Over the course of a lifetime growing up and living in Connecticut and Massachusetts, I watched for the first yellow leaves of the aspens which brought tears to my eyes and made my heart leap a little. I counted the turning colors through the birches, the maples and oaks over about a six to eight week period. The scent of the air, changing ions, changing ozone put my head into an entirely different and timeless place.
The photo above is from my last New England apple picking, a tradition that was a strong part of my boys' early upbringing. It's mid-October, the height of leaf peeping season in Massachusetts, and the height of the most flavorful apple picking, too. We lived a few miles down the road from this orchard, which was the boys' favorite.
Now, especially since I developed an allergy to apples, I feel especially nostalgic for the crisp bite of a MacIntosh, Roma or Gala picked right from the tree, under a stormy sky as a late afternoon storm approaches to beat the vibrant purple, red and gold leaves from the trees onto the ground.
Addendum: I forgot to credit Christine E-E for coming up with this week's weekword! See who else is participating over on her blog.
Ah, I love foliage season (as the B&B's call it). Fall is absolutely delightful, and my husband and I were married in October for just that reason. Your image from your apple picking adventure is lovely. It makes me want to throw on a sweater and have some cider.
ReplyDeleteWhat a warm, fuzzy memory!
I love fall. An allergy to apples is sad! I eat them every day. Oddly like S.E. I was, also, married in October. :-)
ReplyDeletethank you both for piping in! my first marriage was also in october, my boys' father. current, though, was a june wedding, summer solstice!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautifully written post. I've never been to New England, but I could feel your yearning. (I was married in July, but my daughter was born in October!)
ReplyDeletethank you sowandsew! i enjoyed your 'county fair' post, too!
ReplyDeleteoh my gosh!
ReplyDeleteI love the East coast... we used to visit my step-daughter in Rhode Island & would take some "couple time" to rent a car & drive into the countryside! Although I never got to experience the "fall colors" BEFORE she moved to California... I can visualize the beauty...
Can you eat cooked apples? I have a great "apple cake" recipe I can share!
Visiting the "fall colors" is on my "bucket list" for a retirement trip.
incredibly beautiful image viewing ...
ReplyDeleteSorry to see you have an allergy to fruit. There are some allergies in my family, but with me and my children have passed us from food allergies. my son has a bit of pollen allergy, but can handle it pretty well.
Apples are really good and especially Garla, p
Feel so good and hope you have a relaxing weekend
With the friendliest greetings
Anna W
thanks, christine and anna! sadly, cooked apples are off limits as well. i was quite the pie baker and baked stuffed apples, etc when we lived in 'apple country' massachusetts. i am grateful i had a good long run of apple deliciousness and fun.
ReplyDeletethere really is no place on earth as vibrant in fall foliage as new england. it's wedged between mountains and sea and the way the weather patterns run - only place on earth with the conditions to burst in autumn flames!
Thanks for stopping by and letting me know about my picture problem. I got it fixed. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWow, so many October weddings... mine too. So sorry to hear of your allergy. Have you tried organic apples as well? I'm curious because I hear so much about pesticides and other chemicals and their reactions these days. I'm a fellow New Englander as well, growing up in MA. Cape Cod actually, so I can see everything you write about in my mind too.
ReplyDeleteIf you get a moment and you haven't already heard it, have a listen to Cheryl Wheeler's song- When Fall Comes to New England. I doubt you will be disappointed :)
i love the cape, justahumblebee! i spent a college summer working in p-town. i will gladly listen to that song.
ReplyDeleteand yes, sadly, my fruit allergies are not limited to apples, and when i first started reacting, my intial thought was it had to be pesticides, so we went to to organic orchards until i couldn't even stand in an orchard without my throat closing up. :( but like i said, i had a good run with apple goodness, and am grateful i was able to enjoy them for so long before my allergy developed.
Apple/fruit allergy? Oh my. I'm so glad you did have a good run with them. I love cutting them up for my kids to snack on and I'm so pleased that the slices disappear quickly.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the mountains of PA and each season brings new awe when the colors come. Now that I live below the Mason-Dixon line, it isn't quite the same.
I celebrate an October anniversary and a Halloween birthday. Hooray for all of our Fall celebrations!
I'm a West Coaster so I'm unfamiliar with the geography, but we have a lot of apple orchards here in the Sacramento Valley and crisp, just ripe apples have an irresistible crunch. I hear that sound in my mind right now and think of the granny smith apple tree in my parent's backyard.
ReplyDeletehoray, indeed. and yes, pennsylvania and even the Blue Ridge and Smokeys in western VA can get some pretty color, too. i live a little too far southeast in VA for good foliage. every now and then we have a nicely surprising tree in our little town.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post.... makes me drift off into memories of apple picking and pie baking with family.
ReplyDeletethank you, peggy!
ReplyDeleteecobatt, i can just imagine your orchards in those golden sunset hills of california!
ReplyDeletelovley colors in the photo. love the autumn, almost my favourite season!
ReplyDeleteWell said. I've never seen autumns more breath-taking than the ones I've spent in New England.
ReplyDeletethank you veja cecelia and lisa!
ReplyDelete