...I am fig itching to teach you a trick

I was doing some reading on history the other day.....and I came across a picture. It was truly amazing. There were two Egyptians harvesting Figs without gloves or long sleeve shirts......

Oh.....I suppose I need to fill in the reader here about harvesting Figs. It's a tough deal to do. Fig trees have a residue that seeps off the leafs and the figs.....which becomes a real issue on your skin. The itch is just as bad as bad can be! A prolong itch. Soap and water.....baking soda.....itch creams....will not stop the itch that leads humans into a world of insanity!

I am still in the harvest season of our figs. Each day I get to the trees...it's a little hot outside and one can work up a real sweat when doing this job. ....then that darn itch is right back again to play havoc.

Jumping off this topic once again......I had read a farming book last week.....the author was writing about  cactus.....just like ours.... here the Natomas Farm. There was a statement there that the author wrote....."pick the  (noh-POH-lays) in the cool of the mornings"......because the plant changes to a slightly higher Ph in the hot day. This higher Ph results in a NOT as sweet Nopales............that is gained by picking in the cool.

Bingo!

I wondered that if I picked the figs in the cool of the day...would that haunting itch be waiting for me .....because the Ph of the tree might be different? After all......the Egyptians in that painting above had no clothing protection.......

Double bingo............ no itch!