Mystery solved

Good job, Cathy! The G's have it. Fresh from the farmers market.


While I was wheels-deprived, Extreme Makeover Home Edition was building a new home in Tallahassee. The reveal was last Friday, the day I finally got my car back. On Saturday afternoon, I thought I'd see if I could sneak a peek at the place. Unfortunately, the road was still blocked. Apparently, they were having a big party that night.

Just a few blocks away is one of my favourite 'snack stops'. Ali's Strawberry Shakes & Farmers Market. The pics, the last one in particular, might give you an idea why I like it. 8-]

Orange

FC's post today made me think of my childhood home. I grew up in a very small town in the Tampa Bay area. Our tiny neighbourhood was surrounded by orange groves. My father picked oranges and my mother packed them. When I was old enough, I'd go straight to the packing house after school and 'help'. It just broke my heart the first time I went home after they tore down that packing house. *sigh* The groves, of course, were long gone before I even got out of elementary school.

We used to run barefoot through the groves, oblivious to the wonder of our environment. (Didn't everybody live in a place like this?) Nothing like a big juicy orange fresh from the tree. Sometimes we'd peel and eat them on the spot. I particularly enjoyed peeling a small circle at the top, then cutting out a small wedge where we'd suck out the juice as we squeezed with all our might. Aaaaahhhhh!!!!!

Back then, we saw orange groves just about everywhere we went in Florida. (We very rarely went north.) So many have been plowed under to make way for high-rise apartments and shopping malls. And Dismal World. >:\ Oh, they're out there, but for how much longer? And would we dare set foot in one?

my cousin's place

For a little history of the citrus industry in Florida click here.

Hog or chickasaw plums?

Our plum trees are really loaded this year. I've always assumed they were hog plums, but there might be other varieties out there. The flowers did appear a bit different on some of the trees. I keep forgetting to take cuttings with me when I go to town so I can ask the extension agent.

Most of the fruits are green yet.


There are a few just about ripe.

Hopefully, the plum curculios won't find them and the birds will leave some for us. According to the Texas Native Plants Database, they produce 'heavy crops of fruit only every 3 or 4 years', so it's pretty much now or never. So far, I haven't found much in the way of recipes, but I'll keep looking as long as there are plums to be picked.