Apple Season

I can't believe it's already fall!  Kids are back in school, the water fountains at the playgrounds are turned off, and the beaches are unguarded.  Summer ended abruptly in Chicago, with a 20 degree drop in daily temperatures overnight.  I'm not sure where summer went, but it's been with a strong hint of sadness that we've welcomed the fall season and it's weather.


Today our nature meetup group went apple picking at a farm in the suburbs.  Despite the intermittent mist, the day was a huge success.  Tye noticed right away that there were apples on the tree and gasped with excitement as she pointed to them. Though her basket was filled mostly with fallen apples, we managed to find some delicious apples to pick off the trees and take home.  We also picked our own pumpkins and kale (the latter of which Tye ate raw as we returned to the farmhouse).  

 As soon as we returned home, we cut up a couple of our freshly picked apples, spread them with sunflower seed butter, and enjoyed one of my own all time favorite snacks from childhood. 

While I'm looking forward to baking with our freshly picked produce, by far the best things I took away from today were intangible: watching Tye learn enthusiastically that apples grow on trees, exploring a farm and feeding chickens together, and sharing a nostalgic childhood snack.  This part of fall I love.