Fall is long and warm in the hills this year. Though some were predicting a dearth of colors,the season has again come on in all its glory. I’m looking out now at a landscape ablaze with reds and orange, yellows and fading greens.
What’s most noteworthy about this fall, however, is the bountiful harvest of nuts and fruits. The limbs of apple and pear trees in the area seem overburdened. I’ve never seen as many walnuts on the black walnut in our yard. I’ve already raked a regular season’s worth and as many, if not more, still cling to the branches.
There’s differing theories about this. Some say the bountiful harvest is nature’s way of protecting itself against a pending harsh winter. By spring we’ll know if there’s truth to that.
The other notion proposes an alternative strategy. Dry years put a lot of stress on trees. Several long-standing hickories and oaks succumbed to the lack of water by late August. Under such conditions, proponents hold, trees go into overproduction of seeds as a way of ensuring survival, come spring
Whatever the cause, the harvest is ours to enjoy.
