Apples

It was really an apple year this year. I have had years that have been quite good, but this year beat them all. The three bowls of apples above are only part of the harvest. We have already eaten two bowls full and I have given some to neighbours and friends (relations? - not really as I don't have any on this side of the channel and the Swiss bunch have their own apple trees).

I had a look at the tree this evening to see what was left, and found that there were still some apples to come.

What do you do with so many apples. I do have a dehydrating machine, but it takes time to peel and slice the apples and being a working woman I don't really want to spend my week ends with the apple harvest. I could make apple pies and apple tarts (a Swiss speciality), but not every day. Apple wine or cider is also a possibility, but for that I would need a distillary and probably council permission living in Switzerland (you need a permission for everything here - except for cats). I think we will just have to eat them. I was very surprised that there was very little livestock in the apples. Very few worms had found their home in the fruit and there were also practically no apples laying on the ground. It was just perfect weather this year for apples.

So while I was taking a walk around my estate this evening, I noticed that my reeds had flowered this year for the first time properly. Up to now over the last 5-6 years I was lucky to find a stray blossom somewhere hidden in the stalks, but this year there is one display of wheaty ears.

Then I took a walk into the field bordering on our estate. There are a few odd bushes which had been planted by the corporation that built the estate where we live. One of them has blue berries in Autumn, but not the edible kind, but they do look quite attractive.

So that was a quick update on the tabbynera estate in Autumn. Our cats enjoy this time of year especially. It was quite an adventure taking the photos making sure that a dead mouse wasn't lying in the way. We have had quite a dry and sunny Autumn although the temperatures are now quite low at night. And now I must go and eat an apple or two or three or maybe four.