Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

First, thank you for your comments on yesterday’s blip on my friend Ruth. So very kind of you. I posted that blip on my social media sites, and the outpouring of love, sadness, and gratitude for who she was overwhelmed me. Some former students even related that she was the reason they majored and went into a scientific field. Ruth, you did your work.

I post this picture of an apple blossom because they are rare this year. Of the six apple and pear trees, we might have six blossoms, which means six or fewer apples or pears. I am no orchardist, but I believe there are two factors for this. The first, last year’s crop was the heaviest harvest we have ever seen. The research I have read says that after heavy yields, trees can yield almost nothing the following year. The second is the extended cold snap we had in January. The stress keeps trees from doing their thing. Likely not much to zero fruit this year. You can’t really argue with Mother Nature. You can only hope for something better next year.