That’s all. Six frames. I’ve shot six frames in the camera, not just since the new year, but since December 17th of last year when I did the bubbles. Pathetic.
Yet, they’re not bad frames.
This is one of the two lemon trees in the greenhouse, just kickin’ it. We had a nasty cold snap in December, right as many buds were about to bloom, and though there’s a heater in the greenhouse to maintain temperatures above 12°c, it wasn’t able to keep up and it dropped down to about 4° in there (much, much colder outside, however.) I was reasonably confident this was cold enough for the flowering to halt, but it only paused, and started back up again as soon as the temperature got decent. Moreover, while I was in there pollinating the flowers the other day when the outside temperature was quite nice, I discovered a honeybee within, having found its way in through the crack around the door.
When The Girlfriend picked up these two trees in midsummer last year, she selected one that was actually bearing fruit, four unripe lemons. We waited all summer to see them ripen, in vain – they remained resolutely deep green, so much so that we began to suspect they were limes instead. They were still as green when we finally moved the trees into the greenhouse for the winter – and then they started brightening.
Now, don’t ask me what the deal is with the tree being in full blossom while fruit is still ripening on the same branches – I thought there were cycles for that, you know? And if you look close over to the right, you’ll see brand new lemons just popping out. Now, if my efforts at pollinating are even 10% effective, we’re gonna have a shitload of lemons; I’m trying to picture what these trees will look like then, because neither is even two meters tall, and the one branch bearing three lemons is not exactly aiming for the sky – that blue in the background is the edge of the pot. But, it’s nice to go out there in winter, hang out in the toasty air, and breathe in the scent of the flowers. If there was room I’d put in a chair…