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Always applauding the efforts of the only one capable

If compliments are to be considered candy to the soul, the one residing in the apple tree so strikingly hemming Les Pierres’ view must have an exceptional sweet tooth, hogging Ivory’s vocal expressions of appreciation, perhaps even derive its prolonged existence from it, because if it were up to the gardener we consulted last year about a thorough but controlled pruning, the poor thing disdainfully labeled as ‘sauvage’ would already have been cut down and replaced by a more cultivated, potentially more productive one.

By taking matters in his own hand however, doing most of the complicated pruning himself, Ivory made sure his initial compliments about the tree’s spectacular blossom in spring where followed by actual growth encouragement, thus engendering an indispensable union between two of the good life’s most vital tools.

I will never downplay or forget the enchanting effect of the ever laudatory utterances of the chateau owner I worked for a few years ago, an absolute queen when it comes to literal and figurative adornment, by celebrating every attempt at creation or even plain maintenance or domestic work with the awarding words ‘best ever in her life’ or ‘you are so extraordinarily talented’, always applauding the efforts of the only one capable and thus adding to her own charm by interminably being friendly and complimentary.
I obviously can’t prove malicious intent nor would I want to suggest any, but when I finally came to recognize the pattern, the profound non-exclusiveness of her remarks, her fictitious spell on me was promptly broken.

Lessons learned, I feel pressed to not just praise our apple tree for its beauty, or Ivory for his efforts to salvage it from destruction, but to encourage both their adequacy by putting its fruit to good use. Smaller crabapple varieties like ours however, often contain unpleasant tannins, high acid levels and low levels of sweetness, making them not taste very good. Fortunately these characteristics renders them perfectly suited for fermented cider, only a bit of sugar added in the fermentation process that is started by the naturally omnipresent yeasts.

It will be the best cider we have ever tasted in our lives!


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