Plums from Dishwater

I woke up yesterday morning and found that my kale starts have been eaten! It was either a rabbit, or the quail that have been showing up around here every morning. I was bummed. I waited a day too long before deciding it was time to protect them with a barrier of some sort. 

I drove to Alpine as planned, to get more insulation for the shed, as winter is approaching. My neighbors Ben and Vanessa were generous to give me their leftover insulation from their own project, and it covered over half of my 120 sq. foot ceiling. That got the ball rolling. 

While in Alpine, I decided to stop at a plant nursery that has always interested me. They had some fruit trees for sale, which also interested me. Plums, nectarines, cherries, apples, and pears. I bought a healthy looking plum tree for $25 and this made me feel much better about losing my kale this morning.   

It also makes me feel better to have an organism that will take my used dishwater and give me juicy plums. I feel that most trees, especially ones that produce food, are a form of water catchment and storage rather than water wasters.

The plant enthusiast at the nursery informed me that the fall season is the best time to plant a new tree. He also thinks that the plum tree should do well here in the desert, as long as it gets enough water. I figure that I have enough grey water (dish and shower water) for this plum tree, plus maybe one more fruit tree. Pear maybe? During the times when I tour, I'll have to set up an automatic timer attached to my hose from the cistern. When the tree needs the most water, in the summer, is when we get our rains. 

The other day I asked Don if he is going to can all of his ripe tomatoes before the winter intrudes. He recited an old proverb that I had never heard, "Eat what you can. What you can't, you can."