Simply Apples

I friend of mine rang the other day and arranged a play-date for the following day. (Don't you let my boys here the words 'play-date')  And apart from catching up with each other and letting our children play and discover the hidden gems in her wonderful backyard she arranged for us to go.....

Apple Picking.  How quaint!

So after a cuppa and cake and a decent catch up, we herded the kids into the car and drove to the orchard that had an abundance of apples for us to forage.

I would like to think that every kid gets to go on an apple picking outing.   Its food at its most basic and uncomplicated.  No plastic bags, no tags, no bar codes and no stickers that you have to fish out of your mouth because you forgot to remove them before you took a bite.

Every child should have the opportunity to climb to the highest branch to pick the best and biggest apples. 

And this five year old will not be left behind by her brothers!  Crikey she was climbing things long before she could walk.

Check out this fancy contraption.  The Lady of the Orchard came down to say hello and to show us the easy way of picking the apples way up high.  The kids thought this was really cool and then proceeded to take turns at picking all really out of reach apples.

Little Sophie wasn't so keen on walking around the orchard, she wanted to carried everywhere.

I think it had something to do with the really long grass tickling her wee legs and that there was fallen fruit lying everywhere and she didn't want to stand on the rotting fruit.

Did you know that birds pecked only the ripe fruit?  So if you pick one that has a few holes in it you know that its perfectly ripe and you just need to cut that bit out.  Fancy that!  You learn something everyday.

Apples! 

The Lady of the Orchard is a bird rescuer and her pet Magpie 'Maggie' came down to meet us.  Its not everyday you get to pat and hand feed a magpie!

After today I realised that some of my children are a little snobbish when it comes to food.  Casey was in there, picking loads of apples and eating loads of apples!  But some of my others weren't to keen on eating them straight from the tree. Apparently they needed cleaning! Oh they have a lot to learn!



Twas a great time had by all and loads of apples were picked. Once cleaned(!) I wonder how long they will last in our house.  This type of outing I would recommend to all.

At the risk of sounding new-agey, it allows you to be in touch with nature and the changing seasons.

And to be thankful for our food, to appreciate where it comes from

and to love God, our most awesome Provider!

God almighty first planted a garden.
And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures.   by Francis Bacon