Apple Picking

When I was a kid, we would go apple picking almost every year. We would go with Grandma and Grandpa and our cousins. We would go to the orchard and take a hayride out to the particular apples we wanted, then we would pick off ladders, off the ground, or with baskets on long poles. We would eat several apples each as we picked. Us kids would throw rotten apples at each other or at rocks or trees. A direct hit would offer a satisfying crack as the apple fell into a sloppy mess. Once we had collected all the apples we wanted we would go back to the barn for cider and doughnuts.

So last week, my brother and his friend came up from Chicago and we went apple picking. It wasn't exactly the same. The hayride was a walk across the street and nobody threw anything rotten at each other. But it was still a lot of fun, a beautiful day, and we all took home some tasty apples. Grandma and Grandpa weren't there, but we stopped by afterwards for coffee, "something cold to drink" and plenty of tasty treats. Take a look...