Thursday, October 17, 2013

Apples Everywhere

Happy Thursday Everyone!
It's a foggy morning outside right now and I'm having a fairly lazy morning catching up on my friends blogs. I've spent huge amounts of time reading blogs the past couple of nights when I couldn't sleep. I drained my ipad battery to 5% on three different occasions if that tells you how much I've read. The problem is that there are so many interesting people and blogs out there and I keep finding more. Some of them read like stories and I find myself going all the way back to the beginning of the blog. I did that with two of them yesterday and last night, reading 3-5 years worth of posts! Oh my! Now I need to get more productive. I can read a book and knit at the same time due to a nifty book holder I picked up at a craft fair a couple of years ago. But I can't read blogs because you have to constantly scroll down and I get frustrated only knitting a stitch or two before it's time to scroll again. :-)

Now I told you on Tuesday that I was off to the orchard to buy some apples. I had planned to take a leisurely walk around and get some pictures because, after all it was Tuesday and who would be at the orchard besides me? Oh. My. Goodness. There were at least a dozen school buses, plus daycare vans, mommy vans and miscellaneous other vehicles when I arrived. I tried three different orchards and it was the same thing there. Now, you know I love kids but the quiet photos I had planned were out. Kids everywhere. Climbing on things not meant to be climbed on. Hilarious. Really. I felt for those teachers and moms. I've been there, oh yes I have. So I settled for a few photos that I took as I stopped along the roadside.

This first one is as I was driving into the very first orchard and the other two are of the beautiful hills and fall colors.

This is a log home that I absolutely drool over every time I drive by. Unfortunately there wasn't a good place to pull over and get a picture on the two lane highway.

An alpaca and llama farm not far from our house. Aren't they adorable?


Signs pointing the way to the myriad of orchards. These are all within about 15-20 minutes of our home and are located at the base of Mt. Spokane.


The little shop at one place had lots of jams and jellies to purchase.

Of course apples were purchased and made into applesauce and pie filling.


Sometime since last fall I have loaned my apple peeler/corer/slicer out and it didn't return to me. I didn't discover this fact until I got home and began peeling the box full of apples. Oh my aching hands! I've gotten spoiled with my Pampered Chef slicer. But, I persevered and now have about a dozen freezer bags full of apples.

This flaming bush belongs down the street from us. A sure sign of fall.

My English roses are still hanging in there, although we have had some very heavy frosts this past week and I expect it to stop blooming very soon.


And last, but not least, I cut some of my lavender and have it hanging in bunches to dry. Any ideas on what to do with it? I didn't cut much because I've never dried it before and want to see how it turns out. Maybe I'll do more next year.


And now I'm going to take a box of books to the post office for my dear mom-in-law. After that, an afternoon of knitting on Alex's scarf maybe?

Have a lovely Thursday my friends.

Blessings,
Betsy

13 comments:

  1. Oh you live in such a lovely area.

    I love fall, the trees, the pumpkins, the cooler air.

    Sounds like you had quite an adventure at the apple orchards.

    All I could think about when I saw the cute aplaca's was all the yarn that could be made from them. Too funny.

    Blessings to you always sweet friend

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  2. Sounds like your plan of being productive is working! Look at all those yummy apples all ready for pie or whatever. They look so good. I keep seeing apples on a lot of blogs lately. I'm going to have to make an apple pie soon. Your lavender is so pretty. I'd just dry it and fill some little cotton bags for sachets for my drawers...something nice to throw in a gift box as an extra too. That flaming bush is gorgeous. I wonder how long it stays looking that bright red. You'll have to let us in on those interesting blogs you read. I'm always looking for good ones.

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  3. Hi Betsy! You are such a busy bee, accomplishing so much, you make me feel like I'm standing still. Well, I kind of am, recuperating from this awful virus. Enjoy your day, I know you will! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  4. Hi Betsy. I had to chuckle at the apple farms being filled with unruly children! I was in the market yesterday when a young mom nearly had just as bad a meltdown as her toddler was having. I didn't know whether to help her or laugh, or cry with her! All those apples look good! I didn't get enough to really freeze any. But we sure are enjoying them.
    Happy day to you!!
    xo Kris

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  5. Hello Betsy, Wow what a lovely drive you took.. I love seeing the Llama and Alpaca. Such a serene photo... But the best part is getting all those wonderful apples.. I try to eat one a day.. Macintosh is my favorite apple... I have never froze apples, do they freeze well??? Hugs Judy

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  6. You have so much going on! Those apples look perfect, I'll bet they were delicious. Your area is so beautiful, it must be really nice to take a drive. I do the same thing with blogs, I just keep following more and more and more! I read some of them straight from the beginning too, it's one of my favorite things to do with a new blog. :)

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  7. Betsy, you peel,cut and sugar the apples then freeze them like that? Wow! Never thought of that I just bought a bushel of Northern Spy apples. Mary in Cincinnati

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  8. I better clarify what I do with the apples. I peel, slice and cook them with a little sugar and cinnamon. When they're nice and soft, usually 1/2 hour or so of simmering I put them in bags and freeze them.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  9. Neal will be so happy to hear you are making pies!

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  10. Adventures with alpaca and apples!

    Mmmmm, I can almost smell your apples and cinnamon bubbling away, and your lavender hanging up to dry.

    I'm glad you are having happy days, Betsy :)
    Gracie xx

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  11. Betsy, how wonderful that you have that many orchards to choose from. I think I would want to visit each and every one of them. I bet you are getting so excited about your trip. Have a lovely Autumn day, still hot here, high of 86 today.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  12. LOVE that pioneer woman scarecrow! I want one just like it:)
    Mmm! I love apple anything. Just ate an apple dumpling this AM. Yum.
    I dried our lavender last year and, although most of it is a culinary lavender, I use it to make my clothes smell pretty and will later use some as potpourri.
    Blessings,
    Aimee

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  13. I love apple pies and apple crumble. Now I feel hungry!
    Carol xx

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