Skandar's Apricot Tree - from the Hunza to our backyard

The tree, which we always refer to as "she", was started from a pit smuggled back by Skandar some twenty years ago, when he was a mountain guide spending most of his year in the Hunza Valley in Pakistan.

We found out about the provenance of the tree just after we bought this house. We'd just spent the better part of the last two years not working, but traveling around like vagabonds. We spent five weeks traveling along the Karakorum Highway in Pakistan, wending our way through the Hunza Valley to Kashgar, China, and back. We lived on dried apricots, which are a staple on the Highway.

The Hunzakut apricot tree in our backyard was kismet, and it was what facilitated our friendship with Skandar.

Every now and then, when Skandar needs to get back to basics, he has a visit with his tree.

In the winter, when I pop out of the sauna, I stand under the tree and look at the inky night sky through its sturdy latticework. It's a peaceful image to me.

Well, this year, the spring conditions were just right and presto, we are inundated with fruit. While the fruit are still on the dry side, they are starting to get the right combination of tart and sweet. We have been making trays of sun dried fruit everyday. Lucky us.