Sunday, September 27, 2009

First Sign of Fall




Every fall as soon as the weather starts to get crisp and the leaves begin to turn, C and I go apple picking. This year we think we may go twice because it is too early to get pumpkins for Halloween, and I think it would be criminal to pass up an opportunity to get pictures of Wiggle in a pumpkin patch.
On Saturday, we drove to Michigan to enjoy the scenery and pick some apples. Normally we go to a place in Indiana, County Line Orchard, but it is always super-crowded, and although I adore the petting zoo, all of the extra frills make it feel a little like an amusement park - which is not what I am looking for when I go to a farm. Driving the extra 30-45 minutes to Michigan was well worth it - the weather was warm and sunny, the orchard wasn't too crowded, and of course the apples were/are delicious.

We spent a wonderful afternoon walking around the orchard, picking, tasting, and snapping photos of Wiggle. He tried all of the apples and seemed to like the slightly tart ones the best, just like his mom and dad. We were on our way back to the barn to pay for our spoils when we saw a couple of rows of peach trees. I love a good peach, but the last one one I really enjoyed was in 1997, eaten on the walk home from the produce store. I had juices running all over my face and down my arms, but it didn't matter because it was that good. Now when I taste a peach, it generally tastes like cardboard compared to Peach Exemplar. I know you are all hoping that the orchard peaches were equally outstanding, but alas they were only ok. Much better than most supermarket peaches I have had - the texture was perfect, but the taste was rather mild. Or should I say that this was my impression as a person who has eaten bushels of peaches in my thirty-three years. To someone who was tasting peaches for the first time, it was an entirely different experience.

We, of course, gave Wiggle a taste of the peach after we tasted it, afterward I was ready to toss it on the ground, when Wiggle reached, or rather lurched from the Bjorn, to have some more. I gave it to him for what I thought was another taste, but he took the whole thing from me and cupped it in both hands, sucking and gumming the flesh. He continued to hold it by himself as we walked around, and after the first few bites/slurps, he threw his head back, closed his eyes, and made noises that one does not typically associate with eating. He normally only looks that blissed out when he is nursing, and I have to say there was a part of me that felt a little jealous - supplanted by a peach. Even though my ego was a little bruised by the experience, I love watching him have new experiences, especially when he enjoys himself so much. A peach does taste pretty amazing when you think of it, even when it isn't the "best peach you've ever eaten." We picked a few more to give him at home, paid for our bounty, and drove home. It was really a wonderful day.

As for the apples, we have been eating them on their own, and C makes a mean German apple pancake, but no pies or cakes yet. This weekend some will bring some more baking, I think.

2 comments:

  1. I LOVE these pics! Clearly he's having a great time. I love your orange top, too! Are you making apple pie tonight? I'm making candied orange peel for the first time ever...and I'm going to blog about it.

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  2. I thought that looked like a peach! I'm sitting here smiling, thinking about him blissed out on his first peach. It is one of life's great pleasures to watch another being enjoy food. I say being, because I get a kick out of it whether it's a person or an animal. There is something we can all relate to in it, and I love that.

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