WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA APPLE CROP WIPED OUT

From this a.m.'s Asheville Citizen-Times:

"I spent numerous hours looking at different orchards, different varieties, and I can't find a live bud," said Anthony Owens, who grows 61 acres of apples in Henderson. "Some were in full bloom, some were shedding the blooms, and some were in the pink stage. It's killed everything. It's horrific."

They say this is the worst apple crop loss in NC since 1955.

The news from the Virginia fruit-growing belt is probably just as bad. And judging from our several blueberry bushes, there'll be no (or few) blueberries this year at the Farmers' Market.

Spring was canceled. Rudely.