To the Orchard, One Decade Later

What does one decade of visiting the same apple orchard look like?

It looks like this!

Syd at 3

Syd at 13!

Will at 5

Will at 15!

 On this trip, we even had a special guest star!

It turns out that he is quite useful for enabling access to formerly out-of-reach apples:

At first, Syd was timid about being up so high, but she quickly got used to it, especially when she figured out that she could essentially get Matt to pony her around so that she didn't even have to walk from tree to tree:

See the triumphant smile of a kid who's discovered her very own labor-saving device!

Will and Luna ditched us pretty much immediately, but Syd stuck by her car service, and together we treated the informative guide to apple varieties as a checklist:

I think we managed to get a sample of every single apple variety currently in season!

And then we had a break to lie down between the trees and eat apples and things that can suitably accompany apples:

Such a coincidence that our missing two managed to find us after most of the picking was done but just in time for peanut butter and cheese!

This goofball really likes cheese:

And THIS goofball is pouting because she's so full of apples that she feels sick, and yet the apples are still delicious:

Because the kids love the apple orchard so much, after a couple of hours I've got a little goodwill credit that I immediately spent on forcing them to submit to posed photos:

I didn't actually have any goodwill credit to spend on this guy, who'd basically spent the past two hours toiling as Syd's personal pack pony, but he posed for me, anyway (although who doesn't TAKE OFF THEIR SUNGLASSES for a family photo?!?):

And then he did the same for me!

The rest of the afternoon passed away just that easily, with apple-picking and lounging--

apple cider slushes and caramel apples and fudge, and the giant hay mountain that the kids adore:

We brought home a whole bushel of apples, a half-gallon of apple cider, six dollars' worth of fudge, and plans for homemade apple pie, homemade caramel apples, homemade applesauce, and whatever else we can think up, although last year we ate our entire bushel before we could actually make a thing from them and had to go buy more!

I'd like to say that we'll definitely get more creative in the kitchen this year, but it would be a shame to buck tradition...

Peden Farm's Children's Farm Festival

The Peden family, one of our oldest local farming families, proved again that they are endowed with unsurpassable bravery and stamina--seriously, would YOU invite hundreds of small children onto your property, let them play with your animals and trample your grass, spend two days listening to their noise?

This is my children's favorite field trip of the entire year (in case you're curious, I bring my nookstocked with library books!). Here they are at Peden Farm three years ago:

And here they are last week!

The leaf rubbing is Will's favorite station. She makes a complete set every year.

Syd asked the docent if deer walked on their tiptoes like this leg suggests, and got a lesson on tendons!

I chatted with an entomologist about humane euthanasia of insects (freezer, then killing jar) and got some recommended reading!

That guy dresses exactly like my Pappaw. Exactly. Just substitute a Dixie Cup ball cap.

Don't worry--that poor child has several pairs of pants that fit her now.

They put the big electrician's gloves on the kids and then challenge them to pick up a dime.

pneumatic limestone carving

Will says that she'll stick to hand carving, thank you very much!

One of the interesting things about this festival is that although all children are invited, other than homeschoolers, only the younger grades of schoolchildren and preschoolers generally attend. And yet every year that my kids have attended since they, themselves, were preschoolers, they've remained enthralled by the same exhibits, while bring to each a larger context and coming away with a greater understanding:

This year, the kids were able to solve the nail puzzle.
This year, Will has experience with hand-carving limestone to contrast with pneumatic carving.
This year, a docent on the hayride pointed out to us a cave and former limestone quarry on the property.
This year, we learned how much a round bale of hay weighs (approximately 1,200 pounds!).
This year, Syd didn't just play with the water pump, but asked how it worked--and got an explanation!

Next year, the swarm of other children gathered with mine around each exhibit will likely be even shorter compared to them, but I still don't think that I'll have to worry about my kids being bored, or finding the programming babyish. I'm lucky to have kids who can soak in experiences, all kinds of experiences, and wonder at them, and be enthralled by them, and take something new from them every single time.

Peden Farm, October 2013

animals

 farm machinery

limestone carving

sifting and grinding corn

more animals

leaf rubbings

feeding the cows

braiding hair

hay ride!!!

yep, more animals!

and, of course, still more machines

It was a perfect day on the farm.