Where have all the Wild Plums gone?

When I was a little girl, I remember my mom taking us plum picking in the summer. We would just take grocery bags and head out on our search for plums. You could always find us pulled over on the side of the road picking plums not only because they were delicious and free, this was our family outing. Our time to have some fun. I know now that mom did not have the money to take us on some fancy vacation or to buy plums at the store so she made use of what God gave us to keep us happy and entertained. And we were very happy as we filled up our bags with plums a plenty! Mom loved the green ones with salt, my sister loved the ripe reddish purple ones and I loved the half ripe half green. Definitely something for everyone to enjoy with these delicious fruits of the hot Mississippi summer.

But where are they now? I have been on the search for the wild plum trees in our area. Yesterday I traveled one of the same roads that we used to go plum picking and I cannot find a single tree. For many years I have looked and every summer I still cannot find the wild plums of my childhood. Where could they be? How did every God made and free wild plum just disappear? This is driving me crazy because I wanted to share this memory and recreate the tradition with my daughter and let her savor the flavor of this mouth watering fruit.

So with my my taste buds anticipating the flavor memory, a grocery bag in hand and a box of salt, I am off on the trek to find the wild plums. On the sides of roads, in the woods, in the pasture, where ever these little prescious fruits are hiding - I will find them.

As I sing - "Where have all the Wild Plums gone?"

Happy Living, Loving and Laughing,
Angie Lu