I picked pecans from the trees in our backyard for the first time ever today. We have two trees. In the house we lived in before we also had a giant pecan tree in the back yard. Yet, today is the first time I have ever picked up a pecan. Talk about a nut head!
I knew they were out there all these years, but never thought about picking them up. The squirrels around here simply have always had free pecans with no effort. (Except for trying to sneak past Haley.)
A few years ago Blake, Ethan, and Azariah picked up a wagon full of pecans. Mother and Daddy took some home, and so did the other family members. But I didn't keep any for us. I just buy nuts at the store when I need them. In fact, earlier today I paid almost $2.00 for a tiny little bag with 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.
Oy vey! I must have let those squirrels eat thousands of dollars worth of pecans over the years. I don't know exactly why I have never thought about picking up the pecans. And truthfully, I would not have done so today if Mother had not asked if she could have some.
During our conversation she asked if they were ready. I said, "I don't know. How would I be able to tell?" She said, "They will be laying around on the ground after they get ready and fall off the tree." This conversation actually took place last week, and I finally went out to look today.
Just as she had said, they were all over the ground! Not only that, the trees were covered with them. So I started picking them up off the ground, and picked some from the trees as well. I have to say that at first I was not comfortable about it. I'm pretty much an inside the house kind of girl, to say the least. I do go outside to watch the kids play sometime, but that's about it.
As I was picking the nuts off the ground I started wondering if they were rotten, or how I would be able to tell if they were. I was also creeped out because many of them were in some kind of ugly pod looking thing.
I started thinking about how there might be spiders inside the pods - or something worse than spiders that I'm not even aware of. I was pretty cautious at first. But the more I picked, the more I forgot about the possible creatures that could bite or sting me. I was really getting into the whole picking nut thing.
Before I knew it I was imagining I was in some kind of forest or jungle picking food to eat to survive. (I do have a very vivid imagination.) Then I started thinking about my Daddy when he was a little boy. He and his family were migrant workers. They travelled around picking lots of things. I don't know if they ever picked pecans. I had never actually thought about what it must have been like for him to have to work so hard as a child.
I thought about all the migrant workers and share croppers that there still are even today all these years later. I thought about what a difficult life they must have. I thought about what it would be like to actually grow food to eat rather than going to the store to buy it. I'm sure I'd lose lots of weight since I am not good at growing things other than cactus - and Lance told me today that if I don't water them pretty soon they are going to die. The only reason the pecans and ju ju bees grow in our yard is that I don't have to water them, or do anything to care for them at all. They simply grow and produce fruit.
I only picked pecans for about half an hour, and in that time I picked half a brown bag full. I have no idea how many$2.00 1/2 cup bags that amount of nuts would make after shelling and chopping them. Perhaps I should sell the nuts each year for some pocket money. Not really.
The nuts are big - 2" and longer! I don't know if that is normal or if they are mutant. But they are beautiful and look good.
I will give Mother and Daddy the bag of pecans tomorrow. Next week I plan to pick some more for Avi. Then I will pick some for us. Lance loves pecan pie. I just might make him one soon.
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G-d said, "Behold, I have given to you all herbage yielding seed that is on the surface of the entire earth, and every tree that has seed-yielding fruit; it shall be yours for food. Genesis 9:29
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...always missing Blake and Ethan and remembering when they were part of our lives.
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