A Papaya In the Hand Is Worth Two In the Bush (Or on the Tree)

Hubby and I differ in our opinions about picking the papayas from our trees. He likes to pick them when they are still green, just barely starting to turn yellow. I think they are too green, too hard, and will take too long to ripen. I prefer them to be golden. Besides, they are eye candy for potential buyers. I wouldn't let him pick one golden papaya until after our open house. Just what Hubby warned me about, happened. As in, I told you so. But he never says it. He just shakes his head.He said if I left the papaya on the tree the birds were going to get to it. He was right. I am not sure if it was a cardinal or a mynah.

In the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Local Style (the Hawaiian version of the song The Twelve Days of Christmas) the lyrics say:

Numbah One day of Christmas, my tutu give to me
One mynah bird in one papaya tree.

It is kind of sung with a Hawaiian pidgin accent. "Tutu" is the respectful way to say grandma in Hawaii. Well, this song has new meaning for me. I bet by the twelfth day of Christmas that mynah bird was sitting in that papaya tree with no fruit!!