Nature's Bounty

I have been picking raspberries, which are one of my favorite fruits, ranking up there with apricots. I start the season enjoying strawberries, which are nothing like the large crunchy ones sold in stores, and they are delightful, but as soon as the raspberries are ready the strawberries are almost abandoned. I have a cane patch about 6 feet by 2 feet - not all that large, but I have been picking a bowl or two each day for several weeks now, and no end in sight. They are like little jewels hiding in the leaves and each time I pick I think I have done so thoroughly, then lo and behold as I am walking by later I see another...and another.

My peach tree is just beginning to produce, and since it is in the front several of the neighbors are hoping to get some. You could write a book about the neighbors on this street, they are quite interesting, in an odd way !! The neighbor who abuts my back garden on the west side (a rental) hates anything growing. He systematically goes down the passageway between our properties and cuts back everything that hangs over from my side, forcing it all over the fence in piles on top of my plants. He just removed a large branch from my plum tree, that grew above the fence and dared to be on 'his' side. It was covered with about 15 almost ripe organic plums. That was hurled over the wall too. I sneaked a look over the fence and the only thing growing in his fairly large back yard is a rather unhappy rubber tree plant in a pot. The rest is just bare earth. I took this man in dislike after he moved in. He is big, burly and bullying. He got a puppy which was left in the yard all day and evening on it's own. I went over one evening to ask if he could make sure the dog did not bark and yowl after 9.30 p.m. The man was working on his car in the garage, so I introduced myself and then said, in a nice way, "Your dog has been barking a lot..." Before I could say another word he threw down the tool he was holding and raced up the stairs to his apartment, shouting "I'll fix him". I cried out, "Oh, no, please," but he was gone. I presume the dog got a good beating. I never complained again. There seems to be a baby over there the last 8 months, but I never hear it cry or make any noises. I have just seen the mother carrying it in and out to the car. Makes you wonder !?

In the front there is no divider between the properties and since his is the back apartment you would think he'd have no interest in it, but no. He rips off any branches that dare to set limb across the dividing line, leaving jagged tears (at least in the back the other day he used clippers) and every flower has been torn out. Fortunately there are steep stairs about 2 feet away, and so the area of bare earth leading downhill to the street (about 10 yards) is not too noticeable. Before he moved in I had planted California poppies there, since the owner of the rental uses the property only for income and has no interest in it otherwise. People are very strange, but also quite interesting.