Fierce Competition!

In ambition, as in love,

the successful can afford to be indulgent toward their rivals.

The prize our own,

it is graceful to recognize the merit that vainly aspired to it.

                                     Christian Nestell Bovee

                

So I am sure you are wondering why I was teetering on a ladder that My Hero more than likely picked up at an auction, stretching my arm as far as it would go until I felt that workout burn while hoping not to topple over and land in the box of the old pickup truck while trying to reach that just at my fingertips juicy colourful apple, the one that was just out of reach, I then decided to give up. I grabbed the branch it was clinging to and gave it a shake and that apple and a few more bounced loudly in the plastic box liner below and then rolled to the front of the tilted truck. There was no doubt in my mind that it was bruised in the fall, but my thought was better the apple than me and I just had to have that one. I climbed down the ladder yet again hopped over the side of the truck and landed on the ground with a thud and a squish, opened the door of the truck and started it up to move it to another perfect spot.

Once I got it backed into and then parked under a spot that looked plentiful with huge red apples I stepped out of the truck and listened to the crunching of those half eaten apples already lying on the ground under my Pink Cadillac Boots. The apples that on Thanksgiving Day I had noticed were ripe and ready but decided to wait to go pick them to make that applesauce for the winter to fill my freezer. High winds and heavy rain had dropped 70% of those apples to the ground in one night, I was too late. Drat.

This teetering all started when I dragged the ladder out of the basement with a recycle box and two cardboard boxes with high expectations, I knew there were still apples in that tree and also knew that I may be able to salvage some of the grounders that did not get bruised that hopefully landed softly in the hay field that still had tall soft hay growing under the tree. I had not seen those Taunting Turkeys the week before Thanksgiving and thought the whole idea of “Turkey Day” had made them nervous so I knew the apples had not been pecked or tainted. Today was the day, now or never. Oh I could smell and taste that applesauce that would be cooking on my stove.

The cows were standing at the gate I wanted to go through in the barnyard they probably knew of the plan too and they love apples I wondered how they always knew my every move. I went through the other gate and left them standing there with sad hopeful faces. I wondered if Annie has ever eaten an apple.

As soon as I parked under the best looking part of the tree, then tucked it under the red luscious bounty above and stepped out of that truck I knew this was not going to be an easy task finding the good apples. Those apples littered all over the ground were bruised and not only that there were bites out of them. I knew now those smart Taunting Turkeys were coming out under cover of darkness or at least when I was not looking and possibly roosting in that apple tree then feasting and running to hide before day break, I could also see apples had been dragged off and half eaten not pecked meaning some other night creature had been having a feast, possibly the deer, raccoons or maybe even a bear I had no idea but wished I had a trail cam like some other smart bloggers have in there forest. I am pretty sure there is a whole lot of partying going on while I sleep and apples seem to be the party favour of choice. Drat.

After all the up and down the ladder, moving of the truck and stretching to my limit I was just about to give up when I saw the most beautiful rosy red delectable looking apple just above my head, it looked slightly misshapen I reached out to grab it when a wasp flew out of it, I pulled my hand back quickly. I grabbed my camera and took a shot. The competition for apples this year is indeed fierce. I could not believe what I saw.

Lady bugs eat apples; this I did not know. Turkeys, cows, deer, bears, raccoons, wasps, bees, flies and now ladybugs I could not believe that I had ended up with any apples at all. With the job done I just had to get that ladder back to the basement and get to work on that small box of perfectly picked apples. Annie will probably love the grounders I had picked for her. I cannot wait to see my Taunting Turkeys smiling faces when they see just how many beautiful slightly bruised apples I left for them on the ground. I am pretty sure they will be a little disappointed that there will be no more jumping games to reach the ones hanging close to the ground, I got those. Take that my friends.

Later.