Friday

It was a perfect day to visit the apple orchard. Crisp, sunny, warm enough to take off your sweater in the sun but cool enough to be comfortable if you left it on.

We bought a half bushel-sized bag for picking, which looked deceptively small when we set out but actually held a large amount of apples. We discovered that metal Radio Flyer wagons are really loud when you tow them up and down orchard rows, even on the grass. Much apple sampling took place, since we wanted to be selective. (The only rule about sampling was not to sample from the ground. Noted.) "Red Delicious" is such a lie. We also weren't too impressed with the Harralsons, but I'm still not sure if that's because the only apples we could find in picking range were inferior, or if they're really not that tasty. Cortland and Golden Delicious, on the other hand, got a thumbs-up. The prince of apples, as far as I'm concerned, is the Honeycrisp. Honeycrisps are only available for self-picking on Tuesdays right now, but I did grab a 3-lb. bag in the farm store. (Also, a caramel apple with homemade caramel. Wow.)

We tried a sample or two of self-pick raspberries as we wandered through the farm. Apparently you can also pick grapes, but we were too full of apples to care by the time we passed the grape vines. On the way back in from the rows of apple trees, we passed a few goats and a horse. Amazingly, despite living on an apple farm, they are still very interested in eating your apples. Plenty of pumpkins and other squash were available for purchase at the store. They made me think of Thanksgiving. Which made me think of winter. Not ready. NOT READY.