Spring 2000 Newsletter
W A I T I N G F O R C H E R R I E S
What an extraordinary spring this is! We've had unusually warm, sunny days when you swear you can hear the fish jumping in the bay and the grass growing in the meadows. These are followed by cold crisp nights under a down comforter when there are too many stars to count. And the rain: the kind of rain we call a May Miracle. That's when it comes down in big, heavy drops and stains the trunks of the redwoods a deep, rich red-brown and finally turns them black and mysterious. It's a surprising time and it seems as if everything is waiting for something.
The does who graze around our place, daintily picking their way through the more succulent greens our surroundings offer at this time of year, are passing time -- their bellies bulging at odd angles, all legs and hooves inside. The first "bambies" follow like comet tails behind the new mothers, still insecure about skidding down a steep hill in their mothers' footsteps. Mothers barely stop to wait, impatient, knowing that the late rains are a blessing for them, that these times are a boon for their fawns, sensing that all too soon the grasses will turn brown with summer heat.
The hummingbirds swarm in huge clusters around our three-quart feeder, emptying it in a little more than a day. They are waiting for the babies that will soon fill their tiny moss nests. As my husband sits reading in the sun in his bright red jacket, they approach him, tempted to try an attack of the big red thing. They examine him, then, thinking better of it, run screaming back to the feeder with their tails flaring, trying to look fierce, in an effort to discourage the competition. At noon they retreat to the branches of the oak trees singing their insect-like song, exhausted and delighted, gathering strength for the afternoon games.
Even the ocean seems to be waiting. On sunny days it laps laconically against the rocks, all turquoise and bits of foam, saving strength for the small squalls that come up suddenly turning tranquility to turbulence. Then it shows its muscle, shedding indolence and taking up the mantle of big, bulging muscular waves that thunder against the cliffs and announce the changing season.
For my husband and me, this is the season where we watch our little orchard and wait. We have fifteen trees -- apples and peaches and plums -- but it's the cherries we wait for, and it looks as if it will be well worth the wait. Our six cherry trees are laden with promise. The sun was out in blossom time. Each individual flower was able to stretch out fully and set in light, misty rain. Now that the small, green clusters are in place, the berries seem to swell by the hour. (We'll have to net the trees when the first sign of red appears -- cherries are the birds' favorite food -- but we'll leave a few branches without protection, happy to share the bounty with all the things that give us such pleasure.) Late in June or early in July, with some luck and sunshine, we'll have great baskets full of sweet, winey Bings and tangy Morellos. The day we pick we'll sit on the deck in the waning light (it's a big job) and eat as many as is humanly possible in one night.
We bought our property in the Anderson Valley just about this time 19 years ago. A pair of red tail hawks were diving and yelling above us as we first set eyes on this ground. This year a pair of hawks have been busy over the house flying aerobatics in the annual spring rite, a fitting anniversary celebration.
Property in our Valley and along the Coast is selling briskly. People are feeling the press of the populace in the cities and things that are priced well sell quickly. Land is a passive investment in the future. In the words of Will Rogers: "Buy land -- they ain't makin' it anymore." The right piece will sing to you through the soles of your feet. You'll find yourself longing for it. Ernie and I feel fortunate to have found what we have and it gives me great joy to help people craft their dreams of a country life.
If you don't see it on the website, know that I have access to thousands of listings -- surely there is one that's right for you.
Cheers!
Gio
May 2000
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