Cover the Figs!

So it has started to get cold here in Pittsburgh. There are two big things my father worries about in life. One is the health of his family and the other is frost. Italian's are great gardeners. We grow tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, basil and every kind of pepper under the sun. There are very few things my father won't try to grow in our yard, not excluding of course, a fig tree. This tree is not small and the little fruit is extremely fickle. They require a lot of nurturing and my father is more than willing to give full attention to their care. So every winter, in order to keep the tree from dying, you have to cover the entire thing in plastic. Forget how it looks in our yard, he could care less. I think my neighbors know by now not to question what happens in our yard. So wrapping a tree in plastic is not an easy task. My uncle, his son, my two brothers and my dad spent the entire morning cocooning the fig tree. Honestly? Cocooning a tree! The worst part is that this tree is right beside my bedroom window. So if its windy or raining, which is like everyday in Pittsburgh, it sounds like I am on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic. I told this to my dad tonight after he inspected his beloved plant. His response, "Tough, I'll buy you earplugs."