We planted these dwarf apple trees about 25 years ago. They have never done much but have a very few stunted little apples on them, but this year they flowered and actually had a pretty good crop. There were even quite a few that escaped the notice of the bugs and came out very nice. The best thing about the apples this year though, is that the deer love them! I know deer do a lot of damage to gardens and shrubs but we havent really had a problem. At least twice a day two does and their fawns come out and fill up on apples. They have reached a level of comfort where they dont even run away if we are outside, they just kind of stand there and stare at us as they eat. I just love seeing them and I don't mind at all that they eat the apples, because we arent going to. I often wonder if we all understand how blessed we are to live in a country that has so much food and such prosperity that most of us have ornamental fruit trees that simply get eaten by animals or rot on the ground. I pass hundreds of trees like this every year in the fall and wonder what someone who was starving in a third world country would think if they were brought over and dropped in this green and lushly beautiful country. Places where there is nothing but dust on the ground, dirty water and no crops. I can't even imagine living in such a place. As we enter the harvest season, I will be thanking God for the bounty He blesses us with and I will be praying for and looking for ways to donate to charities for those less fortunate who can't imagine the bounty we have.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Apples and Blessings
We planted these dwarf apple trees about 25 years ago. They have never done much but have a very few stunted little apples on them, but this year they flowered and actually had a pretty good crop. There were even quite a few that escaped the notice of the bugs and came out very nice. The best thing about the apples this year though, is that the deer love them! I know deer do a lot of damage to gardens and shrubs but we havent really had a problem. At least twice a day two does and their fawns come out and fill up on apples. They have reached a level of comfort where they dont even run away if we are outside, they just kind of stand there and stare at us as they eat. I just love seeing them and I don't mind at all that they eat the apples, because we arent going to. I often wonder if we all understand how blessed we are to live in a country that has so much food and such prosperity that most of us have ornamental fruit trees that simply get eaten by animals or rot on the ground. I pass hundreds of trees like this every year in the fall and wonder what someone who was starving in a third world country would think if they were brought over and dropped in this green and lushly beautiful country. Places where there is nothing but dust on the ground, dirty water and no crops. I can't even imagine living in such a place. As we enter the harvest season, I will be thanking God for the bounty He blesses us with and I will be praying for and looking for ways to donate to charities for those less fortunate who can't imagine the bounty we have.
What a beautiful picture Kathy! And I love the content of the post. We do take our lives for granted don't we?
ReplyDeletePenny
P.S. Went back to the previous post to look at the toile curtains...love them!
What a treat! I think I would do the same thing; even though I love apple, I'd be willing to share in order to have such sweet visitors. We don't see much wildlife in the suburbs, beyond birds & feral cats :(
ReplyDeleteYour tea table is lovely; I enjoy Chai, too, & I really like the rose doily under the teapot!
Beautiful post Kathy. Sad as it is to say, I have never really thought about it this way. But after reading your post, I definitely will start! I cant imagine not living in this beautful country either!! I too love to watch the deer and bunnies and turkeys come into our yard, as well as the horses that live next door and the abundance of birds on my feeders. I couldnt imagine not having that managerie to watch daily. It truly makes me love my home even more! thank you so much for posting this and for opening my eyes this way. You truly are a blessing Kathy!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Amy
What a beautiful and thoughtful post! I often toss my stale bread under a tree in the back yard, and a family of deer, some squirrels, chipmunks and crows all vie for it! I sometimes wonder what starving people in other countries would think of that...
ReplyDeleteMary
Wonderful post Kathy! Your yard reminds me of ours as we have a mamma and her twin fawns eating from our trees too. :)
ReplyDeleteOnce I had the local homeless man walk down our road and he walked into our yard and picked a apple off the tree to eat and my heart broke. I told him any time he wanted a apple he could have one.
We really do take abundance for granted sometimes. Thank you for that gentle reminder.
*muah*
Michelle
One of my old teachers talked to my daughters Sunday School class last week and my daugher said to me later, "Mommy, did you know that we live in the RICHEST town in the world?" Of course, she meant "country" but it's true that we are RICH beyond what many other countries can even imagine. I often wonder if George Washington or someone from many years ago were to magically appear in this age, what would they think of us and the way we live. They would probably be frightened by all the gadgets, sick from all the processed food and ashamed of our lack of morals. Yet we call it progress. Blessings... Polly (p.s. nope, I'm still not giving up the computer or washer/dryer or my mixer!)
ReplyDeletekathleen, What is ti about apple trees? when we travel in MI in fall I just fel so at peace just driving around to all the apple groves, breathtaking! I love how your tea came out, especially the table cloth and doily, too cute! Take care, Lori
ReplyDeleteAmen! "Deuteronomy 15:7, 11
ReplyDeleteIf there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land."
My favorite new charity I recently saw on Oprah. It is www.kiva.org. You can make micro-loans to people in other countries, to help them develop their businesses. Then they pay you back at a later time.