2023 Peach Harvest

The 2023 peach harvest was a success. On tree two we thinned the harvest, so we got about 40 bigger peaches. On the main tree we had several harvest phases.

• Phase 1: over-production. A fairly small branch broke off because it had 180 peaches.
• Phase 2: vermin elimination. Three squirrels were relocated outside the beltway. The efficiency of this process was stellar!
• Phase 3: bird trapping. Somehow the cardinals were dumb enough to get caught in the trap. After catching and releasing 3, the trap was abandoned. Luckily the mocking bird single-handedly chased 4-5 crows out of the yard.
• Phase 4: the rot. Doug piled rotting peaches that fell, were accidentally stepped on, or were pecked by birds under the base of the tree. The result was about 80 peaches that started smelling and attracting bugs. One potentially positive effect was the rotting smell seemed to keep additional squirrels from showing up. 
• Phase 5: harvesting fallen peaches. Each day several peaches fell. We would help the process by shaking the tree each day. This process lasted about 10 days. 
• Phase 6: final picking. After 2 weeks of picking and peeling peaches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner it was time to make the final harvest. We got an additional 100 or so peaches.

2023 Peach Bowl
Wind	180	Final
Doug*	600
Birds	40
Squirrels	20

* Estimated. Daily counts were not kept.

Sadly this branch broke from the weight of 180 peaches

C'mon. How could this idiot be the state bird of Virginia

Daily harvest of fallen peaches

Last day picking

The last 10 peaches required the lacrosse stick (defense)