Apple picking is in full swing on the farm with much of Thomas's family out picking apples all day long; even taking their lunch break in the orchard sitting on upturned buckets and sharing a pot of tea as they have for generations. We were lucky to get these pictures with the red Katy apples before they were all picked. The reds are the first to be picked each year and when we went by this was the last row of unpicked Katy apples. Walking down the lane to this explosion of red apples felt like stumbling across the Garden of Eden, but with mud! You never picture the Garden with long wet grass or mud from heavy tractors driving through daily, but the bright red of the apples against the green of the orchard and the sweet scent in the air otherwise fits the scene. Everyone on the farm picks apples properly decked out in their wellie boots, but I definitely went for style over sensibility when choosing this outfit and walked home with damp toes for my brilliance. We also left with a few apples to enjoy--the Katy apples are perfect straight from the branch and the Bramleys (which they're picking now) are a wonderful cooking apple. I'm a little intimidated to try an apple tart since Thomas's mother is an expert in that field, but it will be a fun learning experience! I'm hoping to share some of her family recipes on the blog in the future--like her delicious crab apple jelly recipe.
*pictures by Thomas*
CONVERSATION