Fruit is awesome, especially when it is fresh! It excites more than one of our senses at the same time -- perhaps that is why people like it so much.

Sight -- Fruit is beautiful to look at. There is something satisfying about seeing freshly picked fruit sitting in a cut-crystal bowl, just waiting to be enjoyed.

Smell -- Nothing else comes close to the sensation of smelling fresh fruit. Ever put your nose up to a pineapple right off the tree? Even before it is cut the smell a pineapple gives off is heavenly. And after it is sliced and in the bowl? Wow!

Taste -- Having seen and smelled, we want to EAT. Yum. Yum. What else can I say? There are few things in life more luscious than enjoying fresh fruit on a hot summer day in the shade of a big, friendly tree. Anyone out there agree?

These shots were taken in the back yard with my Canon EOS 20D. Some are in the sun, and some in the shade. I was trying to figure out which combination made the fruit look better. You will have to decide for yourself.

Strawberries sitting in a glass bowl in the grass. Can you just taste them? I'd like to have one right now.

Yum. Nothing tastes quite like a giant Bing cherry. Sweet and sour at the same time.

You have to get them at exactly the right time -- too early and they are a light red color and more sour to the taste; too late and they get soft inside.

At their peak readiness, Bing cherries are almost black in color and when you bite one it "pops" a little bit and the juice squirts out.

My aunt used to live in Portland, Oregon and the people across the street had a Bing cherry tree growing in the front yard. It produced some of the best Bings I have ever eaten. They let me pick as many as I wanted, and I picked a lot. Ate and ate until I was almost sick. Pretty near to heaven, I'd say.

I call this one "Friends" because it looks like the strawberry is surrounded by cherry friends.

This one was taken late in the day, so you can see the long shadow of the little stand the fruit sits in.

How about some ice cream on top of this? Perhaps some Cool Whip as well?

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.