Apple Gleaning on a Rainy Sunday

Well, as a Master Gardener, I am supposed to do 20 hours of community service to educate, enable or otherwise share the knowledge gained in my classes with my community. Not that I have all that much knowledge to share. Today we (three master gardener graduates) were to join more volunteers and slog on over to a picked apple orchard and climb trees and get those orphan apples left by the pickers. Left because they were too high up in the tree for professional apple pickers.The purpose of this exercise is to collect apples for the local food pantries.

It's been raining in the Northeast as you may have noticed on your local weather report. Rain makes the ground muddy. Ladders placed on muddy ground sink. So we sunk a few ladders and called it a day.

Then we went to a nice Italian restaurant for the apple picking wrap up. It took forever for us to decide what to eat-who was sharing what with whom---who is allergic to what etc. We had Antipasto (shared), Minestrone (for one), Insalata (for two), Pasta (for one). We discussed book clubs. Two of the MG's are members of the same bookclub and reported that only 3 of the 10 members had read the book selection; that very little book discussion was actual done--but the dinner served was very nice.

Reminded me of an investment club I belonged to. We discussed very little in the way of investments but enjoyed the tours of other's homes and the lovely luncheons served. This was during the years I was an ex-pat living in Germany. The ladies in my investment group were from several different countries and social strata. Sophisticated and Not. Always good fun. Think Dharma and her mother-in-law. I really don't know who had a better time. I never showed up late. Catty of me, I know, but it was so educational in a warped sort of way. The most memorable luncheon was at "Pinky's". Pinky was entertaining all of us in the living room with some investment news as we all watched (behind her) Pinky's big cat walk around all the dishes on the luncheon table in the dining room and lick a number of them. Now that was an interesting situation!

I returned home to "Putting the Garden to Bed" duty. Pulling up plants, spreading lime and gypsum and dragging the pulled up plants to the wet boggy bottom of Lake Gary-- really a wetland area south and west of the garden. Sea level. When it rains the sea level of Lake Gary rises and if it rains enough meets up with Lake Ruth to the West and Lake Peggy in the North and then we are surrounded by knee deep water. Ducks land and swim around. Deer watch them from our back lawn where they eat acorns and fertilize the grass. The back lawn is a high point in the yard--the septic tank lies beneath.

I was born and raised in a big city. With public transportation. This country stuff with all the wildlife is QUITE a change for me.