Thursday night I sat in on a lecture given by Canadian psychology professor Jordan B. Peterson, which I will write about later. Peterson gave a lecture on Adam and Eve, and their time in Eden, to their fall from grace. Now one of the interesting points he brought up in the lecture was the term "paradise." While people think of "paradise" as a perfect place, it's from the Greek parádeisos, "walled garden."
And despite Eden having walls, a snake got in.
My garden doesn't have walls, but it does have fences, of different sorts. The house borders much of the northern wall, a chain link fence runs along the eastern and southern walls. Our neighbors built a big, beautiful wooden wall running the length of the southern border, not that I ever illegally entered his property. They just wanted their privacy, I guess. Plus, the fence ensured the kids wouldn't bother their dogs.
The western fence was built by another neighbor. They needed their privacy, they've got a pool, so the fence is high and solid.
Is my garden secure against intruders? Well, the deer that plague our area haven't gotten in yet. Rabbits, cats, raccoons, and possums have free range in the garden.
And now, an unwelcome visitor has returned.
Japanese beetles.
Japanese beetles have been screwing with and on my fruit trees. Last year, they went after my apple trees with a vengeance. This year, they've been after my cherry trees, but I've spotted them on the apple trees as well. I've read beetles also go after berry bushes, but I haven't checked on them yet.
I do know I've been pulling them off several times a day. I've crushed about 50 so far, and weeks more to go.
Let's hope some of the birds get hungry.