Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Cherry Tree

Something happened that may call for a Special Investigation. On Saturday night, the first day of summer, while the moon was high in the sky and the twinkling stars called out to all, we were robbed……by unknown but highly suspected undesirables and unreliables….

Our cherry tree, pregnant with red, juicy cherries was systematically stripped.  I mean, nothing, nada, not even a yellow cherry, shaded by the greenest green leaves, was left.

Momma, Wonder Boy and I, Jakita, had stepped out to enjoy the early summer morning ambience, the Sunday church bells beckoning in the distance, calling all saints and sinners, to their Sanctuaries.  We stood there, mouths agape.  How could this happen? Who should we call?

I can’t say for sure but probably the local boys in blue (police) would laugh at us.  Now if there were cherries on the tree that they could taste, that might be evidence, a lure, even.  But there was no bait.  And the RCMP and CSIS are busy treading water with the way of the world we live in. No, unless there was a terrorist up the tree, they would not come.

That left it to me to figure it out.  Was it a Two Footed Special Ops Team that swooped in with silent helicopters and uniquely trained sky divers, with night vision goggles? Could they dangle on ropes, secured to the Mothership, picking every cherry off a tree?  Probably that would be a ‘No’ but I may have come upon a good training session.

I am sure it was not Two Footed with ladders because they don’t make ladders as tall as our cherry tree.  Besides, we would have heard the commotion of dragging ladders and would have seen the bright lights needed to so emphatically clean the tree of its cherries. Besides, those Two Footed are a clumsy bunch.  Someone would have fallen off the ladder and broken a leg, or arm or even a neck.  Next thing you know a 9-1-1 call would bring out the Fire Department, Police and the Ambulance, all with blaring sirens and flashing red lights.  We would not sleep through that. No, it could not be the Two Footed.

That leaves the Wildlife as the culprit. I am talking a consorted effort of Squirrels (probably led by Mr. Grey Squirrel), Mr. Rocky Raccoon and Family (we see them doing their nocturnal runs), the opossum (he is back and fatter than ever) and the twittering birds of many type and color (except ssshhh no one tell those annoying crows).

Even so, to do such a thorough job they needed just right circumstances.  Does Wildlife have their own SWOT (Special Weather Operation Technician) on standby, to tell them when  perfect conditions would make their manoeuvre a success?  How do they communicate from family to family, tonight is the night?  They do not have cell phones or social media to advise there will be a flash cherry picking party at a certain location, at a certain date and time.  They must chirp the message from tree to tree, from nest to nest. Or do they tie a yellow ribbon, visible to wildlife eyes only, around the cherry tree trunk? And there is one more confounding thing.

Our Andy-Long-Legs Cat and the Diva Gen  Cat decided to stay inside that night, which they never do, on a perfect summer night.  Did the plan proceed at the last moment because our cats were inside or had the cats picked up on the chatter and that is why they stayed in?

There are so many things to ponder. We may never know the answer.  The good news is there are no more hard, green cherries falling on my head, hitting the ground, causing chaotic slip and falls. Also, Momma will not have to sweep the sidewalk three times a day of  endless fallen cherries, some partially consumed (seems Wildlife is as fussy as me about food) and no more ugly pits.  One more year, our cherry tree blossomed to perfection and produced to a maximum.  We just don’t know where the Baby Cherries went……………Still………..Long live the Cherry Tree!

PS: I noticed on Sunday, there were no squirrels hanging about!  Were they catching up on their sleep from their all night flash party, as well as bloated from their feast, hung over on cherry juice?

But I know those squirrels.

They love a scavenger hunt.  They’ll be back!