Finally, it's the last week of September grandma in I look forward to apple picking every year on September 22 I look forward to Apple picking just to spend time with grandma my grandma is already 70 years old but you wouldn't know that because she looks and acts at least 60 years old so every year grandma rides up in her blue 1930 Packard just to pick me up at the same time 10 am. I happily jump right into the front seat and hug my grandma because I'm so happy just to see her so energetic and happy every year. My grandma and I put on her old tunes Frankie Lymon and the teenagers, why do fools fall in love and we sing and laugh and we are talking, just we're we left off last year without missing a beat. My grandma always stops at this corner store just before we make it to the apple orchard and she always gets the same taffy candy that we have been getting for years since I was a kid of eight years. Even if I see this taffy at any time of the year I wouldn't buy it because that's just special between me and my grandma. And when we finally arrive at the apple orchard it's fun to see grandma at work. grandma instantly becomes an apple professional. Her first words when she finishes parking is the "harvest is in" that's my grandma's professional skills kicking in. Grandma always brings her baskets not because of rental fees just because hers is bigger and could hold almost double the bags or basket the farmers would give us. Almost always my grandma and I would take a hayride one year we couldn't because grandma had really bad allergies and it was best to stay away from the hay that's what grandma said so we did. Hayrides are a beautiful sight all the beautiful trees and apples hanging low we always start grabbing even before we start apple picking this is most fun because grandma always look at the apples and throw them away saying blemished, blemished and it took me a while to understand what grandma was talking about because I didn't want to disturb grandma while she's working. one year I finally ask grandma and she realized that I didn't know much about picking the right apple. Grandma said You have to have the right apples for perfect cider and the perfect apple pie, and if you want good apple sauce follow me I'll show you how to pick apples. first, grandma walked up to the apple tree and grab the first apple that she discovers.then she slowly put it close to her nose as to sniff in the scent of apples, and then she makes a sound"mmm" seem to me this is the sound of satisfaction, then grandma slowly turns the stem on the top of the apple when the stem broke off she says very well and then she starts turning the apples looking for blemishes. and if the apples have little blemishes she adds them to her basket. Well, it seems to have little blemishes on most of the apples grandma picks. Because she said they were the sweetest ones, the ones with the little flaws are the best for sauce and cider. When me and my grandma goes picking we cover a lot of ground it seems like hours of picking up and throwing and smelling. Hours of talking and laughing and making jokes with Grandma. Grandma and I always have the best times after we finished picking apples we would take the apples back to the car and go right back to the apple patch just because there was a bakery stand there and we would grab some Apple cider and two donuts, and we would grab a seat near the bakery no one ever complains about us even though there are no regular chairs for people to sit down we usually find something to sit on an enjoy our snacks. And we always take our time just talking and snacking just like we lived there or was there every day. I believe this is grandma getting her rest but I don't say anything mainly. because I'm tired also so as long as grandma wants to sit we sit. And after we snack and recuperate we start heading towards the petting zoo. This is one of my most favorite thing to do after Apple picking. Grandma and I have been coming here so long we make jokes about how some of the animals are aging and we get sad when some of the animals are replaced. But we always enjoy ourselves. The rabbits and the little horses are my favorite. Rabbits are so cute but grandma always said don't be fooled by their cuteness I really didn't know what that means and still never figured it out because I never heard of rabbits harming anyone. But I do use that lesson grandma taught me and my everyday life. About being fooled by the cuteness towards humans and other animals that may hurt you because you let your guard down because they're so cute. Anyway, grandma and I always hold our noses when we walk towards the cattle, and then we look at each other and laugh for some reason it's a very hard laugh that once it dies down we look at each other and start all over again we have a great connection. Grandma always has rubber gloves inside of her pocketbook so that we can safely pet the animals or feed the critters that is what grandma always calls the animals. and after a full day at the apple orchard grandma and I start heading home grandma turns her tunes back on we listen to Frankie Vallie going back home and I would do most of the singing because I could tell now that grandma is tired and she just wants to keep it excited for me but to tell you the truth I would like just to take a little nap but once grandma put that music on the singing just kicks in just like the smell of those apples the smell always seem to kick in halfway home I begin to smell fruity green apples. Grandma says they smell like waxy fruity raspberry well I guess we all have our opinion and grandma's opinion to me is different. I don't agree because how do you smell wax with fresh fruit right off the tree weird. But grandma plans to stick to her opinion so I just never bring it up. And we return home before grandma leaves I always beg her to stay and she always says no but I always beg and beg just because I know she is tired and she will never admit it so I make it seems that I need her there with me until grandma breaks down and says okay and I always take her to her room. That room is always ready just for my grandma she has her own bathroom so that she could have privacy and get her rest. And just like every year, I woke up to Apple pancakes and maple bacon and I don't need any syrup because she makes this apple spread with little bits of apples that are sweet and delicious and it leaves no room for syrup best time of the year ever. I love my tradition with my grandma and I plan to do it with my grandma until we can't do it anymore.and I plan to do it with my grandkids just to keep the tradition alive.
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