Apple Pickin'

Our yearly visit to Ellijay took place today, as we loaded up into the car and made the short journey west and up into the mountains.  It was a quick and simple trip, and of course we went to the Red Apple Barn, the same destination we've chosen for years now.  You can see Mommy and Madison loaded up for the hay ride, as we get ready to take a ride up onto the mountainside a bit where the orchards are.  You can also see a half-bushel basket, something bigger than we usually use to collect apples.  We figured we'd collect some for the grandparents, and some for volunteers at church.

We got to the orchards, and got busy picking the best apples we could find.  We had our eyes on the Jonagold apples - this weekend was the first one where we could pick from these trees.  The jonagold were ripe and ready, and we filled our basket with these, mostly.  We got some other types too such as golden delicious, red delicious, and gala.  We weren't too crazy about the cameo apples though.

Along the way, you've just got to eat one of the apples, right?  That's what you're there for!  Madison was asking if she could, and I think while we were there picking apples, she tried a few, starting with the Jonagold and also the golden delicious.  She liked both of them.

We used to pick apples in upstate New York, so this tradition goes back a ways.  It's nice to see Madison enjoying it as well.  She took a little nap in the car on the way here, but was ready to hop on board the hay ride up the mountain to get herself some apples.

Some of these trees were loaded.  You could see the ground was still wet from the storms this week too - still, Irma didn't do anything substantial to these orchards.  It was as if nothing happened this week, which is great.  Everything looked wonderful, and the weather was just right too.  We got there, and there was enough cloud cover to make everything really temperate and sweet - just like the apples.

We stopped at the shop up at the top of the hill afterwards, getting some muscadine cider, apple cider, and even some peanut brittle for later.  All the apple pickers get free apple cinnamon doughnuts and apple cider as well, so we were seated on the rocking chairs, snacking away for a few minutes.  Speaking of which, Madison was helping a few of the horses snack away too:

It was a nice day.  We got home with our big basket of apples, and Daddy went to do some work at the office.  Nana and Ye-Ye are still at the house, and the tree removal service people might come tomorrow to take the tree off of their house.  Things are moving along, so that's good, real good.

Meanwhile, a new hurricane churns in the Atlantic.  We knew about Jose, and Lee too.  We were watching those two.  But now there's one named Maria that could be a really big inconvenience.  We'll see...