Apples acquired
Sep. 12th, 2004 07:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidAfter an impromptu hike in the Fells, I started out on my apple quest. I'd written down directions for three orchards, figuring I'd just head where my mood took me. Which was a good plan, really, except that I was starting from the Fells, not my house.
I made it to 128S just fine, then got off course by taking the northbound exit paired with the 3S exit... which is not 3N, but 3A (north). I ended up taking a scenic route for a bit, then managed to locate 3N. I got on heading north, knowing that Pepperell is not close by. I was supposed to head for exit 5W. The next exit was 27, so I settled in for a longer drive than I'd anticipated. But wait! The exit after that was 28. Er, what? I decided to give up on that orchard, and find one of the others instead. I took 495S, and headed south looking for Rte 2. But well before I got there, I saw signs for "Kimball Farm". Great! Kimball was one of the places on my list. So I followed the signs, and found parking in a mobbed dirt lot. I went in, and found a country store, massive portions of ice cream being served, pony rides, a golfing range, and a moonwalk, but no actual produce, not to mention apples. I finally found someone to ask, and discovered that I should've been heading to "Kimball Fruit Farm," which was 12 miles away. The guy knew another orchard, only 8 miles away, and with easier directions to describe1.
Which is how I ended up going to Autumn Hills Orchard, in Groton.
It's a small operation. Not that the orchard is tiny, but it was just two guys under a sunshade sort of tent, very low-key. The older one had curly graying hair just long enough to make me think of an early Dr. Who, and the younger one was not only cute but friendly. I got a bag, and directions to climb up the hill the orchard covers.
It was well worth the walk just for the view, the layers of hills bluing into the horizon, with the rows of apple trees marching up and down the hill. There were lots of wildflowers and dragonflies (though none mating, like the pair I spotted at the Fells), and it was quiet except for the crickety insect sounds, very peaceful. I tasted a RI greening, which was a bit sour and dense, then tried a gala, which was perfectly crisp. Excellent. I picked Galas, then Macs, plus a couple of Paula Reds, about half a bag full, which turned out to be 8.5 pounds. I went back to pay, and to debate whether to get any pears or small oval purple plums (no). And then after I'd paid, the cute one said something about the honey they were selling, and the older one said there was a story to the honey. I waited, and heard about how it's a new honey producer, making raw wildflower honey. And in the end, I couldn't resist fresh, raw, local honey. And so I have my apples2 and honey for Rosh Hashana.
1 Happily, the drive home was uneventful, reasonably direct, and scenic. With all the driving, I saw horses, ponies, cows, sheep, goats, chickens, and a rooster today.
2 Actually, if there are honeycrisp apples at the farmer's market, I'll get some, so there can be a comparison between the honeycrisps and the galas.
Current Smell: hot (Mac) apple pie just out of the oven
I made it to 128S just fine, then got off course by taking the northbound exit paired with the 3S exit... which is not 3N, but 3A (north). I ended up taking a scenic route for a bit, then managed to locate 3N. I got on heading north, knowing that Pepperell is not close by. I was supposed to head for exit 5W. The next exit was 27, so I settled in for a longer drive than I'd anticipated. But wait! The exit after that was 28. Er, what? I decided to give up on that orchard, and find one of the others instead. I took 495S, and headed south looking for Rte 2. But well before I got there, I saw signs for "Kimball Farm". Great! Kimball was one of the places on my list. So I followed the signs, and found parking in a mobbed dirt lot. I went in, and found a country store, massive portions of ice cream being served, pony rides, a golfing range, and a moonwalk, but no actual produce, not to mention apples. I finally found someone to ask, and discovered that I should've been heading to "Kimball Fruit Farm," which was 12 miles away. The guy knew another orchard, only 8 miles away, and with easier directions to describe1.
Which is how I ended up going to Autumn Hills Orchard, in Groton.
It's a small operation. Not that the orchard is tiny, but it was just two guys under a sunshade sort of tent, very low-key. The older one had curly graying hair just long enough to make me think of an early Dr. Who, and the younger one was not only cute but friendly. I got a bag, and directions to climb up the hill the orchard covers.
It was well worth the walk just for the view, the layers of hills bluing into the horizon, with the rows of apple trees marching up and down the hill. There were lots of wildflowers and dragonflies (though none mating, like the pair I spotted at the Fells), and it was quiet except for the crickety insect sounds, very peaceful. I tasted a RI greening, which was a bit sour and dense, then tried a gala, which was perfectly crisp. Excellent. I picked Galas, then Macs, plus a couple of Paula Reds, about half a bag full, which turned out to be 8.5 pounds. I went back to pay, and to debate whether to get any pears or small oval purple plums (no). And then after I'd paid, the cute one said something about the honey they were selling, and the older one said there was a story to the honey. I waited, and heard about how it's a new honey producer, making raw wildflower honey. And in the end, I couldn't resist fresh, raw, local honey. And so I have my apples2 and honey for Rosh Hashana.
1 Happily, the drive home was uneventful, reasonably direct, and scenic. With all the driving, I saw horses, ponies, cows, sheep, goats, chickens, and a rooster today.
2 Actually, if there are honeycrisp apples at the farmer's market, I'll get some, so there can be a comparison between the honeycrisps and the galas.
Current Smell: hot (Mac) apple pie just out of the oven
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-09-13 05:29 am (UTC)2. how did you get LJ to list "current smell"?
no subject
Date: 2004-09-13 05:41 am (UTC)I wish there was a way to have a (or two) Current [fill-in box]: [bigger fill-in box], but there isn't, for some technical reason I've never understood. Perhaps someday....