boomtime !

We have had a boom year for Stella cherries. Unusually we have got to them before the birds but they just keep coming. We have had it for 12 years and have picked a bowlful  every couple of days. The only thing is I wish there were no stones to slightly spoil the enjoyment. 

I had my first really promising-looking crop of cherries this year - lots (well, it would have been one big bowlful) of beautiful, plump, perfect cherries which the birds didn't seem to have noticed. I strung up some shiny-paper tape around them just in case and I thought this was working. I was watching and waiting until the fruit was perfectly dark red and ripe.
Unfortunately the birds were obviously thinking exactly the same thing, and guess who blinked first?
When I went down to pick them - every single last one - GONE 
         I nearly wept

I've got three cherry trees in my front garden. My experience has been that if you want cherries, you put a net on it. If you want to feed the birds, leave the net off.