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Paco Leaves His Almonds
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| [Ligne directrice - Note] Note du photographe |
Remember the shepherd from one of my previous postings? Paco is his name.
It’s almond picking seasom in Andalucia and Paco and his wife are very busy in high hills. They've got a donkey that carries bags full of almonds for them.
When almonds are ready to be picked, the fruit hanging from the tree will look old and shriveled. The nut is inside the pit, which is inside the fruit. To get to the nut, you must crack open the pit inside the fruit.
If you are not sure if the seed is mature enough for picking, pick a few of the fruit and crack open the pit. If the nuts or seeds are mature, filled out and taste good, pick the rest. Almond trees are related to peach and apricot trees. The seeds inside of peach and apricot pits have a similar taste to almonds.
Almonds are not bred for the fruit but rather the nut. Instead of picking when the fruit is mature, the almond seeds, or nuts, are picked when the seeds are mature. The fruit of the almond tree is overmature at this point and shriveled.
Most people who have never grown almonds look at the fruit covering the pit and nut and begin to pick when the almond "fruit" resembles a ripe peach. This is too early. Seed maturity, in most plants, is past when the fruit is mature.
Paco knows all about it. He learned it long time ago when he was just a little kid – his parents and parents of their parents had been picking almonds for generation on slopes of these hills.
It's siesta time and Paco is going back home for well deserved rest. But he won't be coming back in the afternoon… he's old now and too weak to work all day. But he'll be here again tomorrow, very early in the morning. |
wilkinsonsg, saintclaude trouve(nt) cette note utile
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Nice note again and the image portrays the solitary life the man seems to lead.
I am glad you were careful how you titled the image - 'Paco leaving his nuts behind' would not have been a good idea :)
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(4511)
Excellent capture Robby, my pleasure was much enhanced by your note.