Fluffy had developed quite a taste for berries while in Alaska. Many of these colder climate fruits were low-growing and perfect for a small rabbit to harvest. Hawaii, on the other hand, created some new challenges for this lagomorph. Bananas, papayas, grapefruits...so delicious and yet so far out of reach.
The array of fruits was overwhelming as well. Maui's multiple climate zones meant that nearly anything but the berries of the briskest tundra could be grown somewhere on the island. Fluffy found it fitting to do some exploring...and work on her climbing skills.
Grapefruit, Citrus paradisi
Fluffy was amazed that a seemingly delicate tree could support so many of these massive fruits, which, for lack of a better metaphor, appeared like glowing bowling balls suspended midair. She always wondered why these huge fruits would be compared to tiny grapes, but seeing these fruits grow in clusters, dangling low from the tree's branches, gave her new insight to the matter.
Surinam Cherry, Eugenia uniflora
A perfect size for Fluffy, and a flavor to match her ebullient personality. These vibrant, pleated fruits adorn their shrubby tree like little rose blossoms, yellow and red amidst lush foliage. Their taste is a cross between passion fruit and peppercorns. Fluffy could eat them all day! Unfortunately, this particular tree only had a few ripe fruits, and it seems the birds had beat her to the majority of them.
Starfruit (a.k.a. carambola), Averrhoa carambola
Juicy, refreshing, and sliced into perfect stars, Fluffy couldn't think of anything wrong with this succulent Asian fruit. But then she started to sense an odor coming through the window...the aroma of boxed wine having exploding in the cab of a hot truck. She followed her nose out to the back patio of the home she was helping to caretake and found hundreds of starfruits rotting on the ground, fermenting while being savored by flies of all sizes. She would have to be sure to harvest the remaining fruit before it too met this depressing fate.
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