Would You Look at That!!!

Granted this probably isn't that exciting to some of you who live in environments more conducive to this kind of thing... but hey, I'm excited!Tartarian Cherries

Not quite ripe Stella Cherries

The other day while out mowing, or some such chore, I happened to look up at the cherry trees. Wow, oh, wow! (exact words, yep) I couldn't believe all the almost ripe cherries hanging off the tree. I was quite thrilled and amazed. Then I meandered away from the tree and promptly forgot all about them. Suddenly tonight in the midst of taking pictures of lambs I remembered the cherries! I don't have any idea what the connection is--lambs---cherries--but at least I remembered. I grabbed a bucket and headed down to the tree. It had lots of ripe cherries hanging in beautiful red clusters. I went back and got a ladder. I ended up picking about 15 ounces of them. There are more, way, way up in the top. The birds have discovered them too, apparently. I wasn't too happy about that, but then the birds were decidedly ticked about me being there in 'their' tree too.

I don't know what it is about these cherries... but they seem so exotic! I mean picking my very own-just-like-in-the-store cherries is pretty special. There is also a story behind these trees. Back in 1995-96 I had to have my two lovely blue Merle Collie girls put to sleep within months of each other. They were 9 and 10 years old and it was horrible to lose them. Hanna was my first ever collie and she was the most perceptive dog I've ever known. And she was gorgeous. And she knew it. Mara was her half sister and was a Smooth. Mara was a complex and sensitive girl. They were my best buds and we had lots of adventures together. Mara developed bone cancer and Hanna congestive heart failure. It was a terrible time.

The next Spring I wanted to do something to remember them by. I ordered two cherry trees and planted them near their graves. This Spring the trees are 11 years old, and this is the first real crop they've produced. Over the years each tree has had a few cherries here and there, but usually they get frozen back. This year though--this year they are glorious! Mara's Tree is the one currently loaded with ripe cherries. It is a Tartarian Cherry (I think that is correct). The cherries are very tart. Any ideas for their use? Hanna's Tree will have fewer cherries, but they are larger and slower to ripen. It is a Stella Cherry.

Such a lovely treat!