Peach Love

 We're off and running on a very busy week. Lots going on. Company for dinner, apricot jam to make, packing prep to do (ah, the ever-present), visitors to get ready for, friends to visit, a Bible study to lead (yipes!) and heaven knows what quantities of laundry. 

In amidst all of the business we keep stopping to eat another peach. We've been peach picking, see and all of three lugs of peaches are spread out in our kitchen, ripening slowly on our counter-top. We're waiting for that sensitive point when more peaches will be ripe than green or mushy brown. Its a special balancing act and to avoid the brown ones you have to eat a few as you go, lest they over ripen in the meantime, see? Such a delicious business. I do like peaches. They're my Papa's favorite and I sure think of him every single time I rub a velvet fruit between my cupped hands and then eat it leaning over the sink to drip the sunset juice down the drain. 

Next stop, peach canning!

The Garden

by Shel Silverstein

Ol' man Simon, planted a diamond,
Grew hisself a garden the likes of none.
Sprouts all growin', comin' up glowin',
Fruit of jewels all shinin' in the sun.
Colors of the rainbow,
See the sun and rain grow
Sapphires and rubies on ivory vines,
Grapes of jade, just
Ripenin' in the shade, just
Ready for the squeezin' into green jade wine.
Pure gold corn there,
Blowin' in the warm air,
Ol' crow nibblin' on the amethyst seeds.
In between the diamonds, ol' man Simon
Crawls about pullin' platinum weeds.
Pink pearl berries,
All you can carry,
Put 'em in a bushel and
Haul 'em into town.
Up in the tree there's
Opal nuts and gold pears –
Hurry quick, grab a stick
And shake some down.
Take a silver tater,
Emerald tomater,
Fresh plump coral melons,
Hangin' in reach.
Ol' man Simon,
Diggin' in his diamonds,
Stops and rests and dreams about
One... real... peach.