The weather around here is changing. It’s getting darker earlier, the air is drier and we are having cooler days, even a thunder storm rumbled quickly through the area a few days ago. I wanted to do something to round out the end of summer and joyfully bring in the fall. So my husband and I decided to go apple picking for the first time.

We decided to drive out to Riley’s Farm a few hours away. It was like stepping into another time and into another state for that matter. The farm was lovely and picturesque, lush and green.

We had fresh pressed cider, raspberries and plenty of apple samplings. We wandered through the orchards, discovering all sorts of different types of apples. While we were picking apples off of the trees, I kept thinking of the scene in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy gets apples thrown at her by the apple trees.

We loaded up our “half bushel” and wandered around to the farthest reaches of the farm, finding rows of corn and growing pumpkins readying themselves for the following month when they would be the headliner.

We ended our day stocked with apples galore and happy hearts, eager to delve into our cookbooks for apple recipes and ready for what fall may bring.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!