The Apple Tree
We have a lovely little orchard apple tree tree in our backyard . Until last year , we ’ve only ever bewilder a handful of apples , but we ’re always overly excited about those few . Last summer , it was as if the horticulture deity were shining down upon us . Maybe it was our reinforcement for spend the several uncertain calendar month together in Covid lockdown as a home of six and not killing each other . Or perhaps it was Mother Nature ’s gift to give me a break on the produce bill with four kids run through us out of house and menage . Whatever the reason , when our apple tree flower with one million beautiful , flowery bud that mature into wanted baby apples , we felt like we had win the lottery .
Fast forward two calendar month . My husband , Scott , and I were sip our coffee one gorgeous summertime break of day on the patio . As chatted about my exciting plan for the day ( get a little committal to writing done before floating in the inflatable pool with my new library book and a margarita within reach ) , I noticed that he was no longer paying attending to my absorbing story . As he lour , I turn to see what was puzzling over . Then I see him : The tiniest , sweetest , cuddliest little squirrel with the fluffiest prat just hanging out in our orchard apple tree tree like a new backyard roomie .
“ Well , he ’s endearing , ” I say .
“ You do n’t call up he ’s going to mess with our orchard apple tree , do you ? ” my husband asked .
“ I doubt it , ” I pronounce with absolute certainty . “ And even if that cutie eats one or two , we have like over a hundred apples this class . ”
Friends , you know , and I recognize now this is where the report takes a turn for the worse . The next good morning , my husband was n’t sitting at our patio mesa having his deep brown . Instead , he was under the apple tree shaking his clenched fist and hollering a chain of profanity .
“ The squirrel just took a chomp of an apple and threw it on the ground ! I watched him with my own orb , and I ’m pretty certain he did it on purpose ! ” my husband yell and held up the apple as substantiation . sure enough enough , there were two tiny squirrel bites on the side of an otherwise perfect jaundiced apple .
“ But it ’s just the one , right ? ” I offered naively .
The next cockcrow , several more ruined apples repose on the ground , and my husband was livid . The observe morning , even more . But the 4th day , he was ride at the table , a self-satisfied smile on his face and a pile of squirrel - nibbled apples threatening to roll off the table . My hubby ’s center narrowed as he star down his nemesis perched in the tree . slow he attain out for a piece of contaminated fruit and sunk his own tooth into it . It was at this point that I noticed the voltaic pile of orchard apple tree Congress of Racial Equality pile on the table .
“ Are you eating the squirrel orchard apple tree ? ” I expect , horrified at what diseases he could catch from doing this .
“ You bet I am . I ’m not permit these go to waste , ” my husband said , taking another grown bite and glaring at the squirrel who could not care less .
friend , this is the point where I had to Google " Can my hubby get rabies from sharing an orchard apple tree with a wild squirrel ? " . Thankfully , the answer is no . In fact , rodent rarely get rabies , which was news to me . And now it ’s a little fact you could carry in your pocket too .
Happy horticulture !
When Jamie is n’t try out to keep her family awake , you could come up her curled up with a good book and a glass of wine-colored sham she ca n’t get wind her four kids and husband expect what ’s for dinner party .
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