Way to tell the drought who's boss, Mother Nature!

Bumblebee asleep in a Nehou blossom

Two months ago, if you had told me that today I'd be walking in a swampy orchard thick with grasses, wildflowers, and cover crop, I would have thought you were crazy. April Fool's, right? But no, it is true! Since February 2, we've gotten about 22 inches of rain at our farm. Yay! Yes, yes, there is still a drought, but there is now hope California will survive. In fact, the rain has come on so intensely this past week, growers are getting a little nervous about the Gravenstein crop because all the rain is driving away the bees. It should dry out starting tomorrow, so I'm betting we'll be OK. That said, the blossoms do look a bit battered, and I found two bees sleeping on the job today. Seriously, dozing in the blossoms. When the sun comes out, I'm hoping they'll get back to work. 

Spring has been giving my iPhone camera a serious workout. From the iris and borage and Gravenstein in full bloom in front of our house, to the impossibly cute Kerry Irish Pippin (one of Scott's graftlings that can't be more than 2 feet high) wrapped in blossoms, to the rainbow over the tilted shed, to the wet woolly sheep and Sebastopol swamp chickens (plus having the cutest boy ever), I've been taking a lot of photos. Here's the latest blossoms and gooooorgeous imagery update. By the way, if you click on the images, larger photos will pop up for a closer look. But you already know that. Y'all know how to use the intarwebs, right?

April 1: 1st blossoms (or thereabouts) for Newtown Pippin, Muscat de Bernay, Hauer Pippin, Black Gilliflower Sheep Nose (awesome name!), Knobbed Russet, Cox's Orange Pippin, Fall Pippin

---

Kerry Irish Pippin

Black Gilliflower Sheep Nose

swampy orchard!

Newtown Pippin

Hauer Pippin

Knobbed Russet

Muscat de Bernay

Cox's Orange Pippin

Fall Pippin