on the insect treatment because it is really hard around here keeping the bugs away in addition to the bunnies.  Luckily only 1 or 2 a year manage to find their way through the fence and into my backyard.  My apple tree looked like it wasn't going to survive last years late snowfall after bloom.  My tree looked pathetic.  In fact it still doesn't look all that great (the one on the right)  But, it actually filled out and has 2 apples on it so far.  I got it sprayed down as well, so maybe my tree has come back from the dead.  Since I was going all farmer Heath this year I went all out and got a plum tree as well.  I just keep saying to myself, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can grow a successful garden.  :0)

We did completely loose a pretty mature tree in last years late snow fall.  It was identical to the one next to the big ole hole in the ground.  Even the tree that made it was 2x the size that it is now.  I had to cut half of it down because the branches had died.  When I was cutting them all off I just kept telling the tree I was sorry and that it was for its own good.  I felt like I was living out the analogy of the olive branch.  The other tree got the top cut off and then Nate got giddy at his plan to pull out the tree using the wench on the 4wheeler.   Even using the wench the boys had a bit of a time getting the tree pulled out and they lost some tread on the tires of the 4wheeler in the process, but they were successful and I'm sure felt like real men getting to yank that tree out of the ground.  I have a new tree being delivered today.  I got another mature tree (45 gallon) so I didn't have to loose too many years of growth.  We are going to chop the dead one up into smaller pieces to use as kindling for fire so all is not lost.