An Apple a Day

While visiting my parents in Connecticut for the long weekend, I went to Rogers Orchard in Southington on the New Britain/Southington town line. The store is on the far side of the NB town reservoir. It was really obvious yesterday morning that we are having a drought in New England; the water line was lower than I ever remember it being.

When I was in junior high, my dad made my brother and I bike around the reservoir every day in the summer (because we were driving my mom crazy.) It was good exercise, but we also made it fun. We had a Fisher Price tape recorder locked into the paper rack on the back of one of our bikes, and we would sing along with the current hits we had taped off of the radio. "Don't Worry, Be Happy" was listened to every day. We would also ask each other deep questions, like "do you believe in ghosts? or aliens?"

Because it was at the halfway point around the reservoir, we would always stop at Rogers for a drink (we always got this sparkling juice called Fruitzer) and some chocolate nut bark. Once we had finished our little break, we would have a bike race up to the top of the hill where the fruit trees were and whoever won “won” a huge prize, like Pizza Hut for life. And a sports car.

I ended up buying a half bushel of Macouns and six cider doughnuts, which I shared with some of my work friends. Last night, I cored and baked one of the apples in a little cinnamon and sugar, and, this weekend, I am going to make apple squares using my mom's recipe. I am so glad that fall is here.