Every few years Mother Nature plays a nasty trick on the Apples Trees in the little orchard at my place. The snow melts...the weather warms up....and the trees start to bud. Then BAM- everything aligns and we get a full moon at the same time. Temperatures drop way below freezing for a night or two, killing many of those little buds on the Apple Trees.

I'm afraid this is one of those years. Everything around my place is greening up....but the Apple Blossoms have simply not exploded the way they typically do by the end of May. I walk around the orchard every couple of days willing the apple blossoms to grow yet most of the trees are growing only their leaves.

But there is one tree (seen here) in what I call the 'Far Orchard' that has more apple blossoms than all the other Apple Trees put together. It sits back against all the softwood trees so must have been somewhat protected from the freezing temperature that hit about three weeks ago. Photographed early this morning I decided to show this tough little Apple Tree rather than those in the main orchard. It is determined and resilient.....the wood you see on the ground to the right of it is a large limb that was broken off during a snow storm this winter....firewood for next season I'm afraid.