surrounded in apples

this tree in the front yard is completely loaded... it is holding onto it's apples quite well... so i plan to pick it last... it is called a winter banana

the king tree, down by the old white barn... this is it's day to be picked. it probably has five boxes of apples on it... maybe more

when i turn around i can see an orchard of apples and plums (i have picked all of these trees except one now)

just to the left of the orchard across the road is where the forest begins

looking over to the right is my home... complete with kids in the yard... and beyond that is the river

i can also see a wonderful husband doing the dirty work... seriously... he is up on that ladder presser washing the house... presser washing hundreds of spiders and their nests off of our house (this awful job needs to be done every summer out here... sometimes twice a year)

and here i am... in this gorgeous golden field... picking these ripe red apples... with the king.

the king tree is one of my favorites to pick.

it always seems to invite me to sit and appreciate my surroundings. i think part of the reason for that is it has the perfect sitting place at the bottom of that slanted trunk... and another part of it is the way it is far enough out to get a perfect view of the river. 

many years ago it was propped up with this giant log, and the tree has slowly grown around it... this tree has so much character... and the way it sits off by itself like this really helps to display that character.

i had picked about three boxes of apples... sweating... stiff neck from spending so much time looking straight up into the tree... arms tired form holding that long pole out with the little basket at the end hooking and catching apple, after apple, after apple. then... suddenly... it hit me (like it always does) that although it felt as if i was alone out there originally... i was actually surrounded by life. there was an overwhelming cricket chorus completely surrounding me. with a second (a bit more thoughtful) scan of the field and water i realized there were birds, many birds, everywhere... in the field... in the water... and in the trees. that is when the tree beckoned me to sit, rest, and take it all in.

thank you king... it was a pleasure picking apples with you.

shall we do it again next year?