Raiding Our Neighbor’s Yard at Midday

 

Desiree and I raided our neighbor’s yard at midday yesterday. Armed with only plastic bags, we swept through an unlocked gate and swarmed—as efficiently as two people can—a plum tree drooping with sweet, ripe plums.

“Jeez, this tree is loaded,” I remarked while lifting a branch sagging down to face level under the purple weight of dozens of plums.

“Where do we begin?” Desiree asked.

“Just dig in, I guess.”

After a little assessment, I plucked a larger plum from a cluster of fruit within reach and then tore into the soft flesh with my mouth. A lovely, complex flavor profile, this: sweet, with a tart flag wavering at the fruit’s outer skin.

The tree was not tall—maybe twelve feet at the top—and virtual explosions of plums were within our reach. Within only a few minutes, we filled two plastic bags with a season of full sunlight and sweet water.

Amazing how much a modest tree can produce.

I’m sharing a few photographs of our raid, including a final shot of our plunder posed with a Cold Smoke beer as proper scale for size reference.

Reaching In

Desiree Picking Plums

Desiree’s Face in the Tree

Our Plunder with a Cold Smoke

—Mitchell Hegman

Thank you, Carmen and Jim, for letting us harvest plums (and more).