Ink Tea Stone Leaf

I’ve been a little neglectful of this blog space for a couple of weeks, and I’m sorry. Not on account of the sheer volume of my disappointed readership, but because putting out a little somethin’ somethin’ every week means something to me. It keeps me thinking and contributes to my sense of weekly rhythm. But between other  projects—editing my novel, reading other people’s novels—and other distracting elements, I haven’t really had the time to think through what a nice post might be, and then execute that post in nice fashion. The temptation is to become slapdash, and I don’t want temptation to become habit.

Here’s something I don’t have to think that hard about, though:

Yes, once again the cherries are ripening in my backyard. Yes, I have written about the cherries before. The cherries will never let me down.

You know who else needs appreciation?

Yoshi needs appreciation. I mean that literally, as his mental well-being hinges on being not only appreciated, but adored, exalted, and soothed through the experience of an overwhelming world. Presently, as I type these very words, he is nestled under my pajama shirt, just below my collar bone, lightly grinding his beak on occasion and letting me know—in no uncertain terms—that if anything about this situation changes he will cry.

We’re picking the cherries this weekend, and Yoshi is joining us out in the sunlight of June, while the music of Brian Wilson floats down to us from the balcony, and the antihistamines coursing through my blood keep the hayfever at bay. Ariele and I get to reach into these lush branches and pluck these beautiful little red fruits, while Yoshi watches and snacks on our offerings.

Now, Yoshi would prefer if he did not have to stay in his cage during these times. He would like to be perched among the branches himself, harvesting all the sweet red goodness like the backyard blue jays and crows have been doing for several weeks now. I would love to have a picture of him doing just that, but we all know that isn’t safe. Yoshi is just not built for that kind of life.

But he is built for eating cherries, just as cherries are built for being irresistable treats to all living creatures. In the coming days, we will transform the fruit we gather into jams and other culinary delights, saving a select few for the pure and uncomplicated pleasure of eating a delicious cherry, or of feeding one to a precious bird. These are but a few of the joys of the summer that lies ahead.

So there’s your post for the weekend, dear reader. I’ll wager you’ll have another one next week.