The Mystery of the Apple Tree . . .

I am a woman who loves science, but I see science in ways both concrete, logical, and mysterious. There are simply things that cannot be explained here on Earth and in the Beyond. Science tries to explain the why’s and where’s and what’s and who’s and when’s—but sometimes Science acknowledges there is no answer, even if they'll continue to search for it. And that is the area, the black hole area, the distant galaxy unfound area, the far and away unknown area, the infinity that can’t be imagined area—those things—are what grab our attention and allow us to dream and imagine.

Last summer when my old girl Kayla (Fat Dog) died, I grieved mightily. It was unexpected, even though she was getting old, she'd been so healthy. Still, the cancer inside her hid from us, and by time it was detected, it was too late. She went down fast. But, don’t want to talk about that, what I want to talk about is the strange thing that happened that GMR and I can’t figure out the why’s.

Kayla was an apple-loving fool! She adored her apples. I could not pick up an apple without her running up to me, ooooooing out a “Mine! All MINE! GIVE THAT APPLE TO ME –MINE!” If I wanted to eat an apple, I best have one for her or there was doggy sadness abounding and lots of huffing and "dog harumphing." Jake, (Not Quite Fat Dog) learned to love apples, too. So, each night, for their treat, they’d get apple. Also note that Kayla had a favorite “first stopping place” when we’d take her and Jake for their mountain cove walk—it was at the end of the driveway, in a certain spot, where she’d sniff and pee and general dog doodly doo.

After Kayla died, Jake would not touch another apple and still won’t. It was immediate. He refuses. I suppose he links apples with his good friend Kayla, who he grieved over mightily as his owners did.

Now, here is the strange we can’t figure this thing. After the apple-loving Kayla died, maybe a few weeks or so, we took Jake down the driveway, and there, in that spot where Kayla loved to stop first, were bunches of apples. Apples everywhere, all over the ground, and when we looked up, there was a tree full of apples. So what? You may say, WNC has apples.

Yes. True. But the thing is, we’ve lived here for five years and never ever never saw not one apple—in fact, didn’t even know there was an apple tree up there. Kayla died one year ago this July, and we’ve also not seen an apple since. None. Nada. That apple tree that we didn’t know existed only produced one batch of apples in near-five years—and that was right after our apple-loving good old girl Kayla, Fat Dog, died.

Now. Why do you suppose that is? Is it tree that only shows its fruit once in a blue moon? Complete coincidence? What?

All I know is I was filled with wonder, and with a sad joy to see those apples. And also, with a feeling of the mysteries of our Universe.

Have a wonderful weekend. I’m off to Asheville to have lunch with author Joan Medlicott – we’ve been talking about this for months and have finally made time to meet.

Do you have any mysteries to tell?


Find your mysteries.



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Norah Kathryn after her bath *smiling*