The diary game: Back to Fields: A Day of Spring Spraying in the Orchard

The Eid days are over now, and we are back to our normal life. As part of farming life, work has resumed here with the onset of spring spraying. Apple trees are quite significant because they help us maintain our crops; otherwise, they get badly affected by pests and fungus, which ultimately hurts farmers when the produce fails to meet standards. So, to stay on the safe side and anticipate better returns later in the year, pesticides are very important, and we cannot afford any delay in this activity.

Today, I had to accompany my uncles and neighbours to one of our distant orchards located about 10–15 km away, towards the higher reaches. We had to spray pesticides there, and keeping this in mind, I woke up early in the morning. Before doing anything else, I offered my morning prayers, starting my day with peace, gratitude, and a connection with the Divine. After breakfast, I began preparing to leave for the orchard when my father informed me that the person responsible for carrying water to the orchard with his tractor was busy with some other work and would join us later in the afternoon.

Because of this delay, I got some time to read a few chapters of Indian modern history, as I am on a mission to complete it this month. I have a deep interest in understanding what our ancestors did to liberate our country from external forces and how different events led to our freedom, along with developments in social and economic reforms. It feels important to learn how people made small yet meaningful contributions that eventually led to such great achievements.

After lunch, I accompanied my uncles and neighbours to the orchard. This time, I had to take my car since there wasn’t enough space on the tractor to sit. On reaching a spot just below the orchard, we filled our containers with crystal-clear water from a nearby stream that remains largely untouched upstream. There is also a primary school located there, and I was really impressed by its setting—just beneath the forest, surrounded by a cool and शांत atmosphere, free from any noise or disturbance.

After filling the containers, we moved up to the orchard and started the work. I began spraying first, which took some time. Not only did I spray in our orchard, but I also helped others by managing the spray hose, which often gets stuck in bushes. By late afternoon, we wrapped up and returned home.

After freshening up, I had a cup of tea and again spent some time reading Indian history. Later, I went to meet my friends in the market, as they had been calling me repeatedly. We spent some enjoyable time together until evening, after which I returned home with a few necessary items.

Later, I had dinner and spent some time on social media, interacting with friends and staying updated about ongoing events, including the war crisis. Finally, I went to bed around 11:30 p.m. and called it a day.

Thank you