Orange Heaven and Winter Leisure
BY DON DOUCETTE
Usually, large Sumo oranges have a short season late in the commercial citrus fruit cycle.
This is the first time we have chanced upon these sumptuous Baby Sumo fruit earlier than the later appearance of large Sumo oranges.
So…as these bright cheery orbs are so good and easy to peel, we load the family fruit bowl and have a field day with this pleasurable sweet seasonal good fortune during the doldrums of gray shorter-day winter weeks.
Thinking about winter field days – taking our usual car park tea break this week at the Caratunk Sanctuary in Seekonk, Massachusetts, we experienced an unusually large flock of wintering robins and seemingly not the norm for robins to be winter ground feeding on the mowed turf just beyond the fence like it were the early days of spring.
We frequently observe winter robins but seems unusual to see this type of feeding habit at this point of time.
Must be the warmer winter weather thus far?
Coles Brook flows just beyond sight in the tree line as we are unable to walk that far, so relive in our minds the wonderful times invested walking beside that beautiful bubbling stream, one of the most stunning and rewarding features within the bounds of the entire Ten Mile River Watershed.
Missing thus far due to the lack of snow are the active cross-country skiers, but to help dispel the feeling disappointment at this point, a good number of day trekkers traverse the maze of natural paths yet open and available throughout the Caratunk property.
And as we often note, remains popularly and happily family oriented.
So, as our vitamin rich “orange heaven” provided by suddenly available and nutritious Baby Sumo oranges along with Caratunk Sanctuary’s beckoning balm of year-round natural beauty, our hopes are both piqued and buoyed as we look for these present gray winter days to lengthen.
Purring patiently, we huddle and comfortably sip our warm winter tea.
Don Doucette
“Ten Mile River Rambles”