Apple Picking

Saturday morning we went to Alldrede Orchards with the Parenting Group from our church! It. was. cold. There's no sugaring coating it! COLD! However, I just don't think apple picking woulda been apple picking if it weren't cold....

...but I'm not a Kansas City rookie anymore folks. Nope. I KNOW how to dress for cold weather, and I know--more importantly--how to dress my children for cold weather. The first year we moved here, I was not prepared for the snow and cold that would define our fall/winter here. But it's been almost two years now, and our cold weather/snow gear supply is more than adequate! Long underwear, wool sweaters, flannel lined jeans, snow boots, and hats that cover your ears...we are ready...

I've never been apple picking before (unless you count the apple tree in our front yard when I was growing up...mom made us go out and pick up the rotten apples--do you know that WASPS like rotten apples??...yes they do...ewwww and ouch) The orchard is only about 15 minutes from our house, down a beautiful country road. The trees are just magnificant this time of year, I thought Danny might wreck the car trying to drive and enjoy the scenery all at once! Alldredge farm was started in the 1960's....you find the history here. There are chickens EVERYWHERE...apparently chickens like apples too...who knew? And they are NOT scared of little children...infact, I do believe little children should be scared of them. Freaky little creatures (the chickens, not the kids).

They gave us a nifty apple picking thingy (I'm sure it has a "proper" name...) to pick the apples from the tippy tops of the apple trees. It worked really well...once we figured out how to use it. Although once or twice we'd select one apple to pick, reach up with the picker thingy, tug and wiggle, and tug and wiggle to get one apple out of the tree and half a DOZEN apples would come raining down on us...too much tugging and wiggling I suppose. It's a fine science...took us (err...Danny--I preferred to pick apples right within my reach...not really a fan of fruit dropping so close to my head) a few tries to perfect it. I guess it was bound to happen--all that dropping fruit--look how heavily laden with apples this tree is!!! I think these are Fuji apples...

Danny with the picker thingy...

Grace was in charge of the basket (until it got too heavy) and so Danny would pick and Grace would retrieve. A match made in heaven. (note the ever present chicken in the background...)

The orchard was BIG! We just kept walking and picking...Before I realized it our "half peck" of apples, became a FULL "peck"...that's a LOT of apples. And a lot of walking.

So we took a break in an apple cart to sample our treasures. They were delicous apples...dripping with juice and full of flavor.

Sam was cold...he hates being cold. But he likes food. As soon as he got a grip on that apple he wasn't letting go. His theory? "If I have to freeze like this, you people better give me some food"...He ate about half of the apple. Which is quite a lot, seeing as it was about the size of his head.

After picking our fair share of apples, we picked a pumpkin, and then made our way to the bakery for some hot cider and cookies. I had packed a picnic lunch to enjoy at the orchard, but it was just too cold to sit outside and dine. So we headed home, spread a blanket out on the living room floor, and had the coziest picnic lunch I do believe I've ever been a part of (the below picture was taken with the camera's timer...notice how intently Sam is looking into the camera. He's watching the blinking light--note to self: you can get the baby to stop crying and look at the camera when you use the "self timer" mode)...what a fun day. And we have an entire peck of apples to show for it...

A post to come soon explaining WHAT exactly I did with all those apples...