Bennie Hil, the Wiley Coyote, and his Family Tree

My father, Ben Hill, loved figs. There was in his backyard at Cloverdale, near the pool, his wonderful fig tree. That tree that began as a small little feller, grew into a lush and spreading buffet for the shelter and sustenance of birds and perhaps other critters. Dad would go out and pick the figs, even before they were ripe and line them up on the windowsill. I'm sure that he knew, without any dietician or internet, that they were fiber rich.

I never got used to the grainy texture, but loved fig preserves without reservation. I'll bet that somewhere there is a cookbook with a whole section of fig recipes! Fig cookies, fig cake, fig candy? I was a little dismayed when the fig tree was cut to the ground after Hurricane Ivan. Perhaps, a snip or two remained and the tree has begun growing back. Hope springs eternal, right?