I Deserve A Belly Ache!

This morning I left the house early to do a survey for burrowing owls at a site in San Jose that was once planted with orchards, and now only has a few remnant trees left. Some may find them enjoyable, but my personal feeling about burrowing owl surveys is that they are dull. They pretty much amount to tromping through tall weeds or disked areas, looking for squirrel burrows. Sure, when you find an owl it's all worthwhile, but development being what it is in the Silicon Valley, actual owls are sadly lacking from most of the places where they used to be.

The bright spot in all of this was the orchard trees. Most of them held green nectarines, and small sour-looking cherries that held little temptation for me, but a handful of apricot trees were covered in ripe fruit. Not wanting to look like a free-loader, I nipped behind a tree and casually picked an apricot. A single fruit would never be missed, right? I think you see where this is heading. By the time I finished my survey I had eaten two apricots (sooooo yummy!!!) and both pockets were laden with fruit. I convinced myself that I was bringing them home for Steve and the boys. I could resist the fruit. I set them in the center console of my car. They smelled really good and I could still taste the two I had eaten. One more couldn't hurt, I rationalized. Too much fruit would give the boys stomach aches anyway. By the time I was a mile away from home, all that remained were four small apricots, my sticky hands, and my shirt and a bit of my leather seats spattered with apricot juice. But I don't have a problem. I can stop eating them whenever I want.