Karin's Swanli

Early on a dark spring morning, I found myselfoutside in the chilly air worrying about thecondition of our old cherry trees.












I was not alone!Standing majestically within the fragrant branches was a regal maidenalso admiring the many fragrant cherry blossoms.The new morning sun was causing her gown to glitter and sparkle along with the dewdrops hanging on the branches.Fittingly, her name was Swanli and both of us were concerned about the lack of honey bees available to tend the blossoms...her companions in bringing the trees to fruit.













She told me she had been waiting for quite some time for her tiny fellow workers to arrive, but she was pressed to continue in her travels to many other waiting cherry orchards.Sadly, she informed me that perhaps our cherry harvestmight be bleak this year.











I asked if she could please do something about this

dreadful state of affairs, offering her

the very first cherry pie of the harvest,if we should be so blessed.















She raised her eyebrows at my offer...



Then she spread out her full flowing gown



and flew around the trees leaving a sparkling trail



behind her, falling on every blossom...


When her work was done, she said she must hurry along her way to other waiting orchards.



As she was flying away, she told me over her shoulder that

a payment was necessary.





I thought I would not see this lovely faerie until perhaps next spring, butwouldn't you know that when that first cherry pie was cooling onour kitchen table, the Cherry Blossom Faerie visited us once again!


Our entire family welcomed her to our table.Swanli told us she had encouraged many thousands of cherry treesand had never been invited back to taste the fruit of her labor.  Her curiosity had brought her all the way back for a second visitand together we enjoyed our desert!




Swanli will now be flying to her new garden in Germany where I hope



she will be a blessing there, even as the winter months approach...

Thank you, dear Karin...Rose