Way Up There

  My hikes around the hillside during late October and early November always follow a path along the east side near the marsh.  It is there that I can grab a snack to enjoy along the way.  A small grove of wild persimmon trees has sprouted up in the past ten years or so.  Years ago, there was only one tiny tree but discarded seeds has turned the area into a regular orchard!  The quarter-sized fruit are divine!  It is my habit to grab a handful of fruits to enjoy while I hike. Yep, I eat them straight from the tree...without washing...probably not the smartest idea but it is the tastiest way to eat them.  The large penny-sized seeds are spit out along the path which is how this grove came to be in the first place.

  This afternoon was a bit distressing, however.  My snack consisted of only four persimmons.  The coons, possums and I have cleaned the lower limbs of the tree.  I would need to carry a tall ladder if I wish to harvest any more of the golden droplets of sweet goodness.  I cringed as I saw that the only remaining persimmons dangled a good twenty feet above my head.  They were well out of reach but were gleaming in the beams of the setting sun.  What a disappointment!

  My despair was short lived, however as I found a new snack vendor along the path!  November sees the ripening of the satsumas so by taking a few twists and turns, I am assured another quick, healthy snack.  The old dog is not complaining of this change of scenery either.  Mr. PJ is always interested in new sights and smells!