101 Views Of My Deck

My deck. What sweet sweet words to be able to say again. This deck is my favorite place on earth and it’s been dismantled since early October.

Frankly, I wasn’t too optimistic about expecting this to be back together before winter set in, especially considering how the rest of the basement project is going. But yesterday the workers showed up and started to reassemble the decking, replacing some boards and making it sturdier than it was before. If they go at the same pace today, I might be able to sit in a chair and have one more cocktail out there – an activity that will tide me over through the winter. Granted, I will have to do it before the sun sets at around 4:30 and I’ll be wearing a coat and maybe a small blanket around my legs, but you can trust that I am going to be out there one more time.

Also, notice those black bags of mulch behind Stedman? Look closer:

With its last gasp, a terminally ill Meyer lemon tree gave birth to 7 little lemons. There were 11 when the tree was moved down there so this is more of a survival story than a success story. We are rapidly approaching the last chapter of this saga.

Whilst Deirdre Wept Cool Tears

It’s raining this morning but I’m not giving up. I get so little outdoor time due to my punishing work schedule that I insist on staying out under the canopy until the 9 o’clock whistle blows. Just me and the mosquitoes.

The little lemon tree has developed an alarming new sadness and that is that the main fruit-bearing branch is sagging under the weight of its responsibility. I can’t imagine where things would be if that banister rail wasn’t in the vicinity.

The rain isn’t helping the sag situation. The only bright spot in all of this is that I unintentionally captured the stand of Bela Lugosi day lilies in the background. If it’s not raining when I ascend from the corporate coal mine this evening, I’m going to try and capture the vibrancy of those magnificent chartreuse throats.

This Is Happening

Although the little lemon tree continues to lose its yellow leaves, the fruit is gaining ground.

There are now 16 lemons of varying sizes from 1/2″ to this enormous 3-incher, with the majority in the 1 1/2 to 2 ” range and it’s now producing new flowers.

A Lemon’s Progress

And so after a few weeks on the deck, the lemons have doubled in size. Here my lovely assistant holds a quarter for size comparison.

  
Compare this to one month ago and you will be greatly impressed. Reminder: let us not get too attached to these lemon babies because they still swim in perilous seas.

• The upper most leaf on the left side is suffering from the dreaded tater leaf, a bad thing.
• The lemon on the right side has the faintest blush of something that might be the rusty mildew, a worse thing.
• I still have to transplant this from its original black plastic pot, which causes the whole plant to go into shock and drop leaves and fruit.

Lemon tree farming is fraught with peril and heartbreak, especially if you only have one tree and you are trying to do it in NJ.

Hey Baby, Nice Lemons

Important news bulletin: After only a few days out in the sunshine, my 5 little lemons have dramatically increased in size. i’m so happy to tell you that they are as big as a quarter!

Sally Hanson “Mudslide”.

Please don’t let me get too attached. Remember, we are not yet out of the high-risk period for the expected but no less tragic golf-ball sized fruit drop. Although I’m sure that all 5 lemons are going to make it to maturity. Pretty sure. Yep.