The diary game. An Early Spring Day of Grafting During Ramadan.05-03-2026

As we are going through the holy month of Ramadan and more than half of it has already passed, it continues to hold deep spiritual significance for Muslims around the world. During this sacred month, we observe fasting throughout the day, beginning with a meal taken very early in the morning before sunrise. This meal, known as sehri, requires us to wake up quite early, freshen up, and prepare ourselves for the day of fasting ahead.

For me, waking up for sehri is often difficult because I tend to go to bed quite late at night. Getting up so early therefore becomes an uphill task, yet fasting is an obligation that I cannot ignore. After waking up, I freshened myself and purified myself by performing ablution. I then had sehri and went to offer the morning prayers at the nearby mosque. After returning home, I went back to bed to get some more rest, as my sleep during the night had remained incomplete. Taking some rest in the morning usually helps me stay calm and composed throughout the day.

Today there was some important work at home. We had called a skilled grafting expert from our locality to graft some new species and varieties of apples onto our old traditional apple trees. The market demands are changing, and so are the expenses involved in maintaining orchards. In order to keep up with both the market demand and rising costs, we need varieties that provide better returns. These new apple varieties are considered better alternatives to the older traditional ones, as they have greater demand in the market and can also offer better yields.

I stayed there to assist the expert with whatever he needed. My responsibility was to remain with him and provide the necessary materials whenever required. I was also assigned the task of wrapping the grafting joints with polythene so that they remain tight and do not dry out in the hot spring weather.

This season seems to have arrived quite early due to very little rainfall during the winter. Normally, grafting work begins after the 21st of March, but this year, because of the unusually warm and dry conditions, grafting in the valley has started nearly 20 to 25 days earlier than usual.

Because I was fasting, working continuously throughout the day was quite exhausting. I had to take breaks a couple of times to get some rest. Spending long hours in the backyard was difficult due to the direct exposure to the sun and the increasing heat.

Nevertheless, it turned out to be a good and productive day. I managed to offer all the prayers during the day. By the afternoon, the grafting work was completed. After offering the afternoon prayers, I went out to bring some groceries and other items that are frequently used during Ramadan, such as dates and dry fruits.

Later in the evening, I broke my fast and offered the evening prayers, followed by the special Tarawih prayers. After returning home, I had a cup of tea and decided to go to bed a little early, as I was extremely exhausted. The comfort of my bed felt especially welcoming after such a long and tiring day, bringing a calm and peaceful end to it.