The Lime Tree

Lets see limes, hum, OK I have seen them in California, Florida, even here in Mexico there no big deal right? Wrong! I had made it 67 1/2 years without a lime tree. I did not even know I needed one until the lady (my radishing or is it ravishing bride) the one who hits me in the head at night when I snore too loud, told me, we could not live without one.

So it's off to the tiengue ("tee ANG ee" open market) we go here in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico. Not studying Horticulture in college, I decided on a nice six footer. Lots of leaves, a number of real-to-goodness limes hanging from it's limbs. Plus many flowers which will turn into, with luck, you guessed it -- limes. The whole thing all green. Well the leaves were green the trunk was a shade of grey green.

My first limes, I was so proud. No, I don't mean like the first time I saw my first born, but close. Well off to get our Toyota Venza, that red v6 awd wonder. I knew the day I bought the Venza, a day would come when I would be hauling things in it, little did I know it would be a lime tree.

One of the first things one learns (for me the hard way) about a lime tree is that it has THORNS. No we are not talking pricks or small sticks. This hummer has thorns that will put a rose bush to shame. Not being armed with the aforementioned knowledge I proceed to take the lime tree from the nice fellow who is selling them out of the back of his green pickup truck.

Now, not wanting to let the lime tree salesman know that I am complete idiot when it comes to the physical property's of lime trees, I smile as the pain I am feeling in my hand plus the thorns which had stabbed me in the fore head. I make hasty retreat. Heading for the Venza before I bleed to death.

What a deal, lets see $150 pesos for the tree, and other $300 pesos for the three foot high by three foot wide pot, plus $50 pesos for fill dirt, $100 pesos for fertilizer, and the $50 pesos to Francisco and his friend to haul it up to the mirador and re-pot it for me. I am out a total of $650 pesos for a lime tree I did not know I even needed. That's about $60 USD at that day's exchange rate. At present, the tree has a total of 6 limes, plus twenty blooms. Understand, the blooms should turn in to limes if I can get the bugs to leave them alone.

I pulled one of the largest limes yesterday, well not exactly pulled, you see I was messing with it and it came off in my hand. Guess it was ripe. Down to the kitchen I go, cut the lime in half. Yep, tastes like a lime only not the kind you find at Walmart in the US. This tasted special.....better.

Please understand that in Mexico there are about 50 million limes sold in this country every day. I mean it's not like there is a shortage. Maybe it's the national fruit? If you go to the store, there they are ... thousands of them ... stacked three feet high ... and they're cheap ... about $9 pesos per kilo.

Lets figure, if I get 25 limes a year from this tree at about a 1/2 penny each that's a dollar every eight years. If I have a few bumper crops I could recoup my investment in, oh, about 50 years. Maybe my children or grand children can enjoy them. What a bargain hunter I turned out to be. It's a good thing we needed that tree.

Remember God only gives us a certain number of days. I don't plan on wasting the ones I have left.

Until we talk again.

Mike