Brandi Graves

Apples, Apples, Apples...

For the last couple years, Ol' Fall has rushed through and passed me right on by, with hardly an exhale.  I know this happens largely because I hold on - so desperately - to Summer... and, probably, of course, because this season seems to becomes a big, stumbling trip, of back-to-school, and prepare-for-rain, and pumpkin-patches, and can't-find-the-galoshes, and Halloween-costumes, and hurry-up-and-do-something-with-those-tomatoes-!

But NO, not this year.  I mean, yes, of course... all those dear-Autumn-I'm-dizzy things are still part of the push... but THIS YEAR, I promised my boys we'd go apple-picking.  Doesn't that sound... so... Aautumnal?

Well... OH. MY. GOSH..., was it worth it... full of lots of praise for my "Great Idea, MOM!!!" from Henry, and the adoption of a new Joe-inspired family mantra, "It's-another-golden-delicious!!... It's-ANOTHER-golden-delicious!!!... IT'S ANOTHER GOLDEN DELICIOUS!!!!!" - The surprise, and thrill, and pure 2-year-old-GLEE flooding out of each. and. every. word. (ok, - just so we're clear, - that's not a golden delicious!).

So we visited Apple-a-Day Ratzlaff Ranch in Sebastopol, on a warm Friday morning, while my good ol' pal from Colorado was visiting (thanks for coming, - Fatima).  It was really just a spur-of-the-moment choice, as we googled 'Sonoma County Apple Picking' first thing in the morning, but it turned out to be just the right place.

The orchard's 3rd generation farmer, Ken Ratzlaff (yes, - that's him... getting the scale ready to weigh our 38 lbs (!!!) of apples) was incredibly generous with his time, giving us a private tour of his family's cider-making equipment ("Like Pure Sugar!!!!" - noted Henry, upon cider taste-testing.) .... We'll definitely have Farmer Ken's cider on our grocery list from now on (It's available at Whole Foods throughout California and Washington in the refrigerated section... just in case... you're interested - and, oooooh, - you SHOULD be.)

So for now, our fridge, and our pantry are FULL, - albeit only with apples.  Fortunately, apples can wait - so I'll have a little time to start sewing the boy's halloween costumes before we begin the "Big Applesauce Making Marathon of 2009".

Getting ready, yet-again.

Garden time is here again (and lots of wriggling worms)... we've been spending lots of time getting our little plot of earth ready for the planting.  Yes, - spending lots of time I say, - because there has been a LOT of work to do... not much care was taken over the winter to tend to my little parcel, - and so there was much cleaning out to be done - curious neighbors watching our every move...

And then, - a surprising and wonderful rainy weekend.  So who cares, - the seeds can wait another week... you know how my boys love the mud play.

Finally, happily... and on the afternoon of a full moon night, we got the perfect little seeds and the baby sprouts in the ground.

... Oh, summer... I do love you so.