Itch: Partially Scratched

So it's fall now, at last. I say at last because on St. Simons, there's not that much of a sense of it. Here, there is...the familiar clarity of the air, the crunch underfoot, the briskness of it all. Fold into that a vague sense of nostalgia and a desire to eat more than normal, and that captures it. In keeping with this theme, I was inpsired last night by a recent post on Dying Water Buffalo's site where she biked up to an orchard outside NYC with friends and enjoyed fresh-baked goodies, then schlepped the loot back via tri bike. On the one hand I was cranky because I thought, that's a pipe dream for me now on several levels - but on the other hand it made me really stoked to get out today for a nice long ride, even if it was sans orchards and sans pals.

But wait! This morning post-cereal, my friend Cathy rang up and said she and her family were going...up to the GA mountains to the apple orchards! Was this fate or what? I backpedaled mentally a bit thinking, this will take the day am I okay with losing my bike? After some quick online research, I had a breakthrough. So simple! I would drive seperately, take my bike, and THEN ride after the hoopla on my own! I was so excited about it I was almost giddy on the way up.


We went Northeast to Ellijay and stopped at the orchard (one of like 11 on that road alone) advertising such enticements as a petting zoo and a tractor ride! Sign us up. After a Hillcrest Orchards lunch (chili dog, thank you!) we strolled around the grounds and the petting zoo and then had a tractor ride through the orchards, which oddly featured a forest portion with some Wizard of Oz characters and some really random mannequins including someone on a hybrid bike. Still not really sure what all that was about :)



Afterwards, it was time to SHOP. I bought a full peck of apples (I think of Granny every time I say the word "peck", and in fact saw someone bearing her likeness there), which in my case contained Mutsu apples, Pink Lady apples, and a few sweet potatoes for good measure (who knew?). Did it stop there? Ooooo, no. Using John as a ruse I decided to also opt for the apple cider donuts (mmhllmlmlmlhjmlllhhmm) and an apple cake - the latter of which I didn't sample but went on faith and the assumption that something called apple cake that brown and that heavy HAD to be good (I was right, for the record).

I parted ways with my fellow travellers and headed merrily towards the bike shop, the ride start for the route I found online. Neeeeever found it. Not to be deterred, I finally found part of the route on my cue sheet and thought, np problem, I will just find a spot to park along here and all will be fine. Turns out the route was total crap...totally narrow, totally winding, and totally not going to be ridden by me alone. It was sketchy enough to doubt doing it with friends, but without someone to assist if I hit a marmot or something, no thanks. So to console myself I went to the "11 VARIETIES OF FRIED PIES!" stop and bought 5. And Apple Butter. And Muscadine and Scuppernong cider. But don't worry, I only had 3/4 of one pie. I am glad I got them because as it turns out, John had never had a fried fruit pie. And I still married him! (and Granny, if they have Internet in heaven, please note I did get him a Peach one, but no doubt not as good as yours)

So, itch partially scratched. Apples and lots of sugar in our kitchen. But what about that bike. I'll tell you exactly what... it's going to be 75 tomorrow. I will be going in early and leaving early for an attempt at retribution, even if it's on Riverside Drive.