Pitty Party

Day 268: The property behind me has several large cherry trees on it which I believe are a hybrid of one of our native varieties and Montmorency, the "pie cherry" of old. The fruits are smaller than those of Montmorency, so small in fact that they drop clean through my cherry pitter, but whatever they may lack in size, the flavour is certainly that of a pie cherry (as opposed to a bitter cherry or a sweet cherry). The trees are heavily laden with fruit, but I know better than to trespass back there. Although the property is unoccupied, my other neighbour watches it like a hawk and is not kindly disposed toward me for political differences. However, there is one long branch which extends over the fence, and usually supplies me with enough fruit to freeze for one mid-winter pie. I picked a bowlful this morning and settled in at the kitchen table for a "pitty party," scoring each of 500 or more tiny cherries with my thumbnail so I could extract the pit. That pie is sure going to taste good in December or January!