Saturday, September 6, 2025

Labor Day Exploration

I was going to begin processing apples last Monday, but DH whisked me away to explore another mountain road so after easing into the day over breakfast and a second cup of tea on the deck,

And watching Skeet become re-acquainted with his friend, Pockets, who recently showed up again

 we loaded into the buggy and headed west to explore Copeland Canyon. 

It took an hour and a half to bounce 5 miles, gaining 2000' in elevation, over a very questionable path that was once a road, but at the end, we were treated to a magical spot

Where a cool mountain spring danced along the rocks and pebbles. You never tasted water so crisp and sweet.

 The sunlight filtered through dense trees

DH likes to read the ground - look at tracks and identify the plants. 

Our trusty buggy allows us to explore places we aren't able to traverse with a truck and then we're able to climb around on foot from there

A neighbor is building a cabin about 2 1/2 miles up this road and we stopped to visit with him for a bit. I do not know how he's even hauling building material and supplies up the road because it's so rough. But he was born and raised here and he knows the history of these mountains and we are both interested in knowing about the area and the people who once called it home.

Next stop. The Historical Society in town because he said there were good references and material in their archives.

There's a little bit of history here as well because there is an original house on our property that has been added onto and was last updated in 1995, but they always built around the original one room cabin which was built in 1905. There are only 2 walls left standing and I wish those walls could talk.

It was another pretty day to be out and about

Thursday, September 4, 2025

An Apple a Day

 'Tis mountain apple season here!

And last Saturday, the kids and I drove to a little mountain town to take advantage of the harvest. It's been a tradition for years

And it was especially sweet to pass it down to the next generation this year

Sneaking a snack because apple picking is hard work

Her daddy taught her what to look for 

And she eagerly picked

and picked

 filling buckets

We picked 80# of Jonathon apples and a few Golden Wonders

 

In our opinion, the Jonathon apples make the best apple pies, baked apples, and apple sauce. I made baked apples the next day and the first batch, of many, of our favorite dehydrated apples will soon be ready

It was the best way to spend the day together

And hopefully the start of a tradition

 for this little monkey