And more on apples

Apples seem to be a recurring theme these days. Must be the change in season. This weekend Lauren and I spent some time in the burbs visiting family then ventured further out into the country on a spontaneous apple picking outing.

I've never been apple picking before so I wasn't sure what to expect. Armed with a map of the local area farms, my sister picked one at random and off we went.

To our surprise, Chudleigh's turned out to be quite the hot spot for outdoor family entertainment. There were giant slides and a straw maze; face painting and a farm animal petting/observation area; a giant sand pit and tire swings. And apples too of course! Lots of them!

After some mandatory play time we hitched a ride on the tractor wagon that took us deep into the orchard. The trees weren't as big as I expected, but just the right size for kids and adults alike to reach into the branches and pluck the perfect fruit.

Lauren's older cousins were thrilled to help her with the picking and Lauren was thrilled to be gallivanting in the country with her cousins.

All in all it was a nice break from the bustle of the city and a great way to kick off the harvest season.