Fruits of my Labor

It's been 5 years since I started planting apple trees and this fall I'm beginning to harvest some apples. No big crops but just enough to get a taste of some rare varieties.

Chestnut crab. Small but really packed with a perfect blend of sweet and tart flavor. One of my favorite apples.

King of the Pippins.  An old variety thought to have originated in France. An excellent apple to eat out of hand with that delicious blend of sweetness and tartness.

Newt Grindle. A large cooking apple that made a wonderful Apple Crisp.

Little Benny. A southern apple with a tart flavor. I made apple sauce from these.

Just the start of my apple tasting experience. More to come.

A Long Summer

It's taken awhile but I finally feel like I'm making good progress with my new knee.  I'm walking every day from the house to the top of the Back40 Orchard, a trip of about an hour depending on how often I stop to look at my trees. Lots of uneven ground with some up and down hills to navigate and the knee seems to be doing well.  Plan on getting out with Bliss later this week to look for some woodcock. It's taken longer than I had hoped but I can see "the light at the end of the tunnel" and am looking forward to making some pleasant memories this fall with the dogs.