“Olde fashioned” apple picking basket with first of the season Duchess drops

TODAY IN THE ORCHARD

Today the rain came late in the evening in the form of two rolling thunderstorms, totaling a half inch. Conditions were fairly pleasant all day. We collected the Duchess drops, composted the funky ones and saved the good ones for tomorrow’s sauce. Now is the time to check your summer apples daily. You can blink twice, and they’ll all be gone. We had a small plum crop this year, but a few trees have decent fruit. The oldest Purple Heart tree has a lot of plums which should be ready any day. It is outstanding fresh.