Seventeen years ago, I planted an apple tree next to my house with dreams of someday picking apples from my porch.
Over the years, the apples have suffered in a variety in ways all resulting in the absence of any edible apples come September.
There were droughts, hail, late Spring frosts, a complete absence of blossoms, and, most frequently, squirrels. Lord, the squirrels.They would come in July and pick the tree clean of the young apples.
For reasons unknown, the squirrels around my house disappeared this year. I suspect it has to do with a sewage backup that occurred in the creek behind my house, but that's purely speculation. At any rate, it resulted in a bumper crop this year.
