Apples

September has arrived! I know it's not technically autumn yet, but the arrival of September still feels like it's the fall. I would blame all the back to school stuff, but since the stores have been advertising it since July, I think it's simply the passing of the calendar. Add to that the gorgeous mild weather, and it made for a great weekend.

As we were making our list of Things to Do in Connecticut, we came across a number of orchards and farms. Lots of pick your own blueberries and strawberries, peaches and apples. We decided against the blueberry picking this year, because we aren't sure it's wise to teach Oliver that it's ok to eat things off of plants. Especially when we've been trying very hard to prevent him from putting everything he sees into his mouth. Maybe we'll go next year when he'll understand better! But apple picking is safe! We've always enjoyed going apple picking in Iowa, but often miss the best crops, so we decided that we'll visit a number of them around here this fall and try different varieties of apples over the next few months as they come into season. Yes, I too think it's just Marty's ploy for getting me to make him apple pie!

Feeling nostalgic? Here's Oliver and I at an orchard in Iowa last September. It was a bad year for apples because of all the rain, but it was still a nice day.

On Sunday, we went to an orchard not far from here that had Ginger Gold apples and peaches available for picking. It was a gorgeous day for it!  Here's Oliver and Marty on the ride up the hill to the picking area. I'm not sure which he loved more, the tractor or the stick!

Picking apples:

Oliver was not as interested in picking peaches from the tree. He'd much rather pick them up off the ground. You know, the ones that are all mushy and covered in dirt and swarming with flies. Yeah, those.

As you can see from the size of the bag, we got quite a haul. You pre-paid, $15 a bag for 2 people, and could fill it however you like, with apples and/or peaches. Of course, my frugal husband packed them in, the apples were on the bottom. Still the peaches were fragile and bruising easily, so we had to use them up quickly. I made a peach-blueberry crisp yesterday, with a yummy, and not too bad for you oatmeal topping. Well, not too bad if you don't count the sugar and the butter. And the ice cream to go with it.

Most of the time we were there, Oliver kept the apple he picked in his hands. We offered him bites off ours, and he tried a tiny bit, but refused any after that. But he kept trying to gnaw on his ginormous apple, to no avail because his tiny teeth couldn't break through.

 

Which reminds me, he's done teething!!! Well, done until his 2 year molars come in, but hopefully we have a while for that. But his last incisor finally busted through last week. That explains some of the non-napping, though not yesterdays. My little baby is no longer a baby!