後院很小，不過這麽些年也種過不少東西。天天宅在家裏，後院在我眼裏更是一塊寶地，今日來寫一寫，曬一曬。
今年是枇杷結果的第二年，果子比去年多(去年才十幾顆)，但是比起人家滿樹的黃燦燦，我家的枇杷太小巫見大巫的。四月枇杷開始成熟，可是因為三四月的多雨，成熟的枇杷有點酸酸的。後來索性不摘了，讓它們更多地吸取日月的精華，所以，五月再收獲時，甜了很多，不過核大肉少，比起一位同事家雞蛋般大的枇杷遜色太多。6/1收獲了樹上的最後一顆枇杷，原本想留它在樹上，讓那一粒金黃留給自己盡可能長時間的念想。 後來發現枇杷久留枝頭，核裏會長蟲卵。這或許就是自然規律，瓜熟蒂落，落葉歸根，人的意願不能違背自然。更何況四季是輪回的，告別了枝頭的果子，枇杷樹可以重新養精蓄銳，等待十月再開花，來年再結果。而人又有了新的期盼和希望。
6/1晚飯後摘下最後一顆枇杷，某人打開了車庫門，在準備去牆外把倒空了的垃圾桶拿回來時，發現伸到牆外的火龍果開花了。我聞聲，趕緊跑出來看，又回身取了大相機，把掛在高高木架上的花拍了下來。火龍果通常傍晚開花，第二天下午就謝了，真可謂好花不常開，好景不常在。
不過，緊接著，第二天傍晚6/2、第三天傍晚6/3，第二朵/第三朵火龍果花也競相開放，它張開著數十瓣白淨的像羽毛般的花瓣，裏麵黃黃的花蕊，一朵淡黃色的雌花被一圈纖細的金黃色雄花簇擁著，眾星捧月般靜靜地綻放在黃昏的暮色裏。
遂想起有一年火龍果也開花了，結果卻顆粒無收。就上網查了查人工授粉的技巧，又從樓上書架上找來毛筆，逼著某人爬上梯子。某人幾分不情願，嘴裏嘟嘟囔囔，說，這火龍果自己不能授粉，半夜開花，哪有蜜蜂半夜來授粉，還要人幫忙，這不被自然界淘汰才怪。還諷刺說，你這火龍果可是$50美金一個，如果我再摔了胳膊腿什麽的，可就上千塊了。我聽著，笑著，看著某人吃力地伸著一隻胳膊，胡亂地刷著雄花上的粉然後再在雌花上胡亂刷幾下，然後又把梯子拿到圍牆外，打開另一朵已經關閉的花瓣，重複著同樣的動作。我仰著頭，一手扶著梯子，一手指揮著，憧憬著白花變紅果，咽著口水......
火龍果這是第六個年頭了，隻結過一顆果子，那是一顆不經意間發現的果子，並沒有經過人工授粉。記得那年九月去看女兒，還帶著它，一家人在西雅圖的公寓裏分享著，那是我吃過最甜、汁最多的火龍果，自己還舍不得多吃，隻吃了一小塊。後來社區發函說要統一油漆牆上的木架，隻好忍痛割愛，把爬上架子的火龍果都截了下來。火龍果傷了元氣，去年一年沒有花沒有果，某人一直嚷嚷著要砍了這歪七扭八的枝條，好在我堅持，才有今日的花，明日的果。
家裏盆栽的繡球花今年開得很旺，粉紅色的一簇簇，很炫目。這花是兩三年前我生日那天某人買的。記得那幾日子兩人嘔氣不講話。生日那天，他沒說一句話，早上獨自去公司參加party了, 留我一個人在家very much self-pitied。下午三四點，他從Costco帶了一大束繡球花回家，當我下樓看見插在花瓶裏的那一團花時，一天鬱悶的心情隨之消散。後來花謝，我把它們剪了插枝，成活了好幾棵。繡球花其實是女兒的最愛，某人自己也喜歡，它的生命力旺盛，花期很長，不同的土壤可以培育出不同的顏色。繡球花喜水，英文名叫hydrangea, 單詞裏的前綴hydro 就是水的意思，在加州幹熱的氣候下，它需要常常澆水。
院子裏種過百香果，隻是結出的百香果幹幹的沒有香味，所以前兩年就把很粗壯的那棵砍了，留著一枝小小的不起眼的在花架旁，沒想到它也茁壯成長了，五月開出了第一朵花。朋友告訴我，她家的百香果很好吃，秘訣是--多澆水。看來，水是生命，是養分，有水才有枝繁葉茂，才有瓜果飄香。
院子裏還有一顆葡萄，多年前在Costco買的，今年第一年結果，就一串啊，還青著呢。
五六月是黑莓的成熟期。成熟的黑莓黑得發亮，顆粒飽滿。某人常常在晚上酒足飯飽之後來院子轉轉，摸一摸沉甸甸的黑莓，如果碰上有成熟到一碰就快要掉下來的，就會摘下來，洗都不洗就送入口中。有時一邊摘一邊還暢想著退休後解甲歸田，回老家大力推廣種植。黑莓其實沒那麽好吃，不過難得某人喜愛，我也順勢讓他獨享了。一日中午吃過午飯，某人主動去洗碗。我走到後院，摘下兩顆成熟的黑莓，洗了洗，送入某人口中，問: 好吃嗎？某人嘴裏吃著，點點頭。我忽地想起Oncemm最近故事裏大活寶說的金句，脫口而出又說到，"我對你好吧?"。某人一愣，丈二和尚摸不著頭腦，不習慣這種突如其然的半白癡，幾分不好意思地說，好。我抿住嘴想笑，轉過身去，隻聽背後傳來一句，你吃藥了嗎？頓時兩人一頓爆笑......
疫情下，整日大眼瞪小眼，日子真是有點無聊，這笑或許就是一劑良藥。寫到這裏，再短短地寫一點與後院無關的話題--那就是某人第一次給自己理發。網上和身邊有些能幹的太太，都開始幫著給先生理發。N年前我也試過一次，結果理的我渾身冒汗，某人太挑剔了。所以，我打死了也不會給他理發的。這次估計兩個月不理發，他頭發長的難受了。當他提及要理發時，我隻好煽動他自己理。他抱著反正不出門、大不了理光頭的決心，找出了十幾二十年沒有動過的理發工具盒，上網看視頻，然後摘下眼睛，對準鏡子自己動手，而我隻負責從後麵拍照。看著他笨拙的手將推子從後往上推，頭發從厚到薄，再到啃啃哇哇，我在一旁吃吃地笑個不停......
寫下這點瑣碎，記錄下五月六月的後院和生活點滴，並存照於此。
While people in the east coast are expecting May flowers, we in the west are reaping fruits. Thanks to California's year-round sunlight, a small yard like mine can still grow something. For years, I have experimented with various kinds of plants and flowers. Some died, and some survive and thrive. To name a few, blackberries have been bearing fruits year after year. A loquat tree, planted from a seed, is in its second year of fruiting. The dragon fruits sprawlingly climb to the top of the wall. What’s new this year is that the grapevine, purchased from Costco four or five years ago, also starts its fruit. The pearly pea-like grapes, strung along, though still green, are growing fuller and rounder day by day. Though there is only one bunch, from baren to fertile, it is a breakthrough. One bunch this year could be a precursor to the next year’s abundance.
The ripening of loquat first came around in April. The surplus March and April rains could have washed away the sweetness. The first picked loquat turned out to be a bit sour, holding back my itch of picking. And then the prolonged collection of sunlight did give rise to sweeter fruits. The overdue loquats, their skins wrinkled a bit, when peeled off, the meats inside taste like being dipped in sugar. As one after another loquat was picked and consumed, I stopped at the last one, as if keeping it on the tree would fantasize its permanent appearance. But the fear of its seeds being infested with worms soon overcame me. The plant has its own life cycle. Like it or not, it is time to part with it.
The moment we picked up the last loquat, we found the first dragon fruit flower blooming in the dusk. As I hurried out to the other side of the wall with a big camera in hand, I saw high up on the wooden trellis, nestled among the green sprawling branches, protrude a white flower, long and tube-like. The dozen arrow-shaped white petals are opening against green outer leaves, and in the middle, one female light-yellow tube is clustered by myriad golden male stamen. Then comes the second (06/02) and the third flower (06/03) in a sequel the following nights. When it suddenly dawned on me that they might need our assistance in its pollen transmission, I urged my husband to go up the ladder. With a brush, he strained himself to touch the high hanging flowers, brushing here and there, in the hope that the withered flowers will turn to dragon fruit cactus in weeks.
05/31/2020
The last day of May falls on a Sunday. The brutal death of a black guy named George Floyd is like a domino that triggered nationwide protests and riots. Unnerved we are like most people, as the looting started in the neighboring cities, we still decided to go to the beach for an outing. The freeway looked normal, so did the beach, except that none of the visitors was wearing a mask. We consciously put away our masks in the pockets, to be mingling with the crowd. Walking in my Xero shoes on the rugged trails under the cliff, with gravels, pebbles and rocks piled by the other side, I kept a distance with the others. And without masks on, we did not linger, and was on our way back after an hour or so. How I miss the days before March this year when we can freely roam and rove on the beach!
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