As I look out over the orchard this morning, I see two small deer: a doe and a young buck. They almost dance through the orchard. These two creatures must enjoy the warm sunlight after a gruelling night of rain. I know that I do!

It rained all last night on an already wet walnut orchard. The nuts that litter the ground are now sinking into the mud. I picked up one 5 gallon bucket of walnuts yesterday evening and am planning on going out there again today while the sun is shining between thunderstorms. The thing is, many of the nuts are coated in mud, so it’s not near as much fun gathering them as it was before the rains.

Walnut-man-Bob is supposed to arrive with a large machine and shake the trees today or tomorrow. Renee’s co-worker, Mr. Escalante, has then arranged a crew to manually gather the nuts for us. He told us that the walnuts will mold if we don’t get them picked up, which makes them almost worthless. The rains caught everyone by surprise. In my 45 years in California, I do not remember rains like this in October.

All three dogs, Molly, Tara and Spock, have learned to crack nuts and eat the nutmeats. They prefer to do this with walnuts they have brought into the house, I guess it’s more comfortable enjoying one’s walnut on the livingroom rug rather than on the moist ground outside. Who can blame them?