As it's probably become obvious, the kids and I are frequently on our own on recent weekends. Hopefully, in a month or so that should stop, but lately Craig has been occupied with one of two different jobs. Since starting the house siding project, Craig has been spending whatever decent-weather free time he has (evenings and weekends) working on it. He's also been working on a temporary side job with an electrician on some weekends. So Saturdays and Sundays for us go something like this: sleep in (about 8:00), get up and have a hot breakfast together, get outside for some fresh air either with a specific destination or just playing outside, home/inside for lunch and nap (I prepare our meals for the upcoming week while the kids nap), outside again after nap if the weather permits, dinner, bath and bedtime. Usually our outings that involve going some place are in the morning. We often head to the library on Saturday mornings - usually every other - and I like to at least get out to run around and get their bodies moving if we don't have anything on our agenda. The kids have plenty of down time in the house to play and read and watch a movie, and I find that their attitudes and sleep rhythms are best if we get outside. We've been enjoying this routine and the fall activities we've been venturing out for.
Today, we visited Erie Orchard to pick some apples.
It was gorgeous weather again. A little cooler than yesterday at the butterfly house, which we welcomed happily.
When you visit Erie in the fall, there's a LOT going on up by the barns and store. Pretty much a full-on festival every weekend. That's reeeeally not my style... I prefer quieter visits to farms - u-pick or otherwise. But the orchards and all other fruit bushes/fields are further to the back of the property. You have to pay $1 to park, but they give you a card in return that takes a dollar off any purchase you make in the store or for the total price of your picked fruit.
So we just drove through the crowds and back to the nearly bare orchards. Every so often a tractor pulling a group on a hayride would come by. And I think we saw one or two other families sort of nearby... briefly. But pretty much we had the area we were in to ourselves. And at our very first stop - at the golden delicious variety - we were lucky enough to have TWO ladders ready and waiting! I don't think I saw but one other ladder anywhere else. Lucky us! The kids each got one. :)
I have a newfound love for golden delicious apples. Never knew I liked them so much!
Love the light this day.
The red delicious apple trees grow lower to the ground, so no ladders were needed. We only picked a few of these and tried to wash a couple with our water bottles for the kids to sample. ;)
We finished picking (grabbed a bunch of Granny Smith apples for Craig too) and paid for our pickings. Then we walked up through all the action briefly on our way to the store.
Inside the store, we watched the cider press in action, selected some freshly made donuts and a gallon of cider and paid for those too. So glad the line wasn't long inside!
Oh my gosh! The donuts are phenomenal!!! REALLY wish we'd gotten more. I definitely need to get back there again to pick up some more. :)
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