The Apples Reach the Deck

After ten years or so of careful pruning, Plotnik has finally gotten his apple tree to bring its apples up to his lunch spot on his deck. Now that he has accomplished this, he has to make them start to taste better.



Perhaps those pruning lessons he got from the old guy on the farm in Pennsylvania, after Duck and Plot planted the fifty fruit trees, have finally paid off. "Bud, the trees they wants ta close up. Youse got to leave 'em opens in the middle."

Two problems: The apple tree now blocks Duck's view of -- well of little, really but the bottom line is she doesn't like the taste of the apples. Yet.



The other problem is this vine we call Safeway Vine, planted by Plottie's ex-neighbor, which gives off a gorgeous blossom but is invasive. It has now climbed all the way up the apple tree and will have to be eliminated after it stops being pretty.

The obvious analogy to actresses in Hollywood will not be stated here, unless Mel Gibson starts doing a celebrity column.