journal entry:

Everyone we know is talking about their fruit trees. Trees that are supported by sticks and boards because they are so heavy with fruit.  Bumper crops of everything. Apples. Peaches. Pears. The bounty actually makes me a little nervous.  Does it mean that next year will be lean?

Grandpa took extra careful care of the apple trees this year. He sprayed every three weeks to keep the worms at bay. With a special solution he learned about from an old farmer neighbor. He dutifully wrote his spraying schedule on the calendar and stopped spraying when the apples were getting ready to eat.  The result of Grandpa’s hard work was a bumper crop of perfect apples.

 

 

The grandchildren can pick and eat apples without a ladder. Or a stool. The trees are not tall. Every February Grandpa prunes the trees (if he can get through the snow). Two eight-year-old apple trees gave us six large boxes of apples. My, my. Ready for winter on the cold, basement floor. Before the harvest there were bags for neighbors and plenty for children to take home.  I made a deep dish apple pie.  And some quick homemade applesauce with lots of chunks. I’ll try apple- raisin squares next. A recipe from the newspaper.

 

 

Little people claim that they alone have found the perfect apple. Pick it and eat it. That’s what Grandpa says.  It’s good for children to know that apples grow on trees even if money doesn’t. Something they’ve likely heard from their parents.

 

 

Our grandchildren  love to help stack the apples in boxes. They tell each other to be careful. Apples bruise just like people. That’s what Grandpa says. Holden says he would like to take a bite out of every single apple because they are so good. When Grandpa looks shocked, Holden says ” just kidding”. Holden always says outlandish things and is always kidding.