Monday night at BYOP Jesse said 75% of California
oranges were lost in an uncommon freeze. I men-
tioned it to Adria with caveat that it was only hearsay,
but I looked it up later and found it in business news.
I mentioned the loss to the cashier at my local organic
food co-op as she rang in my three Valencia oranges.
(It's pronounced balenthia; I was there in '95 & peeled
an orange without picking it, ate it live still on the tree.)
She hadn't heard the news but said she often wondered
what we'd do without California. I said, "We're about to
find out." That may or may not be true. After midnight
I squeezed those succulent orbs into an old jelly jar.

 
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