4:55 p.m. - 2003-09-01
Chestnuts
The first chestnuts are in. I just found five ripe ones in the yard, still encased in their spiny-tennis-ball-like shells. This is a moment I've been dreading, because Bruce and I decided that, sadly, we must do something mean.
We have decided to post "No Trespassing" signs, and not let the Oriental Ladies come pick the chestnuts this year.
The reasons for this are multiple. If it were just Yun Chan, the Korean lady with the tiny waist, we would be somewhat more inclined to give in. However, we had at least ten other people tramping around our yard last year, some of whom didn't even ask permission before laying waste to the spider lilies that live under the chestnut.
At one point a van pulled up, and about five Koreans jumped out with buckets, ready to get every last chestnut. And then there were the three women that Bruce found at seven one morning when he was leaving for work, madly shaking the tree to try and get more chestnuts down.
It was just out of control. At the end of the season we realised we had not gotten more than ten chestnuts out of the hundreds that fell, the pickers had left all the spiny shells all over the yard for us to clean up, and our spider lilies were wrecked. Not only that, but the previous owner told us they had seen people actually climb the tree, scary because the branches don't look sturdy. If someone falls, our homeowner's insurance will go sky high.
So the "NO Trespassing" signs went up, along with a handpainted little sign that explains we are no longer allowing chestnut harvesting.
I feel like a creep.
This does mean, however, that we, our friends, and most importantly, the local wildlife, will be able to feast on chestnuts this year. The few we managed to hang on to last year were delicious, sort of like butternut squash.
It looks like we'll have pecans this year as well. Last year the tree punted out, but I fertilised it this year and it seems to be gearing up for some good sized nuts. We've also got a pretty good tomato crop, and lots of herbs, despite the soil needing amendment. It's very exciting.
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