And, oh yea, the beauty of the orange grove

[Cindi]

One our way home from Vegas we stopped overnight in a little RV place called the Orange Grove.  When my Brother and Sister-in-Law had gone down to Arizona in their 5th wheel two months prior to this, they had picked oranges by the bagful at this particular RV spot.  That would have been, hmmm.....let me think.....near the end of January.  Evidently that is when the navel oranges were ripe.  Oh, I envy them.....

When we stayed overnight there on this overnight spot, the orange blossoms were just beginning to open again.  I guess it takes until the end of January next year for these ones that are blooming around the end of March to mature, what a long "gestation", hee, hee.  Like that terminology. 

I could not believe the beautiful fragrance that was emitting from these small flowers that were beginning to open.  Even when I woke up in the morning the fragrance prevailed throughout the cool air.  I could never in my wildest dreams imagine what an orange grove must smell like when the entire orchard is bursting with these incredibly beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, waxy looking little white flowers.  I am still astounded when I think of that fragrance that only a few blossoms made.  Oh, how I long to be in an orchard full of orange blossoms one day, and from what I hear from Dallas, the almonds are just as mind blowing with scent.

The bees were having the times of their lives too, of course I watched them with deep interest, and longed to be home to see my girls too.  Have the most beautiful day in this incredibly wonderful life we live.  Cindi

[Bennettoid]

Nice pics. I've never been to an orange grove, although we are planning a trip to Florida next winter.

[DennisB]

Thanks for the description. I can almost smell them here at my desk!!!!!

DennisB

[annette]

Thanks Cindi for my new desktop photo!! I just love to change the photos every once in a while. It gives the girls at work a thrill.

Love
Annette

[rast]

 Navals are usually ready in Nov/Dec here. This is in my backyard this morning. Of course my picture taking is not as good as yours.

[Cindi]

Rast, your picture taking is beautiful, and that picture is very, very nice, thank you for sharing.  Have a beautiful and most wonderful day, Cindi

[rast]

 Cindi, thank you. We live next to an orange grove. I love the fragrance at night, when strongest. On the other hand, my DW says it is like walking into a room with someone wearing way too much perfume.
Rick

[rdy-b]

HI cindi I will have to try that myself somday ;) 8-) RDY-B

[Cindi]

Rick, I know what your Wife means, oh, those fragrances that are too strong, Hoya Carnosa, is blooming inside my house right now, they are vines that are probably 50 feet long that I keep twining and twining around each other to form a dense plant that hangs in my house, too strong a fragrance now and then, gardenias, whew, they can knock your socks off, the lilies, those I can't even bring in the house because of the strong fragrance, yep, I know what ya mean about fragrance that is TOO strong, hee, hee, beautiful day in this great life we live.  Cindi

[abejaruco]

The citrus fragrance is the reason we have citrus and lemons along the streets and in patios, here in Spain.
That it is a costume introduced by the Arabs. When Arabs conquest from India in Asia to Spain in Europe, Spanish gardens and palaces received plants from Asia (oranges from the China, albahaca -basil-, Damasco or albaricoque -apricot-..., rice, sugar canne).
Another plant with a nice fragance is the chirimoye.

You can imagine the reason was so difficult the Christian Reconquest. The Arabs didn´t want to come back to the desert.

[DayValleyDahlias]

Our one orange tree, that has miraculously survived the deer, is blooming right now,  delicious fragrance....yummy!