Windsor, Figuratively Speaking

Another couple of days has passed and I've been treated royally by Deb & Vito during my stay in Windsor. The last time I was in this city (1993), it was so hot, you dealt with it like we do the winter in Alberta. Run outside to flip the burgers and run back into the controlled-climate house. This time, as Deb put it, "... you're getting perfect southern Ontario weather." I couldn't agree more. Icing on the cake was having Momma Wanda and Keith both here as well. Great family and great company.

I learned something this past weekend that concerns figs. Now, prior to this I only new 2 things about them: they're used in "fig newtons", and sometime long ago, a fig leaf was very prominent in my mind. What I learned here was that figs grow on trees. This fruit is predominately harvested in countries like Italy and Greece and not common in my environment. I didn't even know what one looked liked until Vito purchased fresh figs and offered me some. I can't describe what they taste like but they're very good. If you get a chance, eat one, raw. The reason why I'm talking about figs is that there's been a minor international dispute that seems to have been resolved of late. You see, for centuries Italians and Greeks actually agreed on something: that in order for a fig tree to be bountiful, it needed to be covered during the winter months. This was accomplished by growing the tree at an inclination that would allow it to be pressed to the grounds and buried during winter. Well, a woman (nameless, but originally from northern Ontario, now living here in Windsor, married to Vito) didn't believe this was necessary and, god forbid, didn't cover the tree. The local Greeks and Italians were somewhat aghast and all agreed this tree would never bear fruit. It would be a fig-less tree!
The photo of Deb & Vito is accompanied by two other photos, one being the fig tree in their back yard, and the other, you guessed it - the same tree with FIGS! Vito tells me that this is a significant event and will continue to be the topic of many after dinner discussions. How did she do it? Can it be done again? Was it luck, climate change, witchcraft, a hybrid fig???

When I asked Deb about all this fuss, she simply replied: " It's no big fig-ging deal!"