Apples...are they or aren't they?

Yesterday was our annual apple picking adventure! We headed to Tougas Family Farm in Northborough and we had great company once we got there: the entire state of Massachusetts. I kid you not - the line to park (just to park!) was almost a mile long. That may not sound like a lot, but when you are snaking up a hill after driving 40 minutes and you know they have just opened at 10 am, how can so many people be ahead of you?? It's nerve-wracking and I swear I almost made Jason turn around. I have lost the ability to wait since having kids.

Well you can guess. Although we faced the seas of humanity...

our boat sailed on just fine.

TOO fine. It was a curious experience in fact. There were no, like, trees. Instead of an orchard, the apples were in rows, grown almost like grapes on a vine. Look at the "trunks":

And the "branches" were all strung up. Some were on these V-shaped structures.

I don't know why this really threw me off but it did. Not very orchard-y and the apples were just dripping off.

It was all a tad suspect. The fruit was too perfect! And the picking was too easy. But, we were not about to let a little genetic engineering get in our way. The honeycrisps, I have to admit, were completely amazing. Alex took itty bitty chipmunk bites out of all of his,

Ashton took monster bites,

and in general we all enjoyed ourselves for the 20 or so minutes that it took to fill our $38 bag ;) 

If we could have stood in the most terrifically long lines you've ever seen, there would have been cider doughnuts and kettle corn and all sorts of other treats. But we got the heck out of there and the line to get up the hill was even longer on our way out. At some point they must have stopped letting cars in - it was completely full. 

Currently the giant apple bag is sitting on our counter and I think tonight the boys and I might make some anonymous donations to the neighbors. How many can one person really eat??

After we make some applesauce, apple muffins, and apple crisp, and after we use them for stamping and possibly another craft, I'll be apple'ed out. Just in time to pick pumpkins...

p.s. Jason and I have been married 7 years today!!