Falling for Fall

     I love fall! I think it is my absolute favorite season. Cool mornings, sort of warm mid-day, and cool evenings. I was able to walk in the water at the lake today in bare feet, but wearing my favorite long sleeve tee-shirt. It just doesn't get any better, does it? Not until the leaves start changing in earnest anyway!

The tree across the street from our house is changing!

     One thing I adore about the fall here in PA is the fact that it is actually a season of harvest. There just wasn't much in South Carolina that made it to fall. There just wasn't the over abundance of produce I have seen up here. There are seriously little road side stands over flowing with beautiful offerings on every other corner!
     I shared a few pictures a post or two ago about a wild apple tree on a country road here in town. Well, my husband and I finally got the chance to return...and this time we took a ladder!

Yeah...wild trees are way taller than farmed ones!

     Thankfully my husband had the forethought to bring his dad's "picker". It resembles that as-seen-on-TV gadget, The Grabber, only no cool little blue suction cup thingies on the end. I was skeptical that thing was going to help anything. It was obvious when we got there...that was the only way we were reaching any apples. I was determined though...and as you can see, heights of small proportions don't really bother me like they do my hubby. He was having none of it!

These are some of the apples that ended up in my canvas bag!

     I wish pictures could convey more than a simple image. I wish they were little 3D experiences sometimes, because it was so wonderful! Being up in the branches like that...the smell of the apples carried on the sweet breeze already heavy with the fragrance of grapes. Everyone should pick apples once in their life!

     Of course, being the eternal 4 year old that I am, I was enthralled the rest of the day that I picked my own apples. My husband is a saint for putting up with me...really.

    I'm a very sensory oriented person so I was overloaded after a day of picking wild fruit, then touring Burches, one of the local farms. They have a full bakery and offer samples of everything from their homemade breads to their 14 different varieties of apples. I brought my camera! Look at all this amazing locally grown produce!

Canning tomatoes and beautiful watermelons!

We bought a small box of these...SO yummy!

Burches has about 100 acres of fruit trees! aren't these pears luscious?!

What North East is famous for...GRAPES! These are table grapes, but there are acres and acres used for the farm's line of wine! North East is the Wine capital of the east!

     I am very easy to entertain aren't I? Even if we hadn't bought anything, I would have had the best day! That being said, we bought some McIntosh apples and a small loaf of their heavenly pistachio bread. We even picked up a loaf of peach bread as a gift for my grandmother. I swear, I haven't bought produce in a grocery store since...well I can't remember when! Between the farms and little mom and pop stands, North East is a veritable farmers market! Locally grown really does taste better. And I feel good every time I support a local grower.

     I can't wait to share more pictures from this up coming fall season with you all. I am super excited about being here for an entire leaf season! Be prepared...I am a shutter bug, so I hope you don't get tired of all the pictures!  Thanks for stopping by and sharing my apple adventure...hopefully I'll have many more like it to share soon!