apple orchard

We went out to Stillwater in the afternoon, to the apple orchard.

 This is the hay bale maze.  It's hot in there and smells wonderful.

 It was about 80 degrees of bright sunshine, just a perfect day.

 When we arrived, Jay said he hasn't been there before, and what do we do?

Well, it's a very laid back situation.   First we petted a goat with big ears.

No pictures of that.

 We picked a big bag of crunchy Haralson apples.

We went on a wagon ride and bought apple treats--caramel apples, apple brats, apple bread, apple doughnuts.

There's a vineyard there too, and a man was on the deck, playing the cello.

There was a big booth selling popcorn, blowing that lovely smell all around.

It was lovely.

Plus here's Jay.

Twenty-five year old Jay would have never agreed to this, to go to this place and wander around.

"Oh hell no."

Years ago we went to the Home and Garden Show with his sister and her husband and after about an hour, when we were walking along a hallway with a high railing overlooking the auditorium, he said, "Think if I threw myself off here they'd get the idea I'm ready to go home?"

I about doubled over laughing, "Don't you try it."

Fifty year old Jay?  He's a very mellow beast, good natured even.  He pushed the little child on the swing and answered Julia's questions.

The little girl held up a sucker she didn't want anymore and he popped it in his own mouth and ate it, picked apples, wandered alongside me amiably.

Who'd a thunk it?

Oh, beautiful September.   love you all so, Val, aka MOM, aka Grandma