The Farm: In Pictures

Autumn's Best of Weather

October at the Farm

We seem to have picked the most beautiful weekends to head up north this year.  End of September camping trip in the Porcupine Mountains of Upper Penninsula Michigan  and Apple Fest two weeks later.  The leaves were at the peak of changing color, the fields recently harvested and beautiful weather keeping us outside all day.

Autumn Amusement

Apple Fest 2011

I should also note that this marked the time for Evelyn's first amusement park rides... successfully... on her own!  It was a huge deal for her (okay... for me) to go on the mini ferris wheel all alone.  I think the enticement was that she got to ride in the PINK ferris wheel car with another little girl (also wearing pink).  After the thrill of going around and around, stealing views of Lake Superior, the Island and surrounding vistas, she was full of energy and excitement and wanted to go on every other ride possible!

Apples!

At some  point, I'd better blog about the farm and our adventures at the Sullivan's Old Ollie Aumberg Orchard and Apple Cider Fest!

  Two weekends ago, the family all went up to the farm in Northern Wisconsin (Grandma and Grandpa's farm) to pick apples and press cider.  This is what keeps us healthy all season long!  There's nothing quite as wonderful as a cold glass of freshly pressed cider on a crisp September day

First we make our way into the apple orchard - riding in the red wagon behind the old tractor.  The trees are laden with apples - ready for the picking!  Look how rosy and sweet those apples look!  Hope these one's aren't out of my reach!

I get to wear one of the apple picking bags and use an apple picker to reach way up high while standing on the ground.  Evelyn is my little helper by hand transferring each apple into my bag.  

Sometimes, though, she finds it more amusing to throw the apples on the ground... until she tastes her first apple!  All it takes is one bite for her to be in apple heaven!  Over the next three days, she asks for "Ap-pull" at every opportunity and still asks for "Ap-pull Juice" at every meal.  

Grandpa reaches way up high, while on a ladder.  He's quite a pro at picking the right tree near the far eastern edge of the orchard.  It's very zen. Before long, he'll pick a few bushels of apples that need transporting back to the tractor.  

Meanwhile, Evelyn is content lounging on another ladder, eating her third apple of the day.  Eventually, she feels compelled to climb the ladder.  It's a good thing Auntie Leen was there to help her!

 

Antique Apple Orchard; variety unknown

Just imagine ~ it takes one bushel of apples to press into one gallon of Apple Cider! Here's Evelyn helping to carry a bushel basket of (a few) apples!

 Here comes the juice ~ keep filling up the gallon jugs!  It was especially tasty to sneak a glass under the apple press for an extra fresh glass of Cider!  All in all, I think we pressed about 24 gallons of Cider and still had plenty of bushels of apples to send home with everyone!  Apple pie, apple crisp, apple sauce... Oh how tasty you are!!

100 % Organic Apple Cider

Keya Monster

I can't believe it's almost the fall!  Where did the summer go?  Where has September gone?  I think this is a sign that life is a little too busy... that it feels like the days fly by so quickly!  

It was a tough month and end to the summer.  We had to put Keya down the Thursday before Labor Day.  Signs of her illness came on so quickly and she wasn't responding to the treatment and medications.  It was an incredibly sad and difficult decision to make and we really miss her.  I think I've been putting off writing on the blog because I didn't want to write this all down.  Poor Keya monster.


We were able to enjoy a great trip to the farm with her at the beginning of August - she got to play outside and sit in the sun, run in the field and play in Lake Superior.

On another note... Every day is so amazing - playing with Evelyn, watching her grow and talk more and more and observing as she figures out the world!  More for  another day.