one of my favorite actors...

by now just about everyone in the US has heard the news that Patrick Swazye lost his battle with cancer and passed away yesterday at the VERY young age of 57. I have to say, he was probably one of my favorite actors and I greatly enjoyed many of his movies. Of course, the most popular movie must have been "Dirty Dancing"... but I remember him more in the TV mini series "North and South"... either way, the world was given a gift thru his acting and dancing talent. Of course, I didn't "know" him, but he seemed to be a gentlemen and certainly did not appear in the news due to his rude behavior (as so many "popular people" do these days!!!) He was married to his wife Lisa for many years, and I can only imagine her grief at this time.

so, goodbye to Patrick Swazye, husband, horseman and actor... God speed.....

apple picking 101

This weekend, our little town hosts it's annual "Apple Fest" event.. a fun weekend that kicks off with a pancake breakfast, craft fair, bake sale and the orchards will all be open for apple picking, hay rides and the like. Our church plays a big part in the bake sale, and the goal of the ladies this year is to be able to sell 50 apple pies!! Which means, that 50 pies need to be made. So, several of us have volunteered to bake a pie or two... Sadie signed us up for two pies.

This morning, one of the orchards graciously offered to let the church ladies in and pick the apples needed for our 50 pies, they asked us to take as many of the "drops" as we could, but a bit of picking was Ok too. It was a beautiful morning, we went fairly early which put us ahead of the bees and other "bugs" and the picking was great fun. I have never been to this particular orchard and had as much fun enjoying the views as I did the picking and fellowship.

The apples this year are beautiful!! I thought that we had an awfully wet spring and summer, but from what the apple trees are looking like, I am guessing it's just the kind of weather that they like.

The apples are huge!!

And the trees are loaded... it's almost like picking grapes. I am surprised that the limbs don't break under the weight of them, and if this good weather keeps up (which it's suppose to do) I bet the orchards will be quite busy over the weekends. I do know that "they" worry about any big storms coming thru right now, because that would cause the trees to drop the apples...

Needless to say, it didn't take us anytime to pick all the apples (and probably a bit more) needed for the pies--oh and the home made applesauce that will be served at the breakfast!!!! (this photo makes me think of the line from the movie Baby Boom... where she had picked baskets and baskets of apples and quotes..."this must be enough for a pie!!!!")


We divided them up and brought home a bucket to do our pies with. So, Friday morning, we'll get ours baked up and drop them off at the church.

And to my "dear readers" if you want a fun fall activity this weekend, head to Apple Fest, fill up at the pancake breakfast, buy a pie to take home.... and pick yourself a nice bag of sweet Maine apples!!!! Sadly, the season doesn't last long, and when the winter winds are knocking at the door, you will be glad that you got out.........