Monday, September 11, 2017

Apple Harvest Time

 We hadn't visited an apple orchard for the past few years as the harvest had been terrible for one reason or another. This year was different though, and the trees were full of perfect apples-it almost makes you wonder if  they're using a new fertiliser, or planted more blight resistant trees or if they just resorted to luring a Scottish policeman to the orchard  had some good luck this year. Er...whatever they're doing, it seems to be working!
I guess I could ask one of the people that work here, though they're all dressed as woodland animals today for some odd reason.
We made it out alive home with about twenty pounds of apples, so we'll be enjoying a number of interesting dishes over the next couple weeks. I made a red onion and apple relish to go with black bean tacos tonight.
I have my glow-in-the-dark Halloween sign up. I adore Halloween. Dressing up and eating candy-what's not to like?! I know it is more than a month away, so I'm going slow with the decorations. I need to locate a few pumpkins for the front garden. This is my first wear of this beautiful Autumn cardigan. The skirt is new (to me) as well. More plaid-ah well, I'm a creature of habit.

I do like a novelty cardigan, but rarely find one in my size. This is from Talbots, and is a cotton/silk blend. It is quite warm-perhaps a bit too warm for outdoor wear at the moment, though indoors where air conditioning units are still going at full blast it is just about right. I don't remember buying the pheasant brooch, but it went well with the overall autumn vibe of the outfit. 
 This was also a first wear for these vintage Selby shoes I bought at Thrift World. They're not in the best shape, and it would tough to fix them, so I'm going to wear them until they fall apart and get my $1.98 out of them. If nothing else, they're large so they don't hurt my injured toe.

 These earrings have a matching brooch shaped like a tree.
Outfit Particulars:
Skirt-Goodwill
Vintage blouse-Goodwill
Cardigan-Hand-Me-Ups
Shoes-Thrift World
Socks-K Mart
Vintage handbag-New Life Thrift
Brooch-can't remember
Belt-Von Maur
Fragrance-vintage Shulton Friendship Garden
We also visited Heron Haven last weekend.
We went for the butterfly release.
It was somewhat anti-climactic as the butterflies didn't seem interested in flying out of the tent. Eventually, they just took the tent apart. I think the butterflies are tagged with chips so their migration patterns can be tracked. 
The pond was infested full of frogs. I mean, hundreds of them. Everywhere. I don't think I've ever seen that many frogs in one place. It was like a biblical plague or something (and there were locusts too)!  For those of you keeping track that's, frogs, locusts, fire, hail, darkness (remember that eclipse we were all ooohing and ahhing over a few weeks back?).  If I were the religious sort I'd be getting my spiritual shit in order. 
 Somebunny has been eating the flowers.

I don't know what the purple flowers are, but the yellow and black are Black Eyed Susans and the frilly yellow stuff is Goldenrod (the Nebraska state flower). It grows like mad and blooms late in the season adding interest to gardens and fields where most everything else has finished blooming. If you decide to grow it, be warned-it takes over. I had it on the farm, but I don't dare plant it in the city. The flowers can be soaked to make a beautiful yellow die. 


 As long as the weather stays nice, I'm willing to get outdoors and enjoy it-we can do our schoolwork outdoors as easily as in. Winters can be endless in Nebraska, so it makes sense to enjoy every nice day we get.
This wasn't a photo-op sign...it was a bean-bag toss game! They're just lucky no one lobbed one at their mugs.
Hope your week is off to a great start.

















13 comments:

Emily from Etsy said...

Your cardigan is drop-dead gorgeous! You really have an eye for style. :)

I agree, there's something spiritually thought-provoking about the meteorological, geological, and astronomical conditions we've been seeing around the world. Between the earthquakes, hurricanes, and eclipses and what-not, I feel like there's a message just waiting for us to interpret, although it's not entirely clear what that would be. All we can do is try to be good people and do our best to respect Mother Nature so that she in turn goes easy on us.

Danny is lucky to have you for a mom. You're so thoughtful and involved (but without being too involved), and he is getting a great education that is both theoretical and hands-on. And clearly, he knows his way around a kitchen, something that he will appreciate immensely when he leaves home in a few years.

Apples in Oregon are just now beginning to come into season. I'm eager to resume some of my favorite apple recipes once the season is in full force and prices reflect the plenitude of the harvest.

Beth Waltz said...

A spicy, crunchy little Jonathan apple and a chunk of cheese -- my favorite quickie bag lunch for the next month or so! There were a few Jonathans in the ancient orchard behind the house where I grew up. Mum cnsidered them "snack fruit for the children", unfit for cooking. She thought it odd that not a single "yellow pie" survived; we kids didn't miss an ol' mush apple tree.

Those shoes, those socks, that skirt! Tie a scarf with a bow at your ear, and I'll drop a curtsey!

Vix said...

Our trees are groaning under the weight of apples this year - I suppose I'd better crack on with the chutney making!
Danny looks very pleased with his haul.
That woodland creature is terrifying but I love that lovely little frog.
I love those socks with the shoes and good to know they can accommodate your poorly toe. xxx

Propagatrix said...

The topmost purple flowers are asters.

Is it terribly weird that my aging eyes read "Heroin Haven" at first? Yeah, I thought so.

Red onion and apple -- YES! I now want to make apple pico de gallo and eat it with an iced tea spoon, straight from the bowl, without sharing.

Polyester Princess said...

You're going to be busy again with all the apples you've picked! That cardigan is a cracker, but I'm breaking out in a sweat from just looking at it. I love the shoes and it's a definite bonus that they are big enough to accomodate your injured toe. I didn't catch on that those were socks you were wearing until I read your outfit details. I'm glad I am not the religious sort, but it's the woodland creature that is freaking me out! xxx

Vronni's Style Meanderings said...

I can't imagine HOW you are going to use all those apples up!!

I brought back a bag of rhubarb from a cousin's garden in Ireland 10 days ago with the idea of making rhubarb and ginger jam and I still haven't got round to it! Tomorrow...

Your cardigan is beautiful and looks lovely on you. The pheasant brooch is beautiful but I am not very fond of pheasants. When I'm out walking they are forever flying up from a spot very close to me in a great panic almost giving me (and them) heart failure!

Goody said...

@Emily
I don't feel like a good mother, but I'm not sure what I could do differently. Our early apples are mostly mackintosh, Jonathan, and gala-not too exciting, but excellent for applesauce or eating out of hand. I made a crumble last evening with the galas that everyone liked because, it is going to be a good long while before I make another pie ;)

@Beth
There's a dying apple tree on the college campus next door that still manages to produce a basket of fruit each year. I admire the determination! All dead branches save for a few that bear fruit. I don't have the heart to harvest them and it doesn't seem anyone else does either.

The old pie varieties are being brought back in some places, but not where I'm at. Granny Smith has forced out all the Greenings. *shrug*.

@Vix
I'm doing green tomato chutney this year as nothing is ripening and I know we'll be stuck with a tonne of green ones. Do you dry apples? If I had my own trees I'd live all winter on dried apples.

@Propagatrix
That's not that inaccurate, given the neighbourhood. The land had previously been a rather tough biker bar.

So that's an aster! Thank you.

@Ann
I should mention the socks are wool-yes, they were too warm!

@Veronica
Rhubarb freezes well if you need to buy time. Rhubarb and ginger jam sounds lovely.

Pheasants are berry thieves as well. Everyone blames the poor little songbirds when it is the pheasants devouring everything in sight.

Bibi Maizoon said...

I don't have much to add but I love that Talbot's sweater & the purple flower is an aster. We are plagued with tiny frogs as small as your thumbnail here in Nepal too. Apples are coming down from the mountains here in scads- biblically significant being the original sin or from the tree of knowledge?????

ThriftyParka said...

Love your Autumn Vibe!!!! The Talbots cardi is wonderful!! Wool/silk, novelty pattern, beautiful colours...what's not to love!!!

Happy thrifting ;)

Radostin said...

Ooooh, much enthusiasm from me for what strikes me as this autumnal goth look. And your socks! Not to mention the shoes! I think there might have been an audible response to those.
Also, since I first saw it I've been meaning to ask about that car dump Stonehenge; did you say anything about it that I missed? Absolutely fabulous, I am intrigued.

Mim said...

Hoorah for Halloween! I love it too. I've seen lots of people being nearly as Bah Humbug about it as they are about Christmas, but anything that lightens this gloomy time of year is fine by me.

All those apples... that's a whole lot of crumble.

Hmm. Glut of apples, glut of frogs. Maybe whatever eats green things has given your region a skip this year.

Goody said...

@Bibi
Ugh-mini frogs sound even worse.

@Thrifty Parka
Thank you. Is it cold in you yet?

@Radostin
That's Carhenge! It was the dream of a man from Chadron, Nebraska-so he built it. Worth a visit if you ever find yourself in Western Nebraska.

@Mim
And green tomatoes as well!
I know you'll do something fab for Halloween-you always do. I'm looking forward to some movie viewing suggestions.

Radostin said...

Wonderful! Thank you!