Pilfering Pears

We have two pear trees in our front yard and every year they produce the fattest, juiciest pears ever. To look at the trees, you'd never believe fruit could actually thrive and grow on their scraggly branches. One of the trees actually has a huge hole right in the middle of the trunk, but it still gives out fruit every Fall. We've been told that way back before our house was even built, our land had a pear orchard out back, where the donkey pasture is now. These two trees are the only two survivors of that orchard. All through late August, September and October we're picking up pears by the wheelbarrow full and carting them back to the donkeys. Neighbors have been known to come by on their horses on weekends and stop to pick up a couple to snack on during the ride, and we have one lady that comes every year with her husband to pick as many as they can for her famous pear preserves. We bought a special tool that has a basket on a long stick for people to use to pick the high branches, and we store it in the tree with the hole in the trunk, so anyone passing by can use it.

This year, it seems our pear crop might be in danger of surviving the October harvest! I've been noticing we have an abundance of critters pilfering our crop before its even fully ripened. In one weekend alone, I witnessed two squirrels perched high on a branch, both munching away at pears. They pluck them from the tree and sit there gobbling away. I also watched a red-headed woodpecker, pecking away at several pears, squawking loudly while he ate. I've seen deer come into the yard late in the evening, nibbling the pears that had fallen into the yard, and I sat and watched the fattest little groundhog you ever saw, stand on his haunches in the middle of the yard and eat two pears, core and all, and then waddle back into the culvert of our ditch, where he currently lives. Last night three big, black crows came caw-cawing into the trees and I watched one of them knock a pear from the tree and then fly down and spear it with his beak and carry it across the yard. He stopped every few feet and proceeded to peck away at the pear, then speared it again and carried it further across the road. At this rate, we might not have any pears left for that annual batch of pear preserves that sweet little couple makes down the road!

It's fun to see all the joy our two forlorn pear trees are giving all the neighbors though, including the furry and fine-feathered ones! Maybe that's why these two pear trees have hung on so long all these years. The attention keeps them going. I hope and pray they continue to weather the Spring storms, so they can keep us entertained for years to come!