Apples to Apples

Earth First Farms in Berrien, Michigan

Last weekend, we went to a Harvest Party at an organic orchard called Earth First Farms.  There was live music, free Mexican food prepared by the farm's employees, cider, beer and hayrides.  We picked a few of our own apples, but mostly dug through the seconds crates to find the imperfect ones for making pies and apple sauce.  

Mom and I spent a Wednesday night the following week furiously chopping and cooking apples, then smooshing them into sauce that we poured into old marinara-sauce jars I'd saved.  We froze about 38 quarts, and decided not to try that again after both of us had already put in a full day at the office.  We were delirious by the time we were saucing up the last batch at midnight.  Mom was hysterically laughing while I yelled.

Anyway.  Back to the orchard.

In the second photo, Jude is standing in a field and covering his eyes with his hands.  This was his way of "privately" doing his business.  What, you didn't think no one could see you when you covered your eyes as a kid?   

He met a little friend, too - Abram.  They threw hay at each other on the hayride and had a hat-tossing contest afterward.  When asked what he did at the orchard, he says, "I threw hay."

The weekend after that one we hit up another farm near Cadillac, Michigan with Jono's dad and step-mom, Jan.  Jude rode a pony for the first time and we tromped around in the pumpkin patch for awhile.

Though most of us weren't injured that day, Jan didn't leave the farm unscathed.  First she was bit by a donkey who we thought was trying to cuddle with her.  Even after the bite incident, she bravely escorted Jude into a giant blow-up pumpkin filled with screaming children... twice.

After the second time as the two of them crawled out of the entrance on their hands and knees, I laughed to see her hair flying everywhere and her dislodged headband sitting on top of her head like a crown.  She gets the Grandma of the Week Award, for sure.

You just can't cram in too many orchards and pumpkin farms in October, we don't think.  Especially when it's 70 degrees outside.

Last three photos by Jan Klooster (thanks, Jan!)