Re: My Aberrant "Pear"
Thanks to everyone who replied on whatever this tree is. I've gotten some
fascinating leads to follow up. One thing it isn't, however, is a quince,
which is an old friend of mine. And sorry, but I can't resist leaving
the subject without my quince story: when I was a college freshman, I
lived in Cloverleaf Canyon above Monrovia (east of Pasadena--east of Los
Angeles for non-Californians). We lived in a ramshackle chalet--complete
with gum tree growing through the middle of the living room--that was part
of an old converted TB sanitorium. Now, I've never managed to uncover a
connection between quinces and the treatment of TB, if any, but the
grounds had been planted with quinces. Not unnaturally as a
confirmed citrus rind eater, I developed a taste for raw, unripe quinces
off the tree. Judging from the looks of disgust on my older relatives'
faces, this was a feat that qualified me for a sideshow.
