Apple Picking 2009

Halfway into our apple picking session, Dan mentions that he thinks that we may have had a good season this year.  The trees were chock full of the most delicious, giant and juicy apples.  I agreed at first, but then I realized, in all the years we’ve gone picking together, we’ve never made it there on the first weekend.  We usually remember a few weeks in, when they have to truck you to the far corners of the orchard because all the other apples had already been picked.  So, we realized, it wasn’t a good season – we just finally remembered to go on time.

And it was very worth it.  And not to mention, this year was the first year that weren’t bundled up  or stepping over mud puddles.  The weather was perfect today.  The sun  was brilliant and there was a slight breeze in the air – just enough to kep you cool.

And just like the weather, Jaia was completely different than she has been in years past as well.  Obviously.  This year she wanted to pick her own apples and carry her own bag (with frequent pit-stops to empty her apples into Dan’s bag).  And she didn’t want to stop.  We ended up picking far more apples than we’ll actually eat – but it made her beam.

But more than that, it made me beam.  With how busy we’ve all been this summer, Dan, Jaia and I have had fairly little time to just hang out together.  And so, after we thought we were done picking apples, we all just sat there on a hill for a few minutes, breathing in the last of summer.  It was one of those perfect moments.

And then she was off again.  More apples picked means more apples to snack on.