The Curious Case of the Fallen Figs

I was outside yesterday because the weather had finally changed

from cool and cloudy to warm and sunny.

So I walked over by the fig tree to see if the leaves had unfurled.

And they had:

Fig leaves are without a doubt the largest leaf I have ever seen on a tree;

no wonder they are mentioned in Genesis.

But while I was admiring the leaves,

I also noticed the nascent green figlets had shrunken
 into tiny blackened withers.

I reached up to touch one and it came off in my hand.

And then another fell and then another.

I picked them up and brought them indoors:

I took a stroll later and observed that my neighbor's figs are getting plumper,
in contrast to mine which are drying up and falling off.
 Either the recent dry weather has had an ill effect on my small tree

or its pitiful specimens are an example of a "breva" crop,

the first crop that grows in spring on old growth.

The second fruit crop follows later in the summer on new growth.

However, I can't say with authority this is the cause of the figs' condition
since in past years I never gave the fig tree much attention, 

unless I was plucking ripe figs off and savoring their sweetness.
I hope a new crop forms. But if it doesn't,

at least the delicious fig perfume still permeates the tree.

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