Autumn, Outdoors: Apple Extraction

I looked forward to this day for weeks. Weeks! Autumn isn't autumn without apples, and so a visit to an apple orchard is a must. At least it's become a must for us me since we've gone to an apple orchard for the last two years. And one day in late September was apple orchard day for us Olsons!

 

Anyway, we headed south to Sioux Falls this time since the Stonegate Orchard in Slayton, where we've gone in the past, is now closed. I was pretty depressed until I realized that there's some others around. The Country Apple Orchard--okay, so creative naming isn't their strong point--boasted a cute store, a big stack of hay for kids to play on, an unstaffed tractor-train, a small petting zoo, and picked over apple trees. We enjoyed an alfresco lunch and then checked out the store, where we bought our bags.

 

 

Then we headed to the trees with the wagon and the kids in blustery wind and warm sunshine. P looked back from running ahead, stopped, smiled, and said, "C really likes this!" And she did! She laughed gleefully in the wagon, grabbed any apple she could reach, and generally screamed her delight during our picking. The boys shrieked with excitement and ran off their energy.

The downside apples in the trees were few; many had fallen due to high winds, and many others had already gone the way of all good apples (into pies, pastries, and tummies). The upside to that was that the boys kids Papa and the kids had a practical reason to climb trees.

 

Of course, we had to test-taste a few! No, not our little C. But she liked holding them!

 

 

 

It was a lovely afternoon.

 

And so far our haul? Half a bushel of apples = two apple pies, apple muffins, apple strudel, and lots of just plain old goodness (sometimes with the skin and sometimes without). Happy fall to you!