Cherry trees

In the backyard of our Stockton house we had several large cherry trees which had the most delicious cherries you have ever tasted.

As I kid I happily climbed up high in the trees which were very familiar to me. I'd memorized every branch and how they bent, and I'd scamper up and down and all around like a true monkey.

When it was cherry season we'd pluck the cherries, eating half of them from right off the trees and putting the other half in brown paper bags.

We put out a fold up table in the front of the house where the driveway met the street, and we'd sell bags of juicy cherries at ten cents apiece. We had this big paper sign hanging from the front of the tables, and all our big bags would be displayed passionately along with our happy go lucky faces..

Sitting in the hot sun wearing shorts and being barefoot, we waiting patiently for the occasional neighbor to walk past, compliment us on our fine catch, and toss a couple dimes on the table as they saved the brown paper bags from spoiling in the intense sunlight.

I thought back then about how easy it was to make tons of money feeling that I'd easily grow up to become a rich young man because of my cunning business acumen.