What Ground
Hog Day…
…means to me. So, here we are
again. Alive, on February 2nd. I always wondered why a ground hog has to take
the hit for deciding what we are worried about when it comes to cold weather. I’m
sure those of you reading this, perhaps may go look something up online
and a few may post an answer. Who knows…
However, the feeling I receive from people, is that they are waiting for
this day to find out when warmth is arriving. I usually don’t wonder this about
the future, all that much. I query how well our fruits and vegetables will
flower. Because, if you didn’t know this already. In order to have lots of let’s say apples.
Well then, you need lots of blooms on the apple trees. However, you lack blooms
on apple trees when there is not enough cold weather. Snow kind of helps that.
The blooms that is, on the apple trees.
Let me give you an example. In the winter of 2012, the mid-Atlantic states
had one of the warmest winters on record. Yep. I remember it. Actually, here in
New Jersey. That late August into September I’d brought our daughters to a farm
out in western Jersey to do our annual apple and berry picking. When we arrived
at the farm in late August, and then Labor Day weekend again, apples were
sparse. Good ones that is. Unlike
anything I’d ever seen. We barely got apples and the berries weren’t looking
too abundant neither. The apples that were there, most had fallen onto the
ground in a sometimes sort of pre-applesauce format. We were dismayed as to
why.
Our children then, were nearing ages ten and eight. As well, we’d
brought along a friend as we sometimes did on our farm excursions. We walked to the other side of the farm in the
hot summer sun at two in the afternoon that day. It was over a four hundred
meter walk, at least. Because we were determined to come home with some fruit, ‘beggars
can’t be choosey’.
On the other side of the farm, as far as their fruit that was still
available, were peaches. Yes, peach
trees galore. I’d never done peach picking before, till that day. There is
however, always a first. We enjoyed picking peaches. We picked enough with one of
our oldest daughter’s friends to take bags and bags of peaches home.
I made due with the peaches, that year instead of apples. I made peach
cobbler, peach jam, peach pies, peach ice cream. Yep, peach ice cream. Been
making homemade ice cream since 1970. The old-fashioned way, mind you.
Oh, and why the apples and some other fruits weren’t abundant? Not enough cold weather. Not enough freezing
temperatures, either. Along with very little snow, produces less apple blossoms.
Ergo… Less apples. Apple prices went up that year. I do remember that as well.
We are a somewhat apple-friendly family.
So, when you do not like snow. Move very south. Because I’ll be praying
for freezing temperatures and snow, every New Jersey winter, in New Jersey. We
love our apples, especially in our pies.---Jody-Lynn Reicher
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