blooming island

The apple and pear trees are beginning to blossom. I'm grateful that we decided not to try to restore these trees, beyond some basic pruning. If we had tried to maximize their fruitfulness we would now be engaged in a huge and I think frustrating struggle. Every time we looked at them we would sigh and think of all we needed to be doing to fix them up. Which probably wouldn't be successful, anyway. But instead we just enjoy what they offer us, as is, as they say.

And we are not alone. They are home to all kinds of insects, and the downy woodpeckers love them. The robins build nests in their gnarled branches and the sheep are in ecstasy as they scratch themselves against the rough old bark. Right now bees and butterflies hum and buzz and flutter happily among the blossoms.
These ancient apple trees give joy to the island's creatures in every season, including us. So I'm glad we didn't focus on the number and condition of the apples they produced. We might have missed seeing how much they provide in so many other ways.