Happy Apple Trees

We went apple-picking on Carter's Mountain, home to presidential estates and, as it turns out, happy fruit trees.  The orchards were full of people laughing and talking and contentedly searching for fruit, but because of the slope and closeness of the tree rows we couldn't actually see anyone.  Joshua and I decided that from where we stood it seemed like it the apples and trees were cheerfully conversing.

The kids' approaches to apple harvesting were as unique as their personalities.  A searched carefully for ones with proper coloring, E picked every apple he could reach, and J chose only the largest.  I do love opportunities to let my kids be that close to farming.  I feel like their normal daily lives are so removed from the agricultural community of my childhood and Dan's upbringing and I can't decide if that's OK.

(Insert imaginary photo of E with his beloved doughnuts here.  That boys loves his sugary confections.)

In the end we bought some doughnuts, found a spot on the wet lawn, and enjoyed the sweet treats while we looked out over the Piedmont.

Did I mention that the views were phenomenal?  The buildings in the middle of the picture are the structures of the University of Virginia.  Dan wasn't with us because he was teaching all-day Saturday course on Grounds so we sent happy thoughts in his direction.

The Piedmont is so pretty in the summer.  I wonder if autumn can top it in these coming weeks.